almost unnecessary to remark, we are not to understand the material blood which flowed in the garden and on the cross, but the merit of his sufferings and death, the virtue of his atonement, the substance of his sacrifice, the whole essence of his passion. The intercession is founded on the oblation. The former is nothing without the latter. It may, without impropriety, be said that it is the sacrifice which intercedes: it is the blood of Jesus Christ in heaven which cries to God on our behalf; the blood of sprinkling SPEAKETH better things than that of Abel.' (Heb. xii. 24.) Even in the midst of the throne, he stands 'a Lamb as it had been slain.' (Rev. v. 6.) The vestments of mediatorial exaltation conceal not the marks of mediatorial suffering; the diadem of glory hides not the impression left by the crown of thorns; he is still red in his apparel, and his garments dyed with blood; the scars of conflict are visible in the body of the Conqueror. His wounds are still open, and every mouth pleads our cause with God. His death pleads for our life; his blood cries for our safety; his tears procure our comfort; and everlasting ioy is borne to us on the breeze of his deep drawn sighs.

It is not difficult for us to understand, how intercession is made for us in heaven by the memorials of the Saviour's sacrifice. The language of signs is no strange thing among men. God has condescended to allow himself to be addressed in the same way: The bow shall be in the cloud, and I WILL LOOK UPON IT that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.' (Gen. ix. 16.) Or, to adduce an example more directly bearing on the present subject :—' And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are; and when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you.' (Exod. xii. 13.) It is when he sees the blood of the everlasting covenant, that Jehovah passes by those who were deserving of destruction. Even profane history has been happily adduced in illustration of this subject. Amintas had performed meritorious services in behalf of the commonwealth, in course of which he had lost a hand. When his brother Æchylus is about to be condemned to death for some offence of which he has been guilty, Amintas rushes into the court; without uttering a syllable he holds up the mutilated limb; the judges are moved; and chylus is set free. Thus the sacrifice of our Redeemer,-the wounds in his hands and his feet, and his transfixed side, plead the cause of his people with perfect clearness, and infallible power. The advocate and the propitiation are the same:- We have an advocate with the Father-He is the propitiation for our sins.'

In the intercession of Christ there is also included an intimation of his will that the purchased blessings of redemption be conferred. In whatever form conducted, it supposes substantial prayer or petition. There is the expressing of a wish, the intimating of a request. Father, I WILL that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.' (John xvii. 24.) Simon, Simon, satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat: but I have PRAYED for thee that thy faith fail not.' (Luke xxii. 31, 32.) This seems to correspond to that part of the function of the Levitical high priest, which consisted in burning incense on the golden altar, within the sanctuary, on the day of expiation. It was appointed that he should take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of SWEET INCENSE beaten small, and bring it within the vail, and put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony.' The intercessory prayers or requests of the Saviour himself, not the prayers of his people which he presents, constitute the antitype of this expressive symbol. Incense and the prayers of saints do not yield corresponding ideas. It is the prayers of Christ which breathe the sweetness, and produce the effects, of incense. Accordingly, in the vision of the angel seen by John, the smoke of the incense came up WITH the prayers of the saints out of the angel's hand;' thus demonstrating that the incense and the prayers of the saints do not mean the same thing. And what can we understand by this cloud of incense, but those innumerable intimations of the Saviour's will, which, in performing his work of intercession, ascend to God with so sweet a savour, and such glorious results?

We take not upon us to determine the question, whether these requests of Christ are conveyed vocally or symbolically, by words or by signs. Indeed, we are inclined to think the question is unworthy of being entertained at all. It seems foolish and useless, if not hurtful and presumptuous, to speculate on this point. The majority of sober writers incline to the opinion, that the intercession is conducted silently, without the use of spoken language altogether. Without calling in question the soundness of this conclusion, we must be allowed to say that we are little satisfied with some of the arguments by which it is supported. To say that words are unnecessary to convey to God the Saviour's will, is saying only what might with equal truth be affirmed of the exhibition of his sacrifice. It is not because it is necessary to ex

press his will, that Christ appears before God a Lamb as if he had been slain. It is not to remind God of what he would otherwise forget, or to make known to him what he would not otherwise know, or to incline him to that to which he would be otherwise indisposed, that Christ's intercession is introduced at all. No. It is to illustrate the divine majesty and holiness; to display the wisdom, grace, and merit of the Son; and the more to impress the redeemed themselves with their obligations to deep and lasting gratitude ;these are the purposes which this part of the mediatorial economy is designed to subserve. And if for ends like these vocal utterance could be shown to be better adapted than silent symbols, we can see no reason why it should not be supposed to be used. Besides, what are words but signs? They are nothing more than symbols; symbols, it is true, of a particular kind, but, after all, only symbols of thoughts and ideas. We are not to be understood, in these remarks, as maintaining the position that vocal language is employed by Christ in making intercession; we only object to some parts of the reasoning to which those who oppose this view of the subject have recourse. We express no opinion of our own. We regard the whole question as vain and trifling. Without indulging in foolish conjectures, it should be enough for us to know, that the intercession of our Divine Advocate is conducted in the best possible way, for promoting the glory of God, his own honour, and the good of his people. And one thing is certain, that such is the efficacy of the Saviour's blood, such the value of his death, such the merit of his sacrifice, that the memorials of his atonement, exhibited before God in heaven, advocate our cause more powerfully than could ever be done by the language of men. No tongue of orator, or eloquence of angel, can ever plead so effectually in favour of guilty sinners, as the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abel.

MATTER OF CHRIST'S INTERCESSION.

The persons for whom, and the things for which, Christ intercedes, are different points, which are, nevertheless, intimately connected with one another. The latter is determined by the former, and on this it may be proper to offer a few remarks before proceeding to what may be regarded as the principal subject of this section.

In general, however, it may be remarked, both with re

gard to persons and things, that the extent of intercession must be regulated by that of atonement. As it is unreasonable to suppose Christ to make atonement for any for whom he does not intercede, so it were preposterous to allege that he intercedes for any but those for whose sins he has atoned, or that the matter of his intercession includes any thing not purchased with his blood. Intercession and atonement are correlates, not merely in nature, but in extent. For whomsoever and for whatsoever he has procured by his blood, does he plead before the throne of God. This is a leading principle which may serve to guide us in the observations we have to offer on this department of our subject.

With respect to persons, we observe, that Christ makes intercession for the elect only, and for all and each of the elect. That he intercedes for the elect only is abundantly plain from the speciality of God's sovereign purpose of mercy, from the definite extent of the atonement, and from the explicit testimony of the Scriptures. Indeed, wherever the intercession is spoken of, this limitation of the objects is expressed or clearly implied. Paul says, who also maketh intercession FOR US.' Not for all, observe, but for the elect spoken of in the preceding verse. Again, 'He ever liveth to make intercession for THEM.' For whom? For them only who, as he says in the clause immediately going before, come unto God by Christ. To the same purpose is the testimony of John;-If any man sin, We have an advocate with the Father;' speaking in his own name and that of the Christian brethren to whom his epistle is addressed. With this agrees the language of Christ's intercessory prayer on earth:-'I pray for THEM: I pray not for the world.' Who they are that are here referred to by the pronoun them, may be judged from the expression that occurs so frequently throughout the prayer- the men which thou gavest me out of the world.' It is utterly absurd and pernicious, as well as unscriptural, to suppose that he makes intercession for those who live and die in unbelief, who continue to disown his mediatory office, and to place reliance on other grounds of salvation than his infinite merits. With regard to all such, he must be understood as saying, 'Their drink-offerings of blood WILL I NOT OFFER, NOR TAKE UP THEIR NAMES INTO MY LIPS,' (Ps. xvi. 4.)

There are some passages of scripture urged in opposition to the sentiment thus expressed and supported. In the same intercessory prayer to which we have appealed, it is said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall

believe on me through their word.' (John xvii. 20.) But only let our affirmation be marked, and no contrariety will be found to it in this verse. We said, not that Christ intercedes for believers only, but for the elect only. All the elect are at one time unbelievers, many continue long in this condition, and it is only in consequence of Christ's intercession, as we shall afterwards see more particularly, that they are ever brought out of this state. Those who have believed, and those who shall believe, are both included in them which are given' to the Son. After this, the expression in the fifty third chapter of Isaiah's prophecy- he made intercession for the transgressors' can give no difficulty; whether the transgressors' are those whose sins he bore, or those who were active in effecting his crucifixion, the passage admits of easy explanation. It is not said that he made intercession for all transgressors, and we know that the character which the term delineates belongs by nature to the whole number of the elect. If the instruments of his crucifixion are meant, then is the expression explained at once by the prayer on the cross, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.' (Luke xxiii. 34.) We are aware that some excellent divines regard this prayer as not intercessory, but merely as a part of that moral duty required of Christ in fulfilment of the law which enjoins the forgiveness of offences.* But, without taking upon us to determine this point, may be observed, that even on the contrary supposition the passage is easily explained. We see no reason why it should

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*We may, we must,' says Dr. Owen, 'grant a twofold praying in our Saviour; one, by a virtue of his office as he was mediator; the other in answer of his duty, as he was subject to the law; but yet those things which he did in obedience to the law as a private person, were not acts of mediation; nor works of him as mediator, though of him who was mediator. Now, as he was subject to the law, our Saviour was bound to forgive offences and wrongs done unto him, and to pray for his enemies; as also, he had taught us to do, whereof in this he gave us an example; Matt. v. 44.-"I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you;" which, doubtless, he inferreth from that law, Lev. xix. 18, "Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" quite contrary to the wicked gloss put upon it by the Pharisees: and in this sense our Saviour here, as a private person, to whom revenge was forbidden; pardon enjoined, prayer commanded, prays for his very enemies and crucifiers; which doth not at all concern his interceding for us as mediator, wherein he was always heard, and so is nothing to the purpose in hand.'—Owen's Works, v. V. p. 275.