01.22. Section Five :: Chapter Four
The second head: the great security the consideration of Christ’s intercession affords to faith for our justification, showed, 1. By way of evidence; by two things.
And so I come (as in the former I have done) to show what strong grounds of security and triumph our faith may raise from this last act,
namely Christ’s intercession for us in the point of justification; "Who shall condemn? It is Christ that intercedes." And was the second general propounded and therein to proceed also according to the method taken up in the former.
What assurance by way of evidence this does afford unto faith of non-condemnation.
What powerful efficacy and influence this must be of that Christ intercedes.
(1.) For the work itself. Intercession, you have seen, is a part of the office of Christ’s priesthood, as well as his dying and offering himself. Now all the works of Christ are and must be perfect in their kind (even as God’s are, of which says Moses in Deuteronomy 32:4, "His work is perfect"), for otherwise he should not be a perfect priest. Now the perfection of every work lies in order to its end for which it is ordained; so as that work is perfect that attains to such an end as it is ordained for, and that imperfect which does not.
Now the immediate direct end of Christ’s intercession is the actual salvation of believers elect, and persons whom he died for. The end of his death is adoptio juris, purchasing a right unto salvation; but of intercession, procuratio ipsius salutis, the very saving us actually, and putting us in possession of heaven. To this purpose, observe how the Scripture speaks concerning Christ’s death in Hebrews 9:12, "He entered into heaven, having obtained redemption," or found redemption, that is, by way of right, by procuring full title to it. But of his intercession it says in Hebrews 7:25, that by it "Christ is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him." That is actually to save and put them in possession of happiness; that is made the end and scope of intercession there and that phrase (εἰς τὸ παντελὲς?) to the utmost, notes out a saving indeed, a doing it not by halves, but wholly, and thoroughly, and completely; εἰς τὸ παντελὲς is to save altogether, to give our salvation its last act and complement, that is the true force of the phrase, even to effect it to the last of it, all that is to be done about it. Thus also Romans 5:9-10, "We are justified by his death, but saved (namely, completely) by his life;" that is his living to intercede. So that the very salvation of believers is it that is the work, the τὸ ἔργον of Christ’s intercession.
Now then, answerably for intercession, the comfort of our souls is that the proper work that lies upon Christ therein is the complete saving those very persons, and the possessing them of heaven. This is the τὸ ἔργον, the proper work thereof. To out vie the demerits of our sins was the perfection of his death, but to save our souls is the end and perfection of his intercession. Our sins are the object of the one, and our souls of the other. To that end was intercession added to his death, that we might not have a right to heaven in vain, of which we might be dispossessed. Now therefore, upon this ground, if Christ should fail of our souls’ salvation, yes, but of any one degree of glory (purchased by his death to any soul) which that soul should want, this work of his would then want and fall short so much of its perfection. That place in Hebrews 7:1-28, says not only that Christ will do his utmost to save, but save to the utmost.
You may say, my infidelity and obstinacy may hinder it, though Christ does what in him lies.
It was the fault that God found with the old priesthood, that it "made nothing perfect," Hebrews 7:19. And therefore in Hebrews 7:12, the "law was changed," and the "priesthood was changed" together with it, as there you have it. Now in like manner Christ’s priesthood should be imperfect, if it made not the elect perfect, and then God must yet seek for another covenant, and a more perfect priest; for this would be found faulty, as the other was. So then our comfort is, if Christ approve himself to be a perfect priest, we who come to God by him must be perfectly saved. It is in this office of his priesthood, and all the parts of it, as in his kingly office. The work of his kingly office is to subdue all enemies, to the last man, even fully to do the thing; and not only to have power, and to go about to do it, so as if there should be any one enemy left unsubdued, then Christ should not be a perfect king. The same holds in his priestly office also; he should not be a perfect priest, if but one soul of the elect, or those he intercedes for, were left unsaved. And this is indeed the top and highest consideration for our comfort in this argument, that intercession leaves us not until it has actually and completely saved us; and this is it that makes the apostle put a further thing upon intercession here in the text, than upon that other, his "sitting at God’s right hand." So as we are in this respect as sure of attaining unto the utmost glory of our salvation, as Christ to have the full honor of his priesthood. A man saved is more than justified; and Christ cannot reckon his work, nor himself a perfect priest, until we are saved. "Who shall condemn? It is Christ that intercedes."
(2.) Besides the consideration of the nature and scope of this work itself, which Christ, upon his honor of acquitting himself as a perfect priest, has undertaken, there is in the second place a farther consideration that argues him engaged by a stronger obligation, even the loss of his own honor, his office, and all, if he should not effect salvation for those that come to God by him; so much does it concern him to effect it. Of all the works that ever he did, he is most engaged in this. It will not only be the loss of a business which concerns him and of so much work, but himself must be lost in it too and the reason is that he intercedes as a Surety. He was not only a "surety on earth" in dying and so was to look to do that work thoroughly, and to be sure to lay down a price sufficient, or else himself had gone for it. He pawned in that work, not only his honor, but even his life and soul to effect it, or lose himself in it; but he is a surety now also in heaven, by interceding. This you may find to be the scope of Hebrews, by observing the coherence of Hebrews 7:22 (wherein he is called a "surety") with Hebrews 7:23-25 that title and appellation is there given him, in relation unto this part of his office especially. And although it holds true of all parts of his office whatsoever, yet the coherence carries it, that that mention there of his being a surety does in a more special manner refer unto his intercession, as appears both by the words before and after. In the words before (Hebrews 7:21), the apostle speaks of this his "priesthood, which is forever," and then subjoins (Hebrews 7:22), "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." And then after also he discoursed of and instanced in his intercession, and his continuing a priest forever in that work, so in Hebrews 7:23-25, "Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost, seeing he ever lives to make intercession." Yes, he is therefore engaged to save to the utmost, because even in interceding (for which he is said there to live) he is a surety.
Thus in like manner the first work of incarnation and answerably the last of intercession, in neither of these was Christ a common person representing others, though a common Saviour of others in these. For the one was the foundation of all, the other the accomplishment of all, and so it is proper only to himself as mediator. But although he intercedes not as it common person, as representing us in what we were to have done for ourselves, yet so as that other relation of a surety is continued still in that work. He stands engaged therein as an undertaker for us and so as a surety intercedes: such as Judah was for Benjamin in Genesis 43:9, "I will be surety for him; of my hand shall thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever." So says Christ for us. And therefore sponsio, or undertaking for us, is by divines made a great part of this part of his office. Now the consideration of this may the more secure us, for the more peculiarly and solely it is his work, the more his honor lies at stake, and the more he will set himself to effect it. Yes and being by way of suretyship, it concerns him yet more nearly, for he has engaged, and if he should fail, might even lose that honor which he has now in heaven.