Sermon 70

Isaiah 53:12 _Verse 12._—And he made intercession for the transgressors.

It's a great mercy that God has bestowed such a Mediator on sinners; that He has given such a high priest, that can be touched with the feeling of sinners' infirmities, so as to make intercession for them; And O! but it's a great mercy to be helped to make right use of him: When these two go together, to wit, a Saviour offered, furnished with all these offices, of king, priest, and prophet; and a soul sanctified, and guided by the Spirit of God, in making use of him according to these offices, It's a wonderfully, and inconceivably gracious dispensation; And it's no doubt a very valuable mercy, to be helped to make use of this part of Christ's office; to wit, his intercession; This is that of which we have begun some few days since to speak to you, and for the better clearing of it, we endeavoured to answer some doubts, or questions, that it may be, have arisen, and been tossed in the minds of some while we have been discoursing of, and opening up this matter: That which we would now speak a little to, is a subject of that nature, that considering our shallowness in uptaking of these things, we cannot easily tell whether it be better to speak of, or to forbear the speaking of, any doubt, or question, lest one occasion, [reconstructed: in] another; And therefore most certainly there would be much sobriety here, and an abandoning of all sinful curiosity, lest unseasonable, and intemperate desiring to know, either what is not to be known, or what we cannot know, mar and obstruct our improvement of what we do, or may know; several things doubted of, may be moved, and objected here; but we shall only speak a word to the clearing of these four. 1. Some thing concerning the object of worship, and particularly of prayer in general. 2. We shall consider how the Mediator is the object of our prayer; or how he may be prayed to. 3. A word more particularly, in reference to the form of some particular petitions, and to what seems most warrantable from the word, in these. 4. We shall answer some practical doubts that have, or may have some puzzling influence on the consciences of some Christians; But as I said, we had need, in speaking, and hearing of these things, to be awed with some deep impression of the majesty of God on our hearts, lest we meddle carnally with matters of a most sublimely spiritual and holy nature: For clearing of the first then, we lay down these assertions. The first of which is, That as there is one worship, so there is no formal object of worship, but God; This is clear, because the worshipping of any with divine worship, as namely with believing in them, or praying to them, supposes them to have such attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, supremacy, etc. as are only agreeable to the majesty of God; For we cannot pray to one, but we must believe that he hears us, and so that he is omniscient; that he is able to help us, and so [reconstructed: omnipotent]; that he is above all, and so Supreme; as it is (Romans 10:14), How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? There can be no divine object of worship to settle the soul upon, but where the essential attributes of the Godhead are; and it's on this ground, that we reject invocation of saints and angels; Adorability being the essential property of the majesty of God, as well as eternity, and immutability are; There can be no adoring, or worshipping of any, but where there is Adorability in the object that is worshipped by that worship; and there is none capable of worship but God, supremacy being due, and essential to him only. 2. That though there be three persons in the glorious and blessed Godhead, distinct, yet there are not three distinct objects of worship, but one object of worship only; The Father is not one object of worship, the Son another, and the Holy Ghost a third; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are that same one object of worship; And when we pray to one, we pray to all. The reason is clear; Because, though there be three persons in the Godhead, yet there is but one essence in the Godhead; and the divine essential properties (which are the grounds on which we adore God) are essential, and agree to all the persons of the Godhead; the Father has not one omnipotence, and the Son another; neither are there two omnipotents; but one omnipotent God; and so in other attributes, they are the same essential properties of the Godhead, and incommunicable; And therefore, though the Father be another person, and (as they use to speak) alius, yet he is not another thing, or aliud, but the same God, with the Son, and Holy Ghost; And although the persons have a real distinction among themselves, yet none of them are really distinct from the Godhead; and so there is but one object of worship; and therefore, though sometimes all the persons be named, yet it's not to show any distinction in the object of our worship, but to show who is the object of our worship; To wit, one God, yet three persons, or [reconstructed: in] three. 3. That though in prayer to God, we may name either the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost; yet whomever we name, it's always the same God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost that is worshipped: And this follows well on the former, and may be the use of it; For if the Father be God, and if we worship him as God, we cannot worship him, but we must worship the Son, and Holy Ghost with him, because they are the same God, having the same essential attributes. And therefore 4. Whenever we pray to, and name one of the persons, we would not conceive that he is less worshipped, that is not named, or that we pray less to him that is not named, as it may be in the same prayer, when a person begins at first, he names the Father, and when he has proceeded a little, he names the Son, men would then beware of thinking that there is a difference in the object they are praying to; or, as if they began to pray to one of the persons, and now they are praying to another, as a distinct party; for it is still the same God, who is the object of worship; We observe it, to teach you calmness, soberness, and composedness of frame in approaching to God; wherein folks would beware of curious tossing in their mind, and imagination, what may be the object of their worship, and of suffering it to run in an itchingly curious way on the distinction of the persons; but would stay their mind upon one God in three persons, and seek after no more.

