Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It. 172

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

OF THE BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S INTERCESSION.

(1.) Faith, which is the root grace, the grand grace, is sufficiently manifested by its shortness of apprehension of things about the person, offices, relations, and works of Christ, now in the heavenly place for us. It is also very defective in its fetching of comfort from the Word to us, and in continuing of it with us, when at any time we attain unto it; in its receiving of strength to subdue sin, and in its purifying of the heart, though indeed it doth what it doth in reality, yet how short is it of doing of it thoroughly? Often, were it not for supplies by the intercession of Christ, faith would fail to perform its office in any measure. (Luke 22:31,32)

(2.) There is hope, another grace of the Spirit bestowed upon us; and how often is that also, as to the excellency of working, made to flag? 'I shall perish,' saith David; 'I am cut off from before thine eyes,' said he. (Psa 31:22) And now where was his hope, in the right gospel discovery? Also, all our fears of men, fears of death, and fears of judgment arise from the imperfections of hope. But from all those faults Christ saves us by his intercessions.

(3.) There is love, that should be in us as hot as fire. It is compared to fire, to fire of the hottest sort; yea, it is said to be hotter than the coals of juniper. (Cant 8:6,7) But who finds this heat in love so much as for one poor quarter of an hour together? Some little flashes, perhaps, some at some times may feel, but where is that constant burning of affection that the Word, the love of God, and the love of Christ call for? yea, and that the necessities of the poor and afflicted members of Christ call for also. Ah! love is cold in these frozen days, and short when it is at the highest.

(4.) The grace of humility, when is it? who has a thimbleful thereof? Where is he that is 'clothed with humility,' and that does what he is commanded 'with all humility of mind'? (1 Peter 5:5, Acts 20:19)

(5.) For zeal, where is that also? Zeal for God against sin, profaneness, superstition, and idolatry. I speak now to the godly, who have this zeal in the root and habit; but oh, how little of it puts forth itself into actions in such a day as this is!

(6.) There is reverence, fear, and standing in awe of God's Word and judgments, where are the excellent workings thereof to be found? And where it is most, how far short of perfect acts is it?

(7.) Simplicity and godly sincerity also, with how much dirt is it mixed in the best; especially among those of the rich saints, who have got the poor and beggarly art of complimenting? The more compliments, the less sincerity. Many words will not fill a bushel. But 'in the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin.' (Prov 10:19) Plain men are thin come up in this day; to find a mouth without fraud and deceit now is a rare thing. Thus might one count up all the graces of the Spirit, and show wherein every one of them is scanty and wanting of perfection. Now look, what they want of perfection is supplied with sin and vanity; for there is a fullness of sin and flesh at hand to make up all the vacant places in our souls. There is no place in the souls of the godly but it is filled up with darkness when the light is wanting, and with sin so far forth as grace is wanting. Satan, also, diligently waiteth to come in at the door, if Careless has left it a little achare. But, oh! the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ever liveth to make intercession for us, and that, by so doing, saves us from all the imperfect acts and workings of our graces, and from all the advantages that flesh, and sin, and Satan getteth upon us thereby.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It. 171

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

[WHY THE JUSTIFIED NEED AN INTERCESSOR.]

And this is the reason, or one reason, why those who are justified need an intercessor—to wit, to save us from the evil of the sin that remains in our flesh after we are justified by grace through Christ and set free from the law as to condemnation. Therefore, as it is said, we are saved; so it is said, 'He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The godly, for now, we will call them the godly, though there is yet an abundance of sin in them, feel in themselves many things even after justification by which they are convinced they are still attended with personal, sinful imperfections.

[Imperfect in their feelings and inclinations.]—(1.) They feel unbelief, fear, mistrust, doubting, despondings, murmurings, blasphemies, pride, lightness, foolishness, avarice, fleshly lusts, heartlessness to good, wicked desires, low thoughts of Christ, too good thoughts of sin, and, at times, too great an itching after the worst of immoralities.

