Many have felt the same workings of mind with David *— At such seasons they cannot pray as they ought-]

But the Holy Spirit will "make intercession for them

[Christ is properly our advocate and intercessor But the Spirit also may be said to " intercede for us The Spirit intercedes in us at the throne of grace, while Christ intercedes for us at the throne of glory

He sometimes enables us to pour out our hearts with fluency

This he does by discovering to us our wants, quickening our affections, and testifying to us God's willingness to answer prayer—

He does not, however, always operate in this way--] He will make intercession "with unutterable groans [The joy of Christians is represented as being sometimes inexpressible

m

But frequently a sense of sin overwhelms them—

Then sighs and groans are the natural language of their hearts

Nor are such inarticulate prayers unacceptable to GodWe have a remarkable instance of their success in the history of our Lord "--

Perhaps no prayers are more pleasing to God than these°-] INFER

1. How many are there who live all their days without prayer!

[Those in whom the Spirit intercedes are often made to feel their inability to pray aright

Under a sense of their infirmities they are constrained to cry to God for the help of his Spirit

But many pass all their days without any painful sense of their weakness

They satisfy themselves with a formal performance of their duties

Such persons never pray in an acceptable manner P

Real prayer implies fervour and importunity

And it is in vain to think that we have the spirit of grace, if we have not also the spirit of supplication 1

May we therefore never be of those who fulfil that prophecy!-]

2. What comfort may this passage afford to praying people!

[Many

Pet. i. 8.

P John iv. 23.

Matt. xv. 7, 8.

[Many are discouraged 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 desires may often be more pleasing 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 occasional

deadness

Let every one rather follow the advice of the prophet "— God, in due time, will assuredly fulfil his promise *-]

t Ps. xxxviii. 9.

u Hab. ii. 3.

* Ps. 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 apostles were but weak in knowledge or in till the day of Pentecost

grace

Nevertheless, they were greatly beloved by their Lord and master

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

were true believers

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 previously given to him by the Father; or come to Christ, if they were not drawn to him by the Father a

As every grace we possess must be traced to the operations of the Spirit, as its immediate cause, so must it be traced to the electing love of God, as its primary and original source_

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

John vi. 44.

с

Eph. i. 4, 5.

And

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

It was for these more especially that Jesus interceded

[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 sense

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 particular f

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 g_

Yes; He that formed the universe, and upholds it by his power, and whose petitions are commands, says, "I pray for them

دو

And the petitions he then offered for his living disciples had respect to all his believing people, even to the end of the world b]

This distinguishing favour, however, was not conferred 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, thine "

[All things belong to God as his creaturesBut believers are his in a far higher senseHe has made them his by adoption

They are

He has confirmed his interest in them by regenerationHe esteems them as his peculiar treasure, in comparison of whom the whole universe is as nothing in his eyes—

Hence

d This description of God's people is repeated five times in seven See ver. 6, 9, 11. 12. Was there no design in this? and is there nothing to be gathered from it?

verses.

In this respect it resembles Hos. 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. Exod. xxviii. 9 -12, 29, 30. h Ver. 20.

f

Heb. ix. 24. & vii. 25.
VOL. I.

EE

i

Ps. cxxxv. 4.

Hence our Lord interested himself more particularly on their behalf

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

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

[They belong to Christ both by the Father's donation, by his own purchase, and by the closest possible union *.

Will he then be regardless of this precious gift, and lose the purchase of his blood, and suffer his own members to perish, for want of his continual intercession ?

Surely his interest in them is a very sufficient reason for his unwearied solicitude respecting them-]

3. Christ is glorified in them

[The ungodly world bring no glory to Christ

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 second coming1

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 Christian! [The Christian is eminently distinguished from all the rest of the world

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

He is interested in all which Christ 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 satisfy our desires-]

2. How secure and blessed is his state!

[There may be some who shall never be benefited by the Saviour's intercession

But Christ'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:

2 Thess. i. 10.

They therefore are sure to have every want suppliedNor can any defeat the purposes of their blessed LordLet therefore every Christian rejoice and glory in the Lord

Let the thought of Christ's intercession dissipate all fears of condemnation m.

Let Christ be viewed as an advocate under every freshcontracted guilt"

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

LX. THE GOSPEL FREES MEN FROM SIN AND DEATH.

Rom. viii. 2. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

THE world in general account it liberty to give loose to their passions

But such freedom is indeed the sorest bondage to sin and Satan

a

None possess true liberty but those who are freed by Christ b

The state of the demoniacs when healed by Christ resembled theirs --

C

Paul was made a glorious example of it to all ages

He 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 sin that he had indulged, and from the curse to which he had subjected himself" The law of," &c.

We shall first explain, and then improve the text

I. Explain it

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

We shall adopt that which seems most easy, and agreeable to the context

We

a Rom. vi. 16.

b John viii. 36.

Luke viii. 35.