[Many are difcouraged by the difficulties which they experience in the duty of prayer

If they feel not an enlargement of heart, they doubt whether their prayer will be accepted

But God will notice the groaning of his people —

Such inward defires may often be more pieafing to him than the most fluent petitions

They are, in fact, the voice of God's Spirit within us— Let not any then be dejected on account of occafional deadnefs

Let every one rather follow the advice of the prophetGod, in due time, will affuredly fulfil his promife *—]

* Pf. xxxviii. 9.

Hab. ii. 3.

Pf. lxxxi. 10.

LIX. THE OBJECTS OF OUR LORD'S INTERCESSION.

John xvii. 9, 10. I pray for them: 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.

THE apoftles were but weak in knowledge or in grace till the day of Pentecoft

Nevertheless, they were greatly beloved by their Lord and mafter

He declared in their hearing (ver. 6-8.) that they were true believers-

He teftified also that they were the peculiar objects for whom he prayed

I. For whom our Lord interceded

The difciples of Chrift are characterized as perfons given" him by the Father

[This is a juft defcription of every child of God

None would ever give them felves to Chrift, if they were not previously given to him by the Father; or come to Chrift, if they were not drawn to him by the Father3—

As every grace we poffefs muit be traced to the operations of the Spirit, as its immediate caufe, fo muft it be traced to the electing love of God, as its primary and original fource

And

John vi. 44.

1 Cor. iv. 7. Gal. v. 22.

Eph. i. 4, 5.

And it is of great importance, both for our humiliation and for God's glory, that this matter fhould be clearly known and understood

d

It was for thefe more efpecially that Jefus interceded

[We apprehend that the apparent exclufion of the world. from his interceffions is not to be understood strictly and pofitively, but only in a comparative sense —

But certainly the faints were the objects whom, both in this and all other interceflions, he had principally in view

The high-prieft, in bearing the names of the twelve tribes upon his breaft-plate whenever he went within the vail, was a type of Chrift in this particular

Chrift would not be a high-prieft, if he omitted this part of his office; fince interceflion was no lefs neceffary to that office than oblation

But he does intercede for his people, and lives in heaven, as it were, for that very purpose —

Yes; He that formed the univerfe, and upholds it by his power, and whofe petitions are commands, fays, "I pray for them"

And the petitions he then offered for his living difciples had réfpect to all his believing people, even to the end of the world -]

This diftinguishing favour, however, was not conferred without reafon

II. Why he interceded for them in particular

The reafons of the divine procedure are in many cafes infcrutable

But our Lord condefcended to ftate fome on this occafion

1. Believers are the Father's property, "They are thine "

[All things belong to God as his creatures

But believers are his in a far higher fenfe

He has made them his by adoption-

He has confirmed his intereft in them by regenerationHe efteems them as his peculiar treafure', in comparison of whom the whole univerfe is as nothing in his eyes

Hence

This defeription of God's people is repeated five times in feven verfes. See ver. 6, 9, 11, 12. Was there no defign in this? and is there nothing to be gathered from it?

In this refpect it refembles Hof. vi. 6.: for our Lord did pray for the ungodly world, Luke xxiii. 34. and had their good in view even in this very prayer: ver. 21. f Exod. xxviii. 9-12, 29, 30. i Pf. cxxxv. 4.

Heb. ix. 24. & vii. 25.

VOL. I.

h Ver. 20.

EE

Hence our Lord interested himself more particularly on their behalf

His zeal for his Father's glory would not fuffer him to be for one moment unmindful of their interefts-]

2. Chrift himself has an equal propriety in them, "All mine," &c.

[They belong to Chrift both by the Father's donation, by his own purchase, and by the clofeft poffible union *

Will he then be regardless of this precious gift, and lofe the purchase of his blood, and fuffer his own members to perifh, for want of his continual interceffion?—

Surely his intereft in them is a very fufficient reafon for his unwearied folicitude refpecting them-]

3. Chrift is glorified in them

[The ungodly world bring no glory to Chrift―

But it is the labour and delight of his people to glorify him

He is glorified now in their faith, love, worship, and obedience

He will be glorified and admired in them at his fecond coming

He will be glorified by them to all eternity

While therefore he has any concern for his own glory, he cannot but be studious of their welfare-]

INFER

1. How honourable a character is the true Chriftian! [The Chriftian is eminently diftinguished from all the reft of the world

He is highly efteemed both by the Father and by Chrift, who claim him as their property, "He is mine;"" he is mine "

He is interefted in all which Chrift has done or is now doing

How infinitely does this honour exceed that which cometh of man!

