Chapter 6

Our next employment following the order of execution, not, section 1, intention, will be the discovery or laying down of the means in this work, which are indeed no other but the several actions before recounted, but now to be considered under another respect, as they are a means ordained for the obtaining of a proposed end, of which afterwards. Now because the several actions of Father and Spirit, were all exercised towards Christ, and terminated in him, as God and man, he only, and his performances are to be considered as the means in this work, the several concurrences of both the other persons before mentioned, being presupposed as necessarily antecedent or concomitant, section 2.

The means then used or ordained by these agents for the end proposed, is that whole economy or dispensation carried along to the end from which our Savior Jesus Christ is called a Mediator; which may and are usually as I mentioned before distinguished into two parts. First his oblation, secondly his Intercession: by his oblation we do not design only the particular offering of himself upon the cross, an offering to his Father, as the lamb of God without spot or blemish, when he bore our sins or carried them up with him in his own body on the tree, which was the sum and completion of his oblation, and that wherein it did chiefly consist, but also his whole humiliation, or state of emptying himself, whether by yielding voluntary obedience unto the Law, as being made under it, that he might be the end thereof to them that believe (Romans 10:4), or by his subjection to the curse of the law, in the antecedent misery, and suffering of life, as well as by submitting to death, the death of the cross: for no action of his as Mediator is to be excluded, from a concurrence to make up the whole means in this work. Neither by his Intercession, do I understand only that heavenly appearance of his in the most holy place for the applying unto us all good things purchased and procured by his oblation; but also every act of his exaltation conducing thereunto, from his resurrection, to his sitting down at the right hand of Majesty on high, Angels and principalities and powers, being made subject unto him. Of all which his resurrection (being the basis (as it were) and the foundation of the rest, for if he had not risen, then is our faith in vain (1 Corinthians 15:13-14), and then are we yet in our sin (verse 17), of all men the most miserable (verse 19)) is especially to be considered, as that to which a great part of the effect is often ascribed, for he died for our sins, and rose for our justification (Romans 4:25), where, and in such other places, by his resurrection the whole following dispensation and the perpetual intercession of Christ for us in heaven is intended, for God raised up his Son Jesus to bless us, in turning every one of us from our iniquities (Acts 3:26).

Now this whole dispensation, with special regard to the death and bloodshedding of Christ, is the means we speak of agreeable, section 3, to what we said before, of such in general. For it is not a thing in itself desirable, for its own sake, the death of Christ had nothing in it, (we speak of his suffering distinguished from his obedience) that was good, but only as it conducted to a further end, even the end proposed for the manifestation of God's glorious grace. What good was it, that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Israel should with such horrid villainy, and cruelty gather themselves together against God's holy child whom he had anointed (Acts 4:27), or what good was it, that the Son of God should be made sin, and a curse to be bruised, afflicted, and to undergo such wrath as the whole frame of nature, as it were trembled to behold; what good, what beauty and form is in all this, that it should be desired in itself, and for itself? Doubtless none at all. It must then be looked upon, as a means conducing to such an end, the glory and luster thereof must quite take away all the darkness and confusion that was about the thing itself. And even so it was intended by the blessed Agents in it, by whose determinate counsel and foreknowledge he was delivered and slain (Acts 2:23), there being done unto him, whatsoever his hand and counsel had determined (Acts 4:28), which what it was, must be afterwards declared; now concerning the whole, some things are to be observed.

That though the oblation and intercession of Jesus Christ, are distinct acts in themselves, and have distinct immediate products, section 4, and issues, assigned often times unto them (which I should now have laid down, but that I must take up this in another place) yet they are not in any respect, or regard to be divided or separated, as that the one should have any respect to any persons, or any thing, which the other also does not in its kind equally respect: but there is this manifold union between them.

First, in that they are both alike intended for the obtaining and accomplishing the same entire and complete end proposed; to wit, the effectual bringing of many sons to glory for the praise of God's Grace, of which afterwards.

Secondly, that what persons soever the one respects, in the good things it obtains, the same, all, and none else, does the other respect, in applying the good things so obtained; for he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). That is in brief the object of the one, is of no larger extent, than the object of the other: or, for whom Christ offered himself, for all those; and only those, does he intercede: according to his own word, for this cause I sanctify myself (to be an oblation) that they also might be sanctified through the truth (John 17:19).

Thirdly, that the oblation of Christ is as it were the foundation of his intercession, inasmuch as by the oblation was procured everything, that by virtue of his intercession is bestowed, and that because the sole end why Christ procured anything by his death, was, that it might be applied to them for whom it was so procured. The sum is, that the oblation and intercession of Jesus Christ, are one entire means for the producing of the same effect, the very end of the oblation, being that all those things, which are bestowed by the intercession of Christ, and without whose application it should certainly fail of the end proposed in it, be effected accordingly, so that it cannot be affirmed, that the death or offering of Christ, concerned any one person or thing, more in respect of procuring any good, than his intercession does for the bestowing of it. For interceding there for all good purchased, and prevailing in all his intercessions, (for the Father always hears his Son) it is evident that every one for whom Christ died must actually have applied unto him, all the good things purchased by his death; which because it is evidently destructive to the adverse cause we must a little stay to confirm it, only telling you the main proof of it lies in our following proposal of assigning the proper end, intended and effected by the death of Christ, so that the chief proof must be deferred until then, I shall now only propose those reasons which may be handled apart, not merely depending upon that.

