2. By the intercession of Christ —
[St. John has said, " If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the pro- pitiation for our sins''." Yes, were it not that the Lord Jesus Christ lives to intercede for us in heaven, it could not be but that God's displeasure must break forth against us on ten thousand occasions : but he prevails for us, as Aaron prevailed for Israel of old, through his unwearied intercessions. To this Peter was indebted, when he denied his Lord with oaths and curses. Had not our blessed Lord interceded for him, that his faith might not fail, he, in all probability, would have perished as Judas did'. In this view, a greater stress is laid on the intercession of Christ than even on his death : " Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died; yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us^." And we are encouraged to believe that " Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interces- sion for iis^." Put then your cause into the Saviour's hands; and beg of him to " pray the Father for you°," and you cannot but succeed: " for him the Father heareth alwaysP."]
« Ps. xciv. 14. f Ps. ciii. 17, 18. 8 Ps. cxxxviji. 8.
^ John xiii. 1. * Ps. cxliii. 1. ^ \ John. ii. 1, 2.
' Lukexxii.31,32. ^ Rom, viii. 34. " Heb. vii. 25.
" John xiv. 16. p John xi. 42.
v2
292 PSALMS, XXXVl. 10. [56;3=
3. By the honour of God himself —
[God from all eternity entered into covenant with his dear Son in our behalf, engaging, that " if he should make his soul an offering for sin, he should see a seed, and should prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hands'!." This covenant our blessed Lord has fulfilled on his part, having taken our nature, and " borne our sins in his own body on the tree." And whilst yet he was upon earth, he made this a ground of his petitions, and a ground also of his expectations, in behalf of his people : " I pray for them,'' says he : "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine: and all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glorified in them. 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. Whilst I was zvifh them in the zvorld, I kejyt them in thy name: those that thou gavest me have I kept ; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things speak I in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil''." Then he adds, what insures to us the completion of his desires, " Father, I will that they whom thou hast . given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me^" Now I ask, Is not here abundant ground to expect God's continued care of his people? May we not from hence " be confident, that He who hath begun a good work in us will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ*?" Yes, surely: and therefore when David, vinder the influence of unbelief, had entertained a fear, " Will the Lord cast off for ever? will he be favourable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God for- gotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" he corrected himself, and with conscious shame exclaimed, " This is my infirmity"." We may be sure that God's covenant shall stand. In the 89th Psalm it is declared, again, and again, and again, in terms the most express that