One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 42
SERMON XLII. The Excellency and Efficacy of Christs Mediatory Prayer; Set forth in many Aggravations of it for the Conſolation of the Godly.
JOH. 17.9.
I pray for them, I pray not for the world.
THE Subject of Chriſts Praier is here deſcribed,
Firſt, By the Relative particle them, and although he ſpeak ſtrictly of his Diſciples, yet in the end of this Chapter he joyneth all Beleevers unto them, So that the 2d Obſervation is,
Doct. All Gods people are under Chriſts Mediatory Praier. Concerning which conſiderThat all the Children of God are under Chriſts Mediatory Praier; Now the Children of God which are alſo called his Sheep are of two ſorts.
1. Thoſe who for the preſent are in a ſtate of ſinne and oppoſition to Chriſt, and are called Sheep only in reſpect of Gods purpoſe and Election, Joh. 10.16. Other Sheep I have that are not of this Fold, Them alſo I muſt bring and they ſhall hear my voice; Theſe are under Chriſtt Mediatory Praier, for it is by vertue of his Mediation that they are brought home unto him, but then there are others who are actually put into a poſſeſſion of Chriſt, having new Natures,The Children of God are of two ſorts. and ſo enjoying a Title and Right to him; Theſe are much more under the Mediatory power of Chriſts Praier, And therefore of ſuch I ſhall treat.
Again Conſider, That though Chriſt praied on Earth as a Mediatour, yet ſtill he doth in Heaven make Interceſſion for his: He ceaſeth not praying though the manner be different; His praier while in his humiliation is accompanied with ſtrong crys and tears, with much humility and debaſement, but his praier in his Exaltation is only a repreſenting of thoſe to God whom he died far, as alſo their condition and neceſſity, willing that what he had purchaſed for them ſhould be actually applied to them; Hence in the Text it is foreign; A Learned man obſerveth that that word is only applied to the Praiers of Chriſt in his humiliation, and foreign to his Interceſſion, which he makes in heaven, ſo that though Chriſt be now in heaven, yet we may not think he hath laid aſide thoſe compaſſionate bowels he had toward us, Heb. 4.15. when he was on the earth.
Thirdly, Take notice that as there was a Typical High-Prieſt in the Old Teſtament, who offered Sacrifices and praied for the people, carrying on his Breaſt the Names of the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael, that thereby they might be in a continual memory as it were before God, So under the New Teſtament Chriſt is the ſubſtance of that ſhadow, and he is the reall High-Prieſt, who not only once offered up himſelf a perfect Sacrifice for ſinne, but was earneſt in Praier for his people;
Now it's comfortable to conſider in how many reſpects Chriſt is preferred by the Apoſtle Heb. 7. & alibi above him in the Law.The Prieſthood of Chriſt exceeds the Prieſthood of the Law.
1. Thoſe High-Prieſts were mortall, and therefore whatſoever affections they might have and compaſſions, yet thoſe died with them, but now we have one who is immortall, and therefore v. 25. He everliveth to make interceſſion for us; Oh what a ſtrong ſupport is this, That there is an everliving Interceſſion for us; Though Parents cannot pray alwaies for their Children, nor Miniſters for their people, yet Chriſts Praier is eternal for us.
2. All other High Prieſts had ſinnes of their own to offer for as well as others, v. 27. They were compaſſed about with infirmities as well as other men, but Chriſt who praieth for us is holy, harmleſſe, undefiled, and ſeparate from ſinners, ſo that Chriſt had no ſinne of his own to purge away, he offered not up a Sacrifice for any infirmity he had, but it was for the ſinnes of thoſe who are his Childrin; Therefore the people of God are in a tranſcendent bleſſedneſſe by reaſon of this Mediatory Interceſſion.
And that our hearts may be fully affected herein Let us conſider the aggravations of it, not naming what hath been already ſaid.The aggravations of Chriſts praier.
