The Fountain of Life
The Fountain of Life opened up: or, a display
of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory
by John Flavel
The Intercession of Christ our High-priest, being
the second Act or Part of his Priestly Office
"Therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost,
all who come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for
them." Hebrews 7:25
Having dispatched the first part, or act of Christ's
priesthood, consisting in his Oblation; we come to the other branch of it,
consisting in his Intercession, which is nothing else but the virtual
continuation of his offering once made on earth; that being the means of
reconciling; this, the way and means of his applying to us the benefits
purchased by it.
This second part, or branch of his priesthood, was
typified by the High-priest's entering with the blood of the sacrifice and
sweet incense into the holy place: Lev. 16:12, 13, 14. "And he shall take
the censer full of burning coals of fire, from off the altar before the
Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within
the veil. And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that
the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the
testimony, that he die not. And he shall take the blood of the bullock, and
sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat, eastward."
Christ's offering himself on earth, answered to the
killing of the sacrifice without; and his entering into heaven, there to
intercede, was that which answered to the priest's going with blood, and his
hands full of incense, within the veil. So that this is a part, yes, a
special part of Christ's priesthood; and so necessary to it, that if he had
not done this, all his work on earth had signified nothing; nor had he been
a priest, That is, a complete and perfect priest, if he had remained on
earth, Heb. 8:4. because the very design and end of shedding his blood on
earth had been frustrated, which was to carry it before the Lord into
heaven. So that this is the principal perfective part of the priesthood: he
acted the first part on earth, in a state of deep abasement in the form of a
servant; but he acts this in glory, whereto he is taken up, that he may
fulfill his design in dying, and give the work of our salvation its last
completing act. So much is imported in this scripture, which tells us, by
reason hereof, he "is able to save to the uttermost," etc.
The words contain an encouragement to believers, to come
to God in the way of faith, drawn from the intercession of Christ in heaven
for them. In which you may take notice of these principal parts.
1. The quality of the persons here encouraged, who are
described by a direct act of faith, as poor recumbents that are going out of
themselves to God by faith; but conscious of great unworthiness in
themselves, and thence apt to be discouraged.
2. The encouragement propounded to such believers, drawn
from the ability of Jesus Christ, in whose name they go to the Father, to
save them to the uttermost, that is fully, perfectly, completely; for so
this emphatic word signifies, the saving us wholly, thoroughly, completely,
and altogether; giving our salvation its last act and completion.
The ground or reason of this his saving ability: "Seeing
he ever lives to make intercession;" that is he has not only offered up his
blood to God upon the tree, as a full price to purchase pardon and grace for
believers; but lives in heaven, and that for every to apply unto us, in the
way of intercession, all the fruits, blessings, and benefits, that that
precious blood of his deserves, and has procured us a price for them. The
words thus opened, the point I shall single out, from among many that lie in
them, as most suitable to my design and purpose, is this;
DOCTRINE. That Jesus our High-priest lives forever, in
the capacity of a potent Intercessor, in heaven for believers.
Here we will enquire, First, What it is for Christ to be
an intercessor. Secondly, By what acts he performs that work in heaven.
Thirdly, Whence the potency and prevalence of his intercession is. Fourthly,
and lastly, How he lives forever to make intercession for us.
First, What it is for Christ to be an intercessor for us.
To intercede in general, is to go between two parties, to entreat, argue,
and plead with one for the other. And of this there are two sorts; 1. Ex
charitate, ut fratres, that whereby one Christian prays and pleads with God
for another, 1 Tim. 2:1. 2. Ex officio mediatorio, that whereby Christ, as
an act of office, presents himself before God to request for us. Between
these two is this difference, that the former is performed not in our own,
but in another's name; we can tender no request to God immediately, or for
our own sake, either for ourselves, or for others: John 16:23 "Whatever you
shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." But the latter, which
is proper to Christ, is an intercession with God for us, in his own name,
and upon the account of his own proper merit; the one is a private act of
charity, the other a public act of office; and so he is our advocate or
court friend, as Satan is or accuser or court-adversary. Satan is "ho
antidikos", one that charges us before God, 1 Pet. 5:8. and continually
endeavors to make breaches between us and God. Christ is "ho parakletos",
our attorney, or advocate, that pleads for us, and continues peace and
friendship between us and God, 1 John 2:2. "If any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And thus to make intercession, is the peculiar and
incommunicable prerogative of Jesus Christ, none but he can go in his own
name to God. And in that sense we are to understand that place, Ezek. 44:2,
3. "Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be
opened, and no man shall enter in by it, because the Lord the God of Israel
has entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince, the
prince he shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord," etc. The great
broad gate, called here the prince's gate, signifies that abundant and
direct entrance that Christ had into heaven by his own merits, and in his
own name; this, says the Lord, shall be shut, no man shall enter in by it;
all other men must come there, as it were, by collateral or side doors,
which looked all towards the altar, namely, by virtue of the Mediator, and
through the benefit of his death imputed to them.
