John Lothrop Motley - "The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1582 84"

E. P. Roe - "Nature's Serial Story"

George Meredith - "A Reading of Life, and Other Poems"

Hector Malot - "Conscience, v4"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1




[I. OF THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.]

FIRST, We will begin with HIS INTERCESSION, and will show you,
First, What that is; Second, For what he intercedes; and, Third,
What is also to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for
us.

First, I begin, then, with the first; that is, to show you what
intercession is. Intercession is prayer; but all prayer is not
intercession. Intercession, then, is that prayer that is made by
a third person about the concerns that are between two. And it may
be made either to set them at further difference, or to make them
friends; for intercession may be made against, as well as for, a
person or people. 'Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias?
how he maketh intercession to God against Israel.' (Rom 11:2) But
the intercession that we are now to speak of is not an intercession
of this kind, not an intercession against, but an intercession for
a people. 'He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The high
priest is ordained for, but not to be against the people. 'Every
high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God,' to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people; or 'that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.'
(Heb 5:1) This, then, is intercession; and the intercession of
Christ is to be between two, between God and man, for man's good.
And it extendeth itself unto these: 1. To pray that the elect may
be brought all home to him; that is, to God. 2. To pray that their
sins committed after conversion may be forgiven them. 3. To pray
that their graces which they receive at conversion may be maintained
and supplied. 4. To pray that their persons may be preserved unto
his heavenly kingdom.

Second, This is the intercession of Christ, or that for which he
doth make intercession.

1. He prays for all the elect, that they may be brought home to
God, and so into the unity of the faith, &c. this is clear, for
that he saith, 'Neither pray I for these alone'; that is, for those
only that are converted; 'but for them also which shall believe on
me through their word'; for all them that shall, that are appointed
to believe; or, as you have it a little above, 'for them which
thou hast given me.' (John 17:9,20, Isa 53:12) And the reason is,
for that he hath paid a ransom for them. Christ, therefore, when
he maketh intercession for the ungodly, and all the unconverted
elect are such, doth but petitionarily ask for his own, his purchased
ones, those for whom he died before, that they might be saved by
his blood.

2. When any of them are brought home to God, he yet prays for
them; namely, that the sins which through infirmity they, after
conversion, may commit, may also be forgiven them.

This is showed us by the intercession of the high priest under the
law, that was to bear away the iniquities of the holy things of the
children of Israel; yea, and also by his atonement for them that
sinned; for that it saith, 'And the priest shall make an atonement
for him, for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven
him.' (Lev 5:10) This also is intimated even where our Lord doth
make intercession, saying, 'I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the
evil.' (John 17:15) That Christ prayed that the converted should
be kept from all manner of commission of sin, must not be supposed,
for that is the way to make his intercession, at least in some
things, invalid, and to contradict himself; for, saith he, 'I know
that thou hearest me always.' (John 11:42) But the meaning is, I
pray that thou wouldest keep them from soul-damning delusions, such
as are unavoidably such; also that thou wouldest keep them from the
soul-destroying evil of every sin, of ever temptation. Now this he
doth by his prevailing and by his pardoning grace.

3. In his intercession he prayeth also that those graces which we
receive at conversion may be maintained and supplied. This is clear
where he saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee,
that thy faith fail not.' (Luke 22:31,32) Ay, may some say, he is
said to pray here for the support and supply of faith, but doth it
therefore follow that he prayed for the maintaining and supply of
all our graces? Yes, in that he prayed for the preservation of our
faith, he prayed for the preservation of all our graces; for faith
is the mother grace, the root grace, the grace that hath all others
in the bowels of it, and that from the which all others flow; yea,
it is that which gives being to all our other graces, and that by
which all the rest do live. Let, then, faith be preserved, and all
graces continue and live--that is, according to the present state,
health, and degree of faith. So, then, Christ prayed for the
preservation of every grace when he prayed for the preservation
of faith. That text also is of the same tendency where he saith,
'Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given men.' (John
17:11) Keep them in thy fear, in the faith, in the true religion,
in the way of life by thy grace, by thy power, by thy wisdom, &c.
This must be much of the meaning of this place, and he that excludes
this sense will make but poor work of another exposition.