And 1. This praier and Interceſſion of Chriſt is ready at hand, immediatly upon any ſinne or fall the godly are caſt into; We reade of David that after his ſinne committed he himſelf was a long while dead and ſtupified in it, but Chriſt he is preſently ſenſible of what we have done; Oh how often doe the People of God either wholly forget or elſe not a long time after take notice of their Infirmities; Their hearts do not alwaies immediately ſtrike them, but Chriſt who praieth for us he takes notice of every failing, and immediatly becomes an Advocate to pleade for them, 1 Joh. 1.1. If any man ſinne, viz. of the godly, for he ſpeaks to them, we have an Advocate with the Father; Oh what would become of the godly man who fals ſeven times a day; If our Advocate did not make up our breaches, every hour, every moment, we ſhould be wholly eſtranged from God. Were it not for Chriſts Interceſſion; Not only great and groſſe ſinnes but even the very leaſt ſinnes, Millions whereof we are guilty do in their own nature deſerve hell, and ſo might make God abborre us, but it's becauſe of Chriſts Interceſſion, This Communion is not diſſolved, It's not any vertue or dignity in our praier that can re-eſtate us into Gods favour, but it muſt be Chriſts Interceſſion for us: As Aaron when the wrath of God brake out, preſently ſtood up and offered incenſe, upon which the plague ſtaied; This doth Chriſt as it were all the day long.
2. This Mediatory praier of Christ is the ground of all the acceptance of our praiers; Our Praiers if not found in him are provocations rather then appeaſements; If a Godly mans Praier avail much, it is becauſe Chriſts Praier availeth much, He is the Altar upon which all the oblations are ſanctified, and from hence it is that the Incenſe of their Praiers are perfumed, ſo that God findes a ſweet ſavour in them: Alas, what is even in Davids and Pauls praiers but much infirmity; Their praiers need praying over again, when they have ended, they are even to beg pardon of all their holy duties, ſo that herein we may admire the advantage of being under Chriſts Mediatory Praier, in that by it only our Perſons and duties are accepted, our praiers live and move in his; There could not be a crying tongue in them did not the Praiers of Chriſt ſpeak louder? And this may unſpeakably ſupport under ſad Temptations, when thou canſt not pray, thy heart is bound up, Thy affections are faint and cold, Thou crieſt out, Oh the ſinnes and infirmities of thy Praiers, yet Chriſts Praier is full and fervent for thee, There is no Imperfection, no fault to be found with him; Oh it's a good refuge to run unto, when thou art almoſt overwhelmed becauſe of thy dull, formal and diſtracted Praiers! If Chriſts Praier had no more dignity and worth in it then mine hath I were undone for ever.
3. This praier of Chriſt for us is conſtant, perpetuall, without ceaſing; There is not a moment wherein we may ſay Chriſt doth not preſent thy cauſe to God, Thus it's ſaid in the preſent Tenſe, We have an Advocate, and Heb. 7.25. He everliveth to make Interceſſion for us; Thus as he that keepeth Iſrael neither ſlumbreth nor ſleepeth, ſo neither doth he that praieth for his Church either ſlumber or ſleep, when Paul ſaid He made mention of ſuch alwaies in his Praiers, that is to be underſtood alwaies when he praied not that he praied alwaies, ſo when we are commanded to pray alwaies, to pray without ceaſing; That is when our duty is and the command requireth, not that we ſhould day and night do nothing but pray; But when we ſpeak of Chriſts Interceſſion, it's conſtant and never interrupted; There is no day or night that it ceaſeth; Eliſha ſcorned at the Prieſts of Baal, bidding them cry aloud. It may be they were either ſleeping or in a Journey, 1 Kin. 18.27. But the Lord Chriſt is alwaies attending and minding this very thing; Oh the unſearchable depths of comfort that are in this, when thou art preaching, drinking, working, then Chriſt is interceding for thee, when thou haſt no minde of thy ſelf, doſt not pray for thy ſelf, yet even then Chriſt is commending thy caſe to his Father: Oh the godly ſoul ſhould cry out, I have enough, what can I deſire more? If this will not ſatisfie thy diſquieted ſoul what will?
4. This Mediatory praier comes from him who not only becauſe of his worth doth merit, or becauſe of his dear Relation, The Father cannat deny him as you heard, but alſo from one whoſe affections and compaſſions are larger to thee then any of thy dearest Friends can be; You heard, that he was one who was touched with our infirmity, one who had gone under ſeveral Temptations that he might know experimentally how to ſuccour thoſe that are tempted; Oh now it's farre better to have one praying for us that is experimentally tempted, or hath been, as we are, then ten thouſand others; Non ignara mali miſeris ſuccurrere diſco; So that ſo far as any grief or temptation may go without ſinne, ſo far Chriſt knoweth the meaning of it, and even for the guilt of ſinne and the diſpleaſure of God, that he did undergo in the height of it: Thus he that intercedes for thee is one who knoweth the meaning of thy Temptations, of thy deſertions, what it is to fear God hath forſaken thee.