And yet, though God has forever shut up and barred this
way to all the children of men, telling us that no man shall ever have
access to him in his own name, as Christ the Prince had; how do some,
notwithstanding, strive to force open the Prince's gate? So do they, that
found the intercession of saints upon their own works and merits, thereby
robbing Christ of his peculiar glory; but all that so approach God, approach
a devouring fire; Christ only, in the virtue of his blood, thus comes before
him, to make intercession for us.
Secondly, We will enquire wherein the intercession of
Christ in heaven consists, or by what acts he performs his glorious office
there. And the scriptures place it in three things:
1. In his presenting himself before the Lord in our
names, and upon our accounts. So we read in Heb. 9:28. "Christ is entered
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." The
apostle manifestly alludes to the High-priest's appearing in the holy of
holies, which was the figure of heaven, presenting to the Lord the names of
the twelve tribes of Israel, which were on his bosom and shoulders, Exod.
28:9,12, 28, 29. To which the church is supposed to allude in that request,
Cant. 8:6. "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm." Now
the very sight of Christ, our High priest in heaven, prevails exceedingly
with God, and turns away his displeasure from us. As when God looks upon the
rainbow, which is the sign of the covenant, he remembers the earth in mercy:
so when he looks on Christ, his heart must needs be towards us, upon his
account; and therefore in Rev. 4:3, Christ is compared to a rainbow
encompassing the throne.
Christ performs his intercession-work in heaven, not by a
naked appearing in the presence of God only, but also by presenting his
blood, and all his sufferings to God, as a moving plea on our account.
Whether he makes any proper oral intercession there, as he did on earth, is
not so clear; some incline to it, and think it is countenanced by Zechariah,
chapter 1:12,13. Where Christ our Intercessor presents a proper vocal
request to the Father, in the behalf of his people; saying "O Lord of hosts,
how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah,
against which you have had indignation these threescore and ten years? And
the Lord answered him with good and comfortable words." And so Acts 2:23. as
soon as he came to heaven, he is said (and that is the first fruits of his
intercession) to obtain the promise of the Holy Spirit. But sure I am, an
interceding voice is by an usual prosopopeia attributed to his blood; which
in Heb. 12:24. is said "to speak better things than that of Abel." Now
Abel's blood and so Christ's, do cry unto God, as the hire of the laborers
unjustly detained, or the whole creation, which is in bondage, through our
sins, is said to cry and groan in the ears of the Lord, Jam. 5:4. Rom. 8:22.
not vocally, but efficaciously. A rare illustration of this efficacious
intercession of Christ in heaven, we have in that famous story of Amintas,
who appeared as an advocate for his brother AEchylus, who was strongly
accused, and very likely to be condemned to die. Now Amintas having
performed great services, and merited highly of the common-wealth, in whose
service one of his hands was cut off in the field; he comes into the court
in his brother's behalf, and said nothing, but only lifted up his arm, and
showed them cubitum sine manu, an arm without a hand, which so moved them,
that, without a word speaking, they freed his brother immediately.
And thus if you look into Rev. 5:6. you shall see in what
posture Christ is represented, visionally there, as standing between God and
us; "And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain;" that is
bearing in his glorified body the marks of death and sacrifice. Those wounds
he received for our sins on earth, are, as it were, still fresh bleeding in
heaven: a moving and prevailing argument it is with the Father, to give out
the mercies he pleads for.
3. And lastly, He presents the prayers of his saints to
God, with his merits; and desires that they may for his sake be granted. He
causes a cloud of incense to ascend before God with them, Rev. 8:3. All
these were excellently typified out by the going in of the High-priest
before the Lord, with the names of the children of Israel on his bosom, with
the blood of the sacrifice, and his hands full of incense, as the apostle
explains them in Heb. 7 and Heb. 9.