Let every one be ambitious to attain it

Nor let any earthly attainments whatever fatisfy our defires-]

2. How fecure and bleffed is his ftate!

[There may be fome who fhall, never be benefited by the Saviour's interceffion

But Chrift's people are continually remembered by him before the throne

They

* They are one body with him, Eph. v. 30. and one Spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17.

1 2 Theff. i. 10.

They therefore are fure to have every want fuppliedNor can any defeat the purposes of their bleffed LordLet therefore every Chriftian rejoice and glory in the Lord

Let the thought of Chrift's interceffion diffipate all fears of condemnation

m

Let Chrift be viewed as an advocate under every fresh-contracted guilt "

Let every one feek to glorify him, and to be glorified with him-]

m Rom. viii. 34.

n 1 John ii. 1.

LX.

THE GOSPEL FREES MEN FROM SIN AND DEATH.

Rom. viii. 2. The law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath made me free from the law of fin and death.

THE world in general account it liberty to give loose to their paffions—

But fuch freedom is indeed the foreft bondage to fin and Satan

None poffefs true liberty but those who are freed by Chrift b

The state of the demoniacs when healed by Chrift refembled theirs

Paul was made a glorious example of it to all agesHe was once under condemnation, both because he adhered to the covenant of works, and was governed by his own impetuous will-

He now rejoiced in a freedom from the fin that he had indulged, and from the curfe to which he had fubjected himfelf-" The law of," &c.

We fhall firft explain, and then improve the text

I. Explain it

It is not needful to ftate the various interpretations given of the text

We shall adopt that which feems moft eafy, and agreeable to the context

We

a Rom. vi. 16,

John viii. 36.

• Luke viii. 35

We will begin with explaining the terms

"The law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus" is the gofpel covenant, as confirmed to us in Chrift, and revealed to us by the Spirit

[The "Spirit of life" is the Holy Ghoft, who is the author and preferver of fpiritual life d

The "law" of the Spirit is the gofpel as revealed and applied by him

It is called a law because it has all the effential properties of a law

It is often spoken of as a law both by prophets and apoftles f

It is faid to be the law of the Spirit "in Chrift Jefus," because the bleffings of the gofpel are treafured up in Chrift, confirmed to us through us through Chrift, and received by us from Chrift -]

g

"The law of fin and death" may be understood either of the covenant of works or of our indwelling corruption

[The covenant of works is a "law" to which all are by nature fubject-

It is called the "law of fin and death," because both fin and death come by that law h

Our indwelling corruption alfo operates as "a law" within

i

It invariably hurries us on to "fin and death "—] -]

We shall next explain the propofition contained in the terms The propofition is, that "the gospel frees us from the curfe of the law, and from the dominion of fin"

[When we embrace the gospel we cease to be under the covenant of works —

We then partake of all the bleffings which Chrift has purchafed for us—

We are liberated from the condemnation due to fin ".

We

d John iii. 5. Eph. iii. 16. A law is a precept enforced with fanctions and fuch is the gofpel: it is a precept, 1 John iii. 23; and it is enforced with the moft encouraging and awful fanctions, Mark xvi. 16. f Ifai. ii. 3. Rom. iii. 27.

8 Col. i. 19. 2 Cor. i. 20. John i. 16. h Without that law there had been no tranfgreffion, and, confequently, no fin (which is the tranfgreffion of a law); nor death (which is the penalty inflicted for tranfgreffion)-Compare 1 John iii. 4. Rom. v. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 56. Hence it is called "the miniftration

of death and of condemnation." 2 Cor. iii. 7. 9.

i Rom. vii. 23.

1 Rom. vi. 14. latter part.

* Rom. vii. 5.

m Rom. viii. 1.