III. To shew the advantages, and offer some considerations to excite
you to the practice of daily intercession. And
1. _First_, It will fill your hearts with love one to another. He that
every day heartily intercedes at the throne of grace for all mankind,
cannot but in a short time be filled with love and charity to all:
and the frequent exercise of his love in this manner, will insensibly
enlarge his heart, and make him partaker of that exceeding abundance
of it which is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD! Envy, malice, revenge,
and such like hellish tempers, can never long harbour in a gracious
intercessor’s breast; but he will be filled with joy, peace, meekness,
long-suffering, and all other graces of the Holy Spirit. By frequently
laying his neighbour’s wants before GOD, he will be touched with a
fellow-feeling of them; he will rejoice with those that do rejoice,
and weep with those that weep. Every blessing bestowed on others,
instead of exciting envy in him, will be looked on as an answer to his
particular intercession, and fill his soul with joy unspeakable and
full of glory.
Abound therefore in acts of general and particular intercessions; and
when you hear of your neighbour’s faults, instead of relating them to,
and exposing them before others, lay them in secret before GOD, and beg
of him to correct and amend them. When you hear of a notorious sinner,
instead of thinking you do well to be angry, beg of JESUS CHRIST to
convert, and make him a monument of his free grace; you cannot imagine
what a blessed alteration this practice will make in your heart,
and how much you will increase day by day in the spirit of love and
meekness towards all mankind!
But farther, to excite you to the constant practice of this duty of
intercession, consider the many instances in holy scripture, of the
power and efficacy of it. Great and excellent things are there recorded
as the effects of this divine employ. It has stopped plagues, it has
opened and shut heaven; and has frequently turned away GOD’s fury from
his people. How was _Abimelech_’s house freed from the disease GOD sent
amongst them, at the intercession of _Abraham_! When “_Phineas_ stood
up and prayed,” how soon did the plague cease! When _Daniel_ humbled
and afflicted his soul, and interceded for the LORD’s inheritance, how
quickly was an angel dispatched to tell him, “his prayer was heard!”
And, to mention but one instance more, how does GOD own himself as it
were overcome with the importunity of _Moses_, when he was interceding
for his idolatrous people, “Let me alone,” says GOD!
This sufficiently shews, I could almost say, the omnipotency of
intercession, and how we may, like _Jacob_, wrestle with GOD, and by an
holy violence prevail both for ourselves and others. And no doubt it is
owing to the secret and prevailing intercessions of the few righteous
souls who still remain among us, that GOD has yet spared this miserably
sinful nation: for were there not some such faithful ones, like _Moses_,
left to stand in the gap, we should soon be destroyed, even as was
_Sodom_, and reduced to ashes like unto _Gomorrah_.
But, to stir you up yet farther to this exercise of intercession,
consider, that in all probability, it is the frequent employment even
of the glorified saints: for though they are delivered from the burden
of the flesh, and restored to the glorious liberty of the sons of
GOD, yet as their happiness cannot be perfectly consummated ’till the
resurrection of the last day, when all their brethren will be glorified
with them, we cannot but think they are often importunate in beseeching
our heavenly Father, shortly to accomplish the number of his elect,
and to hasten his kingdom. And shall not we, who are on earth, be
often exercised in this divine employ with the glorious company of
the spirits of just men made perfect? Since our happiness is so much
to consist in the communion of saints in the church triumphant above,
shall we not frequently intercede for the church militant here below;
and earnestly beg, that we may all be one, even as the Holy JESUS and
his Father are one, that we may also be made perfect in one?
To provoke you to this great work and labour of love, remember, that
it is the never ceasing employment of the holy and highly exalted JESUS
himself, who sits at the right hand of GOD, to hear all our prayers,
and to make continual intercession for us! So that he who is constantly
employed in interceding for others, is doing that on earth, which the
eternal Son of GOD is always doing in heaven.
