his client in triumph. In this we have a specimen of the manner in which he acts towards his people in similar circumstances. He who, having died and risen again, also maketh intercession for us, is entitled, by way of eminence, to say, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?'

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Nor is the intercession of Christ of less avail in procuring strength to resist the temptations of Satan. Many are the assaults made by the adversary on the children of God. They are not ignorant of his devices. These assaults are at once formidable from their number, appalling from their strength, and dangerous from their skill. They are managed with great dexterity, every art of fear and hope, smile and frown, allurement and terror, being employed to secure success; and the nature or form of the suggestion being cunningly adapted to every peculiarity of individual character or situation, so as to lead men to think evil of God, to distrust the Saviour, or to grieve the Holy Spirit; to neglect duty, or to practise iniquity; to despair of salvation, or presumptuously to rest on a false hope. Thus exposed, unless the people of God had on their side one more skilful and more powerful still, one willing as well as able to counteract the working of this mighty adversary, they must necessarily fall a prey to his subtlety, and sink beneath the weight of his infernal artillery. The advocacy of Christ is their safety. Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' By the intercessory prayer of their Divine Advocate, their faith is rendered firm and immovable; they are strengthened to fight and to overcome; they resist the devil and he flees from them instead of shrinking from his attack, they confront him boldly; they say, with undaunted countenance, 'Get thee behind us, Satan;' and the stripling combatant comes off more than conqueror, leaving his vaunting adversary stretched on the field. The faith of a believer, invigorated by the intercession of his Saviour, must ever prove more than a match for the heaviest assault of the prince of darkness. This is a shield which no arrow can pierce; and any impression that even the most formidable temptation can make upon it, is like that of a leaden bullet discharged against a brazen wall.

The progressive sanctification of the saints, and their general perseverance stand connected with the intercession of Christ. The whole scheme of salvation has for its end the holiness of its subjects. This end, every thing about it

is adapted as well as designed to promote. The sacrifice of Christ is fitted to advance moral purity in the soul; the blood of God's Son cleanses from all sin; it is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness. His intercesion has the same effect. If he was manifested on earth to take away sin in its guilt, he interposes in heaven to take away sin in its defilement. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. (Johr xvii. 15, 17.) From this it would seem, that believers are indebted to the intercession of the Redeemer, for all that repugnance to sin which leads them to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to abstain from all appearance of evil; and for all that love of holiness which prompts them to indulge pure thoughts, to cherish sacred desires, to form spiritual resolutions, and to practise sanctified obedience. The expulsion of sin, the implantation of the principle of righteousness, and the maintenance of habitual holiness, all proceed directly from this source. Sanctification in life, as well as in nature, is one of the gifts which the ascended Mediator has received for the rebellious, and with the bestowment of which his advocacy on high is inseparably connected. Without this, indeed, never could the believer subdue a single corruption, or think a single hallowed thought, or feel a single pure emotion, or speak a single holy word, or perform a single unpolluted act.

And thus is the perseverance of the saints in general secured. Accusations, after being answered, may be renewed; temptations, once resisted, may be repeated; holiness, once imparted, may have its strength weakened, or its lustre obscured. It is necessary that perseverance to the end, in acquittal, resistance, and sanctification, be secured. And this is effected in the same way as the incipient benefit. 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' If the faith fail not, there can be no accusation without its answer, no temptation but is sure to be repelled, nor any kind or degree of holiness finally unattained. But the stability of the believer arises not from his faith, nor from any thing about himself, not even from the work of grace in his soul; but from that to which he is indebted for the stability of his faith itself, namely, the intercession of Christ. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' Here lies the secret of the saints' perseverance. If Christ only persevere to pray for them, they cannot fail to persevere in the enjoyment of what he has procured, and the

practice of what he has commanded. And does he not thus persevere ? 'HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR

THEM.'

By the intercession of Christ, peace is maintained, and intercourse kept up between God and men. He made peace by the blood of his cross; by presenting this blood in heaven is this peace maintained. He hath reconciled us to God by his death; but we need to be upheld in reconciliation by his life of intercession. There are many things at work which have a tendency to disturb this peace, to break in on this state of reconciliation. Sin separates between believers and their God; and the accusations of Satan and of a guilty conscience, tend to deprive them of all inward tranquillity. But, by means of the Saviour's intercession, the propitiation for sin shall be so applied, and the blood of sprinkling be so brought home to the conscience, that any interruption of intercourse or of peace, shall be but partial and temporary. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but, with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.' (Is. liv. 7, 8, 10.) Hence the people of God have ever access to him for the supply of their daily wants. Not a day, not an hour, but they have business to transact in the court of heaven. They have requests to prefer, sins to be pardoned, wants to be supplied, iniquities to confess with shame, blessings to acknowledge with gratitude. And how shall they approach a throne of such awful majesty; how enter a court of such inexorable justice! The mediatorial Angel before the throne, the Advocate at the bar, is their encouragement. Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father-In him we have boldness and access with confidence-Seeing that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace-Having an High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. (Eph. ii. 18.-iii. 12; Heb. iv. 14, 16.-x. 21, 22.)