(2.) They feel in themselves an aptness to incline to errors, as to lean to the works of the law for justification; to question the truth of the resurrection and judgment to come; to dissemble and play the hypocrite in the profession, and in performance of duties; to do religious duties rather to please man than God, who trieth the heart.

(3.) They feel an inclination in them, in times of trial, to faint under the cross, to seek too much to save themselves, to dissemble the known truth to obtain a little favor with men and to speak things that they ought not, that they may sleep in a whole skin.

(4.) They feel wearisomeness in religious duties but have a natural propensity for things of the flesh. They feel a desire to go beyond bounds both at board and bed, in bodily exercise, and in all lawful recreation.

(5.) They feel in themselves an aptness to take advantage of using lawful things, such as food, raiment, sleep, talk, estates, relations, beauty, wit, parts, and graces, to unlawful ends. These things, with many more of the like kind, the justified man finds and feels in himself, to his humbling and often cast down; and to save him from the destroying evil of these, Christ ever liveth to make intercession for him.

[Imperfect in their graces.]Again, the justified man is imperfect in his graces and therefore needs to be saved by the intercession of Christ from the bad fruit that that imperfection yields.

Justifying righteousness is accompanied by graces—the graces of the Spirit. Though these graces are not that matter by and through which we are justified, nor any part thereof, that being only the obedience of Christ imputed to us of mere pleasure and goodwill, they come when justification comes. (Rom 9) And though they are not so easily discerned at first, they show themselves afterward. But I say, how many soever they are and how fast soever they grow, their utmost agreement here is but a state short of perfection. None of the graces of God's Spirit in our hearts can do their work in us without shortness, and that is because of their own imperfections and also because of the oppositions that they meet with in the flesh.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It.170

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

Inferences from the benefits of Christ's intercession.

Third. And now I come to the third thing that I told you I should speak to, and that is, to those inferences that may be gathered from these words.

1. Are they justified by Christ's blood, such as those who have yet to be saved by his intercession? Then, from here, it follows that justification will stand with imperfection. It doth not, therefore, follow that a justified man is without infirmity, for he that is without infirmity—that is, perfect with absolute perfection—has no need to be yet saved by an act to be performed by a mediator and his mediation.

When I say, justification will stand with imperfection, I do not mean that it will allow, countenance, or approve thereof; but I mean there is no necessity of our perfection, of our personal perfection, as to our justification, and that we are justified without it; yea, that, in justified persons, remains. Again, when I say that justification will stand with imperfection, I do not mean that in our justification we are imperfect, for in that we are complete; 'we are complete in him' who is our justice. (Col 2:10) If otherwise, the imperfection is in the matter that justifies us, which is the righteousness of Christ. Yea, and to say so would conclude that wrong judgment proceedeth from him that imputes that righteousness to us for justification since an imperfect thing is imputed to us for justification. But far be it from those who believe that God is true to imagine such a thing; all his works are perfect, and nothing is wanting in them as to the present design.

[Quest.] But what then do we mean when we say that justification will stand in a state of imperfection?

Answ. Why, I mean that justified men are yet sinners in themselves and are yet full of imperfections—yeah, sinful imperfections. Justified Paul said, 'I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.' (Rom 7:18) While we are sinners, we are justified by the blood of Christ. Hence, again, it is said, 'he justifies the ungodly.' (Rom 4:5, 5:8, 9) Justification, then, only covers our sin from the sight of God; it makes us not perfect with inherent perfection. But God, for the sake of that righteousness which by his grace is imputed to us, declareth us quit and discharged from the curse, and sees sin in us no more to condemnation.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It.169

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

[In Christ's ability to save, lieth our safety.]

