2. By Christ's intercession, I gather that awakened men and women, such as the godly, dare not, after offense given, come in their own names to make unto God an application for mercy. God, in himself, is a consuming fire, and sin has made the best of us as stubble is to fire; therefore, they may not, they cannot, and they dare not approach God's presence for help but by and through a mediator and intercessor. When Israel saw the fire, the blackness, and darkness and heard the thunder, the lightning, and the terrible sound of the trumpet, 'they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.' (Exo 20:19, Deut 18:16) Guilt and a sense of the disparity that exists between God and us will make us lookout for a man who may lay his hand upon us both and who may set us right in the eyes of our Father again. This, I say, I infer from the intercession of Christ, for if there had been a possibility of our ability to have approached God with advantage without, what need had there been of the intercession of Christ?
Absalom does not approach—no, not the presence of his father—by himself, without a mediator and intercessor; therefore, he sends Joab to go to the king and make intercession for him. (2 Sam 13, 14:32, 33) Also, Joab did not go upon that errand himself but by the mediation of another. Sin is a fearful thing; it will quash and quail the courage of a man and make him afraid to approach the presence of him whom he has offended, though the offended is a man. How much more, then, shall it discourage a man, when once loaded with guilt and shame, from attempting to approach the presence of a holy and sin-avenging God, unless he can come to him through, and in the name of, an intercessor? But here now is the help and comfort of the people of God—there is to help them under all their infirmities an intercessor prepared, and at work. 'He ever liveth to make intercession.'
3. I also infer that should we, out of ignorance and presumption, attempt, when we have offended ourselves, to approach the presence of God, God would not accept us. He told Eliphaz so. What Eliphaz thought or was about to do, I know not; but God said unto him, 'My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the right thing, as my servant Job has. Therefore, take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves [that is, by him] a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept; lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the right thing, like my servant Job.' See here, an offense is a bar and an obstruction to acceptance with God, but by a mediator, but by an intercessor. He that comes to God by himself, God will answer him by himself—that is, without an intercessor; and I will tell you, such are not like to get any pleasant or comfortable answer will answer him that so cometh according to the multitude of his idols. 'And I will set my face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.' (Eze 14:7,8)
He that intercedes for another with a holy and just God had to clean himself, lest he with whom he so busieth himself say to him, First clear yourself, and then come and speak for your friend. Wherefore, this is the very description and qualification of this our High Priest and blessed Intercessor: 'For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,' &c. (Heb 7:26,27) Had we not had such an intercessor, we would have been, but in a very poor case; but we have one that becomes us, one that fits us to the purpose, one against whom our God hath nothing, can object nothing, and one in whose mouth no guile could be found.
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