not be admitted, that Christ made official intercession for his murderers. Were not the five thousand, who were converted by the preaching of Peter, openly charged by that apostle, as persons who denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto them,' and who killed the Prince of Life!' And as to the chief priests, who acted so prominent a part in that scene of crime, are we not afterwards informed, that the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the PRIESTS were obedient to the faith?" But this only proves the sovereign grace of God and the infinite merit of Christ's blood, in including in the number of the elect and the saved the basest and the most guilty among men, not that the intercession of Christ is general.

Christ makes intercession for all the elect. Whatever their state, believers or unbelievers, they are remembered according as they require. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.' Whatever the age of the world in which they live, from the entrance of sin to the end of time, they are included in his prayers. We are apt to conceive of the work of intercession as conducted only since the Saviour's ascension, or at most since his appearance on earth. But he was always the Angel of God's presence who saved his people. 'He bare them, and carried them' on his heart' all the days of old.' And before his incarnation, we have one distinct act of intercession on record: :-Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me, with good words and comfortable words.' (Zech. i. 12, 13.) Among the innumerable multitude of the chosen of God, not one shall ever be omitted, in this part of his sacerdotal function. Out of the hand of the Angel of the covenant ascend continually, amid the cloud of incense, the prayers of ALL saints.' As on the Aaronic breastplate, worn by the high priest of old when he entered into the most holy place, were engraven all the names of the children of Isreal, so on the heart of our Intercessor within the vail, are borne all the chosen of God.

Nor is it for all in the mass, that the Saviour makes intercession. He prays for each by himself. Even as respects believers, his intercession is not general, but particular. With a speciality such as might be supposed if there were only one, does he attend to the interests of each individual in the

vast number of those given him by the Father. A general remembrance of them would not suffice. Their cases are

various; not two of them are exactly alike. But, with infinite compassion and skill, is every special case of each individual presented by this Divine Advocate to his Father. 'Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for THEE that thy faith fail not.' He that overcometh, I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess HIS NAME before my Father and before his angels.' (Luke xxii. 31, 32; Rev. iii. 5.)

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Now, by these remarks on the persons for whom Christ intercedes, we are prepared to enter on the SUBJECT-MATTER of his intercession.

Christ intercedes that the chosen of God may be brought into a gracious state. They mingle originally with the world lying in wickedness, are enemies to God in their mind by wicked works, rebels against the divine authority, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. There is no visible distinction between them and the world; they are in the same state of condemnation, they possess the same character of ungodliness, and they merit the same punishment. But there is a distinction, and that one of immense importance; they are chosen of God; they are given to Christ to be redeemed; the eye of the omniscient Saviour is upon them; and, when the period fixed in the arrangements of infinite mercy for their salvation arrives, he pleads his merits for the bestowment of the primary blessings of the new life. The blessings of grace may be viewed, as they affect respectively the commencement, the progress, or the consummation of the new life. It is not for the two latter merely that Jesus makes intercession, but also for the first; for justification, regeneration, and adoption, as well as for sanctification, and eternal glory. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inhe ritance.' The heathen, and consequently those, who, in re spect of condemnation, are not better than heathen, must be prayed for, in order to their being brought into a fit state to be characterized as the inheritance of Christ. Justification is an act of acquittal from condemnation, the ground of which is the sacrifice of the Redeemer; but as Satan, the law, and the justice of God accuse the sinner of guilt, the Advocate with the Father must plead the merits of his sacrifice in answer to these accusations, before the act of acquittal can be pronounced. The procuring cause of justification is the Saviour's merits, but the immediate cause of actual justification is

the Saviour's intercession. Hence, says the apostle, 'Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? who is he that condemneth? 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.' (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) Regeneration is a result of the Spirit's efficient power on the soul; but the intercession of Christ is connected, in the economy of redemption, with the gift of the Spirit for this end. I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.' (John xiv. 16.) In like manner, in order to adoption or admission to the family of God, the Saviour must plead the ground of admission as that on which the act in question proceeds.