The second is, How the Mediator is the object of our prayers, or may be prayed to? And for clearing of this, we would propose these considerations. 1. That it is a certain truth, that the person that is the Mediator, is the object of our worship, and may be prayed to, because he is God, the second person of the Godhead: And therefore, in Acts 7, at the close, a direct prayer is put up to him by Stephen, "Lord Jesus," says he, "receive my spirit." 2. We say this, That the adoration and worship that is given to the Mediator, is not of any distinct kind from that adoration and worship that is given to the Father, and the Holy Ghost, but the same supreme divine worship, for he is the same God with the Father and Holy Ghost; and although he be Mediator, it derogates nothing from his Godhead; and the Scripture speaking of no divine worship but one, we are therefore not to conceive him to be worshipped with less confidence, fear, or reverence than the other persons of the Trinity: For there is no such worship in Scripture; and to give him less, would derogate from the majesty of Jesus Christ, who is God equal with the Father, and the Spirit: For, although, as Mediator, he be inferior to the Father, yet the person whom we worship, is God equal with the Father, and the Holy Ghost. 3. The worshipping of Jesus Christ Mediator, and the giving of him divine worship, is not the worshipping of any other object, but of the same, to wit God, who is made flesh, and is manifested in our nature by the union of the second person of the Godhead, with the human nature, which he has assumed, and taken to him; upon which it follows, that Jesus Christ must be the same object of worship, and that our worshipping of him, is the worshipping of God, and that our praying to him, is praying to God the Father, Son and Spirit: And there is reason to take heed to this, because, when we in prayer are speaking to the Mediator, thoughts may steal in, as if we were not so immediately and directly speaking to God, as when we name the Father. 4. Consider, That Christ Jesus being worshipped with this divine worship, as the one object of worship (for as we show, there cannot be two objects of divine worship) it will follow, that Christ Jesus as God is worshipped, for though it be the person that's Mediator, and Man that is worshipped; yet it's not the person as Man, but as God, that is worshipped; And the reason is clear, because it's not Christ Jesus as Man, but as God, that has these properties of God, to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, Infinite, Supreme, etc. And therefore, as upon the one hand, we say that Christ God died, and suffered, because he being God and Man in one person, the person that was, and is God died, and suffered, though the Godhead did not, neither can suffer: So upon the other hand, we say, that Christ Man is prayed to, because he who is God-Man is prayed to, as God; But though there be a union of the two natures, in the Mediator's person, and though the properties of the one nature be sometimes attributed to the other, because of the closeness of the union, yet we must still keep the properties of each nature distinct, and in our worship-application to him, consider him accordingly; As to be finite, agrees to his human nature, and is to be attributed to that; and to be infinite agrees to his divine nature, and is to be attributed to him, in respect of that: To clear it a little (if it be possible for us to clear it) we must conceive in our worshipping of God, in the person of a Mediator, a threefold object of our worship; (for so divines used to distinguish, and we hold ourselves close by them) 1. The material object, or the object which we worship, that is the person we pray to. 2. The formal object of our worship, or that which is the ground, or account on which we worship that person. 3. The object of our consideration, in our worshipping of that person; on that [reconstructed: account]; As for instance. 1. The Man Christ Jesus is the person whom we worship, or pray to; but 2. The formal object of our worship is Christ's Godhead; and we pray to him on that account; because He is the Eternal, Infinite, Omnipotent, Supreme, etc. in respect of his divine nature. 3. In our worshipping of this Mediator, on this account, or ground, the mind may be swayed to it, on consideration that the person whom we worship as God, is also Mediator and Man; and this proposes no new object of worship, but gives a motive to induce us to worship him, and warms the heart with love to him; As when we go to pray to him, the mind may consider him as one that died; now so considered he is not the object of our worship, because it holds him out as humbled, and suffering; yet our so considering him strengthens faith, to expect what we need from him; and it induces to pray to him, and engages to love him: Even as the people of Israel, in prayer to God, sometimes used that title, "Our redeemer that brought us out of Egypt": Yet the ground, and account on which they worshipped him was his being the Eternal, Infinite, and Omnipotent God, and the consideration of his works were but motives to induce them to worship him, and to strengthen their faith, in expecting what they stood in need of from him: So is it here, For if it were possible to conceive, that the Mediator that died were not God, we would not pray to him, for God is the alone object of divine worship; yet to consider that he is God, and yet died, is an inducement to us, to pray to him, and it strengthens our faith to consider, that as he is God, so also Man; one that died, and has also entered himself in this near relation to us.

