The things prayed for, the reason of his intercession, the opposi- tion against the accomplishment of the things interceded for, the distinction put between them for whom he intercedes and the perish- ing world, — all delivered in plain and expressive terms, — evidently evince the intendment of Christ in his intercession to regard the safe- guarding of believers in the love and favour of God, by their continu- ance in believing, and preservation from the power of temj^tations and oppositions arising against their perseverance in communion with God,
The result of what hath been spoken, as to its influence into the confirmation of the truth vmder demonstration, amounts unto thus much : That which the Lord Jesus, as mediator, requesteth and prayeth for continually of the Father, according to his mind, in order to the accomplishment of the promises made to him and covenant with him (all his desires being bottomed upon his exact, perfect per- formance of the ivhole will of God, both in doing and suffering), that shall certainly be accomplished and brought to pass; but thus, in this manner, upon these accounts, doth the Lord Jesus intercede for the perseverance of believers, and their preservation in tlie love of the Father imto the end: therefore, they shall undoubtedly be so preserved. It is confessed that the persons interceded for are bo-
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370 DOCTllINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
lievers, all believers that then were, or should be to the end of the world (the efificacy of this intercession having commenced from the foundation thereof) ; the thing prayed for is their preservation in the state of union with Christ and one another; the motives used fur the obtaining this request in their behalf are taken from the work they have to do, and the opposition they were to meet withal. And all the saints being thus put into the hand of God, who shall take them from thence? On what account is it that they shall not be preserved ? To say they shall be thus preserved in case themselves depart not wilfully from God, is to say they shall be preserved in case they preserve themselves, as will afterward be farther manifested.
This argument is proposed by the apostle in the most triumphant assurance of the tiTith and certainty of the inference contained in it that he anywhere useth, in any case whatsoever: Rom, viii. 33, 34, " 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 intercession for us." He lays the immunity of the elect and justified persons from just crimination or condemnation on the foundation of the oblation and intercession of Christ. The first part of this argument from the oblation of Christ (" Who shall con- demn? It is Christ that died"), assorting the immunity of believers from condemnation, upon the account of the punishing of all their sins in Christ, and the perfect satisfaction made by his death for them, whence the justice of God in the issue will not have any thing to lay to their charge, we have formerly insisted on ; the other, which the apostle induces emphatically and comparatively, though not in re- spect of procurement and purchase made, yet of assurance to be given, with iJ,a}.Xbv bs, in respect of his oblation, is that now before us. To make the assurance of believers plentiful, that they may know both the truth of his first general assertion, that all things shg,ll work to- gether for good to them, and this particular conclusion, now laid down by way of interrogation, rejecting all evil opposed to their former enjoyments, " Who shall lay any thing to tlieir charge? who shall condemn?" he gives them a threefold consideration of the state and actings of the Lord Christ, after the expiation of their sins by his blood, in reference to them: — 1. " He is risen;" 2. " He is at the right hand of God;" 3. " Maketh intercession for them:" — the first denoting his acquitment, and theirs in him (for he died in their stead), from all the sins that were charged on him ; for he was declared to be the Son of God, accepted with him, and justified from all that debt which he undertook, in his resurrection. And if he be risen, who shall lay any thing to the charge of them whom he died for, and for all whose sins, in their stead, he was acquitted? The seound is his exaltation and power; for " having purged our sins, he
IX.] THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST. 371
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb. i. 3, re- ceiving thereby a most plenary demonstration of his Father's good- will to him and his, in respect of the work that he had undertaken and gone through for them : for if he had not " made an end of sin," when he was " obedient unto death, the death of the cross," he could not expect that God should give him "a name above every name," with fulness of power to give eternal life to all that the Father gave him. This to assure us that he will do, having power in his own hand, the apostle adds, " Who also intercedes for us;" hereby, thirdly, testify- ing abundantly his good-will and care for our salvation. Upon these considerations, the apostle leads the faith of the saints of God to make a conclusion, which is to be believed as a divine truth, that tenders to us the doctrine we have under demonstration triumphant against all objections and oppositions that can be made against it. And hence we thus argue: Those against whom no charge can be laid, who cannot by any means be separated from the love of God in Christ, cannot totally and finally fall away from faith, and fall out of God's favour. But that this is the condition of all true believers is evident from the context. It is of all that are called according to the purpose of God, justified, and sanctified, — the proper description of all and only believers, — that the apostle affirms these things, and to whom he ascribes the condition mentioned. Now, that this is the state and condition of those persons, the apostle manifesteth from the causes of it, — namely, the oblation and intercession of Christ in their behalf; for those for whom he died and doth intercede are on that account exempted from any such charge as might be of prevalency to separate them from God.