Thomas Manton · 57 of 57
The Twelfth Verse. · Part 5
[2.] Consider the inducements; such as these:—
(1.) The calmness of your spirit. If ever any were wise, they are wise that get and keep this frame of spirit. Men would find more pleasure in holy and Christian endeavours for patience, than possibly they can in the pleasure of revenge. Vexations disturb the quiet of the heart; not only your affections, but your consciences. For can I do mine enemy a greater pleasure than to let him take away my contentment from me? It is a madness, when I am wronged by others, to wrong myself. David’s heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Saul’s garment, that was his enemy; but what a comfort is it when, like an oak, we can endure the angry blasts in an unmoveable posture.
(2.) The likelihood of gaining upon them. Saul wept when he saw David’s tenderness towards him: 1 Sam. xxiv. 19, ‘If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?’ This is not usual. It is expressed by ‘heaping coals of fire upon his head,’ Prov. xxv. 22. You may make him pliable to your purposes. They are men of distorted natures, that will not be won by kindness.
(3.) Your acceptance with God: Prov. xxv. 22, ‘And the Lord shall reward thee.’ You will say, it will be labour lost. The sincere endeavours of duty are not lost with God; the Lord shall reward thee. Christ did much for the unthankful Jews, but he comforts himself with this, ‘My reward is with thee.’ A pattern for ministers to deal with opposers in meekness; you get nothing but scorn and contempt with men, but your judgment is with the Lord. There is much comfort in the sincerity and faithfulness of your endeavours.
Secondly, Look upon this of Christ as a part of his mediation. Oh, what a glorious instance is this of Christ’s love! what a pledge and token of those bounteous dispositions that are in his heart to poor sinners! Do but consider the circumstances that may commend it to you:—
1. Who prayeth: Christ, one that could destroy them with his glory easy enough. We say we forgive men when we cannot harm them; power efferates the mind; many would be cruel enough if it were in their power. Christ could command twelve legions of angels if he would have prayed in another strain: Mat. xxvi. 53, ‘Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?’ But he doth not say, ‘Father, send me twelve legions of angels;’ but, ‘Father, forgive them.’ Alas! one angel was enough, 2 Kings xix. 35, to destroy a hundred fourscore and five thousand in Sennacherib’s camp. But he prayeth for plenty of compassions, though in man’s eye the other would have been a rare vindication of his glory.
2. Consider when he prayed. In the very act of his sufferings he seeks mercy for the instruments of his sufferings; he is full of love when the world is full of spite: 1 Cor. xi. 23, ‘The same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread.’ When they were devising mischief, he was devising comfort. He taketh Paul, Acts ix., breathing out threatenings; and scorners have been brought upon their faces by an . We pardon when got rid of the misery, and perceive it is advantageous to us; but Christ pardons in the height of his sorrows. A man would have thought that the sharp sense of his sufferings should have embittered his spirit. Oh, the invincible love of Christ to poor sinners! It is much that he intercedeth in heaven; but that he should upon the cross say, ‘Father, forgive them,’ we cannot but admire and adore till there be no spirit left within us.
3. For whom he prayed. For the , vile sinners, that offered him all the indignities in the world; them that had mocked, buffeted, spit upon him, and by their clamorous got him to the cross, and gave him vinegar to drink, and placed him between two malefactors, and desired a murderer to be released before him. They cursed themselves, ‘His blood be upon us;’ they prayed backward, as we say, for themselves. He was placed between two thieves. Now, he made intercession for these transgressors. Go home now, and see if you can find any just exception, among all your sins, against the love of Christ. Come and urge it; he prayed for the transgressors, for scorners of love, men that did not pray for themselves, injurious, blasphemers; name anything of higher aggravations; for those that scorned him in the very service and labour of love. Holy David vowed he would cut off all in the house of Nabal, that scorned and slighted his love. He vowed, but Christ prayed for such.
4. How he prayed. He pleadeth for them: ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ You see he pitcheth upon the most favour able construction that could be made of their fact; it is a bad fact, but they are poor ignorant people. Arguments in prayer imply earnestness; and Christ useth such an argument as might most lessen the offence, and be accepted with God. The usual plea is bare ignorance; and therefore Peter useth that: Acts iii. 17, ‘I ye did it in ignorance.’ So Acts xvii. 30, ‘The times of ignorance God winked at.’ So 1 Tim. i. 13, ‘I did it ignorantly, and in unbelief.’ If any excuse will serve, that doth. Oh, consider how willing Christ is to save poor lost sinners! Here is a great deal of comfort for poor, humble souls, who ever they be.