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It is through the intercession of Christ that the services of the people of God are rendered acceptable. The services required of them are special, manifold, great, and arduous. The whole moral law is the measure of these services. And it is a matter of no small consequence for them to know, not only

in what strength these services may be performed, but by what merit they can be accepted. If they are not to be received and acknowledged by God, the performance of them must be nullified. The law requires perfection, but the services of the people of God are at best imperfect; the law requires unblemished obedience, but their services are at best tainted with pollution. How then shall they be accepted? Through the intercession of Christ. This makes up for all their deficiencies; this removes all their blemishes. The

rayers of the saints ascend up before God, out of the Angel's hand, in which is held a golden censer with much incense. And what is true of the prayers of the saints, is true also of all their other services-their songs of praise, their tears of penitence, their works of faith and labours of love, their deeds of mercy, and their acts of holy obedience. Their burntofferings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar.' (Is. lvi. 7.) It is in this way that God overlooks all their imperfections; he sees no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel; he smells a sweet savour in the performances of his children; their sacrifices of righteousness are well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight; and, although in themselves like 'pillars of smoke,' dark, confused, and illsavoured, they come up before him perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and all the powders of the merchant.' Like Aaron of old, our great High Priest has on his forehead the inscription, HOLINESS TO THE LORD, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts.' (Exod. xxviii. 38.) So far from the performances of men being the ground of their acceptance with God, it thus appears, that for the acceptance of our performances themselves we are indebted to the merits of another. Our services, as well as our persons, are accepted in the Beloved. By expecting to be accepted for any thing that we do, we set aside the Saviour's atonement; by expecting that any thing we do shall be accepted on account of its intrinsic excellence, we set aside the Saviour's intercession. And it is thus we are enabled to understand how it comes about, that a cup of cold water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not lose its reward,' while 'the ploughing of the wicked is sin.'

In fine, the intercession of Christ secures the complete salvation of the chosen of God, their entrance into heaven, and their everlasting continuance in a state of perfect blessedness. God is a rock, and his work is perfect. What he begins, he completes; nor rests till he has secured for his re

deemed perfect acquittal beyond the reach of accusation, de iiverance from all temptation, immaculate holiness, and uninterrupted and permanent peace. It is by his intercession that he thus saves to the uttermost. 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' (Heb. vii. 25.) The work of salvation being thus completed, the redeemed are admitted into heaven, for which they are prepared. Their reception into glory is the matter of distinct request on the part of the Saviour. 'Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.' (John xvii. 24.) The title of admission, it is true, is the Saviour's death; but the immediate cause of their admission is his intercession. It is by this that the title, so to speak, is carried into heaven, and presented to God, and pled as the ground on which their admission is to take place. He entered into heaven, not without blood, to appear in the presence of God for us. He goes to the portals of the upper sanctuary, holding in his hand the memorials of his sacrifice; at his approach the celestial gates fly open; he enters in the name and on behalf of his people; he opens and no one can shut, till all his redeemed and chosen have followed him thither; and, then, he shuts and no one can open, either to invade their peace, or to pluck one of the countless multitude from their happy abode.

The permanent continuance of the redeemed in the state of glory stands connected, in the same manner, with the intercession of Jesus. He is a priest for ever.' Not only is everlasting glory the effect of his intercession; but it is the subject of everlasting intercession. He ever liveth to make intercession.' The perpetuity of heavenly blessings, and the acceptance of celestial services, must all be traced to this source. Not a ray of light, not a smile of favour, not a thrill of gladness, not a note of joy, for which the inhabitants of heaven are not indebted to the Angel standing with the golden censer full of incense, before the throne. Remove this illustrious personage from his situation; divest him of his official character; put out of view his sacerdotal function; and all security for the continuance of celestial benefits is gone-the crowns fall from the heads of the redeemed, the palms of victory drop from their hands, the harps of gold are unstrung, and the shouts of hallelujah cease for ever; nay, heaven must discharge itself of its human inhabitants, and the whole be sent away into irremediable perdition! But no such ap