For the third (which will help to clear the former) That is, the forms of such petitions as may be used, in petitioning the Mediator; we need the less to stand on it, if (as has been said) we hold ourselves by these grounds. 1. That there is but one object of worship. 2. That this one object of worship is God. 3. That in worshipping the Mediator, we do not [reconstructed: divide] that object of our worship: Yet we shall speak a word for clearing, 1. What form seems most allowable here? 2. For clearing of something which we hinted at the other day regarding one particular form of petition.

First, then, this is clear, that we may pray directly to the mediator, by naming him, as Stephen does (Acts 7, at the close). Second, that the mediator, when prayed to, may be considered as such by us; for there is a difference between that which is considered by us, in the act of our worship, and that which is the object of that act; and (as we said) the motive that induces us to that act, is the uptaking of him as mediator. Third, that he may be designated mediator and redeemer; and may receive these names and titles, because they serve to strengthen our faith, and to warm our affections to him; even as when the people of Israel prayed to God, they remembered that he was their redeemer and deliverer, and had worked so and so for them, and these were motives to induce them to pray, and served to strengthen their faith in praying to him; yet the ground and account on which they worshipped him, was his own infinite glorious majesty. Fourth, it's clear, that when the mediator is prayed to, something may be sought from him, that agrees to the office of the mediator — for instance, he may be prayed to, to take to him his government, and to exercise it, to give gifts to men, to gather his own elect, to make his will effectual for the ingathering of them, etc.; yet even then a difference would be put between the object of our suit, and the matter we suit for, which belongs to him as mediator, yet as God he is the object of our suit and prayer. This seems to be [reconstructed: alluded to] (Psalm 45), when the Psalmist speaking to the Son the mediator, says, Gird your sword upon your thigh, ride prosperously; let the king's arrows be sharp in the hearts of his enemies — which upon the matter seems clearly to relate to Christ's executing his office as mediator. Yet look to the title he gives him, and the ground, or account on which he puts up his prayer: it's the consideration of him as God. Therefore, he says, O most mighty — a divine attribute pointing him out to be God. And your throne, O God, says he, is from everlasting, etc.

