The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Sheweth in whoſe name we are pray.
Sect. 1.
NOw are we to ſhew in w… name we are to put up prayers to God, viz. in the n… of Chriſt. One of the Fathers … much pleaſure in reading T… Hortenſius, yet this at laſt made lay it aſide, becauſe he found not… name of Chriſt in it. As the n… of Chriſt is the ornament of B… and Sermons, ſo it is the eſſen… all prayers. Verily, verily I ſay you, whatſoever ye ſhall ask the F… in my name he will give it you, In nomine Chriſti id fieri dicitur, quod fit ſecundum ejus mandatum & voluntatem, invocato illius adjutorio, & ad gloriam ejus amplificandam: per… ſtum mediatorem & invocare Deum debemus, & gratias … poſtquàm Deus nos audiverit invocantes▪ Davenant. in Col.… our Saviour Chriſt, John 16.23. W… ſoever ye do, do all in the na… Chriſt, giving thanks to God th… him, Col. 3.17. Through him …oth Jews and Gentiles have entrance …o the Father by one Spirit. God …n himſelf is a conſuming fire, but …a Chriſt he is a fire in the buſh that …urneth not.
Reaſ. 1. We are of our ſelves indiſ…oſed to draw nigh to God by nature. …rayer is a communing with God, …hich preſuppoſeth a familiarity …ith him: In Chriſt we have bold…eſſe and acceſſe with confidence to come …nto the Father, Epheſ. 3.12. By nature we are ſevered from Gods …reſence; Our iniquities ſeparate be…ween us and our God, Iſa. 59.2. Un…er the Law, when people had ſin…ed, they muſt offer a ſin-offering …o take away their ſinne, and after…ard they might bring their burnt-…ffering, Levit. 5.7, 8. ſo it is with …s, we have all ſinned and gone …ſtray, and we muſt by faith in our …earts offer to God the Lamb ta…ing away our ſins, then may we …ome boldly to the throne of grace, …nd offer up a holy Sacrifice to God …y Jeſus Chriſt. As God by Chriſt …econciled the world to himſelf, ſo God by Chriſt diſcovereth himſelf to the world; for we cannot ha… any knowledge of the Father, b… by the Son: He is indeed entitul… Our Father, but it is firſt as he the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chri… he looketh on his elect as parts Chriſt, and therefore they a… called the fullneſſe of Chriſt, Eph… 1.28.
2. We cannot draw nigh to G… in prayer without Chriſt, becau… Gods promiſes ought to be t… ground of our prayers, and th… are all made unto us in Chri… and he that prayes without a p… miſe, cannot hope to ſpeed in … prayers. That which in the L… God commandeth, in the Goſp… he promiſeth to give unto his pe… ple.Joſeph commandeth his brethren, that if ever they would ſee his face with comfort, they muſt bring their brother Benjamine with them: So if ever we expect any comfortable return of our prayers, we muſt bring our elder brother Jeſus Chriſt, and put up all our requeſts in his name. Tho. Stapleton prompt. morale. Now the Precepts and Pr… miſes of God are the latitude of o… prayers. And as the promiſes co… from Chriſt, ſo they are all Yea… Amen in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 1.20. S… likewiſe the reward of our obed… ence cometh from Chriſt alſo, pa… ſing in and through the hands … our Mediatour; through this gol… en Pipe the treaſures of wiſdo… …nd grace are conveyed into our …ouls.
3. Both the original of prayer …ometh from Chriſt, and the acce…ation of our prayers is in and …hrough Chriſt: He is the Altar …hat ſanctifieth the gift, Matth. 3.19. Even the impure ſervices, …nd weak endeavours of his people …e ſanctified by him. In vain it … then to come to God without a …ediator, to procure acceſſe, audi…ce and acceptance for us; he it is …at ſits in Heaven making interceſ…on to God for us.
Sect. 2.
HEre I ſhall propound divers Queſtions.