But some may say, What is the meaning of the word able? 'Wherefore he can save.' He can save the uttermost. How it come to pass that his power to save is rather put in than his willingness? For willingness, the soul would better have pleased me. I will add two or three words to this question. And,

First, this word table suggests to us the sufficiency of his merit, the great worthiness of his merit, for, as Intercessor, he sticks fast by his merit; all his petitions, prayers, or supplications are grounded upon the worthiness of his person as Mediator and on the validity of his offering as priest. This is more clear if you consider the reason why those priests and sacrifices under the law could not make the worshippers perfect. It was, I say, because there was worthiness and merit in their sacrifices. But this man, when he came and offered his sacrifice, did by that one act 'perfect for ever them that are sanctified,' or set apart for glory. 'But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.' (Heb 10:1-12)

When Moses prayed for the people of Israel, he said, 'And now, I beseech you, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken.' But what had he said? 'The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty—Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven these people, from Egypt even until now.' (Num 14:17-19)

Second, has he but power? We know he is willing; otherwise, he would not have promised; it is also his glory to pardon and save. So, then, in his ability lies our safety. What if he were never so willing? If he were not of sufficient ability, what would his willingness do? But he has shown, as I said, his willingness by promising: 'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' (John 6:37) So now our comfort lies in his power, in that he can keep his word. (Rom 4:20,21) And this will also be seen when he hath saved them that come to God by him when he hath saved them to the uttermost; not to the uttermost of his ability, but to the uttermost of our necessity; for to the uttermost of his ability, I believe he will never be put to it to save his church; not because he is loath so to save, but because there is no need so to save; he shall not need to put out all his power and to press the utmost of his merit for the saving of his church. Alas! there is sufficiency of merit in him to save a thousand times as many more as are like to be saved by him; 'he can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.'

Measure not, therefore, what he can do by what he has, doth, or will do; neither do thou interpret this word to the uttermost, as if it related to the uttermost of his ability, but rather as it relateth, for so it doth indeed, to the greatness of thy necessity. For as he can save thee, though thy condition is, as it may be supposed to be, the worst that ever man was in that was saved, so he can save thee, though thy condition was ten times worse than it is.

What! shall not the worthiness of the Son of God be sufficient to save from the sin of man? or shall the sin of the world be of that weight to destroy that it shall put Christ Jesus to the uttermost of the worth of his person and merit to save therefrom? I believe it is blasphemy to think so. We can easily imagine that he can save all the world—that is, that he can do it—but we cannot imagine that he can do no more than we think he can. But our imagination and thoughts set no bounds on his ability. 'He can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' But what that is, I say, no man can think, no man can imagine. So, then, Jesus Christ can do more than ever any man thought he could do as to saving; he can do we know not what. This, therefore, should encourage those who come to him and those who come to hope. This, I say, should encourage them to let out, to lengthen, and heighten their thoughts by the word, to the uttermost, seeing he can 'save to the uttermost them that come to God by him.'

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It.168

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

(3.) There are also the oppositions of sense and reason hard at work for the devil, against the soul; the men of his own house are risen up against him. One's sense and reason, one would think, should not fall in with the devil against ourselves, and yet nothing more common, nothing more natural, than for our own sense and reason to turn unnatural, and are both against our God and us. And now it is hard to come to God. Better can a man hear and deal with any objections against himself than with those that he does make against himself? They lie close, stick fast, speak aloud, and will be heard; yes, they will haunt and hunt him, as the devil doth some, in every hole and corner. But come, man, come, for he can save to the uttermost!

