01.28. Section Five :: Chapter Ten
The use of all; containing some encouragements for weak believers, from Christ’s intercession out of Hebrews 7:25.
In the words observe, 1. A definition of faith by the lowest acts of it, for the comfort of weak Christians. 2. Encouragements unto such a faith, opposite to all misgivings and discouragements whatsoever.
(3.) It is a coming unto God by Christ; which phrase is used in this Epistle, in an allusion to the worshippers of the Old Testament, who, when they had sinned were directed to go to God by a priest, who with a sacrifice made an atonement for them. Now Christ is the great and true high priest, "by whom we have access to the Father," Ephesians 2:18. The word is προσαγωγὴν, a leading by the hand. Do you not know how to appear before God, or to come to him? Come first to Christ, and he will take you by the hand, and go along with you, and lead you to his Father.
(1.) Here is the most suitable object propounded unto it, namely Christ as interceding, which work of intercession because it remains for Christ as yet to do for a soul that is to be saved, and which he is every day doing for us; therefore it is more peculiarly fitted unto a recumbent faith. For, when such a soul comes and casts itself upon Christ, that thing in Christ which must necessarily most suit that kind of act is that which is yet to be done by Christ for that soul. Now for that soul to come to Christ to die for it, and offer up himself a sacrifice (as sinners did use to come to the high priest to sacrifice for them), this was bootless, for (as it is in Hebrews 7:27) he has at "once done that" already. And as for what is already past and done, such a believer’s faith is oftentimes exceedingly puzzled what manner of act to put forth towards Christ about. As (for example) when it is about to come unto God, and it hears of an election of some unto salvation from all eternity made by him; because this is an act already passed by God, the soul knows it to be in vain to cast itself upon God for election or to come unto him to elect and choose itself. And so, in like manner, when the soul looks upon Christ’s death, because it is done and past, it knows not how to take it in believing, when it wants assurance that Christ died for it, though it should come to Christ to be saved by virtue of his death.
But there is this one work that remains still to be done by him for us, and which he is daily doing, and that is interceding; for he lives ever to intercede or to pray for us, in the strength and merit of that his sacrifice once offered up. This therefore is more directly and peculiarly fitted unto a faith of recumbency, or of coming unto Christ; the proper act of such a faith (as it is distinguished from faith of assurance) being a casting one’s self upon Christ for something it would have done or wrought for one. Hence intercession becomes a fit object for the aim and errand of such a faith in this its coming to Christ, as also "to be saved" is; it being a thing yet to be wrought and accomplished for me by Christ, is therefore a fit mark for such a faith to level at in its coming to Christ. Those acts of God and Christ which are past, faith of assurance does more easily comply with: such a faith takes in with comfort that Christ has died for me, and risen again, and does now intercede for me, and so I shall certainly be saved; but so cannot this weak faith do. Come therefore unto Christ, as to save you through his death past, and by the merit of it, so for the present, and for the time to come, to take your cause in hand, and to intercede for you. It is a great relief unto such a faith (as cannot put forth acts of assurance, that what has been done by Christ has been done for it), that God has left Christ this work yet to do for us. So as the intercession of Christ may afford matter to such a faith to throw itself upon Christ, to perform it for us, and it may set work to do it.
I answer it out of those words, "He lives to intercede for them who come to God by him." He lives on purpose to perform this work; it is the end of his living, the business of his life. And as he received a commandment to die, and it was the end of his life on earth, so he has received a command to intercede, and to be a common high priest for all that come to God by him. God has appointed him to this work by an oath, "He swore, and would not repent, Thou shall be a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec," and this is the end of his life in heaven. That as in the old law the high priest (Christ’s type in this) "ought to offer up the sacrifice" of every one that came unto God by him (as in Hebrews 5:5), in like manner Christ; for it is his calling, as you have it in Hebrews 5:6. Otherwise, as that woman said to Philip, when she came to him for justice, and he put her off, Then cease (says she) to be a king. So if Christ should deny any such soul to take its cause in hand, he must then cease to be a priest. He lives to intercede; he is a priest called by God, as was Aaron, Hebrews 5:6. Wherefore he ought to do it, in that it is his office.
And would you know whether he has undertaken your cause, and begun to intercede for you? In a word, has he put his Spirit into your heart, and set your own heart on work to make incessant intercessions for yourself "with groans unutterable" (as the apostle has it in Romans 8:1-39)? This is the echo of Christ’s intercession for you in heaven.