176 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [bOOK I.
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour," Eph. v. 2. He does it cheerfully: " Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," Heb. X. 9 ; and so " his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24. Now, this oblation or offering of Christ I would not tie wp to any one thing, action, or p;xssion, perfoi'mance, or suffer- ing; but it compriseth the whole economy and dispensation of God manifested in the flesh and conversing among us, with all those things which he performed in the days of his flesh, when he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears, until he had fully " by himself purged our sins, and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb. i. 3, " expecting till his enemies be made his footstool," chap, x, 13, — all the whole dispensation of his coming and ministering, until he had given his soul a price of re- demption for many, Matt. xxvi. 28. But for his entering into the holy of holies, sprinkled with his own blood, and appearing so for us before the majesty of God, by some accounted as the continuation of his oblation, we may refer unto, —
Thirdly, His intercession for all and every one of those for whom he gave himself for an oblation. He did not suffer for them, and then refuse to intercede for them ; he did not do the gi'eater, and omit the less. The price of our redemption is more precious in the eyes of God and his Son than that it should, as it were, be cast away on perishing souls, without any care taken of what becomes of them afterward. Nay, this also is imposed on Christ, with a promise an- nexed : " Ask of me," saith the Loixl, " and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the lUtermost parts of the earth for thy possession," Ps. ii. 8 ; who accordingly tells his disciples that he had more work to do for them in heaven. " I go," saith he, " to prepare a place for you, that I may come again and receive you unto myself," John xiv. 2, 3. For as " the high priest went into the second [tabernacle] alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the errors of the people," Heb. ix. 7; so " Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by his own blood entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal re- demption for us," verses 11, 12. Now, Avhat was this holy place whereinto he entered thus sprinkled with the blood of the covenant? and to what end did he enter into it? Why, "he is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us," verse 24. And what doth he there appear for? Why, to be our advocate, to l)lead our cause with God, for the application of the good things pro- cured by his oblation unto all them for wliom he was an offering; as the apostle tells us, " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John ii. 1. Why, how comes that to pass? " He is the propitiation for our sins," verse 2. His
END OF Christ's death as eternally intended. ] 77
being 'iXasMg, a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, is the founda- tion of liis interceding, the ground of it; and, therefore, they both belong to the same persons. Now, by the way, we know that Christ refused to pray for the world, in opposition to his elect. " I pray for them," saith he: " I pray not for the world, but for them thou hast given me," John xvii. 9. And therefore there was no foun- dation for such an interceding for them, because he was not /?.a(r,</,oj for them. Again; we know the Father always heareth the Son (" I knew," saith he, " that thou hearest me always," chap. xi. 42), that is, so to grant his request, according to the fore-mentioned en- gagement, Ps. ii. 8; and, therefore, if he should intercede for all, all should undoubtedly be saved, for " he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them," Heb. vii. 25. Hence is that confidence of the apostle, upon that intercession of Christ, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh inter- cession for us," Rom. viii. 33, 34. Where, also, we cannot but ob- serve that those for whom he died may assuredly conclude he maketh intercession for them, and that none shall lay any thing to their charge, — which breaks the neck of the general ransom ; for according to that, he died for millions that have no interest in his intercession, who shall have their sins laid to their charge, and perish imder them : which might be farther cleared up from the very nature of this inter- cession, which is not a humble, dejected supj^lication, which beseems not that glorious state of advancement which he is possessed of that sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high, but an authoritative presenting himself before the throne of his Father, sprinkled with his own blood, for the making out to his people all spiritual things that are procured by his oblation, saying, " Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am," John xvii. 24. So that for whomsoever he suffered, he appears for them in heaven with his satis- faction and merit. Here, also, we must call to mind what the i'ather promised his Son upon his undertaking of this employment ; for there is no doubt but that for that, and that alone, doth Christ, upon the accomplishment of the whole, intercede with him about ; which was in sum that he might be the captain of salvation to all that believe on him, and effectually bring many sons to glory. And hence it is, having such an high priest over the house of God, we may draw near with the full assurance of faith, for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified, Heb, x. 14. But of this more must be said afterward.