(4.) Now guilt is the consequence and fruit of all this, and what an intolerable burden as guilt! They talk of the stones and of the sands of the sea, but it is guilt that breaks the heart with its burden. And Satan has the art of making the uttermost of every sin; he can blow it up, make it swell, and make every hair of its head as big as a cedar. He can tell how to make it a heinous and unpardonable offense, an offense of that continuance, and committed against so much light that, says he, it is impossible it should ever be forgiven. But, soul, Christ can save to the uttermost; he can 'do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' (Eph 3:20)

(5.) Join to all this the rage and terror of men, which thing of itself is sufficient to quash and break to pieces all desires to come to God by Christ; yea, and it doth do so to thousands that are not willing to go to hell. Yet thou art kept and made to go panting on; a whole world of men, devils, and sin is not able to keep you from coming. But how comes it to pass that thou art so hearty, that thou settest thy face against so much wind and weather? I dare say it arises not from yourself nor from any of your enemies. This comes from God, though thou art not aware thereof, and is obtained for thee by the intercession of the blessed Son of God, who can also save thee to the uttermost, that comes to God by him.

(6.) And for a conclusion as to this, I will add that there is much of the honor of the Lord Jesus engaged as to the saving of the coming man to the uttermost: 'I am glorified in them,' saith he. (John 17:10) He is exalted to be a Savior. (Acts 5:31) And if the blessed one does count it an exaltation to be a savior, surely it is an exaltation to be a savior and a great one. 'They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Savior, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.' (Isa 19:20) If it is a glory to be a Saviour, a great Saviour, then it is a glory for a Saviour, a great one, to save, and save, and save to the uttermost—to the uttermost man, to the uttermost sin, to the uttermost temptation. And hence it is that he saith again, speaking of the transgressions, sins, and iniquities that he would pardon, that it should turn to him for a name of joy, praise, and an honor before all nations.' (Jer 33:9) He, therefore, counts it an honor to be a great savior and to save men to the uttermost.

When Moses said, 'I beseech thee, show me thy glory,' the answer was, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.' (Exo 33:18,19) And when he came indeed to make proclamation, then he proclaimed, 'The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.' (Exo 34:6,7) That will by no means clear them, and it will not come to me that they may be saved.

See here, if it is not by himself his glory to make his goodness, all his goodness, pass before us. And how can that be if he saveth not to the uttermost those that come unto God by him? For goodness is by us but by those acts by which it expresses itself to be so. And, I am sure, to save, to save to the uttermost, is one of the most eminent expressions by which we understand it is great goodness. I know goodness has many ways to express itself to be what it is to the world, but then it expresses its greatness when it pardons and saves the uttermost. My goodness, says Christ, extends not to my Father but to my saints. (Psa 16:2,3) My Father has no need of my goodness, but my saints have, and therefore it shall reach forth itself for their help, in whom is all my delight. And, 'Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men'! (Psa 31:19) It is, therefore, that which tends to get Christ a name, fame, and glory, to be able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It .167

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

Christ saves to the uttermost.

Second, I shall now show you something of what it is for Christ, by his intercession, to save to the 'uttermost.' 'He can save them to the uttermost.'

This is a great expression and carries with it much. 'Uttermost' signifies to the outside, to the end, to the last, to the furthest part. And it has respect for both people and things. (Gen 49:26, Deut 30:4, Matt 5:26, Mark 13:27, Luke 15)

1. To persons. Some persons are in their own apprehensions, even further from Christ than anybody else; afar off, a great way off, yet a-coming, as the prodigal was. Now, these many times are exceedingly afraid; the sight of that distance that they think is between Christ and them makes them afraid. As it is said in another case, 'They that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid of your tokens.' (Psa 65:8) So these are afraid they shall not speed, not obtain that for which they come to God. But the text says He can save to the uttermost, to the very hindermost, those that come to God by him.

Two sorts of men seem to be far, very far from God. (1.) The town sinner. (2.) The great backslider. (Neh 1:9) But both of these, if they come, he can save to the uttermost. He can save them from all those dangers that they fear will prevent them from obtaining the grace and mercy they would need to help them in times of need. The publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven.

2. As this text respects people, so it respects things. There are some things with which some are attending that are coming to God, by Christ, that make their coming hard and very difficult.