Queſt. 1. What is the Interceſſion that …hriſt now maketh for his people?
Queſt. 2. For what is this Interceſſion Chriſt?
Queſt. 3. For whom he maketh Inter…ſion?
Queſt. 4. To whom is Chriſt our Me…tor?
Queſt. 5. When did Chriſt take upon him this Office of his Media… ſhip?
Queſt. 1. What is the Inter… on that Chriſt now maketh for people?
Resp. This Interceſſion of Ch… in his glory for us, is not in being of his knees, corporal proſti… on, oral ſupplications for the el… as he often did in his eſtate humiliation upon earth; this ſeemeth not his glorious condit… But
1. In a glorious preſentatio… himſelf, his perfect obedience, merits and ſufferings in the … ſtial Sanctuary before the face God in the behalf of his redee… ones, Heb. 9 23, 24.
2. That as formerly upon e… by outward voice and expre… he earneſtly prayed for them, 17.11, 15, 24. So now in h… ven by inward affections earneſtly deſireth the benefit his righteouſneſſe and ſatisfa… on may be effectually applied to them for their infallible ſation.
Queſt. 2. Conſider for what is this …terceſſion of Chriſt?
Reſp. 1. That our perſons, pray…s, and all other our pious endea…ours, and holy ſervices, (though …ixt with many corruptions and …perfections) may be accepted of him …ho is the beloved of the Father, …h. 1.6. Phil. 1.11.
2. That neither our daily fail…gs and infirmities, nor the ma…inations and oppoſitions of Sa… and his inſtruments, may ſepa…te from the love of God, nor uſe our final Apoſtaſie from the …e faith: Chriſt tells Peter, Satan …th deſired to winnow thee, but I …ve prayed for thee that thy faith fail …, Luke 22.31, 32. All which was …gantly typed out, Levit. 16. by …e High-Prieſts entring into the …oſt holy place in the day of the …onement. For, 1. The expiato… Sacrifice was offered at the door … the Tabernacle of the Congre…tion, and afterward the bloud …s brought into the Sanctuary. Incenſe was offered up with the …ud, ſignifying the prayers and deſires of the Saints, as it is plained, Revel. 8.3. And, 3. U… his ſhoulder and breſt, he bare names of the twelve Tribes, whom the typical Propitiation made; ſignifying Jeſus Ch… ſhould be a Propitiation for a ſinnes through faith in his blo… Rom. 3.24.
Queſt. 3. For whom doth he … Interceſſion?
Resp. For his elect, ſuch as in him: I pray not for the w… but for them which thou haſt g… me, John 17.9. Yea for the c… not yet actually in him, that t… may not periſh in their unrege… rate eſtate. As the benefits of redemption were available to fore-fathers before his incarnat… by their faith in him that was come; much more now after actual performance, even to th… that are elected, though not yet him; ſince Gods acceptance of is rather grounded on Chriſts rede… ption of us, than on any grace exiſt in us.
Object. But is not Chriſt an … terceſſour for the whole world, ſince …he Apoſtle ſaith, If any man ſinne, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our ſinnes, and not for ours only, but for the ſinnes of the whole world, … John 2.1.
