John xvii. 9, 10. I pray for them : I pray not for the world, bid for them tvhich thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glorified in them.
THE Apostles were but weak in knowledge or in grace till the day of Pentecost; nevertheless, they were greatly beloved by their Lord and Master. He declared in their hearing that they were true be- lieversa. He testified also that they were the peculiar objects for whom he prayed. I. For whom our Lord interceded —
The Disciples of Christ are characterized as persons " given " him by the Father —
[This is a just description of every child of God: none would ever give themselves to Christ, if they were not pre- viously given to him by the Father ; or come to Christ, if they were not drawn to him by the Father11. As every grace we possess must be traced to the operations of the Spirit, as its
■' ver. 6 — 8. b John vi. II.
immediate cause c, so must it be traced to the electing love of God, as its primary and original source d. And it is of great importance, both for our humiliation and for God's glory, that this matter should be clearly known and understood6.]
It was for these more especially that Jesus inter- ceded—
[We apprehend that the apparent exclusion of the world from his intercessions is not to be understood strictly and positively, but only in a comparative sensef: but certainly the saints were the objects whom, both in this and all other intercessions, he had principally in view. The high-priest, in bearing the names of the twelve tribes upon his breast-plate whenever he went within the vail, was a type of Christ in this particulars. Christ would not be a high-priest, if he omitted this part of his office ; since intercession was no less necessary to that office than oblation : but he does intercede for his people, and lives in heaven, as it were, for that very purpose h. Yes; He that formed the universe, and upholds it by his power, and whose petitions are commands, says, " I pray for them." And the petitions he then offered for his living dis- ciples had respect to all his believing people, even to the end of the world'.]
This distinguishing favour, however, was not con- ferred without reason —
II. Why he interceded for them in particular —
The reasons of the Divine procedure are in many cases inscrutable; but our Lord condescended to state some on this occasion —
1. Believers are the Father's property, " Thev are
thine"— '
[All things belong to God as his creatures ; but believers are his in a far higher sense. He has made them his by adop- tion : he has confirmed his interest in them by regeneration : he esteems them as his peculiar treasure k, in comparison of
c 1 Cor. iv. 7. Gal. v. 22. d £ph. j. 4, 5.
e This description of God's people is repeated five times in seven verses. See ver. 6 — 12. Was there no design in this ? and is there nothing to be gathered from it ?
f In this respect it resembles Hos. vi. 6 : for our Lord did pray for the ungodly world, Luke xxhi. 34. and had their good in view even in this very prayer, ver. 2 1 .
s Exod. xxviii. 9—12, 29, 30. h Heb. ix. 24. and vii. 25.
1 ver. 20. k ps. cxxxv. 4.