4. He also in his intercession prayeth that our persons be preserved,
and brought safe unto his heavenly kingdom. And this he doth, (1.)
By pleading interest in them. (2.) By pleading that he had given,
by promise, glory to them. (3.) By pleading his own resolution to
have it so. (4.) By pleading the reason why it must be so.

(1.) He prays that their persons may come to glory, for that they
are his, and that by the best of titles: 'Thine they were, and
thou gavest them me.' (John 17:6) Father, I will have them; Father,
I will have them, for they are mine: 'Thine they were, and thou
gavest them me.' What is mine, my wife, or my child, or my jewel,
or my joy, sure I may have it with me. Thus, therefore, he pleads
or cries in his intercession, that our persons might be preserved
to glory: They are mine, 'and thou gavest them me.'2

(2.) He also pleads that he had given--given already, that is, in
the promise--glory to them, and therefore they must not go without
it. 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.' (John
17:22) Righteous men, when they give a good thing by promise, they
design the performance of that promise; nay, they more than design
it, they purpose, they determine it. As the mad prophet also saith
of God, in another case, 'Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or
hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?' (Num 23:19) Hath
Christ given us glory, and shall we not have it? Yea, hath the truth
itself bestowed it upon us, and shall those to whom it is given,
even given by Scripture of truth, be yet deprived thereof?

(3.) He pleads in his interceding that they might have glory; his
own resolution to have it so. 'Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am.' (John 17:24) Behold
ye here, he is resolved to have it so. It must be so. It shall be
so. I will have it so. We read of Adonijah, that his father never
denied him in anything. He never said to him, 'Why hast thou
done so?' (1 Kings 1:6) Indeed, he denied him the kingdom; for his
brother was heir of that from the Lord. How much more will our
Father let our Lord Jesus have his mind and will in this, since he
also is as willing to have it so as is the Son himself. 'Fear not,
little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.' (Luke 12:32) Resolution will drive things far, especially
resolution to do that which none but they that cannot hinder shall
oppose. Why this is the case, the resolution of our Intercessor is,
that we be preserved to glory; yea, and this resolution he pleads
in his intercession: 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am,' &c. (John 17:24) Must it not,
therefore, now be so?

(4.) He also, in the last place, in this his intercession, urges
a reason why he will have it so, namely, 'That they may behold my
glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world.' (verse 24) And this is a reason to the
purpose; it is as if he had said, Father, these have continued with
me in my temptations; these have seen me under all my disadvantages;
these have seen me in my poor, low, contemptible condition; these
have seen what scorn, reproach, slanders, and disgrace I have borne
for thy sake in the world; and now I will have them also be where
they shall see me in my glory. I have told them that I am thy Son,
and they have believed that; I have told them that thou lovest
me, and they have believed that; I have also told them that thou
wouldest take me again to glory, and they have believed that; but
they have not seen my glory, nor can they but be like the Queen of
Sheba, they will but believe by the halves unless their own eyes
do behold it. Besides, Father, these are they that love me, and it
will be an increase of their joy if they may but see me in glory;
it will be as a heaven to their hearts to see their Saviour in
glory. I will, therefore, that those which 'thou hast given me be
with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.' This, therefore,
is a reason why Christ Jesus our Lord intercedes to have his people
with him in glory.

Third, I come now to the third thing, namely, to show you what is
to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for us.