Reſp. 1. This one underſtandeth by the whole body of the Creation:…o…ton. Expoſ. in 1 John cap. 2. for as by Adams …ll the whole world was curſed; ſo Chriſt by his death hath renewed the bleſſing to the world again, to the whole body of the Creation. Noah being a Type of Chriſt, and making atonement for the world by Sacrifice, God ſmelt a ſweet ſavour and promiſed, that he would no more …urſe the earth for m…ns ſake…: that which was done by type in him, …s perfectly procured by Chriſt; All the creatures are redeemed in him, Iſai. 44.23. are become Chriſts ſervants, ſubject to his dominion, he hath bought them all, Rom. 14.9. Chriſt is now Lord of all; he hath bought us, and all that we have, and he hath ſo purchaſed it, that the world, yea all the diſorders a… tumults of the world ſhall be bleſſing to the Church. Chriſt ha… bought the bad as well as the goo… 2 Pet. 2.5. So that they are Chri… vaſſals, and are under his domin… on, as a ſlave is to be ruled by h… that hath bought him, and th… are bought for the Churches ſerv… to do them good. 2. By all … world, ſaith Beza, Bez. annot. in locum.is meant, th… Chriſt is a Propitiation for all ſo… of faithfull people in the wor… of what condition, degree, a… or ſex whatſoever they be. if he had ſaid, Not only we of t… Jews have an Advocate with G… the Father, but all the faithfull ſo even among the Gentiles; he is the Propitiation for the ſin… of all believers in the whole wor… To conſtrue the words otherw… and affirm, That Chriſt in Heav… prayeth for all, good and bad, el… and reprobate promiſcuouſly, co… tradicteth the expreſſe ſaying Chriſt himſelf John 17.9. who ſai… he prayeth for his Apoſtles, and believers, and not for the wor… but for them whom his father had given him out of the world,Quantum ad ſufficientiam pro toto mundo, ſed quantum ad efficaciam, pro electis ſolis. Lyra in 1. Epiſt. Iohan. The ſmoak of the incenſe which came with the prayers of the Saints, Rev. 8.4. aſcended up before God out of the Angels hand, this Angel is Ieſus Chriſt, this Incenſe his merits; the mingling of the prayers of the Saints with this Incenſe, is the ſupplying, or covering the defects of their prayers, with the merits of Chriſt; and the aſcending of this Incenſe with their prayers before God, is his acceptance of them, thus covered with Chriſt's merits: and the reaſon why the prayers aſcended, was becauſe the Incenſe aſcended, that was their vehiculum, the pillar of ſmoak in whi…h they mounted up to Heaven: the prayers and good actions of men in Christ, are accepted of God, becauſe they are perfumed, and their defects covered from the face of God, by the merits and interceſſion of Ieſus Chriſt. Hoards Soul miſery, &c. ver. 20. Yea Nicholas Lyra (though a Papiſt) upon that place of S. John's Epiſtle (that Chriſt is a propitiation for the ſins of the whole world) ſaith, he laid down a ſufficient price for all, but in reſpect of the efficaciouſneſſe thereof, it is for the elect onelyonly: Chriſt's merits and ſatisfaction is ſufficient, though not effectuall without faith; as a good medicine full of vertue is ſufficient to cure, but it cannot be effectuall unleſſe it be applied unto the ſore: therefore when S. Paul ſaith, God hath ſet forth Chriſt to be a propitiation, he addeth, through faith in his bloud, Rom. 3.25. now all men have not faith, 2 Theſ. 3.2. nor do all men lay hold on Jeſus Chriſt for an advocate and propitiation: univerſall propoſitions, mu… be underſtood according to the ſubject matter, as when Chriſt ſaith Whoſoever asketh ſhall receive; the meaning is, whoſoever asketh in faith.
Queſt 4. To whom is Chriſt our m… diatour?
Reſp. I anſwer, to God our Father he is a mediator between God an… man, 1 Tim. 2.5. We have an advoca… with the Father, 1 Joh. 2.1. again… God our father (eſpecially) ſin committed, Pſal. 51.4. which … againſt the work of our creation which is originally aſcribed to th… Father, the firſt perſon in Trinity Interceſſion is made directly and immediatly to the Father, and in hi… to the reſt of the perſons in the hol… Trinity, having all the ſame wil… being all the ſame one God.
Object. But o…n Chriſt be mediatou… between God and man, himſelf being God, ſo ſhould he be mediatour to himſelf?