Thirdly, And that this intercession of Christ is most
potent, successful, and prevalent with God, will be evinced, both from the
qualification of this our Advocate, from his great interest in the Father,
from the nature of the place he uses with God, and from the relation and
interest believers have, both in the Father to whom, and the Son by whom
this intercession is made.
1. Our intercessor in the heavens is every way able and
fit for the work he is engaged in there. Whatever is desirable in an
advocate, is in him eminently. It is necessary that he who undertakes to
plead the cause of another, especially if it be weighty and intricate,
should be wise, faithful, tender-hearted, and one that concerns himself in
the success of his business. Our Advocate Christ, wants no wisdom to manage
his work; he is the wisdom of God, yes, only wise, Jude 25. There is much
folly in the best of our duties, we know not how to press an argument home
with God; but Christ has the are of it. Our business is in a wise hand: he
is no less faithful than wise, therefore he is called "a faithful
High-priest, in things pertaining to God," Heb. 2:17. He assures us we may
safely trust our concerns with him, John 14:2. "In my Father's house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you;" q. d. Do you think
I could deceive you? men may cheat you, but I will not; your own hearts may
and daily do deceive you, but so will not I. And for tender heartedness, and
sensible feelings for your conditions, there is none like him: Heb. 4:15.
"For we have not an High-priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin." We have not one that cannot sympathize, so it is in the Greek: and on
purpose that he might the better sympathize with us, he came as near to our
conditions, as the holiness of his nature could permit. He suffered himself
to be in all points tempted like as we are, sin only excepted.
And then for his concernment and interest in the success
of his suit; he not only reckons, but has really made it his own interest,
yes, more his own than it is ours: For now by reason of the mystical union,
all our wants and troubles are his, Eph. 1:23, yes, his own glory and
completeness, as Mediator, is deeply interested in it; and therefore we need
not doubt but he will use all care and diligence in that work. If you say,
so he may, and yet not speed for all that, for it depends upon the Father's
grant: True, but then,
2. Consider the great interest he has in the Father, with
whom he intercedes. Christ is his dear Son, Col. 1:13. the beloved of his
soul, Eph. 1:6. Between him and the Father, with whom, when he intercedes,
there is an unity, not only of nature, but will; and so he always hears him,
John 11:42. Yes, and he said to his dear Son, when he came first to heaven,
"Ask of me, and I will give you," Psalm. 2:8. Moreover,
He must needs speed in his suit, if you consider the
nature of his intercession, which is just and reasonable for the matter,
urgent and continual, for the manner of it. The matter of his requesting
most equal: what he desires is not desired gratis, or upon terms unbecoming
the holiness and righteousness of God to grant; he desires no more but what
he has deserved, and given a valuable consideration to the Father for. And
so the justice of God does, not only not oppose, but furthers and pleads for
the granting, and fulfilling his requests.
Here you must remember, that the Father is under a
covenant tie and bond to do what he asks; for Christ having fully performed
the work on his part, the mercies he intercedes for, are as due as the hire
of the laborer is, when the work is faithfully done. And as the matter is
just, so the manner of his intercession is urgent and continual. How
importunate a suitor he is, may be gathered from that specimen, given of it
in John 17, and for the constancy, of it, my text tells us, "he ever lives
to make intercession:" It is his great business in heaven, and he follows it
close. And to close all,
4. Consider who they are for whom he makes intercession:
The friends of God, the children of God; those that the Father himself
loves, and his heart is propense and ready enough to grant the best and
greatest of mercies to: which is the meaning of John 15:26, 27. "The Father
himself loves you." And it must needs be so, for the first corner stone of
all these mercies was laid by the Father himself in his most free election.
He also delivered his Son for us; and "how shall he not with him freely give
us all things?" Rom. 8:32. So then there can remain no doubt upon a
considering heart, but that Christ is a prevalent and successful intercessor
in heaven. There only remains one thing more to be satisfied, and that is,
Fourthly, In what sense he is to live forever to make
intercession. Shall he then be always at his work? employed in begging new
favors for us to eternity? How then shall the people of God be perfect in
heaven, if there be need of Christ's intercession to eternity for them?
