2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
2. Christ's Intercessory Work.The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
The Priesthood of Christ does not cease with his work of atonement, but continues forever. In the presence of God he fulfils the second office of the priest, namely that of intercession.
Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”
Heb. 7:23-25—“priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near onto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”C. H. M. onEx. 17:12—“The[pg 774]hands of our great Intercessor never hang down, as Moses' did, nor does he need any one to hold them up. The same rod of God's power which was used by Moses to smite the rock (Atonement) was in Moses' hand on the hill (Intercession).”
Denney's Studies in Theology, 166—“If we see nothing unnatural in the fact that Christ prayed for Peter on earth, we need not make any difficulty about his praying for us in heaven. The relation is the same; the only difference is that Christ is now exalted, and prays, not with strong crying and tears, but in the sovereignty and prevailing power of one who has achieved eternal redemption for his people.”
A. Nature of Christ's Intercession.—This is not to be conceived of either as an external and vocal petitioning, nor as a mere figure of speech for the natural and continuous influence of his sacrifice; but rather as a special activity of Christ in securing, upon the ground of that sacrifice, whatever of blessing comes to men, whether that blessing be temporal or spiritual.
1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).
1 John 2:1—“if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”;Rom. 8:34—“It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”—here Meyer seems to favor the meaning of external and vocal petitioning, as of the glorified God-man:Heb. 7:25—“ever liveth to make intercession for them.”On the ground of this effectual intercession he can pronounce the true sacerdotalbenediction; and all the benedictions of his ministers and apostles are but fruits and emblems of this (see the Aaronic benediction inNum. 6:24-26, and the apostolic benedictions in1 Cor. 1:3and2 Cor. 13:14).
B. Objects of Christ's Intercession.—We may distinguish (a) that general intercession which secures to all men certain temporal benefits of his atoning work, and (b) that special intercession which secures the divine acceptance of the persons of believers and the divine bestowment of all gifts needful for their salvation.
(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
(a) General intercession for all men:Is. 53:12—“he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”;Luke 23:34—“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—a beginning of his priestly intercession, even while he was being nailed to the cross.
(b) Special intercession for his saints:Mat. 18:19, 20—“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For when two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”;Luke 22:31, 32—“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not”;John 14:16—“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter”;17:9—“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me”;Acts 2:33—“Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear”;Eph. 1:6—“the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”;2:18—“through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father”;3:12—“in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him”;Heb. 2:17, 18—“Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted”;4:15, 16—“For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help as in time of need”;1 Pet 2:5—“a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”;Rev. 5:6—“And I saw in the midst of the throne ... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth”;7:16, 17—“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
C. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of the Holy Spirit.—The Holy Spirit is an advocate within us, teaching us how to pray as we ought; Christ is an advocate in heaven, securing from the Father the answer of our prayers. Thus the work of Christ and of the Holy Spirit are complements to each other, and parts of one whole.
John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.
John 14:26—“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you”;Rom. 8:26—“And in like manner the Spirit[pg 775]also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”;27—“and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
The intercession of the Holy Spirit may be illustrated by the work of the mother, who teaches her child to pray by putting words into his mouth or by suggesting subjects for prayer.“The whole Trinity is present in the Christian's closet; the Father hears; the Son advocates his cause at the Father's right hand; the Holy Spirit intercedes in the heart of the believer.”Therefore“When God inclines the heart to pray, He hath an ear to hear.”The impulse to prayer, within our hearts, is evidence that Christ is urging our claims in heaven.
D. Relation of Christ's Intercession to that of saints.—All true intercession is either directly or indirectly the intercession of Christ. Christians are organs of Christ's Spirit. To suppose Christ in us to offer prayer to one of his saints, instead of directly to the Father, is to blaspheme Christ, and utterly misconceive the nature of prayer.
Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”
Saints on earth, by their union with Christ, the great high priest, are themselves constituted intercessors; and as the high priest of old bore upon his bosom the breastplate engraven with the names of the tribes of Israel (Ex. 28:9-12), so the Christian is to bear upon his heart in prayer before God the interests of his family, the church, and the world (1 Tim. 3:1—“I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men”). See Symington on Intercession, in Atonement and Intercession, 256-308; Milligan, Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of our Lord.
Luckock, After Death, finds evidence of belief in the intercession of the saints in heaven as early as the second century. Invocation of the saints he regards as beginning not earlier than the fourth century. He approves the doctrine that the saints prayfor us, but rejects the doctrine that we are to prayto them. Prayersforthe dead he strongly advocates. Bramhall, Works, 1:57—Invocation of the saints is“not necessary, for two reasons:first, no saint doth love us so well as Christ: no saint hath given us such assurance of his love, or done so much for us as Christ; no saint is so willing to help us as Christ; andsecondly, we have no command from God to invocate them.”A. B. Cave:“The system of human mediation falls away in the advent to our souls of the living Christ. Who wants stars, or even the moon, after the sun is up?”