priests unto God and the Father^:" and as all kings and priests under the Law were consecrated with oil, so are these ^'anointed of the Lord^:" and they shall all find God to be '' their strength, their saving strength." Now this is,
1. A true testimony —
[Search the records of the Bible in every age, and see whether so much as one of the Lord's anointed was not
strengthened by him to do and suffer his holy will Or
say, whether many of you, my Brethren, are not able to attest the same, from your own experience ; and to declare, that " out of weakness you have been made strong*," and that God has been ever ready to " perfect his own strength in your weakness ''? ]
2. An encouraging testimony —
[There is not a man upon earth that has any strength in himself; no, "not so much as even to think a good thought^." Yet, " through the grace of Christ strengthening us, the weakest babe in the universe is able to do all things™." Our duties are arduous, our enemies mighty, ova: sufferings great : yet are we eventually made " more than conquerors, through Him who loved us"." There is nothing, then, that we may not readily undertake for God, since " with Him there is ever- lasting strength";" and we are authorized to expect, under all possible circumstances, that " the grace of Christ shall be sufficient for us " ]
Persuaded of this blessed truth, let us mark,
IL His intercession, founded upon it —
Let us mark,
1. The copiousness of it —
[His heart was full: and just views of God invariably produce in us a measure of the same feelings towards man. " The Lord's anointed" are " his people and his inheritance P:" and " if we love God, we cannot but love those who are be- gotten of him : " and in proportion as we feel our own obliga- tions to God, will oui" hearts be enlarged in prayer for those who are dear unto him ]
2. The order of it—
[He begins with imploring their " salvation" from all
g Rev. i. 6. h 2 Cor. i. 21. ^ Heb. xi. 34.
k 2 Cor. xii. 9. i 2 Cor. iii. 5. ^ Phil. iv. 13.
" Rom. viii. 37. ° Isai. xxvi. 4. Pi Kings viii. 51, 53.
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