[1.] Are they men that are sensible of their natural estate, oppressed with the sense of their sins, that think Christ will not regard them? He prayeth for the transgressors. Cannot you believe? See that place, John xvi. 10, ‘He shall convince the world of , for I go to the Father.’ Christ is gone to send the comforting Spirit, that shall give you clear gospel; he is gone to heaven to plead with the Father for you. You desire to believe, and Christ prayeth that you may. Do not think that Christ is only careful of the , he is also careful of the elect uncalled: John x. 16, ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice.’ He hath regard to those in that state you apprehend yourselves to be in. And he doth not only care for you, but pray for you: John xvii. 20, ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word.’ As he wooeth you by his Spirit, so the Father for your sakes. Would you believe, then all were clear: Christ is praying you may believe. You are dealing with yourselves, with your own hearts, and Christ is dealing with the Father in heaven about the same matter. There is comfort in this word transgressors.
[2.] Are they believers that groan under wants, or inward and outward distresses? Christ, that interceded for transgressors, certainly will intercede for you. Oh, if unbelievers have comfortable hopes—Christ prayed for them—what will he do for you? It is a mighty comfort that you have by Christ’s intercession what you would have: Jer. xxx. 21, ‘Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me, saith the Lord?’ Christ hath engaged all his bowels and pities, that he will draw to God, and plead with him for your sakes. Christ prayeth when you pray; the Spirit of Christ prays in you, and Christ himself prays for you. What is it that troubleth you? Do the cares of the world encroach upon your spirits and encumber them? Or else are you dejected by the fears and sorrows of it? In John xvii. 15, Christ prayed that you might be ‘kept from the evil’ of the world, either the one or the other way. Do you want the comforts of the Spirit, and do you sit in darkness, and see no light? John xiv. 16, 17, ‘I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another , that he may with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.’ Is it opposition against your private endeavours in duty, or public endeavours for reformation? Zech. iii. 2, ‘And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee.’ Is it for unity among God’s people? John xvii. 21, ‘That they may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.’ Or for success in duties? Rev. viii. 3, 4, ‘Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all upon the golden altar which was before the throne: and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.’ Or is it for deliverance? Zech. i. 12, ‘And the angel of the Lord answered and said, How long wilt thou not have mercy upon Jerusalem?’ And he would not give over till God gave him some comfortable words, ver. 13.
And he made intercession for the transgressors.
The last observation from this last clause is this:—
That Jesus Christ is, and is alone, the Intercessor for poor sinners.
I shall be very brief on this point, because so many English authors have treated upon it, to whose judicious resolution I refer you.
Now, that Jesus Christ is so, appeareth by many places, which show this is his work now in heaven: Rom. viii. 34, ‘It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us;’ Heb. vii. 25, ‘Who liveth for ever, to make intercession for us.’ It is the business of his endless life. And that he alone is the Intercessor is also fully manifest from the scripture: Isa. lix. 16, ‘And he saw, and there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor;’ no man that would come between him and wrath, though the case of his people was sad and deplorable: Isa. lxiii. 5, ‘I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold.’ The prophet speaketh there as if it were the inquiry of God’s eternal thoughts to find out a meet person for intercessor, but none could be found. But why is Christ the alone Intercessor? The reasons of the point are:—
1. To answer the high priest under the law, who was not only to slay the sacrifice, but to intercede; both were the duties of the priest hood. First, the beast was slain without the camp, and then blood was carried into the holy of holies, and then prayers were made. This the apostle proveth in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. xiii. 11, ‘For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burnt without the camp.’ So Christ, after he had offered himself a sacrifice for sin, ‘is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.’ Heb. i. 3, and in many other places. We were to have a perfect high priest in all points.
2. To carry salvation in a way of mercy as well as justice, and to have it by entreaty as well as satisfaction, Lev. xvi. 14, as the high priest was to bring the blood within the veil, and to sprinkle it on the , so our High Priest, having satisfied divine justice, by giving himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, he hath carried blood within the veil, so that now we may take hold of God with both hands, we may present the satisfaction of Christ, and yet beg mercy. The sending of Christ did not only glorify justice, but ; and, therefore, Christ’s address must be to both: Rom. iii. 24, ‘Being freely by his grace, through the that is in Jesus Christ.’ There was an act of free grace as well as justice. These two are sweetly coupled together: ‘Ask of me, and I will give thee,’ Ps. ii. 8. Though it were his purchased inheritance, yet he would ask.