5. A great aggravating conſideration in this Mediatory praier of Chriſt is the potency and prevalency of it; It is an almighty and omniſcient praier; Luther called the praier of a Godly man ſo, how much rather may we ſay ſo of Chriſt himſelf: God ſaid to Moſes, Let me alone, as if his Praier hindred him from doing what he would do: Iacob wreſtled, and made Supplication, and prevailed with God, how much more doth Chriſt then prevail, and that upon two Titles: 1. of Iuſtice, his Praier is ſatisfactory and compenſatory to God. And then 2. Becauſe of Love, For he is the only begotten Sonne and welbeloved of his Father: The prevalency of Chriſts Mediatory Praier is ſeen both for impetration and application, for as it is with his oblation of himſelf, ſo it is with his Interceſſion.
There are two ſpecial effects of it,
1. Impetration,
2. Application.
Impetration is that whereby he doth obtain at Gods hands the right and claim to all thoſe prieiledges he hath purchaſed for his people, Such are Remiſſion, Juſtification, Adoption, and Glorification; Theſe tranſcendent mercies which are not in the power of the world to beſtow, are obtained by him, and indeed had it not been for this his Mediatory power, there had been no ſuch things in rerum naturâ, Reconciliation and Peace with God had been a meer Ens rationis, men might have imagined ſuch a thing as they may golden Mountains, but there had been no exiſtency of them, ſo that it was of infinite concernment to Beleevers, to obtain of God, that there might be ſuch priviledges, They coſt him dear; It was not only praiers with tears, but with bloud alſo, but Impetration is not enough, for if it had been as Arminians ſay, That Chriſt as Mediatour obtained only a poſſibility of Salvation, or made a way for ſuch mercies, but then the application to ariſe partly from mans freewill and power; This would be to hold That Chriſt might have died in vain, That notwithſtanding all that love of God ſending his Sonne into the world, and all the wrath that he did undergo, Not one man might have been ſaved: This muſt needs be very derogatory both to the Father and to the Sonne, but Chriſts Praier is for the application and actual beſtowing of all thoſe benefits he hath obtained, and for this end he ſends his Spirit into our hearts, Rom. 8 and that is a Spirit of praier and ſupplication: So that we have a twofold bottome to ſtand upon, Chriſts Praiers and the Spirits Interceſſion in us; Oh the ſtrong Conſolations that may be received hence! for the godly ſoul may think, Though Chriſts praier be prevalent, yet I muſt pray alſo; He that asketh not ſhall not receive: Now my praiers are weak, dull, ſinfull; See therefore the goodneſſe of Chriſt that gives his Spirit to us, to help us againſt all the Infirmities of our praiers, both to know what to pray and how to pray; It's not then enough to hear that Chriſt by his Praier doth obtain all good things at Gods hand, unleſs he vouchſafe them to us, and make us partaker of them. Oh then let not the Godly ſoul ſay, how can I ever be at peace with God, how can I ever have power over ſuch ſtrong corruptions? This is to ſay, God will not regard or anſwer Chriſts Praier.
6. The latitude and extenſiveneſſe of Chriſts praier is alſo very full of comfort, For it reacheth as farre as the effects of his death, ſo that for whatſoever priviledge Chriſt died, for the ſame he praieth; So that as it is ſaid of the Lords Praier, that it's the breviary and Summary of all things to be pra…ed for; Thus it is in Chriſts Praier, There is nothing that the ſoul can deſire, no evil to be avoided, no good to be procured but this Mediatory praier extends unto it, Inſomuch that it's the Treaſury and ſtock out of which the Godly ſoul is conſtantly repleniſhed:
We may inſtance in ſome particulars.
1. Daily pardon for our daily ſinnes and Infirmities; For though all our former ſinnes were wholly remitted, yet if we have not a conſtant remiſſion, every hour and moment our condition would be damnable; Therefore when we ſinne he ſtands up as an Advocate: We ſee then what it is that may ſupport our hearts againſt all quotidian failings, The vain thoughts, the proud and unbeleeving Imaginations, The dulneſſe and formality of our duties, all theſe are done away by Chriſts praier; We could not have any reſt or peace in our conſciences all the day long, if we had not an Antidote againſt the daily poiſon we ſuck down; Alas it's not thy Repentance, thy godly ſtrict life thou maiſt build on, for the leaſt vain thought deſerveth hell, and would marre all thy graces, But it's the Interceſſion of a Mediatour without us.