I answer, by distinguishing the essence and substance of
Christ's offices, from the way and manner of administration. In the first
sense it is eternal: for his mediatory kingdom, as to the essence of it, is
to abide forever; Christ shall never cease to be a Mediator; the church
shall never want a head; for "of his kingdom, there shall be no end," Luke
1:33. However, Christ, as a Mediator, being employed in a kind of
subordinate way, 1 Cor. 3:23, when he shall have accomplished that design
for which he became a Mediator, "Then shall he deliver up the kingdom (in
the sense we spoke before) to the Father, and so God shall be all in all," 1
Cor. 15:24. Then shall the divinity of Christ, which was so emptied and
obscured in his undertaking this temporary dispensatory kingdom, be more
gloriously manifested, by the full possession, use, and enjoyment of that
natural, divine, eternal kingdom, which belongs to all the three
co-essential and co-equal persons, reigning with the same power, majesty,
and glory, in the unity of the Divine Essence, and common acts, in all, and
over all, infix nicely and immutably forever.
And so Christ continues to be our Mediator; and yet that
affords no argument that our happiness shall be incomplete, but rather
argues the perfection of the church, which thenceforth shall be governed no
more as it now is, nor have any farther use of ordinances, but shall be
ruled more immediately, gloriously, triumphantly, and ineffably in the world
to come. The substance of his Mediatorship is not changed, but the manner of
the administration only.
Use 1. Does Christ live forever in heaven to present his
blood to God in the way of intercession for believers? How sad then is their
case, that have no interest in Christ's blood; bit instead of pleading for
them, it cries to God against then, as the despisers and abusers of it!
Every unbeliever despises it: The apostate treads it under foot. He that is
an intercessor for some, will be an accuser of others. To be guilty of a
man's blood is sad; but to have the blood of Jesus accusing and crying to
God against a soul, is unspeakable terrible. Surely when he shall make
inquisition for blood, when the day of his vengeance is come, he will make
it appear by the judgements he will execute, that this is a sin never to be
expiated, but vengeance shall pursue the sinner to the bottom of hell. Oh!
what do men and women do, in rejecting the gracious offer of Christ! what,
tread upon a Savior! and cast contempt, by unbelief and hardness of heart,
upon their only remedy! I remember I have read of a harlot that killed her
child, and said that it smiled upon her when she went to stab it. Sinner,
does not Christ smile upon you in the gospel? And will you, as it were, stab
him to the heart by your infidelity? Woe, and alas for that man, against
whom this blood cries in heaven!
Use 2. Does Christ live forever to make intercession?
Hence let believers fetch relief, and draw encouragement against all the
causes and grounds of their fears and troubles; for surely this answers them
all.
1. Hence let them be encouraged against all their sinful
infirmities, and lamented weaknesses. It is confessed these are sad things;
they grieve the Spirit of God, sadden your own hearts, cloud your evidences;
but having such a High-priest in heaven, can never be your ruin. 1 John 2:1,
2. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not: and
if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." [My little children.] Children, especially little children, when
first beginning to take the foot, are apt to stumble at every straw; so are
raw, young and inexperienced Christians: but what if they do? Why though it
must be far from them to take encouragement so to do from Christ and his
intercession, yet if by surprisal they do sin, let them not be utterly
discouraged: for we have an Advocate, he stops whatever plea may be brought
in against us by the Devil, or the law, and answers all by his satisfaction:
he gets out fresh pardons for new sins. And this Advocate is with [the
Father:] he does not say with his Father, though that had been a singular
support in itself, nor yet with our Father, which is a sweet encouragement
singly considered, but with [the Father] which takes in both, to make the
encouragement full. Remember, you that are cast down, under the sense of
sin, that Jesus, your friend, in the court above, "is able to save to the
uttermost." Which is, as one calls it, a reaching word, and extends itself
so far, that you canned not look beyond it. "Let your soul be set on the
highest mount that any creature was ever set on, and enlarged to take in
view the most spacious prospect both of sin and misery, and difficulties of
being saved, that ever yet any poor humble soul did cast within itself; yes,
join to these all the hindrances and objections that the heart of man can
invent against itself and salvation: lift up your eyes, and look to the
utmost you canned see; and Christ, by his intercession, is able to save you
beyond the horizon and utmost compass of your thoughts, even to the utmost."
2. Hence draw abundant encouragement against all heart-
straitenings, and deadness of Spirit in prayer. You complain your heart is
dead, wandering, and contracted in duty: O, but remember Christ's blood
speaks, when you canned not; it can plead for you, and that powerfully, when
you are not able to speak a word for yourself: to this sense that scripture
speaks, Cant. 3:6. "Who is this that comes out of the wilderness like
pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh, and frankincense, with all powders of
the merchant?" The duties of Christians go up many times, as pillars or
clouds of smoke from them, more smoke than fire, prayers smoked and sullied
with their offensive corruptions; but, remember, Christ perfumes them with
myrrh, etc. He, by his intercession, gives them a sweet perfume.