Following the order of execution rather than intention, our next task is to identify the means used in this work. The means are nothing other than the various actions already described, but now considered from a different angle — as the means appointed to obtain a proposed end, which we will address afterward. Because the various actions of the Father and the Spirit were all directed toward Christ and completed in Him as God and man, only Christ and His actions are to be considered as the means in this work. The contributions of both other persons described earlier are presupposed as necessarily prior to or accompanying those means.

The means used and appointed by these agents for the proposed end is the entire ministry and work through which our Savior Jesus Christ is called a Mediator. This may be, and commonly is, divided into two parts. The first is His oblation, and the second is His intercession. By His oblation I do not mean only the specific act of offering Himself on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God — bearing our sins and carrying them up in His own body on the tree, which was the summit and completion of His oblation and its most essential element. I also mean His entire humiliation and self-emptying: His voluntary submission to the law, being made under it so that He might be the fulfillment of the law for all who believe (Romans 10:4); and His subjection to the curse of the law through the preceding suffering and misery of His life, as well as His submission to death — the death of the cross. No act of His as Mediator should be excluded from contributing to the complete means in this work. Likewise, by His intercession I do not mean only His heavenly appearance in the most holy place to apply to us all the good things purchased by His oblation. I also include every act of His exaltation that serves that purpose, from His resurrection through His sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, with angels, principalities, and powers made subject to Him. Of all of these, His resurrection is especially significant — it is as it were the foundation for everything that follows. For if He had not risen, our faith is meaningless (1 Corinthians 15:13-14), we are still in our sins (verse 17), and we are of all people most to be pitied (verse 19). Much of the effect of redemption is regularly attributed to His resurrection, since He died for our sins and was raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). In such passages, His resurrection stands for the entire following ministry and His perpetual intercession for us in heaven, for God raised up His Servant Jesus to bless us by turning each of us from our wicked ways (Acts 3:26).

This entire ministry — with particular attention to the death and bloodshedding of Christ — is the means we are speaking of, consistent with what we said earlier about the nature of means in general. It is not something desirable in itself for its own sake. Christ's death — considered in terms of His suffering, distinct from His obedience — had nothing good about it except insofar as it contributed to a further end: the manifestation of God's glorious grace. What good was there in Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, conspiring with such horrific cruelty against God's holy servant whom He had anointed (Acts 4:27)? What good was there in the Son of God being made sin and a curse, being crushed and afflicted and bearing such wrath that the whole fabric of nature, as it were, trembled at the sight? What beauty or value is there in all this, such that anyone would desire it for its own sake? None whatsoever. It must therefore be seen as a means leading to an end — and the glory of that end must entirely dispel the darkness and confusion that surrounded the thing itself. And so it was intended by the blessed agents who determined it. He was handed over and killed by the deliberate plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). What was done to Him was exactly what God's hand and counsel had determined (Acts 4:28). What that was must be declared afterward. For now, several observations about the whole are worth making.

Although the oblation and intercession of Jesus Christ are distinct acts with distinct immediate effects and results often separately attributed to them — which I would address now but must take up elsewhere — they are not in any sense to be divided or separated as though one concerned persons or things that the other did not equally concern in its own way. Between them there is a threefold union.

First, both are equally aimed at obtaining and accomplishing the same complete and entire end: the effective bringing of many sons to glory for the praise of God's grace — of which more will be said later.

Second, whatever persons the oblation benefits by what it obtains, the same persons — all of them and no others — are those the intercession serves in applying what has been obtained. He died for our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). In brief: the persons in view for the one are no more numerous than the persons in view for the other. Christ intercedes for all those for whom He offered Himself, and only for those — according to His own words: "For their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth" (John 17:19).

Third, Christ's oblation is the foundation of His intercession, since everything bestowed through His intercession was secured by His oblation — because the sole reason Christ obtained anything through His death was so that it might be applied to those for whom it was obtained. In short, the oblation and intercession of Jesus Christ form one complete means for producing the same effect. The very purpose of the oblation is that all those things bestowed through Christ's intercession — without the application of which the oblation would certainly fail of its intended end — would indeed be applied. It cannot therefore be said that Christ's death and offering concerned any person in securing their good more than His intercession concerns that same person in bestowing it. Christ intercedes for everything purchased, and He prevails in all His intercession — for the Father always hears His Son. It is therefore evident that every person for whom Christ died must actually receive all the good things purchased by His death. Since this clearly undermines the opposing view, we must pause here briefly to confirm it. The main proof lies in what follows — our examination of the proper end intended and accomplished by the death of Christ — so the chief argument must wait until then. For now I will offer only those reasons that can stand on their own.