intercession. Without the blood of Christ offered in sacrifice for us, no man could ever have found acceptance with God. Nor would that have availed, if he had not also gone within the vail to be " our advocate with the Father, as well as the propitiation for our sins." Even if we had been pardoned in consideration of his death, our reconciliation with God would not have continued long: we should soon have renewed our transgressions, and have provoked God utterly to destroy us. But, by this twofold mediation of Christ, Divine justice is satisfied for the offences we have already committed, and the peace that has been effected is maintained inviolate. Now our Lord himself declares that there is no other way to the Father but thisb : and St. Paul assures us, that, in this way, we may all draw nigh to God with boldness and confidence0.]
2. By the Spirit — [We know not how to pray to God aright, unless the Holy Spirit help our infirmities and teach usd. We have no will to approach him, unless the Holy Spirit incline our hearts e. Even in the regenerate there still remains so strong a disinclination to prayer, that unless God draw them by the influences of his Spirit, they find an almost insuperable re- luctance to that duty. Moreover, we have no power to exercise spiritual affections at a throne of grace, unless the Spirit, as " a Spirit of grace and of supplication," give us a broken and a contrite heart1. Without his aid, we are only like a ship, whose sails are spread in vain, unless there be a wind to fill them. Even Paul, it should seem, had never prayed aright till his conversion ; and then it was said, " Behold he prayeth." Lastly, without the Spirit, we have no confidence to address the Majesty of heaven. We are deterred by a sense of guilt ; and are ready to think that it would be presumption in us to ask any thing at his hands. The Holy Ghost must be in us as " a Spirit of adoption, before we can cry, Abba, Father s." Yea, to such a degree are the mouths of God's dearest children sometimes shut by a sense of guilt, that the Holy Spirit him- self maketh intercession in them no other way than by sighs and groans h. Thus, as there is a necessity for the mediation of Christ to remove our guilt, so is there also of the Spirit's influence on account of our weakness ; since, without his assist- ance, we have no knowledge of our wants, no will to seek a supply of them, no power to spread them before God, nor any confidence to plead with importunity and faith.]
The path being thus clearly marked, let us con- sider,
b John xiv. 6. c Heb. x. 19—22. d Rom. viii. 26.
e Cant. i. 4. ' Zech. xii. 10. s Rom. viii. 15.
h Rom. viii. 20, latter part.