Resp. There are two things i… Chriſt; 1. His nature; ſo he is th… Son of God, and very God, and is in the forme of God, and thought it u… robbery to be equall with God. 2. His office, the office of a mediatour, God-man, man-God: As he is the Son of God, he is the par…y offended, as the Son of man alſo the party reconciling. 2. Though Chriſt be one with the Father in reſpect of his divine nature, yet there is a difference thus far, that the Father is not incarnate, but Chriſt the Son: and it agreeth to the divine nature of Chriſt to be mediatour, not ſimply as a divine nature, but exiſting in ſuch a particular manner, as agreeth not to the Father and the Holy Ghoſt.
Queſt. 5. When did Chriſt take upon him this office of his mediatorſhip?
Resp 1.Chriſt was only ſlain once on the croſſe above 1600 years agone by a reall ſ…ffering; yet he is in divers reſpects ſaid to be ſlain before: 1. In God's eternall preordination, viz. that he ſhould be ſlain in the appointed time. 1 Pet. 1.19, 20. 2. By promiſe, that the ſeed of the woman ſhould bruiſe the ſerpents head. 3. In belief of the Fathers, which was the ſubſtance of things hoped for. 4. In the ſacrifices of the Fathers, which ſacramentally were the Lamb himſelf. 5. In his members, as ſuffering in their ſufferings. Thus Chriſt was ſlain in Abel; becauſe (ſaith Lyra) the ſlaying of innocent Abel was a figure of the Lamb's ſlaughter. Pareus in Comment in Rev. 13.8. From the beginning of man's fall; before his incarnation he performed his Kingly, Prieſtly, and Prophetick offices; therefore called the Lamb ſlain from the beginning of the world, Rev. 13.8. to ſhew that the efficacy of his death is extended to the very firſt beginning of the world, and ſo to all the faithfull from Adam to the end thereof: Chriſt is a Prieſt for ever after the order of Melchiſedeck, Pſal. 110.4. and now ſits at the right hand of God for ever making interceſſion for his people: Ieſus Chriſt is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever: as by vertue of his death the faithfull in all ages have entered into Heaven; ſo by vertue of his interceſſion, they have continuall acceſs to the throne of grace, to offer up ſpirituall ſacrifices acceptable to God through him, 1 Pet. 2.5. as he is, ſo he ever was, the way, the truth, and the life; as no man can come, ſo never any man could come to the Father but by him.
Sect. 3.
NOw the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is our onelyonly mediatour: there is but one God, and one mediatour between God and man, the man Chriſt Ieſus, 1 Tim. 2.5. Angels cannot be our mediators, who are but miniſtring spirits, Heb. 1.14. Saints departed cannot, who are ignorant of our particular condition and neceſſities, Iſa 63.16.
Object. The Papiſts object, That Chriſt is our chief advocate, but Angels and Saints are ſecondary advocates.
Reſp. St Auſtin will admit no ſuch diſtinction, but ſaith, He that teacheth ſo, is rather Antichriſt than an Apoſtle: and Zanchy Zanch. in 1. Ep. Iohan-Perkins in Praefat. ante Orat. Dominic.upon the Epiſtle of Iohn, and Perkins before the Lords Prayer tell us; That he that will be an advocation, muſt firſt be a reconciliation, and able to plead his righteouſneſs beſtowed upon us, as the words imply; but ſo can no Saints or Angels do. To the place 1 Tim. 2.5. the Papiſts reply, that Chriſt is our mediator of redemption; but Saints and Angels be mediators of interceſſion: To which I anſwer—This diſtinction will not hold; for S. Paul ſpeaketh of interceſſion in that place, and cometh not to redemption till the next verſe: they therefore coyn another diſtinction; ſaying, that there is one mediator that payeth the creditor for the debtour; and ſo onelyonly Bellarmine Bellarm.confeſſeth Chriſt to be our Mediatour; and there is another mediatour deſiring the creditour to be good to the debtour;It is an uſuall Term among graduates in the Ʋniverſity, Reſpondebit pro me Ariſtoteles; Ariſtotle the eye of nature and heart of Philoſophy ſhall anſwer for me: So we being not able to anſwer the great God of Heaven and earth; we have no other Anchor-hold but this; Reſpondebit pro me Chriſtus, that Ieſus our bleſſed Saviour will interceed for