John Bunyan

“ But the intercession that we are now to speak of is not an intercession against but an intercession for a people: "He ever liveth to make intercession for them." The highpriests were ordained for, and 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 sin. ”

“ To be saved, is to be delivered from the 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 there-, from whatever he may thick of himself or whatever others may think concerning him he is a condemned man: It faith not, he shall be, but, he is condemned already. ”

“ This also is the effect of Christ's intercession; it is, that the signs of Gods presence and his grace might remain among his people, not withstanding they have by their transgressions so often provoked God to depart from them.
2dly, 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. ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ And here observe, that the apostle speaks here of Christ as in heaven, there ministering in the second part of his offer, "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest." 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 disobedience that we are guilty of: A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a reward in the bosom strong wrath." ”

“ Stand still a while and listen yea, enter with boldness into the holiest and see you Jesus as he now appears in he presence of God for you; what work he makes again the devil and sin, and death, and hell for you. Ah, it is brave following of Jesus Christ to the holiest, the veil is rent, you may see with open face a in a glass the glory of the Lord This then is our High-Priest this is the intercession, these are the benefits of it. It lieth in our part to improve it ”

“ Wherefore this is the very description of this our High Priest and blessed Intercessor: "For such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled, separare from sinners and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high-priests. to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins,' &c. Had we not had such an Intercessor, we had been 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. ”

“ Now he that is set free from this, or a the phrase is, being made free from sin, that i, 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, a sometimes it is said, we shall be saved, respecting saving in the second sense, or the utmost completing of salvation; so, sometimes, it is said 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. ”

“ That saints (for I will here say nothing of those of the elect uncalled) do oft-times 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 any time shall happen to be made by one, to the alienating of the affections of the other. ”

“ But now, because this, priestly, office of his is divided into two parts, and because one of them, to wit this of his intercession is to be accomplished for us within the veil; therefore as we say among men out-of sight out-of mind, he is too much, as to this, forgotten by us We satisfy ourselves with the slaying of the sacrifice; we look not enough after our Aaron, as he goes into the holiest, there to sprinkle the mercy seat with blood upon our account. ”

“ For though. by the death of Christ, we are saved from the curse of the law, yet attempts are made by many that we may be kept from the glory that justified persons are signed for; and from thee we are saved by his intercession.
A man that must be eternally saved, is to e considered 1 As an heir of wrath. 2 As an heir of God.
An heir of wrath he is in himself by sin; an heir of God he is by grace through Christ. Now, as an heir of wrath he is redeemed, and an heir of God he is preserved. As an heir wrath he is redeemed by blood, and as an heir of God, he is preserved by this intercession. ”

“ That should we, out of an ignorant boldness and presumption, attempt when we have offended by ourselves to approach the presence of God, he 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 ”

“ And let me exhort you to the study of this as of other the truths of our Lord Jesus Christ. The priestly office of Christ, is the first and great thing that is presented to us in the gospel: namely, How that he died for our sins, and gave himself to the cross, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us through him. ”

“ For altho themselves are not the persons so immediately concerned herein as we, yet the management of it, I say, with so much grace, and glory, and wisdom, and effectualness that it is a heaven to the angels o see it! ”

“ But since his dying is hi laying down his price, and his intercession the urging and managing the worthiness of it in the presence of God against Satan there is glory to be found therein, and we should look after him into the holy place. ”