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ciples, and covers their failings. How poorly had they re- ceived Christ's Word ! How weak and staggering was their faith ! How oft had Clirist reproved them sharply for their unbelief and other faults ! Yet not a word of all this in Christ's representing them to His Father ! This is the constant, gra- cious way of our High Priest. He makes no mention of Hia Israel's faults in heaven, but for their expiation."
JOHN XVn. 9—16.
9 I pray for them : I pray not for the world, but for them which tliou hast given me ; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine : and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition: that the Scrip- ture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee : and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy ful- filled in themselves.
14 I have ^iven them thy word; and the world hath hated them, be- cause they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
These verses, like every part of this woriderfiil chap- ter, contain some deep things which are " hard to be understood." But there are two plain points standing out on the face of the passage which deserve the special attention of all true Christians. Passing by all other points, let us fix our attention on these two.
We learn, for one thing, that the Lord Jesus does things for JIls believing people which He does not do for the wicked and unbelieving. He helps their souls by special intercession. He says, " I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me."
The doctrine before us is one which is specially hated by the world. Nothing gives such offence, and stirs up such bitter feeling among the wicked, as the idea of God making any distinction between man and man, and