Now, as for the second thing, if all this be granted, it may then be asked, why we seem not to be satisfied with that manner of expression, or form of petition, which we hinted at the other day, Lord Jesus make intercession for me, plead for me with, or before the Father? Seeing we allow such a petition as this, Lord Jesus make me partaker of your intercession, and the like, as warrantably, when put up with reverence, and faith, the same object of worship being invoked with them both? Answer, 1. We say, that the use-making, and improving of Christ's intercession, is not to be restricted to this manner of expression, or form of petition; and it was for this end that we observed it: for it cannot be said, that only we make use of Christ's intercession, when we use this form; and so it's not essential, nor necessary to the use-making of Christ's intercession; this is the fault that is in it, as if there were no use-making of his intercession, but when this form of petition is used; whereas we show, that it is mainly the exercise of faith, resting on his intercession, whereby it is improved, and one may be using this form of words, and yet not be improving his intercession; and another may not use this form of words, and yet be improving it, when faith is exercised on it; and therefore to improve his intercession, is rather by the exercise of faith to rest on it, than in any such form of words to pray to him; and we would not think that Christ's intercession is not made use of when the Father is prayed to; or when such a form of words is not used, but place it in the exercise of faith alone. 2. We say, if such a petition be well understood and qualified, it is not simply sinful or evil, if so be that our meaning in it amount to this much; Lord Jesus let me be partaker of the benefits of your intercession, even as we may pray, Lord Jesus let me be partaker of the benefits of your satisfaction; yet we say it would be well understood and qualified; and a person in putting up such a petition would take care well, that he be not praying to any other object of worship but God, and that his meaning be the same, as if he were praying to the Father, and said, Father, let me be accepted through the intercession of the Son; and thus the one is an improving of Christ's intercession, as well as the other; for although the altering the nomination of the person may strengthen faith, yet it is never to be so understood, as if they were a different object of worship, or as if there were less access to Christ's intercession, or to the benefits thereof, in the one form than in the other. Yet 3. we say there is often a readiness to miscarry in this form of petition; for you would consider and examine. 1. If it does not often flow from a misinformed judgment within; and if it has not a tendency in it, to obscure the nature of the unity of the object of our worship; and readily disposing to, or flowing from this opinion, that praying to the mediator is not the same, that praying to God is, as if there were two distinct objects of worship. Or, 2. If there be not a readiness to consider the person that's mediator to be of less glory and majesty than the Father, and to consider the Father to be of less loving kindness and tenderness to sinners than the Son, and other things of that kind, which move people to put up a suit in such a form, which makes it more difficult to keep the thoughts of one object of worship under such a form, than otherwise. Yet 4. we say it may be used by, and accepted of God, from, many that have not that distinctness, and clearness in the ridding of their thoughts, in this mystery that is requisite; because there may be real faith under such a form of words, (though infirmity in the use-making of Christ's intercession) and God respects that wherever it is, and under such a form there may be these two things, 1. A soul-sensibleness, that the person has no access to God, but through a mediator. 2. A resting on the mediator for acceptance, and where these two are though the form be used, it may be accepted; although, if faith be though this form be not, it mars not the person's acceptation; for no question many of the people of God both before Christ came and sometime after, had not that distinctness in use-making of the intercession of Christ as now is held forth, as Christ says to his disciples, (John 16:24) Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; and Cornelius mentioned, (Acts 10) and others, their prayers were accepted of God, though they rested by faith on the mediator in a more confused dark way, and had not that distinctness in them, of use-making of him, which was afterward more clearly revealed. And therefore, 5. and lastly, though we will not be peremptory in condemning such a form altogether, yet we think it largely as safe to abstain from any such form of words, in the use-making of Christ's intercession, as may have in them any appearance of or tendency to the dividing of the object of our worship, or the mediator from his Godhead, especially in praying with, or for others, where it may stumble more than edify; and when it is used, it would be very warily, and well guarded, remembering always that the improving of Christ's intercession consists more in faith's resting on it, and in making address to God through him, and according to the usual manner of the Scripture than, in any other thing or way whatever.