Imagine therefore, when you are lifting up holy hands in prayer for
one another, that you see the heavens opened, and the Son of GOD in
all his glory, as the great high-priest of your salvation, pleading for
you the all-sufficient merit of his sacrifice before the throne of his
heavenly Father! Join then your intercessions with his, and beseech him,
that they may, through him, come up as incense, and be received as a
sweet-smelling savour, acceptable in the light of GOD! This imagination
will strengthen your faith, excite a holy earnestness in your prayers,
and make you wrestle with GOD, as _Jacob_ did, when he saw him face
to face, and his life was preserved; as _Abraham_, when he pleaded for
_Sodom_; and as JESUS CHRIST himself, when he prayed, being in an agony,
so much the more earnestly the night before his bitter passion.
And now, brethren, what shall I say more, since you are taught of JESUS
CHRIST himself, to abound in love, and in this good work of praying
one for another. Though ever so mean, though as poor as _Lazarus_,
you will then become benefactors to all mankind; thousands, and twenty
times ten thousands, will then be blessed for your sakes! and after
you have employed a few years in this divine exercise here, you will
be translated to that happy place, where you have so often wished
others might be advanced; and be exalted to sit at the right hand of
our All-powerful, All-prevailing Intercessor, in the kingdom of his
heavenly Father hereafter.
However, I cannot but in an especial manner press this upon you
now, because all ye, amongst whom I have now been preaching, in all
probability will see me no more: for I am now going (I trust under the
conduct of GOD’s most Holy Spirit) from you, knowing not what shall
befal me: I need therefore your most importunate intercessions, that
nothing may move me from my duty, and that I may not “count even my
life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the
ministry I have received of the LORD JESUS, to testify the gospel of
the grace of GOD!”
Whilst I have been here, to the best of my knowledge, I have not failed
to declare unto you the whole will of GOD: and though my preaching may
have been a savour of death unto death to some; yet I trust it has been
also a savour of life unto life to others; and therefore I earnestly
hope that those will not fail to remember me in their prayers. As for
my own part, the many unmerited kindnesses I have received from you,
will not suffer me to forget you: out of the deep, therefore, I trust
shall my cry come unto GOD; and whilst the winds and storms are blowing
over me, unto the LORD will I make my supplication for you. For it
is but a little while, and “we must all appear before the judgment
seat of CHRIST;” where I must give a strict account of the doctrine I
have preached, and you of your improvement under it. And O that I may
never be called out as a swift witness, against any of those, for whose
salvation I have sincerely, though too faintly, longed and laboured!
It is true, I have been censured by some as acting out of sinister and
selfish views; “but it is a small matter with me to be judged by man’s
judgment;” I hope my eye is single; but I beseech you, brethren, by the
mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, pray that it may be more so! and that
I may increase with the increase of grace in the knowledge and love of
GOD through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.
And now, brethren, what shall I say more? I could wish to continue
my discourse much longer; for I can never fully express the desire of
my soul towards you! Finally, therefore, brethren, “whatsoever things
are holy, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any consolation in
CHRIST, if any fellowship of the spirit,” if any hopes of our appearing
to the comfort of each other at the awful tribunal of JESUS CHRIST,
“think of the things that you have heard,” and of those which your
pastors have declared, and will yet declare unto you; and continue
under their ministry to “work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling:” so that whether I should never see you any more, or whether
it shall please GOD to bring me back again at any time, I may always
have the satisfaction of knowing that your conversation is such “as
becometh the gospel of CHRIST.”
I almost persuade myself, that I could willingly suffer all things,
so that it might any ways promote the salvation of your precious and
immortal souls; and I beseech you, as my last request, “obey them that
have the rule over you in the LORD;” and be always ready to attend on
their ministry, as it is your bounden duty. Think not that I desire to
have myself exalted at the expence of another’s character; but rather
think this, not to have any man’s person too much in admiration; but
esteem all your ministers highly in love, as they justly deserve for
their work’s sake.
And now, “brethren, I commend you to GOD, and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance amongst all
them that are sanctified.” May GOD reward you for all your works of
faith, and labours of love, and make you to abound more and more in
every good word and work towards all men. May he truly convert all that
have been convinced, and awaken all that are dead in trespasses and
sins! May he confirm all that are wavering! And may you all go on from
one degree of grace unto another, till you arrive unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of CHRIST; and thereby be made meet to stand
before that GOD, “in whose presence is the fulness of joy, and at whose
right-hand there are pleasures for evermore!” Amen! Amen!