us. Rob. Wilkins Marriage Sermon. Ano. 1616. and ſo they ſay, Saints and Angels are mediatours: but yet they prove not, that Angels and Saints, do either know our eſtates, or pray for any man in particular; yet this is more than many of their other Papiſts will yeeld; for ſometimes they pray to the Saints as unto God, and place the Virgin Mary above her Son, entreating her to command him; and to S. Peter, (whom they feign to be heavens porter) thus they ſay, Sancte pater, miſerere mei, holy father have mercy upon me; Salva me, operi mihi aditum coeli, ſave me, open to me the paſſage into Heaven, what can they ſay more to Chriſt? If we ſhould admit all the Saints in the Pope's Calendar, it would come to paſſe, that as the Athenians worſhipped an unknown God, ſo ſhould we worſhip unknown men: for even many Papiſts do doubt, whether there were ever any S. George, S. Chriſtopher, and S. Katherine: Cardinall Bellarmine himſelf ſaith, that the Legends of theſe three are very uncertain; and why may not we ſuſpect as much of many others, as they confeſs of theſe?
And to this I ſhall add, that the Saints on earth cannot be our Mediators neither. For though they are bound to pray one for another; yet they cannot make interceſſion as Chriſt doth at the right hand of God; for they cannot pray in their own name, nor for their own merits, as they confeſſe of theſe.
That Chriſt is the only Mediator, was ſignified by types under the Old Teſtament.
1. The Jews were to pray before the Propitiatory or Mercy-ſeat, Exod. 25.22. and herein taught,foreign. that all their prayers ſhould be accepted of God onelyonly in and, through the mediation of Chriſt, who is not onelyonly a propitiation for our ſins, 1 John 2.2. but the propitiatory it ſelf, Rom. 3.25.
2. Becauſe the people were not permitted to offer Sacrifice themſelves, nor enter into the holy place,Levit. 16.17. Luke 1.10. Heb. 13.15. but ſtand aloof off in the outer Court, and joyn in their prayers with the Highprieſt, a type of Chri… They were taught hereby, that … Chriſts bloud they ſhould have e… trance into the holy place, and … him to offer up the ſacrifices … prayers and praiſes to God onelyonly One upon thoſe words [We have … advocate with the Father Jeſus Chr… the righteous, Io. Wall Serm. in Hebr. 9.12.and he is the propitia… for our ſins] ſaith, The one ſheweth the greatneſſe of his Majeſt… the other ſheweth the obedien… of his Miniſtry; while he tak… the cenſer of his fleſh, and fills with the coals of the Altar, a… preſents the ſupplications of … Church, and makes the ſmoa… of thoſe ſpiritual odours aſce… before the Lord, as from the ha… of an Angel.
It was one of Arius his hereſie to attribute the office of a Mediat… or Advocate to the holy Gho… and ſo to make more than one M… diator between God and man, a… ſo God to make interceſſion to Go… the holy Ghoſt being God. Inde… the Greek word which is render… Advocate,foreign. in the New Teſtamen… …s applied to the holy Ghoſt; but …here is a great difference between Chriſts being an Advocate, and the Spirits being an Advocate. Chriſt …ith to his troubled Diſciples; If I …o not away, the Comforter, or the Advocate, will not come unto you, …hat is, the holy Ghoſt. Now one …hus diſtinguiſheth well,Caryl on Job. The Spirit makes requeſt for us by making us to make requeſts. Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.26, 27. Chriſt is an Advocate by way of impetration; the Spirit is an Advocate by by way of application: Chriſt is an Advocate with the Father to procure mercy for us, the Spirit is an Advocate with us, to prevail on us to receive that mercy. Chriſt appeareth for us in Heaven, Heb. 9.24. he appeareth as our Attorney in the Court of Heaven; the Spirit cometh down from Heaven, and appeareth in us, and there maketh interceſſion for us. Chriſt began the work of his interceſſion upon earth, and perfecteth this work now in Heaven; He ever liveth to make interceſſion for his people: But the Spirits interceſſion is both begun and conſummate here: The Spirit doth not properly plead for us, but make interceſſion in … the Spirit ſtirreth us up to pray, … Chriſt preſenteth theſe prayers ours to God, his, and our Fathe…
Sect. 4.