1. This is to be inferred from hence, that saints--for I will
here say nothing of those of the elect uncalled--do ofttimes give
occasion of offence to God, even they that have received grace;
for intercession is made to continue one in the favour of another,
and to make up those breaches that, at any time, shall happen to
be made by one to the alienating of the affections of the other.
And thus he makes reconciliation for iniquity; for reconciliation
may be made for iniquity two ways: first, by paying of a price;
secondly, by insisting upon the price paid for the offender by
way of intercession. Therefore you read that as the goat was to be
killed, so his blood was, by the priest, to be brought within the
veil, and, in a way of intercession, to be sprinkled before and upon
the mercy-seat: 'Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering,
that is, for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and
do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and
sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat; and he
shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness
of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all
their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation
that remaineth among them, in the midst of their uncleanness.' (Lev
16:15,16) This was to be done, as you see, that the tabernacle,
which was the place of God's presence and graces, might yet remain
among the children of Israel, notwithstanding their uncleannesses
and transgressions. This, also, is the effect of Christ's intercession;
it is that the signs of God's presence and his grace might remain
among his people, notwithstanding they have, by their transgressions,
so often provoked God to depart from them.

2. By Christ's intercession I gather, that awakened men and women,
such as the godly are, dare not, after offence given, come in
their own names to make unto God an application for mercy. God, in
himself, is a consuming fire, and sin has made the best of us as
stubble is to fire; wherefore, they may not, they cannot, they dare
not approach God's presence for help but by and through a mediator
and intercessor. When Israel saw the fire, the blackness and
darkness, and heard the thunder, and lightning, and the terrible
sound of the trumpet, 'they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us,
and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'
(Exo 20:19, Deut 18:16) Guilt, and sense of the disparity that is
betwixt God and us, will make us look out for a man that may lay
his hand upon us both, and that may set us right in the eyes of
our Father again. This, I say, I infer from the intercession of
Christ; for, if there had been a possibility of our ability to have
approached God with advantage without, what need had there been of
the intercession of Christ?

Absalom durst not approach--no, not the presence of his father--by
himself, without a mediator and intercessor; wherefore, he sends
to Joab to go to the king and make intercession for him. (2 Sam
13, 14:32,33) Also, Joab durst not go upon that errand himself,
but by the mediation of another. Sin is a fearful thing, it will
quash and quail the courage of a man, and make him afraid to approach
the presence of him whom he has offended, though the offended is
but a man. How much more, then, shall it discourage a man, when
once loaden with guilt and shame, from attempting to approach the
presence of a holy and a sin-avenging God, unless he can come to
him through, and in the name of, an intercessor? But here now is
the help and comfort of the people of God--there is to help them
under all their infirmities an intercessor prepared, and at work.
'He ever liveth to make intercession.'

3. I also infer from hence, that should we, out of an ignorant
boldness and presumption, attempt, when we have offended, by ourselves
to approach the presence of God, God would not accept us. He told
Eliphaz so. What Eliphaz thought, or was about to do, I know not;
but God said unto him, 'My wrath is kindled against thee, and
against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of me the thing
that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you
now seven bullocks, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves [that is, by him] a burnt-offering, and my
servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept; lest I deal
with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the
thing which is right, like my servant Job.' See here, an offence is
a bar and an obstruction to acceptance with God, but by a mediator,
but by an intercessor. He that comes to God by himself, God will
answer him by himself--that is, without an intercessor; and I will
tell you, such are not like to get any pleasant or comfortable
answer-I will answer him that so cometh according to the multitude
of his idols. 'And I will set my face against that man, and will
make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst
of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.' (Eze 14:7,8)

He that intercedes for another with a holy and just God had need
be clean himself, lest he with whom he so busieth himself say to
him, First clear thyself, and then come and speak for thy friend.
Wherefore, this is the very description and qualification of this
our High Priest and blessed Intercessor, 'For such an high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,' &c.
(Heb 7:26,27) Had we not had such an Intercessor, we had been but
in a very poor case; but we have one that becomes us; one that
fits us to the purpose; one against whom our God hath nothing, can
object nothing; one in whose mouth no guile could be found.3

4. Since Christ is an Intercessor, I infer that he has wherewithal
in readiness to answer to any demands that may be propounded by
him that hath been by us offended, in order to a renewing of peace
and letting out of that grace to us that we have sinned away, and
yet have need of. Ofttimes the offended saith to the intercessor,
Well, thou comest to me about this man; what interest he has in thee
is one thing, what offence he has committed against me is another.
I speak now after the manner of men. Now, what can an intercessor
do, if he is not able to answer this question? But now, if he be
able to answer this question--that is, according to law and justice,
no question but he may prevail with the offended, for him for whom
he makes intercession.

