But, by means of the Saviour's intercession, the propitiation for sin shall be so applied, and the blood of sprinkling be so brought home to the conscience, that any interruption of intercourse or of peace, shall be but partial and temporary. 'For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment: but, with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed: but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.'* Hence the people of God have ever access to him for the supply of their daily wants. Not a day not an hour, but they have business to transact in the court of heaven. They have requests to prefer: sins to be pardoned; wants to be supplied; iniquities to confess with shame; blessings to acknowledge with gratitude. And how shall they approach a throne of such awful majesty; how enter a court of such inexorable justice! The mediatorial Angel before the throne, the Advocate at the bar, is their encouragement. Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father-In him we have boldness and access with confidenceSeeing that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace-Having an High Priest over

*Is. liv. 7, 8, 10.

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the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith.'*

It is through the intercession of Christ that the services of the people of God are rendered acceptable. The services required of them are special, manifold, great, and arduous. The whole moral law is the measure of these services. And it is a matter of no small consequence for them to know, not only in what strength these services may be performed, but by what merit they can be accepted. If they are not to be received and acknowledged by God, the performance of them must be nullified. The law requires perfection, but the services of the people of God are at best imperfect; the law requires unblemished obedience, but their services are at best tainted with pollution. How then shall they be accepted? Through the intercession of Christ. This makes up for all their deficiencies; this removes all their blemishes. The prayers of the saints ascend up before God out of the Angel's hand, in which is held a golden censer with much incense. And what is true of the prayers of the saints is true also of all their other services their songs of praise, their tears of penitence, their works of faith and labours of love, their deeds of mercy, and their acts of holy obedi

ence.

Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar.' It is in this way that God overlooks all their imperfections; he sees no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel; he smells a sweet savour in the performances

* Eph. ü. 18.—üi 12; Heb. iv. 14, 16.—x. 21, 22. † Is. lvi. 7.

of his children; their sacrifices of righteousness are well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight; and, although in themselves like pillars of smoke,' dark, confused, and ill-savoured, they come up before him perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and all the powders of the merchant.' Like Aaron of old, our great High Priest has on his forehead the inscription, HOLINESS TO THE LORD, that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts.** So far from the performances of men being the ground of their acceptance with God, it thus appears, that for the acceptance of our performances themselves we are indebted to the merits of another. Our services, as well as our persons, are accepted in the Beloved. By expecting to be accepted for any thing that we do, we set aside the Saviour's atonement; by expecting that any thing we do shall be accepted on account of its intrinsic excellence, we set aside the Saviour's intercession. And it is thus we are enabled to understand how it comes about, that a cup of cold water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not lose its reward,' while the ploughing of the wicked is sin.'

6

In fine, the intercession of Christ secures the complete salvation of the chosen of God, their entrance into heaven, and their everlasting continuance in a state of perfect blessedness. God is a rock, and his work is perfect. What he begins, be completes; nor rests till he has secured for his redeemed perfect acquit.

* Exod. xxviii. 38,

tal beyond the reach of accusation, deliverance from all temptation, immaculate holiness, and uninterrupted and permanent peace. It is by his

intercession that he thus saves to the uttermost. 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."* The work of salvation being thus completed, the redeemed are admitted into heaven, for which they are prepared. Their reception into glory is the matter of distinct request on the part of the Saviour. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.' The title of admis sion, it is true, is the Saviour's death; but the immediate cause of their admission is his intercession. It is by this that the title, so to speak, is carried into heaven, and presented to God, and pled as the ground on which their admission is to take place. He entered into heaven, not without blood, to appear in the presence of God for us. He goes to the portals of the upper sanctuary, holding in his hand the memorials of his sacrifice; at his approach the celestial gates fly open; he enters in the name and on behalf of his people; he opens and no one can shut, till all his redeemed and chosen have followed him thither; and, then, he shuts and no one can open, either to invade their peace or to pluck one of the countless multitude from their happy abode.

The permanent continuance of the redeemed in

the state of glory stands connected, in the same manner, with the intercession of Jesus. 'He is a priest for ever. Not only is everlasting glory the effect of his intercession; but it is the subject of everlasting intercession. He ever liveth to make intercession.' The perpetuity of heavenly blessings, and the acceptance of celestial services, must all be traced to this source. Not a ray of light, not a smile of favour, not a thrill of gladness, not a note of joy, for which the inhabitants of heaven are not indebted to the Angel standing with the golden censer full of incense, before the throne. Remove this illustrious personage from his situation; divest him of his official character; put out of view his sacerdotal function; and all security for the continuance of celestial benefits is gone,the crowns fall from the heads of the redeemed, the palms of victory drop from their hands, the harps of gold are unstrung, and the shouts of halleluiah cease for ever; nay, heaven must discharge itself of its human inhabitants, and the whole be sent away into irremediable perdition! But no such appalling catastrophe need ever be feared: CHRIST EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION!