^ lAfe of Bishop Samuel Wilber/orce, iii. 44.
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4. Christ's intercession links itself to our prayers and makes them effectual. He enters and finds us bowed down before God, trying to pray, but not able ; He approaches, kneels with us, and whispers with great gentleness, " I am the way, tlie truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father but by me." And not like an ordinary friend, this Comforter and Intercessor is as exactly conscious of our state of mind as we are ; and not with wise counsels and soothing words only, but with spiritual influences and revelations, does He assist the painful efforts of prayer ; and more than all, He who kneels with us as a fellow-suppliant not only touches us with His human nature, but touches God with His Divine ; and that which one nature urges Him to ask, another nature enables Him to bestow : He has all the sympathy which man can have for man, and all the power which man can need from God. Are you perplexed with suspicions and dark contro- versies in prayer ? He answers, " My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Commit your reasonings to me : be of good cheer, only believe." Are you distressed with a fear that one so guilty, so depraved, so penetrated with spiritual leprosy as you are, can never be made clean ? He replies, " My blood cleanseth from all sin. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean. If you can believe that I am what I declare Myself to be — the propitiation which God has accepted for you, and your all -pre vailing Advocate and Helper in the Divine presence — though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
^ After the battle of Cr^cy, our English King, Edward iii., having there defeated the French army, laid siege to Calais. Tlie town was very strong ; and its governor, Sir Jean de Vienne, was a brave man, who determined to defend it to the last for his master, the King of France. It was too well fortified to be taken by assault; and so King Edward soon saw that he could only starve the garrison into surrendering. He began the siege in August 1346, and it lasted much longer than he had expected. A whole year passed, and still the English army was kept outside the walls. They had lost many men in the time ; and the king was very much enraged at the loss of so many of his best soldiers.
At last the garrison was reduced to the utmost distress. So the governor then tried to make the best terms of s^irrender ho
364 SALVATION TO THE UTTERMOST
could. But the English king was very angry at all his losses, so he required the whole city and all its inhabitants to be given up to him to do as he willed with them. These conditions seemed so stern that the governor entreated the king to have pity upon his enemies, who had showed themselves very brave, and to alter his mind. But Edward was very hard to move on account of his losses; and he still required that at any rate six of the chief citizens should come to him barefooted, and with ropes round their necks, and the keys of the city in their hands, and submit to be punished according t^ his will. Then six brave men did come forward, and offered themselves as Edward demanded. They expected that the English king would strike off their heads ; but they were willing to find grace with God in dying to save their fellow-townspeople from starvation. They were brave, good men, those six burghers of Calais. When they were brought before Edward, he ordered them to be put to death. His nobles at once interceded for them, but without effect. Then his wife. Queen Philippa, threw herself on her knees among the captives and asked him for mercy on those brave, unselfish men. She asked it as a ( boon !for herself and for the love of Christ. And the king listened to her prayer. He could not resist her asking. She implored him for the love he bore her, his true wife. And so for his love for her, who had not flinched in her love for him to speak of the Lord Christ's love when she bade Edward remember mercy, the king gave her her request.^
^ In course of a letter to a friend who had difficulties in relation to prayer and its answer, he wrote : " You say you can imagine a state of incarnate intercessory expression of God's love — so can I ; and more than imagine it, I have seen it. That is Christ; and we, in Him, do likewise." In this way he would enforce the privilege and consequent duty of an intercessory life, and no doubt his communion with the Lord was systematically maintained, and powerfully reinforced thereby. For, as he said once, " Jesus, who has entire command of His time, chooses the intercession as that on which He can best spend it, and ever liveth to make intercession for us." ^