Why, this is our case; to be sure, thus far it is, we have offended
a just and a holy God, and Jesus Christ is become Intercessor. He
also knows full well, that for our parts, if it would save us from
hell, we cannot produce towards a peace with God so much as poor
two farthings; that is, not anything that can by law and justice be
esteemed worth a halfpenny; yet he makes intercession. It follows,
therefore, that he has wherewith of his own, if that question afore
is propounded, to answer to every reasonable demand. Hence, it is
said, that he has gifts as well as sacrifice for sin. 'Every high
priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is
of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.' (Heb 8:3)
And, observe it, the apostle speaks here of Christ as in heaven,
there ministering in the second part of his office; 'For if he
were on earth, he should not be a priest.' (verse 4) These gifts,
therefore, and this sacrifice, he now offereth in heaven by way of
intercession, urging and pleading as an Intercessor, the valuableness
of his gifts for the pacifying of that wrath that our Father hath
conceived against us for the disobediences that we are guilty of.
'A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a reward in the bosom strong
wrath.' (Prov 21:14)

What gifts these are the Scripture everywhere testifies. He gave
himself, he gave his life, he gave his all for us. (John 6, Gal
1:4, 1 Tim 2:6, Matt 20:28) These gifts, as he offered them up at
the demand of justice on Mount Calvary for us, so now he is in heaven
he presenteth them continually before God, as gifts and sacrifice
valuable for the sins, for all the sins that we, through infirmity,
do commit, from the day of our conversion to the day of our death.
And these gifts are so satisfactory, so prevalent with God, that
they always prevail for a continual remission of our sins with
him. Yea, they prevail with him for more than for the remission of
sins; we have, through their procurement, our graces often renewed,
the devil often rebuked, the snare often broken, guilt often taken
away from the conscience, and many a blessed smile from God, and
love-look from his life-creating countenance. (Eph 3:12)

5. Since Christ is an Intercessor, I infer that believers should
not rest at the cross for comfort; justification they should look
for there; but, being justified by his blood, they should ascend
up after him to the throne. At the cross you will see him in his
sorrows and humiliations, in his tears and blood; but follow him
to where he is now, and then you shall see him in his robes, in
his priestly robes, and with his golden girdle about his paps. Then
you shall see him wearing the breastplate of judgment, and with all
your names written upon his heart. Then you shall perceive that
the whole family in heaven and earth is named by him, and how he
prevaileth with God the Father of mercies, for you. Stand still
awhile and listen; yea, enter with boldness into the holiest, and
see your Jesus as he now appears in the presence of God for you;
what work he makes against the devil and sin, and death and hell,
for you. (Heb 10:9) Ah! it is brave following of Jesus Christ to
the holiest, the veil is rent, you may see with open face as in a
glass, the glory of the Lord. This, then, is our High Priest, this
his intercession, these the benefits of it! It lieth on our part to
improve it; and wisdom to do that also comes from the mercy-seat,
or throne of grace, where he, even our High Priest, ever liveth to
make intercession for us; to whom be glory for ever and ever.

[II. OF THE BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S INTERCESSION.]

[SECOND.] And thus have I spoken to the first thing--to wit, of the
intercession of Christ; and now I come more particularly to speak
to the second, THE BENEFITS OF HIS INTERCESSION; namely, that we
are saved thereby. Wherefore he is able also to save them, seeing
he maketh intercession for them. 'He is able to save them to the
uttermost.'

In my handling of this head, I must show you, First, What the apostle
means here by 'save'--'Wherefore he is able to save.' Second, What
he means here by saving to the 'uttermost'--'He is able to save to
the uttermost.' Third, And then, thirdly, we shall do as we did in
the foregoing--to wit, gather some inferences from the whole, and
speak to them.

