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.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Of The Intercession Of Christ 162.

  

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

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.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Of The Intercession Of Christ 161.

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

(4.) He also, in the last place, in this his intercession, urges a reason why he will have it so, namely, 'That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' (verse 24) And this is a reason to the purpose; it is as if he had said, Father, these have continued with me in my temptations; these have seen me under all my disadvantages; these have seen me in my poor, low, contemptible condition; these have seen what scorn, reproach, slanders, and disgrace I have borne for thy sake in the world; and now I will have them also be where they shall see me in my glory. I have told them that I am thy Son, and they have believed that; I have told them that thou lovest me, and they have believed that; I have also told them that thou wouldest take me again to glory, and they have believed that; but they have not seen my glory, nor can they but be like the Queen of Sheba; they will but believe by the halves unless their own eyes do behold it. Besides, Father, these are they that love me, and it will be an increase of their joy if they may but see me in glory; it will be as heaven to their hearts to see their Saviour in glory. I will, therefore, that those whom 'thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.' This, therefore, is a reason why Christ Jesus, our Lord, intercedes to have his people with him in glory.

Third, I come now to the third thing, namely, to show you what is to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for us.

1. This is to be inferred from hence, that saints—for I will here say nothing of those of the elect uncalled—do ofttimes give occasion of offense to God, even they that have received grace; for intercession is made to continue one in the favour of another and to make up those breaches that, at any time, shall happen to be made by one to the alienating of the affections of the other. And thus he makes reconciliation for iniquity, for reconciliation may be made for iniquity in two ways: first, by paying a price; second, by insisting upon the price paid for the offender by way of intercession. Therefore you read that as the goat was to be killed, so his blood was, by the priest, to be brought within the veil, and, in a way of intercession, to be sprinkled before and upon the mercy seat: 'Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is, for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them, amid their uncleanness.' (Lev 16:15,16) This was to be done, as you see, that the tabernacle, which was the place of God's presence and graces, might yet remain among the children of Israel, notwithstanding their uncleannesses and transgressions. This, too, is the effect of Christ's intercession; it is that the signs of God's presence and his grace might remain among his people, notwithstanding that they have, by their transgressions, so often provoked God to depart from them.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; The Intercession of Christ, And Who Are Priviledged.160

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

3. In his intercession, he also prays that those graces that we receive at conversion may be maintained and supplied. This is clear when he saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' (Luke 22:31,32) Ay, may some say, he is said to pray here for the support and supply of faith, but does it therefore follow that he prayed for the maintenance and supply of all our graces? Yes, in that he prayed for the preservation of our faith, he prayed for the preservation of all our graces; for faith is the mother grace, the root grace, the grace that hath all others in the bowels of it, and that from the which all others flow; yea, it is that which gives being to all our other graces, and that by which all the rest do live. Let, then, faith be preserved, and all graces continue and live—that is, according to the present state, health, and degree of faith. So, then, Christ prayed for the preservation of every grace when he prayed for the preservation of faith. That text also has the same tendency where he says, 'Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given men.' (John 17:11) Keep them in thy fear, in the faith, in the true religion, in the way of life by thy grace, by thy power, by thy wisdom, &c. This must be much of the meaning of this place, and whoever excludes this sense will make poor work of another exposition.

4. He also in his intercession prayeth that our persons be preserved, and brought safe unto his heavenly kingdom. And this he doth, (1.) By pleading interest in them. (2.) By pleading that he had given, by promise, glory to them. (3.) By pleading his own resolution to have it so. (4.) By pleading the reason why it must be so.

(1.) He prays that their persons may come to glory, for that they are his, and that by the best of titles: 'Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' (John 17:6) Father, I will have them; Father, I will have them, for they are mine: 'Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' What is mine, my wife, my child, my jewel, or my joy? Sure, I may have it with me. Thus, therefore, he pleads or cries in his intercession that our persons might be preserved to glory: They are mine, 'and thou gavest them me.'

