Christ Set Forth

Secondly, The whole Application of his redemption, both in justifying and saving of us first and last, hath a special dependence upon this his Intercession. This all Divines on all sides do attribute unto it whilst they put this difference between the influence of his death, and that of his intercession into our salvation; calling his death Medium impetrationis; that is, the means of procurement or obtaining it for us; But his intercession, Medium applicationis, the Means of applying all unto us. Christ purchaseth salvation by the one, but possesseth us of it by the other: Some have attributed the Application of Justification to his Resurrection; but it is much more proper to ascribe it to his Intercession; (and what causal influence his Resurrection hath into our Justification, hath been ⟨p. 132⟩afore in the third Section declared.) But that his eternal Priesthood in heaven, and the work of its Intercession, is the applying cause of our eternal salvation, in all the parts of it, first and last, seems to me to be the result of the connection of the 8, 9, and 10. verses of the 5. Chap. to the Hebrews: For having spoken of his obedience and sufferings unto death, ver. 8. and how he thereby was made perfect, ver. 9. he says, And being (thus first) made perfect, he became [the Author] (or applying cause, [Greek or Hebrew]) of eternal salvation, unto all them that obey him; and this by his being become an eternal Priest in heaven, after he was thus perfected by sufferings: for so it follows, ver. 10. Called of God an High-priest, after the order of Melchizedek: And Melchisedechs Priesthood was principally the type of his Priesthood in heaven, as was before declared. One leading instance to show that his Intercession was to be the applying cause of salvation, was given by Christ, whilst he was on earth, thereby manifesting what much more was to be done by him in heaven, through his Intercession there: when he was on the Cross, and as then offering that great sacrifice for sin, he at that time also joined prayers for the justification of those that crucified him, Father, [forgive] them, for they know not what they do: So fulfilling that in Isaiah 53. ult. He bare the sins of many, and made Intercession for the transgressors. And the efficacy of that prayer then put up, was the cause of the conversion of those three thousand, Acts 2. whom ver. 35.

Secondly, The whole Application of his redemption, both in justifying and saving of us first and last, hath a speciall dependance upon this his Intercession. This all Divines on all sides doe attribute unto it whilst they put this difference betweene the influence of his death, and that of his intercession into our salvation; calling his death Medium impetrationis; that is, the meanes of procurement or obtaining it for us; But his intercession, Medium applicationis, the Meanes of applying all unto us. Christ purchaseth salvation by the one, but possesseth us of it by the other: Some have attributed the Application of Iustification to his Resurrerection; but it is much more proper to ascribe it to his Intercession; (and what causall influence his Resurrection hath into our Iustification, hath been