Salem Witch Trials Logo

Click to expand/collapse header

 

Sermon Notebook of Samuel Parris: January 3, 1691

Morn: 3 Jan.1691

110. Ps. I.

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, untill I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Doctr. Our once humbled, wounded, & bruised Mediator, has long since been exalted, not only by a Glorious Resurrection from the Grave, & and also a Glorious Ascension into Heaven, but also by a Glorious Session at the Right hand of God. Here it was enquired (1) What is the Session of Christ at the Right hand of God (2) When did this Session begin, & how long shall it continue? (3) Last: What are the Fruits of this Session? (An) The fruits & benefits hereof belong partly to Christs Sacerdotal Office; & partly to Christs Kingly Office (1) The great benefit which ariseth from Christs Session at the Right hand of God, as to his Sacerdotal Office, is his Intercession for Believers.

page: 133

Of Christs Glorious Session

Intersession for Believers

8 Rom. 34.

Here these things may be enquired into

1. With whom Christ dos Intercede?

2. After what manner dos Christ Intercede?

3. Last: Whither Christ dos Intercede alone?

1. Q. With whom Christ dos Intercede?

An: For answer hereto, we must Note, that to Intercede is to have some Plea put in, or preferred to another by a third Person: so that here are Three Persons to be considered in this Intercession

1. There is the Offended Person: And that is God. God is angry: He is displeased, & incensed.

2. There is the Offending Person: And that is Man: yea all Mankind; the whole Race of Apostate Adam, as such. Even the very Elect, are by nature dead in sins & trespasses. Offending Persons, & so by nature children of wrath, God is offended with them. 2. Eph. 1.3. 7. Ps 11

3. Last: There is the Interceding Person: And that is Christ Jesus, who steps in between the justly Offended Person, God, & the unjustly Offending Person, Man, to make Peace between both. 1. Tim. 2. 5. There is One Mediatour between God &, the men, Christ Jesus. God being now offended cannot now speak one good word to us but by Christ: And we being the Offending Persons, dare not look up to God for favour, but thro Christ. Christ Intercedes with the Father, as being the first Person in the sacred Trinity, who being once appeased together with him the Son: & Holy Spirit also are appeased: So that his Intercession is directed to the whole Trinity, immediately to the first Person, & then in him also to the rest.

2. Q. After what manner dos Christ Intercede wth ye Father?

1. An. Negatively: Not by any external prayers, nor by prostration of himself, or falling down upon his knees, as we do, & he also was want to do, whilst in ye state of his humiliation, as we read. 26. Matt. 39. 22. Luke. 41 He kneeled down & prayed. Not so now

2. An.: Affirmatively.

1. Christ appeaers before the face of his Father & presents him with the inestimable worth & vallue of his Sufferings.

page: 134

At the Right hand of God

The worth of Souls, is above all the world. Much more valluable must be that price, by which such precious Souls are purchased. The Sufferings of Christ are speaking Sufferings. 12. Heb. 24. It is called the blood of God. 20. Acts. 28. And therefore must needs be infinitely valuable. Men highly vallue their own blood: Nay God sets an high price upon mans blood: How much more will he prize his own blood? As Christs was by communication of Properties.

2. Christ intercedes by his expressing his will & desire to the Father. He pleads as. 17. Joh. 4. Father, I have Glorifyd thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. q.d. Father, in order to the Salvation of a certain number of poor lost father Mankind, thou didst require my assuming of sinful flesh, & perfect obedience both active & passive &c. Father, I have done as thou didst require. Well, & what then? Why then sais he I require that these I have suffered for have the benefit of it. 24. v. of that. 17. John. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be w'th where I am &c. Man by the Fall was mortally wounded: By the suffering of Christ a Restorative Plaister was made; but now Christs Intercession is as it were an application of that Plaister.