3. Christ's intercession is a singular relief to all that
come unto God by him, against all sinful damps and slavish fears from the
justice of God. Nothing more promotes the fear of reverence; nothing more
suppresses unbelieving despondencies, and destroys the spirit of bondage. So
you find it, Heb. 10:19, 20, 21. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way,
which he has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
and having a High priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true
heart, 'en pleroforia pisteos', in full assurance of faith": or let us come
unto God, as a ship comes with full sail into the harbor. O what a direct
and full gale of encouragement does this intercession of Christ give to the
poor soul that lay a-ground, or was wind-bound before?
4. The intercession of Christ gives admirable
satisfaction and encouragement to all that corns to God, against the fears
of de setting him again by apostasy. This, my friends, this is your
principal security against these matters of fear. With this he relieved
Peter, Luke 22:31, 32. "Simon, (says Christ) Satan has desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith
fail not," q. d. Satan will fan you, not to get out your chaff, but bolt out
your flour: his temptations are leveled against your faith; but fear not, my
prayer shall break his designs, and secure your faith against all his
attempts upon it. Upon this powerful intercession of Christ, the apostle
builds his triumph against all that threatens to bring him, or any of the
saints, again into a state of condemnation. And see how he drives on that
triumph, from the resurrection, and session of Christ at the Father's right
hand; and especially from the work of intercession, which he lives there to
perform: Rom. 8:34, 35. "Who is he that condemns. It is Christ that died;
yes, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?"
5. It gives sweet relief against the defects and wants
that yet are in our sanctification. We want a great deal of faith, love,
heavenly-mindedness, mortification, knowledge. We are short and wanting in
all. There are "husteremata", the remains, or things wanting, as the apostle
calls them, 1 Thess. 3:10. Well, if grace be but yet in its weak beginnings,
and infancy in your soul, this may encourage, that by reason of Christ's
intercession, it shall live, grow, and expatiate itself in your heart. He is
not only the author, but the finisher of it, Heb. 12:2. He is ever begging
new and fresh mercies for you in heaven; and will never cease until all your
wants be supplied. He saves "eis to panteles", to the uttermost, that is as
I told you before, to the last, perfective, completing act of salvation. So
that this is a fountain of relief against all your fears.
Use 3. Does Christ live forever to make intercession?
Then let those who reap on earth the fruits of that his work in heaven, draw
instruction thence about the following duties, to which it leads them as by
the hand.
1. Do not forget Christ in an exalted state. You see
though he be in all the glory above, at God's right hand, and enthroned
king, he does not forget you: he, like Joseph, remembers his brethren in all
his glory. But, alas, how oft does advancement make us forget him? As the
Lord complains in Hosea 13:5, 6 "I did know you in the wilderness, in the
land of great drought: but when they came into Canaan, according to their
pastures, so were they filled: they were filled, and their heart was
exalted; therefore have they forgotten me." As if he had said, O my people,
you and I were better acquainted in the wilderness, when you were in a low
condition, left to my immediate care, living by daily faith. O then you gave
me many a sweet visit; but now you are filled, I hear no more of you. Good
had it been for same saints, if they had never known prosperity.
2. Let the intercession of Christ in heaven for you,
encourage you to constancy in the good ways of God. To this duty it sweetly
encourages also, Heb. 4:14. "seeing then that we have a great High-priest
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our
profession." Here is encouragement to perseverance on a double account. One
is, that Jesus, our head, is already in heaven; and if the head be above
water, the body cannot drown. The other is from the business he is there
employed about, which is his priesthood; he is passed into the heavens, as
our great High-priest, to intercede, and therefore we cannot miscarry.
3. Let it encourage you to constancy in prayer: O do not
neglect that excellent duty, seeing Christ is there to present all your
petitions to God; yes, to perfume as well as present them. So the apostle,
Heb. 4:16. infers from Christ's intercession; "Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need."
4. Hence be encouraged to plead for Christ on earth, who
continually pleads for you in heaven. If any accuse you, he is there to
plead for you: and if any dishonor him on earth, see that you plead his
interest, and defend his honor. Thus you have heard what his intercession
is, and what benefits we receive by it.