SECT IX. How powerful and prevailing Christ's Intercessions are with God his Father.
9. HOW powerful and prevailing are Christ's Intercessions with God his Father? I answer, very much, and this will appear if we con∣sider,—
1. That Christ is our great High-Priest to God; We have such an high-Priest, who is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Now 'twas the way of God to lend his ear in special manner to the High-Priests; and therefore the people usually run to them, when they would enquire of God; Before time in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the Seer, for he that is now called a Prophet (or High-Priest) was before time called a Seer.—People were wont to repair to the Priests, and the Priests were wont to go to God; and good reason, for the Priests were to mediate for the people, and the people had experience that God would hearken to the cry of their Priest; Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder, and rain that day. And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God.—And Samuel said unto the people,— God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. Now such an High-Priest as this (though with far more eminency) is Christ to God; he intercedes for his people, (God forbid that he should ever cease to pray for his people:) and he hath God's ear in especial manner; if ever God lend his ear to any one, it must needs be to this High-Priest, because of his office to intercede betwixt God and his people. Christ stands in the middle, or indeed next to God, as he is in these Gospel-times our great High-Priest; and therefore he must needs prevail with God in every petition he puts up for us.
2. That Christ was called to this office by God. Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest; no, no; but he was called of God as Aaron was; it was God the Father that designed him to it, and that furnished him for it, and that invested him in it; The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever, after the or∣der of Melchizedech. Now to what purpose should God call him to this office, but especially to intercede for them, to whom God was willing to communicate salvation? it was God's mind as well as Christ's mind to save his Elect; and this was the way where on they agreed; that an High-Priest should be appointed, and an office of intercessi∣on should be erected, and by that means the salvation purchased should be ap∣plied; many times we are apt to conceive legal or law-thoughts of God the Fa∣ther, as that he is just and severe; and that Christ his Son is more meek, and mer∣ciful: but this cannot be, for there are not two infinite wills, not two infinite mercies, one in the Father, another in the Son, but one will, and one mercy in both. And to that purpose observe but the readiness of God the Father to receive Christ honourably