3. Q. Last: Whither Christ does Intercede alone

An: Yea, verily; for the Scripture attests not mention of any other Intecessors. As for the Holy Angels, the Scripture attests no such thing of them. And as for the Saints in Heaven they have no knowledge of our private state 63. Isa. 16.

page: 135

Of Christs Glorious Session

& therefore are uncapable to Intercede for us. True it is the Saints on Earth ought to intercede for one [an]other, but yet improperly, For he only properly can be said to intercede for an other

1. Who brings forth & offers somthing of his own Sufficient worth, price, & vallue, as that he, he petitions to, or intercede with should an injustice answer his request for ye sake thereof.

2. All this is to be done by him that would be accounted an Inercessor in his own Name.

But now is this the Prerogative only of Christ Jesus, both to Intercede in his own Name, & upon the account of his Merit.

So much for the blessed fruit of Christs sitting at the Right hand of God with respect to his Priestly office, namely his Intercession for all his Elect.

Conco. 4a}

Afternoon of the same day

(2) Another great benefit which ariseth from Christs sitting at the Right hand of the Father, belongs to his Kingly Office, & consists of two things.

1. In his Government of his Church

2. In his defending of it against its enemies.

I. Then Christ sits at the Right hand of God the Father, as Lord & King to Govern his Church. Indeed he has the Rule & Government of the of the whole world. 28. Matt. 18. All Power is given unto me in Heaven & in Earth. But his special Government is exercised towards his Church. As Joseph when exalted from a Prison, he had the Rule of all Egypt but he took special care of his Brethren. So here. Now Christ governs his Church by External means, & by Internal means.

1. By External means, namely by his Word & Rod. By the preaching of the word, whereby he gives us his Laws: & by afflictions whereby he brings us

page: 136

At the Right hand of God

back, when we have strayed from them. 119. Ps. 67.

2. By internal means, namrely by his hold Spirit. This is called his strongest Rod (or Sceptre) verse after text. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion. i.e., his holy word which is full of might when set on the Spirit. Hince it is called the Power of God. 1. Ro. 16

More, particularly the order of this Government is after this manner

By the praching of the word, Christ gathers a Church by separating of the Elect from the rest of Mankind as his peculiar Flock. 15. Joh. 19. I have chosen you out of the world. i.e. I have separated you from the world. Now by what means is this Separation made? Why it is by the Preaching of the word, that a Church is born & propogated. This is the way men are born again. 3. joh. 3 2. Acts. 41.47 4. Ch. 4 & 6. 7. And for this purpose Christ hath given Ministers extraordinary & ordinary, fitted & qualified for this work. 4. Eph. 8. 4. 12. 13. By adding to the Preaching of the word the efficacy of his Spirit, by which means the dark minds of the Elect are enlightened, & their hard hearts are softened. It is said of the Apostles that they went forth preaching of the word, & the Lord worked with them. ult. Mark. ult. i.e. both with Preachers, & Hearers. An instance you have in Lydia. 16. Acts. 14. Hince all saving profit by the word is justly attributed unto God. 1. Cor. 3. 5. 6. 7. We our selves, as the Children of Isreal of old, are abundantly prone to wander in the wilderness of this world, were it not for Christ as a pillar of fire, & a cloud, by his word & spirit, giving before us, as our Leader into the Heavenly Canaan. 30. Isa. 20. 21. --- Thine ears shall hear a word behind three saying this is the way &cc.

3. Last: By exercising his Church in Spiritual obedience by manifold & various troubles, afflictions, & persecutions in this world, even as Earthly good Princes chasten the transgressors of their laws to bring them to obsdience: Christ hath placed his Church in this world, as in a Sea, & suffereth

page: 137

Of Christs Glorious Session

many storms& tempests to threaten its Shipwreck, whilst in the mean time he himself seems to be fast asleep., as 8. Matt. 23. 24. Now this Christ doth chiefly for these three Reasons.