2. As pardon of ſinne ſo power againſt ſinne under the urgent and important temptations thereunto; Oh this is of admirable concernment, That when thou art even eating poiſon, when thou art within the hot flames of ſinne, yet to be preſerved; This is ſo great a matter that we are taught conſtantly to pray that we may not be led into temptation; What ſad bruiſes and wounds have the godly got to themſelves in a temptation; Thou little knoweſt what thou maiſt be and do, even the moſt abominable things that are if left to a Temptation; Now this is a ſpecial thing in Chriſts praier to have preſent help of grace in ſuch a ſtreight: Thus v. 15. I pray that thou ſhouldſt keep them from the evil of the world; Not to be taken out of the world but to be preſerved from the ſinfulneſſe of it; and thus for Peter, Chriſt ſaith, Satan had a deſire to winnow him, but he praied that his faith might not fail, Luk. 22.32. Had not the fruit of this praier intervened Peter and Judas might have been both alike: Oh then the tender godly man that is obnoxious to over-whelming fears, if ſuch and ſuch temptations ſhould befall him, he ſhould be undone that ſaith one time or other this or that affliction will break him; Let ſuch conſider that it's not their ſtrength but Chriſts praier is their ſupport, he that praied Peters faith might not fail hath done the like for thee.
3. Perſeverance in the way of grace againſt all oppoſitions and difficulties, This his praier extends to, v. 34. Father, I will they be where I am, and how careful was he to keep them that none of them who were given him might periſh; The perſeverance of Gods Children doth not depend upon grace within, for Angels and Adam loſt it, but upon the promiſe of God and Chriſts Interceſſion; Oh how often do we break our Covenant with God on our parts, if we were left to our ſelves we ſhould be branches broken from the Vine, pulled from the root, we ſhould become Trees not twice but twenty times dead: But it is the praier of Chriſt that keeps up all life and vigour; It's better with us then with the People of Iſrael all the while Moſes held up his hands he prevailed, but when he was weary then their enemies prevailed: But it is not ſo here, Our Interceſſor never giveth over, he doth not intermit for a moment, ſo that as long as Chriſts Interceſſion ſhall abide, ſo long ſhall we be preſerved.
4. Chriſts praier extends to their vivification and quickning up to holineſſe; Sanctifie them by thy Truth; They were already ſanctified, but he praieth for encreaſe and growth therein; The hearts and affections of the moſt holy are in ſome degree polluted and unclean, therefore they need this further Sanctification and preparation of them for what is holy.
Laſtly, This praier doth extend to our communion and intimate Fellowſhip with the Father, as is abundantly expreſſed; That they may be one as thou and I am one, they in me and I in them; Man as he is a man is Animal ſociale, and as a Chriſtian he deſires fellowſhip which is not only with other members, but chiefly with the head; And this Communion is the ground of all ſpiritual, and heavenly joy, the fulneſs of it being that eternal glory in heaven.
7. The excellency and comfortableneſſe of it is the more aggravated by the contrary, viz. the devil who is the accuſer of the Brethren, and he continually brings in matter of accuſation againſt us; If Joſhua hath rags on, Satan will revile him, certainly he that is ſo great an Enemy to a godly mans praier, labouring either to hinder it, or diſtract it, or marre it, with ſome proud ſelf-confidence, how much rather if he could would he hinder the praier and interceſſion of Chriſt; Now though he can finde much accuſation againſt the godly mans praier, yet none againſt Chriſts; Though he be an accuſer of the Brethren, yet not of Chriſt the head, The Prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me, Joh. 14.30.
Ʋſe 1. of comfort to the Godly, behold we open to you Treaſures of conſolation, when you cannot, do not, pray, yet even then is Interceſſion made for you; We are apt to think as the Diſciples did, If Chriſt were corporally preſent with us, If he were viſibly ſpeaking to us as to that Woman, Be of good comfort thy ſins be forgiven; We ſhould judge our ſelves happy, but it's better for us, Chriſt appeareth for us in heaven: This is more advantagious then his corporal preſence can be; Oh then ſee what is thy ſtaff to lean upon, not thy praiers or duties but Chriſts Interceſſion; Oh maintain this plea againſt the devil and thy own troubled heart; Say, what condemnation or accuſation can there be of Chriſt? how can the Father refuſe him pleading for us; O Lord, if I had nothing but my praiers, my duties, I were not able to look up to heaven.
Ʋſe 2. To diſcover the woful and damnable eſtate of wicked men; They have no Interceſſor for them; If they ſinne they have no Advocate; It was a dreadful thing when God bid Jeremiah pray not for this people; Oh but when Chriſt ſhall not pray there is no way or hope open for thee: Should all godly Miniſters and Friends pray for thee, yet if Chriſt intercede not, they can doe thee no good; The devil accuſeth thee, Juſtice arraigneth thee, and there is none to ſpeak a word for thee.