Object. 1. IT may be objected, … Moſes was a Mediat… God for the Jews, Galat. 3.19. … Law was ordained by Angels in … hand of a Mediator. The word foreign is diverſly tranſlated, Pax ſequeſtra. Tertull. Cajetan. Chryſoſt. Theophil. Ambroſ. Aquin. Lumbard. Gagna…s. Ep…an haereſ. …6 …. apud …cholia.by ſome ſeq… ſter, one that ſtands diſpoſed, yet … different to both parties; by ſome … miator, a parter of ſtakes betw… two; by ſome an Interceſſour; but word foreign ſignifieth a Mediator midler; and though many of the … thers underſtand it of Chriſt: yet … Divines underſtand it rather of M… ſes, for the Law was given by M… ſes, John 1.17. and the Apoſtle pro… ring Chriſt before Moſes ſaith, He w… Mediator of a better Covenant, H… 8.6. And Moſes ſaith of himſ… Deut. 5.5. I ſtood between the Lo… and you, to ſhew you the word the Lord. And Epiphanius and G… nadius, men ancient and learned, were of the ſame opinion.
Reſp. The Papiſts do unjuſtly from hence infer, that Angels and Saints can be Mediators: For,
1. Moſes was appoinied by God to be a Mediator: but Angels and Saints have no commiſſion.
2. He was preſent with whom he was a Mediator, theſe have no communion with us.
3. Moſes was a Mediator but once, and in one thing; theſe are pretended to be Mediators at all times, and in all things.
4. He was a Mediator to the people from God, theſe are imployed from the people to God, in all which they fail from their ground, and derogate from the mediation of Chriſt;Torſhels 3. Quaeſt. as a judicious Divine hath obſerved.
Object. 2. Chriſt ſaith to his Diſciples, John 16.24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: and tells them, In that day ye ſhall ask me nothing: Verily I ſay unto you, whatſoever ye ſhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, verſ. 23. Here ſeemeth to be a contradiction.
Reſp. There is a two-fold asking an asking by way of interrogation o… queſtion, and an asking by way … ſupplication: The former is an asking that proceedeth from doubting or ignorance, for a fuller information and ſatisfaction, the latter … an asking in order to reception fo… the ſupply of ſome want; when … is ſaid, Ye ſhall ask me nothing, it … not meant of asking in prayer, bu… putting of doubts and queſtions to him, which was uſual with them whilſt Chriſt was upon earth: Before he told them, Yet a little whi… and you ſhall ſee me no more; an… they ſaid, What is this that he ſai… yet a little while? And Jeſus kne… that they were deſirous to ask him then he cleareth their doubt, an… tells them, in the day when h… would ſend down his Spirit upo… them, they ſhould not need to as… him any queſtions, they ſhoul… have a teacher within them thi… ſhould reſolve all their doubt; an… then he falls upon this ſpeech, Whoſoever ye ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you; hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name, ask and ye ſhall receive that your joy may be full. Things in Scripture are ſaid to be nothing, or not to be done, when not ſo fully and perfectly done as afterward. As John 7.39. the holy Ghoſt was not yet given, becauſe Chriſt was not yet glorified, …hat is, not ſo fully given before Chriſts aſcenſion as afterward: ſo the Diſciples had hitherunto asked nothing in his Name, i. e. ſo expreſly, particularly and plainly, becauſe that which they did ſo weakly was nothing in compariſon to what they ſhould do af…erwards, when more cleer, light ſhould break forth in them.