(2.) He also pleads that he had given—given already, that is, in the promise—glory to them, and therefore they must not go without it. 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.' (John 17:22) Righteous men, when they give a good thing by promise, they design the performance of that promise; nay, they more than design it, they purpose, they determine it. As the mad prophet also saith of God, in another case, 'Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?' (Num 23:19) Hath Christ given us glory, and shall we not have it? Yea, hath the truth itself bestowed it upon us, and shall those to whom it is given, even given by Scripture of truth, be yet deprived thereof?

(3.) He pleads in his interceding that they might have glory—his own resolution to have it so. 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.' (John 17:24) Behold, you are here; he is resolved to have it so. It must be so. It shall be so. I will have it so. We read of Adonijah that his father never denied him anything. He never said to him, 'Why hast thou done so?' (1 Kings 1:6) Indeed, he denied him the kingdom, for his brother was the heir of that from the Lord. How much more will our Father let our Lord Jesus have his mind and will in this since he is also as willing to have it as is the Son himself? 'Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.' (Luke 12:32) Resolution will drive things far, especially resolution to do that which none but they that cannot hinder shall oppose. Why is this the case? The resolution of our intercessor is that we be preserved to glory; yes, and this resolution he pleads in his intercession: 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,' &c. (John 17:24) Must it not, therefore, now be so?

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; The Intercession of Christ, and Who Are Privileged In It. 159

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

I. OF THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.

FIRST, We will begin with HIS INTERCESSION, and will show you, First, What that is; Second, For what he intercedes; and, Third, What is also to be inferred from Christ's intercession for us.

First, I begin, then, with the first, that is, to show you what intercession is. Intercession is prayer, but all prayer is not intercession. Intercession, then, is a prayer that is made by a third person about the concerns that are between the two. And it may be made either to set them at further difference or to make them friends; for intercession may be made against, as well as for, a person or people. 'Wot ye not what the Scripture says of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel.' (Rom 11:2) But the intercession that we are now to speak of is not an intercession of this kind, not an intercession against, but an intercession for a people. 'He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The high priest is ordained for, but not to be against, the people. 'Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things about God,' to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; or 'that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.' (Heb 5:1) This, then, is intercession; and the intercession of Christ is to be between two, between God and man, for man's good. And it extends itself to these: 1. To pray that the elect may be brought all home to him—that is, to God. 2. To pray that their sins committed after conversion may be forgiven. 3. To pray that their graces, which they receive at conversion, may be maintained and supplied. 4. To pray that their persons may be preserved unto his heavenly kingdom.

Second, This is the intercession of Christ or that for which he does make intercession.

1. He prays for all the elect, that they may be brought home to God, and so into the unity of the faith, &c. This is clear, for that he saith, 'Neither pray I for these alone'; that is, for those only that are converted; 'but for them also which shall believe on me through their word'; for all them that shall, that are appointed to believe; or, as you have it a little above, 'for them which thou hast given me.' (John 17:9,20, Isa 53:12) And the reason is that he hath paid a ransom for them. Christ, therefore, when he maketh intercession for the ungodly, and all the unconverted elect are such, doth but petitionarily ask for his own, his purchased ones, those for whom he died before, that they might be saved by his blood.

2. When any of them are brought home to God, he still prays for them, namely, that the sins that, through infirmity, they may commit after conversion may also be forgiven.

This is shown to us by the intercession of the high priest under the law, that was to bear away the iniquities of the holy things of the children of Israel; yea, and also by his atonement for them that sinned; for that it saith, 'And the priest shall make an atonement for him, for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.' (Lev 5:10) This is also intimated even where our Lord doth intercession, saying, 'I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.' (John 17:15) That Christ prayed that the converted should be kept from all manner of commission of sin, must not be supposed, for that is the way to make his intercession, at least in some things, invalid, and to contradict himself; for, saith he, 'I know that thou hearest me always.' (John 11:42) But the meaning is, I pray that thou wouldest keep them from soul-damning delusions, such as are unavoidably such; also that thou wouldest keep them from the soul-destroying evil of every sin, of every temptation. Now this he doth by his prevailing and by his pardoning grace.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Christ A Complete Savior.158

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT.

'Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them..'—HEBREWS 7:25.

The apostle, in this chapter, presents us with two things: the greatness of the person and of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus.

First, He presents us with the greatness of his person, in that he preferreth him before Abraham, who is the father of us all; yea, in that he preferreth him before Melchisedec, who was above Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

Second, As to his priesthood, he shows the greatness of that, in that he was made a priest not by the law of a carnal commandment but by the power of an endless life. Not without, but with an oath, by him that said, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec'; wherefore, 'this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.' Now my text is drawn from this conclusion, namely, that Christ abideth a priest continually. 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that comes unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' In the words, I take notice of four things: FIRST, Of the intercession of Christ—He maketh intercession. SECOND, Of the benefit of his intercession—'Wherefore he can save to the uttermost,' &c. THIRD, We have also here set before us the persons interested in this intercession of Christ—And they are those 'that come unto God by him.' Fourth, We have here the certainty of their reaping this benefit by him, to wit, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them—'Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Christ A Complete Savior.157

 

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT.

However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact that the heart of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature will not suffer it to fall, helpless and utterly undone, into the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial savior—one who has done so much that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be completed. No such were the opinions of John Bunyan; the furnace of sharp conviction had burned up this proud dross; he believed the testimony of Scripture, that from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet all nature is corrupted; so that out of the unsanctified heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murders, and the sad catalogue of crimes which our Lord enumerates, and which defile our best efforts after purity of heart and life.

No sinner will ever totally rely upon the Saviour until he is sensible of his own perishing state; hanging by the brittle thread of life over the yawning gulf of perdition; sinking in that sin which will swallow him up in those awful torments that await the transgressor; feeling that sin has fitted him as stubble for the fire; then it is that the cry proceeds from his heart, Lord, save, I perish; and then, and not till then, are we made willing to receive 'Christ as a complete Saviour' to the uttermost, not of his ability, but of our necessity. This was the subject of all of Mr. Bunyan's writings and, doubtless, of all his preaching. It was to direct sinners to the Lamb of God, who alone can take away sin. This little treatise was one of those ten 'excellent manuscripts' that, at Bunyan's demise, were found prepared for the press. It was first published in 1692 by his friends E. Chandler, J. Wilson, and C. Doe.

It is limited to a subject that is too often lost sight of because it is within the veil—the intercession of Christ as the finishing work of a sinner's salvation. Many persons limit the 'looking unto Jesus' to beholding him upon the cross, a common popish error; but this is not enough; we must, in our minds, follow him to the unseen world and thus ascend to a risen Saviour, at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for our daily sins. And he is our ONLY intercessor, and it is a rejection of him for us to seek the aid of another. Whoever was mad enough to ask Moses to intercede for him, surely he is as able as Mary or any other saint?

To atone for sin calls for the amazing price of the blood of Christ, who was 'God manifest in the flesh.' He undertook the work by covenant, and all the'slaves form part of his mystical body, thus perfectly obeying the law in him. He poured out his life to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness; as they are liable to pollution in their passage through the world, he is only able, and he ever liveth, to make intercession for their transgressions. Thus he becomes a complete Saviour, and will crown, with an eternal weight of glory, all those who put their trust in him. Beautiful, soul-softening, and heart-warming thoughts abound in this little work, which cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the reader. Bunyan disclaims 'the beggarly art of complimenting' in things of such solemnity. He describes the heart as unweldable, a remarkable expression drawn from his father's trade as a blacksmith; nothing but grace can so heat it as to enable the hammer of conviction to weld it to Christ, and when thus welded, it becomes one with him.

