5. It shows the nature of his intercession. It not only implies the everlastingness of his merit, that his blood doth continue to deserve such things at the hands of God as we stand in need of, but it is a continual representation of his merit ; it is not a metaphor, but a solemn act of his priesthood. Again, it is not by verbal expressions, such as he used hereupon earth, ' Father, forgive them ; ' his became the state of his humiliation ; but now he intercedes non voce, sed misejxdione, not by voice, but by pity. What is it then ? Partly his appearing in heaven as God in our nature : Heb. ix. 24, ' Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,' &c., ' but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.' He is said to appear before God for us, as the high priest came and presented him- self before God with the names of the twelve tribes engraven on his breastplate. Partly in his expressing an actual willingness, or the desires of his holy soul concerning our salvation : John xvii. 24, ' Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am ; ' and so he appears in our names, as well as in our nature. Partly by some acts of adoration of the sovereign majesty of God ; some address to God there is : John xiv. 16, ' I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.' He doth not only ask the enlargement of his own kingdom : Ps. ii. 8,
26 SERMON UPON LUKE XXIII. 34.
'Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for tliy possession ; ' but the pardon, comfort, peace, and supply of particuUir persons : 1 John ii. 1, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with tlie Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' Partly in his presenting our prayers and supplications : Rev. viii. 3, ' And anotlier angel came and stood at the altar, having a goklen censer ; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne ; ' and therefore he is called ' a minister of the sanctuary,' Heb. viii. 2. This is the nature of Christ's intercession.
6. The success of Christ's intercession, ' Father, forgive them.' Was he heard in this ? Yes ; this prayer converts the centurion, and those, Acts ii. 41, above ' three thousand,' and presently after five thousand more. Acts iv. 4. In the compass of a few days above eight thousand of his enemies were converted. Christ is good at interceding ; his prayers are always heard : John xi. 42, ' I knew that thou hearest me always.' And therefore let us seek no other mediator ; God cannot deny his own Son. Jesus Christ the righteous intercedes for us ; let us put all our requests into his hands.
II. I come now to the argument used, ' They know not what they do.' But you will say, Christ elsewhere complainetli of his enemies, that they know him, and refused him out of malice : John xv. 24, ' Now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father ; ' and therefore he saitli, they had no cloak for their sin, but were utterly without excuse, for they could not plead ignorance.
Ans. 1. This is not spoken of all, but of some onlj'-. The greatest part were moved with the command, authority, and persuasion of the priests, or blinded with a false zeal to preserve their old religion, and so thought they did God service in crucifying Christ. Those that sinned out of malice, Christ had told them their doom before : Mat. xii. 32, ' Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.'
2. They knew him to be a just man, though they knew him not to be the Lord of glory, and that he did many signs which the prophets foretold should be done by the Messias ; and therefore at least that he was a great prophet, and as such they should have reverenced and received him, so that they had the less cloak for their sin.
3. Christ excused not a tolo, but a ianto, not altogether, but only showeth that they were capable of pardon because of their ignorance. Christ excuseth the sin of his enemies in that manner that lie could excuse them ; he could not altogether excuse the injustice of Pilate, nor the cruelty of the soldiers, nor the envy of the chief priests, nor the folly and unthankfulness of the people, nor the perjury of the false witnesses; all that he could plead was some ignorance of the dignity of his person: 1 Cor. ii. 8, ' Which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' The chief men of the Jews did not understand the mystery of redemption, and many were ignorant, not only of the divinity of Christ, but his innocency also : ' Tiiey know not what they do.'