First, What doth the apostle mean here by 'save'--'He is able to
save them.'

To 'save' may be taken two ways. In the general, I know it may be
taken many ways, for there are many salvations that we enjoy; yea,
that we never knew of, nor can know, until we come thither, where
all secret things shall be seen, and where that which has been done
in darkness shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. But I say there
are two ways that this word may be taken--1. To save in a way of
justification. 2. Or to save in a way of preservation. Now, Christ
saves both these ways. But which of these, or whether both of them
are intended in this place, of that I shall tell you my thoughts
anon; meanwhile, I will show you,

1. What it is to be saved in the first sense, [namely, in a way of
justification,] and also how that is brought to pass.

To be saved is to be delivered from guilt of sin that is by the
law, as it is the ministration of death and condemnation; or, to
be set free therefrom before God. This is to be saved; for he that
is not set free therefrom, whatever he may think of himself, or
whatever others may think concerning him, he is a condemned man.
It saith not, he shall be, but, he is condemned already. (John
3:18) The reason is, for that he has deserved the sentence of
the ministration of condemnation, which is the law. Yea, that law
has already arraigned, accused, and condemned him before God, for
that it hath found him guilty of sin. Now he that is set free from
this, or, as the phrase is, 'being made free from sin,' (Rom 6:22);
that is, from the imputation of guilt, there can, to him, be no
condemnation, no condemnation to hell fire; but the person thus made
free may properly be said to be saved. Wherefore, as sometimes it
saith, we shall be saved, respecting saving in the second sense,
or the utmost completing of salvation; so sometimes it saith, we
are saved, as respecting our being already secured from guilt, and
so from condemnation to hell for sin, and so set safe, and quit
from the second death before God. (1 Cor 1:18, Eph 2:5)

Now, saving thus comes to us by what Christ did for us in this world,
by what Christ did for us as suffering for us. I say, it comes to
us thus; that is, it comes to us by grace through the redemption
that is in Christ. And thus to be saved is called justification,
justification to life, because one thus saved is, as I said,
acquitted from guilt, and that everlasting damnation to which for
sin he had made himself obnoxious by the law. (1 Cor 15:1-4, Rom
5:8-10)

Hence we are said to be saved by his death, justified by his blood,
and reconciled to God by the death of his Son; all which must respect
his offering of himself on the day he died, and not his improving
of his so dying in a way of intercession, because in the same
place the apostle reserveth a second, or an additional salvation,
and applieth that to his intercession, 'Much more then, being now,'
or already, 'justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him'; that is, through what he will further do for us. 'For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his son, much more, being reconciled,' that is, by his death,
'we shall be saved by his life,' his intercession, which he ever
liveth to complete. (verse 9,10)

See here, we are said to be justified, reconciled already, and
therefore we shall be saved, justified by his blood and death, and
saved through him by his life.

2. Now the saving intended in the text is saving in this second
sense; that is, a saving of us by preserving us, by delivering
of us from all those hazards that we run betwixt our state of
justification and our state of glorification. Yea, such a saving
of us as we that are justified need to bring us into glory. Therefore,

When he saith he is able to save, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession, he addeth saving to saving; saving by his life to
saving by his death; saving by his improving of his blood to saving
by his spilling of his blood. He gave himself a ransom for us, and
now improves that gift in the presence of God by way of intercession.
For, as I have hinted already, the high priests under the law took the
blood of the sacrifices that were offered for sin, and brought it
within the veil, and there sprinkled it before and upon the mercy-seat,
and by it made intercession for the people to an additional way of
saving them; the sum of which Paul thus applies to Christ when he
saith, 'He can save, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession.'

That also in the Romans is clear to this purpose, 'Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died.' (Rom 8:31-39) That is,
who is he that shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect to
condemnation to hell, since Christ has taken away the curse by his
death from before God? Then he adds, that there is nothing that
shall yet happen to us, shall destroy us, since Christ also liveth
to make intercession for us. 'Who shall condemn? 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.'