There is hope for a returning backslider in a complete Saviour; he combines the evidence of two men, the coming and the returning sinner; he has been, like Jonah, in the belly of hell; his sins, like talking devils, have driven him back to the Saviour. Sin brings its own punishment, from which we escape by keeping on the narrow path. Good works save us from temporal miseries, whichever follow an indulgence in sin; but if we fall, we have an Advocate and Intercessor to lift us up; still, if thou lovest thy soul, slight not the knowledge of hell, for that, with the law, are the spurs which Christ useth to prick souls forward to himself. Gather up your heels and mend your pace, or those spurs will be in your sides. Take heed, O persecutor; like Saul, thou art exceeding mad, and hell is thy bedlam. Take heed of a false faith; none is true but that which is acquired by kneeling, searching, and seeking truth as for hidden treasure. Death is God's bailiff; he will seize you without warning, but with the saints, the grave's mouth is the final parting place between grace and sin. Forget that a good improvement will make your little grace thrive. Reader, may Divine grace indelibly fix these wholesome truths in our minds.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.156

 

THE USE AND APPLICATION

But, I say, what is this to them that they are not admitted to a privilege in the advocate office of Christ? Whether he is an Advocate or not, the case for them is the same. True, Christ as a Saviour is not divided; he that hath him not in all shall have him in none at all of his offices in a saving manner. Therefore, he, for whom he is not an Advocate, is nothing as to eternal life.

Indeed, Christ by some of his offices is concerned for the elect, before by some others of them he is; but such shall have the blessing of them all before they come to glory. Nor hath man ground to say Christ is here or there mine; before he hath ground to say, he also is mine Advocate; though that office of his, as has already been shown, stands in the last place and comes in as a reserve. But can anyone imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom he will not plead as advocates? or that he will speak for them to God, for whom he will not plead against the devil? No, no; they are his own, that he loveth to the end (John 13:1), to the end of their lives, to the end of their sins, to the end of their temptations, to the end of their fears, and of the exercise of the rage and malice of Satan against them. The end may also be understood, even until he has given them the profit and benefit of all his offices in their due exercise and administration. But, I say, what is all this to them that makes him not their Advocate?

You may remember that I have already told you that there are several who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate-to wit, those that are still in their sins, pursuing of their lusts; those that are ashamed of him before men; and those that are never otherwise but lukewarm in their profession. And let us now, for a conclusion, make further inquiry into this matter.

Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus as their Advocate to plead their cause? Who despises and rejects his person, his Word, and his ways? or those either who are so far off from a sense of, and shame for, sin that it is the only thing they hug and embrace? True, he pleaded the cause of his people both with the Father and against the devil, and all the world besides; but open profaneness, shame of good, and without heart or warmth in religion are no characters of his people. It is irrational to think that Christ is an Advocate for, or that he pleaded for, the cause of such, who, in the same hour and before his enemies, are throwing dirt in his face by their profane mouths and unsanctified lives and conversations.

If he pleads as an Advocate for any, he must plead against Satan for them, and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground his plea upon; I say, a bottom better than that upon which the carnal man stands; which bottom is either some special relation that this man stands into God or some special law he hath privilege by, that he may have some ground for an appeal, if need be, to the justice and righteousness of God; but none of these things belong to them that are dead in trespasses and sins; they stand in no special relation to God; they are not privileged by the law of grace.

Objection: But doth not Christ as Advocate pleads for his elect, though not called yet?

Answer: He died for all his elect; he prays for all his elect as a Priest, but as an Advocate he pleaded only for the children, the called. Satan objecteth not against God's election, for he knows it not; but he objecteth against the called-to wit, whether they be truly godly or not, or whether they ought not to die for their transgressions (Job 1:9, 10; Zech 3). And for these things, he has some colour to frame an accusation against us, and now it is time enough for Christ to stand up to plead. I say, for these things, he has some colour to frame a plea against us; for there is sin and law of works, and a judge too, that has no respect for persons. Now to overthrow this plea of Satan, is Jesus Christ our Advocate; yea, to overthrow it by pleading law and justice, and this must be done for the children only: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."