1. R. To humble this Church of their sins. The Church of God whilst militant is not without sin: well now by sore afflictions, & cross providences. Christ will bring her sins to Remembrance of them. 5. Lam. 16. The crown has fallen from our head: wo unto us that we have sinned. They mourn more for their sin, than for the loss of their crown.

2. R. To make his Church more watchful against sin. Even as Parents, seeing their young children over bold with Fire, orwater, they bring their children neaer to the fire, & hold them over ye water , as if they would burn them, or drown them whereas they intend nothing less, only to awe them & fright them, that they may hereafter keep father off: Why so our Lord Jesus seeing us often over bold & venturesome upon sin, & suffers us almost to fall even as it were over hear and ears for a time seems to desert, & all is out of love to prevent a total fall, as in David & Peter.

3. R. Last:To make us more watchfull to duty. Hince afflictions are compared to a hedge of thorns. 2. Hos. 6. Now unruly creatures when they endeavour to break the bounds but meet with pricking briers & thorns, this will cause them to decist: So here. Even famous Paul had need of such a smarting Providence to keep within the divine bounds of humility. 2. Cor. 12. 7.

II.As Christ Governs his Church, as he sits as King, sitting at the Right hand of God the Father, so also He as King defends his Church against all ruining attemps and purposes. Now here a twofold action as of Christ

page: 138

At the Right hand God

as King Falls under our considertaion. Namely

1. The deportment of Christ, as King, sitting at the Right hand of the Father, with reference to the defense of his Church

2. depa rtment of Christ, as King, sitting at the Right hand of ye Father, with reference to the punishing of the Enimies of his Church.

I. Then Christ, as King, sitsat the Right hand of the Father for the defense of his Church, against all the madness, rage, & fury, of their enimies. The Church is separated from the world: They are new-born, new creatures, have other aims, end, & principles, different from, yea contrary to the men of the world: Hince ariset hatred & persecution from those they act contrary to. As long as there is contrary Seed, a Seed of the Woman, & a Seed of the Serpent, there will be opposition, more or less, open or secret. 4. Gal. 27. Hince it is that not seldom great hatred ariseth from the nearest Relations. 13 Mark. 12. 13. Well but then, you may say, what will become of the Church, for that is but a small part of the world. 12. Luke. 32. Oh, as little part as they are, they are well enough, secure enough. Their King Christ takes special care of them. 27. Isa. 3. Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night & day. Now Christ defends his Church two ways

1. By supplying them, with renewed strength suitable to their trials. Christ having begun a new work, it is the main drift of the Devil to pull it all down, but Christ will see to the promoting of it. 1. Philip. 6. He yt hath begun good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He gives renewed strength. 1. Cor. 11. As in those worthies. 11. Heb. p totum

By hampering & fettering their enemies &c. As we see in the case of the Jews in Esthers days

Christ defends his Church against three great enemies

1. Against inward enemies in their own souls: their own remaining lusts. 7. Rom. 24.25.

2. Against furious & fiery persecutions. Hince the Church is compared to a burning bush. 3. Ex. 2. And. 12. Rev. 14 ad finem

Last: Against the power of Death. 1. Cor. 15. 25. 26. 5. John. 28. 29.

2. Christ as King sits at the Right hand of the Father for the punishment of the enemies of his Church. Both these are the properties of a God King &c

page: 139

Of Christs Glorious Session

1. The Devil the grand enemy of the Church, Christ afflicts him by hindering the success of his attempts: as in Peters case. 22. Luke. 31. 32. He binds his strong man armed &c.

2. Wicked & Rebrobate men (the assistants of Satan to afflict the Church) he punisheth them by hardening of their proud & inveterate hearts. i.e. by giving them up to ye hardness of their own hearts, as we see in Pharoah, so yt they run themselves voluntarily & merrily into ye Sea of destruction. Sometimes they fall into utter desperation as bloody Saul, & treacherous Ahitophel & Judas &c.

But by reason of the Cold so much shall suffice for the doctrinal handling of this point.