Why is the endless life of one high priest more effective than a succession, conceivably an endless succession, of high priests ? The eternal priesthood involves two distinct, but mutually de- pendent, conceptions — power to save and intercession. In the case of any man, to live for ever means power. Even the body of our humiliation will be raised in power. Can the spirit, there- fore, in the risen life, its own native home, be subject to weak- ness ? What, then, shall we say of the risen and glorified Christ ? The difference between Him and the high priests of earth is like the difference between the body that is raised and the body that dies. In Aaron priesthood is sown in corruption, dishonour, weakness ; in Christ priesthood is raised in incorruption, in glory, in power. In Aaron it is sown a natural priesthood ; in Christ it is raised a spiritual priesthood. It must be that the High Priest in heaven has power to save continually and completely. When- ever help is needed. He is living, and is mighty to save from sin, to rescue from death, to deliver from its fear.
Day and night, the Accuser makes no pause, Day and night protest the righteous laws, Good and evil witness to man's flaws; Man the culprit, man's the ruined cause, Man midway to death's devouring jaws, And the worm that gnaws.
HEBREWS VII. 25 361
Day and night our Jesus makes no pause, Pleads His own fulfilment of all laws, Veils with His perfections mortal flaws, Clears the culprit, pleads the desperate cause, Plucks the dead from death's devouring jaws. And the worm that gnaws.
2. He intercedes by the exhibition of Himself in His Divine '^ manhood, pierced for us, raised, and glorified. His five blessed and holy wounds are each one a mighty intercession on our behalf. The glorious tokens of His cross and passion, exhibited before the throne of God, plead for us perpetually. The one great atonement, the one great sacrifice, offered with shedding of blood once upon the cross, and now offered perpetually, is a continuing sacrifice. His very presence in heaven is in itself an intercession for us. His sacrifice on the cross, though perfected by suffering
of death only once in time, is in its power eternal. Therefore it stands a Divine fact — ever present and prevailing, the foundation and life of the redeemed world — before the throne of God.
^ ^schylus was strongly accused, and likely to be condemned.'' His brother Amyntas engaged to be his advocate. Amyntas had done much for the commonwealth ; and, in a certain action, in their service, had lost a hand. He came into the court. The court was uncommonly crowded ; and all were eager to hear him plead on so interesting an occasion. But he said nothing — he only held up his dismembered arm ! The audience and the judges were so moved as immediately to order his brother's release. It does not appear that the high priest said any thing when he entered the holy place: but what he did spake loud enough. He wore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his breastplate ; he took the blood of the slaughtered victim in a basin, and sprinkled the mercy-seat, and burned incense before the golden altar, and then came forth and blessed the people. Abel's blood spake to God from the ground; that is, it demanded vengeance ; the blood of Jesus is equally vocal ; but it speaketh better things than that of Abel — it calls for mercy.^
3. His intercession extends to all important interests. We may look upon His prayer for His disciples, on the night in which He was betrayed, as a specimen of His continued intercession before the throne. And for what does He not there plead ? Is
^ W. Jay, Short Discourses, ii. 642.
v)
62 SALVATION TO THE UTTERMOST
it their preservation ? " Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me." " I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." Is it their renovation ? " Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth." Is it their union ? " That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one." Is it their glorification ? " Eather, 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 : for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
^ The Bishop of Ely thus writes his recollections of the sadness at Cuddesdon caused by the death of the Prince Consort : I remember, as though it were yesterday, the Ordination of Advent, 1861 — how the whole Ember week at Cuddesdon, usually so bright notwithstanding the work, was darkened by the shadow of the Prince Consort's death. The Bishop seemed unable to tear himself away from the thought of Windsor and the scenes which were passing there, and I was particularly struck with the personal affection which he manifested for the Queen and the consequently " home " character of his sympathy with her, less as a sovereign than as a wife. We drove into Oxford late on Saturday night, reaching Christ Church about midnight, and I can still hear, as it were, the Bishop's sad voice in the dark carriage recalling his early remembrance of the Prince in the first days of the Eoyal marriage. It was then, too (I think), that he mentioned the last conversation which the Prince had held with him. The Bishop had been preaching in the private chapel at Windsor upon the subject of our Lord's intercession in heaven. His presenting the prayers of His people to the Father, and enforcing them by the presence of His human body still bearing the mark of the wounds of His Passion. The Prince had sent a message inviting the Bishop to walk with him in the afternoon, and turned the conversation to the sermon of the morning, saying that it had suggested to him an entirely new view of the subject, that he must not be supposed to mean that he accepted it, but that he should give it his most serious reflection, adding, " Now, at any rate, I understand why the Church of England is so careful to conclude every prayer with such words as ' through Jesus Christ our Lord.'"^