The Lord Jesus has led captivity captive, and now sits at the right
hand of God, forever making intercession for us. Can your faith picture
Him? Like a Levitical high priest of old He stands with outstretched
arms: there is majesty in His mien, and with authority He pleads. On His
head is the bright shining mitre of His priesthood, and on His breast
are glittering the precious stones whereon the names of His people are
everlastingly engraven. Hear Him as he pleads–hear you not what it is?
Is that your prayer which He is mentioning before the throne? The prayer
that this morning you offered, Christ is now offering before His
Father’s throne. The vow which just now you uttered, He is now uttering
there. He is the Altar and Priest, and with His own sacrifice He
perfumes our prayers. And yet, mayhap, you have been praying long, and
had no answer. Poor, weeping suppliant! thou hast sought the Lord and He hath not seemed to hear thee, or at least not answered thee to thy
soul’s delight, and thou art full of darkness and heaviness on account
of this. “Look to Him, and be lightened.” If thou dost not succeed, He
will; if thy intercession be unnoticed, His cannot be passed away; if
thy prayers can be like water spilt on the ground, which cannot be
gathered up, yet His prayers are not like that; He is God’s Son–He
pleads and must prevail. God cannot refuse His own Son what He now
asks–He who once bought mercies with His blood. O, be of good cheer,
continue still thy supplication, for Jesus “ever liveth to make
intercession” for thee.