(1.) There is a more than ordinary breaking up of the corruptions of their nature. It seems as if all their lusts and vile passions of the flesh have become masters, and they might now do what they will with the soul. Yea, they take this man and toss and tumble him like a ball in a large place. This man is not master of himself, of his thoughts, nor of his passions—' His iniquities, like the wind, do carry him away.' (Isa 64:6) He thinks to go forward, but this wind blows him backward; he labors against this wind, but cannot find that he gets ground; he takes what advantage opportunity doth minister to him, but all he gets is to be beat out of heart, out of breath, out of courage. He stands still, pants, and gapeth as for life. 'I opened my mouth and panted,' said David, 'for I longed for thy commandments.' (Psa 119:131) He sets forward again but has nothing but labor and sorrow.

(2.) Nay, to help forward his calamity, Satan [and his] angels will not be wanting, both to trouble his head with the fumes of their stinking breath nor to throw up his heels in their dirty places—' And as he was yet a-coming, the devil threw him down and tare him.' (Luke 9:42) How many strange, hideous, and amazing blasphemies have those, some of whom are coming to Christ, injected and fixed upon their spirits against him? There is nothing so common as having some hellish wish or other against God they are coming to and against Christ, by whom they would come to him. These blasphemies are like those frogs I have heard of that will leap up, catch hold of, and hang by their claws. Now help, Lord; now, Lord Jesus, what shall I do? Now, Son of David, have mercy upon me! I say these words are hard work for such a one. But he can save to the uttermost this comer to God by himself.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It.166

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

Object. 1. Perhaps some may say that we are not saved from all punishment of sin by the death of Christ, and if so, we are not saved from all danger of damnation by the intercession of Christ.

Answ. We are saved from all punishment in hellfire by the death of Christ. Jesus has 'delivered us from the wrath to come.' (1 Thess 1:10) So that as to this great punishment, God, for his sake, has forgiven us all trespasses. (Col 2:13) But we being translated from being slaves to Satan to be sons of God, God reserves yet this liberty in his hand to chastise us if we offend, as a father chastiseth his son. (Deut 8:5) But this chastisement is not in legal wrath but in fatherly affection; not to destroy us, but that still we might be made to get advantage, thereby even being made partakers of his holiness. This is, that we might 'not be condemned with the world.' (Heb 12:5-11, 1 Cor 11:32) As to the second part of the objection, there are, as we say, many things that happen between or between the cup and the lip; many things attempt to overthrow the work of God and cause us to perish through our weakness, notwithstanding the price that Christ has paid for us. But what says the Scripture? 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake, we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Rom 8:35-39)

Thus the apostle reckoneth up all the disadvantages that a justified person is exposed to in this life and, by way of challenge, declares that not any one of them, nor all together, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, that is towards us by Christ, his death, and his intercession.

Object. 2. It may be further objected that the apostle doth here leave out sin, unto which we know the saints are subject, after justification. And the sin of itself—we need no other enemies—is of that nature as to destroy the whole world.

Answ. Sin is sin, like sin, wherever it is found. But sin as to the damning effects thereof is taken away from them, unto whom righteousness is imputed for justification. Nor shall any or all of the aforementioned, though there is a tendency in every one of them to drive us unto sin, drown us through it, in perdition and destruction. I am persuaded, says Paul; they shall never be able to do that. The apostle, therefore, doth implicitly, though to expressly, challenge sin, yea, sin by all its advantages, and then glorieth in the love of God in Christ Jesus, from which he concluded it shall never separate the justified. Besides, it would now have been needless to have expressly here put in sin by itself, seeing before that he had argued that those he speaks of were freely justified there from.

One word more before I go to the second head. The Father, as I told you, has reserved to himself the liberty to chastise his sons, to wit, with temporal chastisements, if they offend. This still abideth to us, notwithstanding God's grace, Christ's death, or blessed intercession. And this punishment is so surely entailed to the transgressions that we who believe shall commit that it is impossible that we should be utterly freed from that place, insomuch as the apostle positively concluded them to be bastards, what pretenses to sonship soever they have, that are not, for sin, partakers of fatherly chastisements.

