3. The second duty of the priestly office is intercession. How frequently this also is ascribed unto the Lord Christ as a high priest hath been declared before. Now, intercession is of two sorts: —(1.) Formal and oral; (2.) Virtual and real. (1.) There is a
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JSormal, oral intercession, when any one, by words, arguments, sup- plications, with humble earnestness in their use, prevails with another for any good thing that is in his power to be bestowed on himself or others. Of this nature was the intercession of Christ whilst he was on the earth. He dealt with God, by prayers, and supplications, sometimes with cries and tears, with respect unto himself in the work he had undertaken, but principally for the church of his elect, Heb. y. 7; John xvii. This was his intercession as a priest whilst he was on the earth, namely, his interposition with God, by prayers and supplications, suited unto the state wherein he was, for the ap- plication of the benefits of his mediation unto the church, or the accomplishment of the promises made unto him upon his under- taking the work of redemption. (2.) Virtual or real intercession differs not in the substance or nature of it from that which is oral and formal, but only in the outward manner of its performance, with respect unto the reasons of it as now accomplished. When Christ was upon the earth, his state and condition rendered it ne- cessary that his intercession should be by way of formal supplica- tions; and that, as to the argument of it, it should respect that which was for to come, his oblation,—which is both the procuring cause of all good things interceded for and the argument to be pleaded for their actual communication,—being not yet completed. But now, in heaven, the state and condition of Christ admitting of no oral or formal supplications, and the ground, reason, or argument of his intercession, being finished and past, his intercession, as the means of the actual impetration of grace and glory, consists in the real presentation of his offering and sacrifice for the procuring of the actual communication of the fruits thereof unto them for whom he so offered himself. The whole matter of words, prayers, and sup- plications, yea, of internal conceptions of the mind formed into prayers, is but accidental unto intercession, attending the state and condition of him that intercedes. The real entire nature of it con- sists in the presentation of such things as may prevail in the way of motive or procuring cause with respect unto the things inter- ceded for. And such do we affirm the intercession of Christ as our high priest in heaven to be.
It is no easy matter to apprehend aright what our adversaries judge concerning this duty of the priesthood of Christ. They all say the expression is figurative, and they will not allow any real inter- cession of Christ, although the Scriptures so expressly lay the weight» of our consolation, preservation, and salvation thereon, Rom. viii. 34; Heb. vii. 25-27; 1 John ii. 1. Neither are they agreed what is signified by it. That which mostly they agree on is, that it is a “word used to declare that the power which Christ exerciseth in
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~ heaven was not originally his own, but was granted to him of God; and therefore the good that by virtue thereof he doth to and for the church is so expressed as if he obtained it of God by intercession.” But it is, I confess, strange to me, that what the Holy Ghost left the weight of our consolation and salvation on should be no more but a word signifying that the power which Christ exerciseth in heaven for the good of his church was “ not originally his own,” but was conferred on him by God after his ascension into heaven.
4. From what hath been discoursed it is evident how great and wide the difference is between us about these things, which yet are the things wherein the life of our faith is concerned. And so re- solved are they in their own sentiments, that they will not admit of such terms of reconciliation as may be tendered unto them, if in any thing they intrench thereon; for whereas Grotius premised unto his discourse on this subject, “ Constat nobis ac Socino de voce Christi mortem fuisse sacrificium expiatorium, id ipsum clare testante divina ad Hebreos Epistola,”—“ We are agreed with Socinus as to the name, that the death of Christ was an expiatory sacrifice, as is clearly testified in the Epistle to the Hebrews,’—Crellius renounceth any such concession in Socinus, and tells Grotius how greatly he is mis- taken in that supposition, seeing both he and they do perfectly deny that the death of Christ was the expiatory sacrifice mentioned in that Epistle, cap. x. part. 1, p. 472. Now, it is evident that these things cannot be handled unto full satisfaction without a complete discussion of the true nature of the sacrifice of Christ. But this is not my present design, nor shall I engage into it in these Exercita- tions. The proper seat of the doctrine thereof is in the 9th and 10th chapters of this Epistle. If God will, and we live to arrive there- unto, all things concerning them shall be handled at large. Only, there are some things which belong peculiarly to the office itself under consideration. These we shall separate from what concerns the nature of the sacrifice, and vindicate from the exceptions of our adversaries. And they are referred unto the ensuing heads:—First, The teme and place when and where the Lord Christ entered on and principally discharged the office of his priesthood. Secondly, The immediate proper object of all his sacerdotal actings, which having been stated before must now be vindicated and further confirmed. Thirdly, The especial nature of his sacerdotal intercession, which consists in the moral efficacy of his mediation in procuring mercy and grace, and not in a power of conferring them on us,