The fourth thing we proposed to speak a word to was some practical doubts, or questions, that may puzzle some Christians who, having observed what has been spoken on this subject, may be ready to think and say that the improving of Christ's intercession is to them a greater mystery than ever it was; many times they have prayed and minded it not, and when they mind it, they are not distinct in their improving of it, and they are never likely to aright mind it. For answer, 1. You would look to what is essential to the improving of Christ's intercession, and make that sure; and if you ask what it is, it takes in these four, which, where they are, his intercession is made use of, though there may be unclearness in many other things. 1. That a person pray to God, that he be called on, and worshipped. 2. That our addresses be not founded on anything in ourselves, but that there be a renouncing of our own righteousness, as it was with Daniel (Daniel 9:18): We do not present our supplications to you for our own righteousness, etc. 3. That there be a believing of our acceptance through Jesus Christ; though there be a distance between God and us, yet that there is a way through use-making of Christ to come over that distance, and to win at nearness to him. And 4. Upon that account to enter our suit, and to put up our prayer to God; with the one word disclaiming our own righteousness, and with the other pleading on the account of God's mercy, through Christ, as Daniel does: Not for our righteousness, but for your mercies' sake, and for your name's sake. Now I suppose that souls should not be able to answer several questions about the object of worship, and the way of improving of Christ's intercession; yet if they call upon God; if they renounce their own righteousness, not knowing any ground in themselves to lean to, or to put up their suit on, and make use of Christ for the ground of their acceptance with God; and if it were asked them, what gives you ground to expect a hearing of your prayers — they would answer, even the same that gives us ground to expect pardon of sin; and we would never expect to win to either without a Mediator; they are among them who are improving Christ's intercession, and such would silence and quiet other questions, if they be clear in this. 2. We answer that there may be a real use-making of Christ's intercession, and it may be accounted so, where there is much indistinctness in the understanding of it; as these instances make clear, of Cornelius (Acts 10) and of the disciples (John 16), who prayed not on the account of their own righteousness, or of the covenant of works (for they made confession of their sin), yet the Mediator and his intercession was not so distinctly, as such, considered by them in their so doing. For they did not distinctly take him up; as Christ says: Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name. Yet there was an actual resting on him by faith, and their prayers were no doubt accepted of God, he not being so distinctly known to be the intercessor as now he is; and therefore there is required a more distinct use-making of him now, and not a resting on him indefinitely, but particularly and distinctly, he being clearly revealed now to be the Mediator. 3. We answer that believers may sometimes be making use of Christ's intercession, in approaching to God by him, and yet they themselves not know distinctly that they are doing so; as we see in the disciples (John 14:4), Christ says: Whether I go you know, and the way you know. And verse 6, speaking of coming to the Father by him, he says: I am the way, the truth and the life. And yet, verse 5, Thomas says: Lord, we know not where you are going, and how can we know the way? And the Lord turns it over to him, and says that they have both known him, and the way. As also believers may sometimes, through want of clearness and distinctness in this — what it is to make use of Christ's intercession, or because they want that measure of distinctness they would be at — think that they are doing nothing as to the use-making of his intercession; and yet the work of God's Spirit, though they know it not well, may be leading them. For it is in this as it is in use-making of his satisfaction: a believer may be making use of Christ's satisfaction, and be justified by it, when he knows not that it is so, or possibly cannot well tell what it is to make use of it; which may quiet any risings and reasonings that may be in their mind about this matter. 4. We answer that explicit thoughts of Christ's intercession are not always necessary nor requisite for the use-making of it; even as we are to design God's glory as our main end in all our undertakings, so we are to pray in the name of Christ; but as it is not requisite that there be always, and all along the action, an actual minding of God's glory, but that being laid as our principle which we walk by, and the strain of our walk and conversation tending to that end, it is and will be accepted before God, although there be not in and along every thing we do explicit thoughts of his glory; so it is in our praying in Christ's name, and in improving of his intercession: there may be a virtual, though not an actual and explicit, resting on it; the soul having laid down that for a ground and principle, that it is not for anything in me that I do expect a hearing, but it is through Christ, and all the confidence that I have to be heard, it is through him. 5. We answer that a poor soul, that knows not well what to do in this case, would eye God's promise to be guided in the use-making of Christ's intercession without anxiety, as it is (John 16:26): In that day you shall ask in my name. As if he had said: It has been your fault that you have not hitherto prayed in my name, at least with that distinctness that you ought; but I give you my word for it, you shall pray in my name; and when through confusion we are ready to faint, we would eye this promise to be guided in the use-making of his intercession. 6. We would learn rather to hold ourselves in our worshipping of God with that which is practical, and serves to bring us under an awe and reverence of the majesty of God, than give ourselves to that which does indispose and disquiet us. And I shall close all with this word: that we would even admire how souls are carried and brought to heaven, that we should be suffered to pray, and that God breaks not out upon us; and we would study to be deeply humbled for our ignorance of God, and of Christ; and would think ourselves to be much in his debt and common for teaching us to make right use of him, seeing we are so ready to miscarry, even when we desire and endeavor to make use of him.