For the reversal of this punishment, we should pray if perhaps God will remit it when we are taught to say, 'Our Father, forgive us our trespasses.' And he who admits of any other sense as to this petition derogates from the death of Christ, faith, or both. For either he concludes that for some of his sins, Christ did not die, or that he is bound to believe that God, though he did, has not yet, nor will forgive them, till from the petitioner some legal work be done; forgive us, as we forgive them that trespass against us. (Matt 6:14,15) But now apply this to temporal punishments, and then it is true that God has reserved a liberty in his hand to punish even the sins of his people upon them; yea, and will not pardon their sin, as to the remitting of such punishment, unless some good work by them be done; 'If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.' (Matt 6:15, 18:28–35)

And this is the reason why some that belong to God are yet so under the afflicting hand of God; they have sinned, and God, who is their Father, punisheth; yea, and this is the reason why some who are dear to God have this kind of punishment never forgiven, but it abides with them to their lives end, goes with them to the day of their death, yea, is the very cause of their death. By this punishment, they are cut off from the land of the living. But all this means is that they might 'not be condemned with the world.' (1 Cor 11:32)

Christ died not to save from this punishment; Christ intercedes not to save from this punishment. Nothing but a good life will save from this punishment, nor will it always be that way.

The hidings of God's face, the harshness of his providences, the severe and sharp chastisements that ofttimes overtake the very spirits of his people, plainly show that Christ died not to save from temporal punishments, prays not to save from temporal punishments—that is, absolutely. God has reserved the power to punish, with temporal punishments, the best and dearest of his people, if need be.5 And sometimes he remits them, sometimes not, even as it pleases him. I come now to the second thing.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; The Intercession Of Christ and Who are Privilege In It.165

 

2. Now the saving intended in the text is saving in this second sense; that is, a saving of us by preserving us, by delivering of us from all those hazards that we run betwixt our state of justification and our state of glorification. Yea, such a saving of us as we that are justified need to bring us into glory. Therefore,

When he saith he can save, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession, he addeth saving to saving; saving by his life to saving by his death; saving by his improving of his blood to saving by his spilling of his blood. He gave himself a ransom for us, and now improves that gift in the presence of God by way of intercession. For, as I have hinted already, the high priests under the law took the blood of the sacrifices that were offered for sin, and brought it within the veil, and there sprinkled it before and upon the mercy seat, and by it made intercession for the people to an additional way of saving them; the sum of which Paul thus applies to Christ when he saith, 'He can save, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession.'

That also in the Romans is clear to this purpose, 'Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died.' (Rom 8:31-39) That is, who is he that shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect to condemnation to hell since Christ has taken away the curse by his death from before God? Then he adds, that there is nothing that shall yet happen to us, that shall destroy us since Christ also liveth to make intercession for us. 'Who shall condemn? 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.'

Christ, then, by his death saveth us as we are sinners, enemies, and in a state of condemnation by sin; and Christ by his life saveth us as considered justified, and reconciled to God by his blood. So, then, we have salvation from that condemnation that sin had brought us unto, and salvation from those ruins that all the enemies of our souls would yet bring us unto, but cannot; for the intercession of Christ preventeth. 4 (Rom 6:7-10)

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Whatever the law can take hold of to curse us for, Christ has redeemed us from, by being made a curse for us. But this curse that Christ was made for us, must be confined to his sufferings, not to his exaltation, and, consequently, not to his intercession, for Christ is made no curse but when he suffered; not in his intercession: so then, as he died he took away the curse, and sin that was the cause thereof, by the sacrifice of himself, (Gal 3:13), and by his life, his intercession, he saveth us from all those things that attempt to bring us into that condemnation again.