Thus does it appear that, but for the intercession of Christ, men would never be brought into a state of grace, but remain for ever in condemnation and sin. The Intercessor within the vail, however, looks down with omniscient inspection on the whole family of mankind: he sets an eye of special recognition on those who were given to him by the Father; these are all well known to him, for the Lord knoweth them that are his;' their names are all written in the Lamb's book of life, they are engraven on the palms of his hands, on the tablets of his heart; when, in the lapse of time, the period fixed for the salvation of each occurs, he carries their case to the throne of God; the Father hears; the Spirit is sent; and the sinner is turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. Means may have been long at work to accomplish this end. The scriptures may have been read; the gospel may have been heard; there may have been the entreaty, and expostulation, and prayers of deeply interested friends; the providence of God may have prepared the way; the law may have uttered its thunders, the gospel may have whispered its comforts, and deep serious thoughtfulness may have been produced, But not one, or all of these together, could make the man a new creature, and convert the sinner into a saint. Yet a change is effected, a visible alteration for the better is produced: and the true explanation of this change is to be found in the efficacy of Christ's intercession. It is this that has put all the wheels in motion; it is this that has given power and efficacy to the means; the proper and simple account of the whole matter is, that an unknown Friend in heaven has spoken for the elect sinner to the King.

The need for Christ's intercession does not end on being

brought into a gracious state. Saints, as well as sinners, require an interest in this function of the great High Priest. It is thus that the pardon of the daily sins of the people of God is procured. Believers sin as well as others. In many

things we offend all.' 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.' True, it is written, 'whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God.' But, in consistency with the other assertion just quoted of the same writer, this can mean nothing more than that a true child of God cannot sin with complacency, or so as to be brought under final condemnation. The reason of this is, not that the sins of such are less criminal than those of others, for, besides involving rebellion against the same authority and a violation of the same holy, just, and good law, they are peculiarly aggravated by the obligations arising from the benefits that have been received; but the reason is, the interest which such have in the justifying righteousness of Christ, to which constant efficacy is given by his intercession. This is the believer's security from the daily condemnation to which his daily transgressions expose him. The act of justification is pronounced at once; the state of justification continues for ever. The security of this permanent state is the same with that which constitutes the ground of the primary act-the righteousness of Emmanuel : and the intercession is what secures the constant efficacy of this perfect righteousness. The apostle John asserts thus much:-'If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins.' (1 John ii. 2, 3.) But for his advocacy, the sins which the people of God daily commit would procure for them condemnation, justifying grace would be withdrawn, and the rich promises of saving mercy would be virtually cancelled. Believers, therefore, need, not only to be warned against temptations to sin, but to be furnished with encouragement in case of its being committed: despondency in the latter case may prove as hurtful as security in the former. And their consolation springs from Christ's intercession; but for which, amid the daily short-comings arising from the corruptions of nature, the snares of the world, and the wiles of Sfatan, they must be utterly miserable. But let it not be supposed from this, that the intercession of Christ gives any encouragement to men to sin. To hold out the comforting prospect of pardon when sin has been committed, is a very different thing from holding out an inducement to commit sin. It is for the former, not

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the latter, purpose, that the doctrine of Christ's intercession is introduced in the scriptures. If any man sin, we have an advocate;' not that any man may sin,' &c. The latter is a fearful abuse against which we must be ever on our guard.

By his intercession, Christ, farther, protects his people against the accusations and temptations of Satan. He came to destroy the works of the devil. He was predicted of old as he who should bruise the serpent's head; and for this purpose was he manifested in due time. He cast out the unclean spirits with a word; he vanquished Satan in single combat in the wilderness; and by his death, did he destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. The same work he still carries on in glory, in the character of Intercessor, answering the accusations brought against his people, and protecting them from the assaults of the adversary. Satan is the accuser of the brethren; he prefers heavy charges against the disciples of Christ at the bar of conscience, and, through his human agents, at the bar of public opinion. These, may be understood to be preferred at the bar of God, as being well known to Him. Some of them are true, others false; but Christ, as the advocate with the Father, answers them all. He refutes such as are false by showing their groundlessness; and, for the forgiveness of such as are true, he pleads the merit of his blood. In proof of the latter, we may refer to the oft-quoted passage in the epistle of John: If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.' In support of the former, we may refer to the case of Joshua::- And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?' (Zech. iii. 1, 2.) Here are three characters introduced to notice :-the panel at the bar, Joshua the high priest; the public prosecutor, 'Satan;' and the advocate, the Angel of Jehovah.' Joshua had just escaped from Babylon, where, it is taken for granted, he had been guilty of many crimes, especially of neglecting the worship of the true God, conforming to the idolatrous customs of the heathen, and forming alliances with the enemies of Israel. These, and similar accusations, are brought against him by Satan; but the Angel of the Lord stands up in his behalf against the accuser; answers satisfactorily every charge; and brings off

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