But secondly, Why is it Christ alone?
1. Because none else would undertake it; none of the creatures have such bounteous affections: John xv f 13, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ The two emphatical words are life and friends. Some creatures have gone far, as Abraham in offering his son. Lot his two daughters, and the father of the Levite’s concubine in Judges.
2. Because none could intercede and come between wrath and justice, as Christ did. Not man for man; one rebel cannot under take for another: Ps. xlix. 7, ‘None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.’ One man cannot undertake for another. ‘It became us to have a high priest, who was holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners.’ Nor any angel, for he would have perished in the attempt; they needed an intercessor themselves to confirm them.
But what is this intercession? I shall open the matter to you a little. The word signifieth coming between; one that undertaketh for us, that intercedeth for us; that was the duty of the high priest after slaying the sacrifice. This Christ did as a high priest, after offering himself upon the cross.
For distinctness sake I shall give you the parts. This intercession is despatched:—
1. Partly in heaven; and—
2. Partly in the hearts of believers.
1. Partly in heaven. There these acts are performed by Christ:—
[1.] His presenting himself in our natures, and in our stead: Heb. ix. 24, he is said to ‘appear in the for us.’ Christ is ‘not entered into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself.’ The high priest had the names of the twelve tribes written on his breast, and Christ the names of his redeemed ones on his heart. *He cometh there not only in our nature, but as our common person, as one that was to represent, and to do our business with the Father.
[2.] He presents his own merits, that the Father may turn his eyes from us, and look upon that everlasting righteousness that he brought with him into heaven in our nature. He bringeth his blood within the veil. Though Christ were on earth, yet he could not despatch all his offices of priesthood on earth, as those that had to do with typical sacrifices: Heb. viii. 4, ‘For if he were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there priests offer gifts according to the law.’ And this blood of Christ is ‘the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel,’ Heb. xii. 24. We by our sins causing the Lord Christ to die, had deserved that his blood should speak against us, as Abel’s did against Cain; no, but it speaketh to God to pacify wrath, and pardon our sins, and give peace to our consciences. These merits plead hard for us, which is what we call the mediation of Christ.
3. He undertaketh for us, and promiseth obedience to God the Father in our behalf; therefore he is said to be our surety, Heb. vii. 22. He promiseth that we shall subscribe to the conditions of God, and pass over into the power of the .
4. He prayeth and intercedeth, and maketh his request for us, as being sensible of our infirmities, as the high priest was to bless the people, that is, to pray for them. Therefore it is said, 1 John ii. 2, ‘We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ There Christ is dealing with God for us. When he was here upon earth, he was a-praying whole nights, and there he is praying whole ages: Jer. xxx. 21, ‘Their governor shall proceed from the midst of them, and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord.’ His heart is engaged, even all his bowels and pities, to draw near to God, and plead with him for your sakes. These are the acts of Christ’s intercession in heaven.
2. In the hearts of his people; and there the acts of Christ coming between us and wrath are these two:—
[1.] He applieth his merit: the application is by virtue of his intercession. The scriptures everywhere put a great deal of weight upon this, Rom. v. 10. Therefore it is said, ‘Much more being , we shall be saved by his life.’ He beginneth to save us here by his Spirit, all inward and outward means for the bringing of us to the full participation of all the benefits he hath purchased for us; but the actual application is afterwards.
[2.] He prays in us. The Spirit’s interceding in our hearts is but the answer and echo of Christ’s intercession in heaven: Rom. viii. 26, ‘The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.’ The workings of Christ’s Spirit in prayer show how Christ’s heart is affected towards you in heaven.
Use. Is comfort. Think of Christ as a and Intercessor, for whose sake we shall be accepted with God. To open this comfort, consider for whom he prayeth, not only for present believers, but for all them that shall believe hereafter. For what? All mercies, the public glorifying of God’s name: John xii. 30, ‘This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.’ Private acceptance in duties, efficacy of ordinances, doing away guilt in holy services. Exod. xxviii. 38, the high priest was to bear the of their holy things. Here is comfort in Christ’s success in prayer: the Father always heareth him, John xi. 42. In the person praying, the Son of his love, a Son that hath made satisfaction; he can bring blood with him. It is a great privilege for us to pray to God, but it is a much greater to have God praying for us.