The salvation, then, that we have by the intercession of Christ, as was said—I speak now of them capable of receiving comfort and relief by this doctrine—is salvation that follows upon, or comes after justification. We that are saved as to justification of life, need yet to be saved with that preserveth to glory; for though by the death of Christ we are saved from the curse of the law, yet attempts are made by many that we may be kept from the glory that justified persons are designed for. From these, we are saved by his intercession.

A man, then, that must be eternally saved is to be considered, (a.) As an heir of wrath. (b.) As an heir of God. An heir of wrath he is in himself by sin; an heir of God he is by grace through Christ. (Eph 2:3, Gal 4:7) Now, as an heir of wrath he is redeemed, and as an heir of God he is preserved; as an heir of wrath he is redeemed by blood, and as an heir of God, he is preserved by this intercession. Christ by his death, then, puts me, I being reconciled to God thereby, into a justified state, and God accepts me to grace and favor through him. But this doth not hinder but that, all this notwithstanding, there are, that would frustrate me of the end to which I am designed by this reconciliation to God, by redemption through grace; and from the accomplishing of this design I am saved by the blessed intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.164

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

[SECOND.] And thus have I spoken to the first thing—to wit, of the intercession of Christ—and now I come more particularly to speak to the second, THE BENEFITS OF HIS INTERCESSION, namely, that we are saved thereby. Therefore, he can save them, seeing as he makes intercession for them. 'He can save them to the uttermost.'

In my handling of this head, I must first show you what the apostle means here by 'save'—'Wherefore he can save.' Second, What he means here by saving to the 'uttermost'—' He can save to the uttermost.' Third, and then, thirdly, we shall do as we did in the foregoing—to wit, gather some inferences from the whole, and speak to them.

First, What does the apostle mean here by 'save'—' He can save them.'

To'save' may be taken two ways. In general, I know it may be taken many ways, for there are many salvations that we enjoy—yeah, that we never knew of, nor can know, until we come thither, where all secret things shall be seen, and where that which has been done in darkness shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. But I say there are two ways that this word may be taken: 1. To save in a way of justification. 2. Or to save by way of preservation. Now, Christ saves both of these ways. But which of these, or whether both of them are intended in this place, of that I shall tell you my thoughts anon; meanwhile, I will show you,

1. What it is to be saved in the first sense, [namely, in a way of justification], and also how that is brought to pass.

To be saved is to be delivered from the guilt of sin that is by the law, as it is the mixture of death and condemnation; or to be set free therefrom before God. This is to be saved; for he that is not set free therefrom, whatever he may think of himself or whatever others may think concerning him, he is a condemned man. It says not; he shall be, but he is condemned already. (John 3:18) The reason is that he has deserved the sentence of the ministry of condemnation, which is the law. Yea, that law has already arraigned, accused, and condemned him before God, for it has found him guilty of sin. Now he that is set free from this, or, as the phrase is, 'being made free from sin,' (Rom 6:22); that is, from the imputation of guilt, there can, to him, be no condemnation, no condemnation to hell fire; but the person thus made free may properly be said to be saved. Wherefore, as sometimes it saith, we shall be saved, respecting saving in the second sense, or the utmost completion of salvation; so sometimes it saith, we are saved, as respecting our being already secured from guilt, and so from condemnation to hell for sin, and so set safe and quit from the second death before God. (1 Cor 1:18, Eph 2:5)

Now, saving thus comes to us by what Christ did for us in this world, by what Christ did for us as suffering for us. I say it comes to us thus; that is, it comes to us by grace through the redemption that is in Christ. And thus to be saved is called justification, justification to life, because one thus saved is, as I said, acquitted from guilt, and that everlasting damnation to which for sin he had made himself obnoxious by the law. (1 Cor 15:1-4, Rom 5:8–10)

Hence we are said to be saved by his death, justified by his blood, and reconciled to God by the death of his Son, all of which must respect his offering of himself on the day he died and not his improving his so dying in a way of intercession, because in the same place, the apostle reserved a second, or additional salvation, and applied that to his intercession, 'Much more then, being now,' or already, 'justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him'; that is, through what he will further do for us. 'For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more by being reconciled,' that is, by his death, 'we shall be saved by his life,' his intercession, which he ever liveth to complete. (verse 9,10)

See here, we are said to be justified, reconciled already, and therefore we shall be saved, justified by his blood and death, and saved through him by his life.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Of The Intercession Of Christ 163.

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

4. Since Christ is an intercessor, I infer that he has wherewithal in readiness to answer any demands that may be propounded by him that he has been by us to renew peace and let out of that grace to us that we have sinned away and yet need. Oftentimes, the offended say to the intercessor, Well, thou comest to me about this man; what interest he has in you is one thing, and what offense he has committed against me is another. I speak now after the manner of men. Now, what can an intercessor do if he is not able to answer this question? But now, if he can answer this question—that is, according to law and justice, no question—he may prevail with the offended, for whom he makes intercession.

Why, this is our case; to be sure, thus far, we have offended a just and holy God, and Jesus Christ becomes the Intercessor. He also knows full well that for our parts, if it would save us from hell, we cannot produce towards peace with God so much as poor two farthings; that is, not anything that can by law and justice be esteemed worth a halfpenny; yet he makes intercession. It follows, therefore, that he has wherewith of his own if that question afore is propounded, to answer to every reasonable demand. Hence, it is said that he has gifts as well as a sacrifice for sin. 'Every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it is of necessity that this man has somewhat to offer.' (Heb 8:3) And, observe it, the apostle speaks here of Christ as in heaven, there ministering in the second part of his office: 'For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest.' (verse 4) These gifts, therefore, and this sacrifice, he now offereth in heaven by way of intercession, urging and pleading as an Intercessor, the valuableness of his gifts for the pacifying of that wrath that our Father hath conceived against us for the disobediences that we are guilty of. 'A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.' (Prov 21:14)

What gifts these are, the Scripture everywhere testifies. He gave himself, he gave his life, and he gave his all for us. (John 6, Gal 1:4, 1 Tim 2:6, Matt 20:28) These gifts, as he offered them up at the demand of justice on Mount Calvary for us, so now that he is in heaven, he presents them continually before God as gifts and sacrifices valuable for the sins, for all the sins that we, through infirmity, do commit, from the day of our conversion to the day of our death. And these gifts are so satisfactory, so prevalent with God, that they always prevail for a continual remission of our sins with him. Yea, they prevail with him for more than for the remission of sins; we have, through their procurement, our graces often renewed, the devil often rebuked, the snare often broken, guilt often taken away from the conscience, and many a blessed smile from God and a love-look from his life-creating countenance. (Eph 3:12)

5. Since Christ is an Intercessor, I infer that believers should not rest at the cross for comfort; justification they should look for there; but, being justified by his blood, they should ascend up after him to the throne. At the cross, you will see him in his sorrows and humiliations, in his tears and blood; but follow him to where he is now, and then you shall see him in his robes, in his priestly robes, and with his golden girdle about his paps. Then you shall see him wearing the breastplate of judgment and with all your names written upon his heart.

Then you shall perceive that the whole family in heaven and earth is named by him, and how he prevails with God, the Father of mercies, for you. Stand still awhile and listen; yea, enter with boldness into the holiest, and see your Jesus as he now appears in the presence of God for you; what work he makes against the devil and sin, and death and hell, for you. (Heb 10:9) Ah! it is brave following of Jesus Christ to the holiest; the veil is rent, and you may see with an open face as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. This, then, is our High Priest; this is his intercession, and these are the benefits of it! It lies on our part to improve it, and wisdom to do that also comes from the mercy seat, or throne of grace, where he, even our High Priest, ever liveth to make intercession for us, to whom be glory forever and ever.