SERMON XXIV.
VERY one knows, who bas any knowledge of the Gospel, that Prayer is one of its especial ordinances; but hot every one, perhaps, has noticed what kind of prayer its inspired teachers most carefitlly enjoin, l'rayer for self is the most obvious of duties, as soon as leave is given us to pray at all, which Christ distinctly and mercifully accorded, when He came. This is plain from the nature of the case; but He Himself has given us also an express command and promise about ourselves, to "ask and it shall be given to us." Yet it is observable, that though prayer for self is the first and plainest of Christian duties, the Apostles especially iusist on another kind of prayer; prayer for others, fol- ourselves with others, for the Church, and for fle world, that it lnay be brought into the Church. Intercession is the characteristic of Christian worship, the privilege of the heavenly adoption, the exercise of the perfect and spiritual mind. This is the subject to which I shall now direct your attention. 1. First, let us turn fo the express injunctions of Scripture. For instance, the text itself: "l'raying in every season vith ail prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and abstailfiUg ff'oin sleep for the lmrpose, with a.ll perseverance and supplication for all saints." Observe the earnestness of the intercession hcre inculcated; "in every season," "wit.h all SUl,plication," and "to the loss o sleep." Again, in the Epistle to thc Colossians; "Persevere in pra.yer, watchiug in it with thanksgiving, withal praying for us also." Again, "Brethrcn, pray for u." And again in detail; "I exhort that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be ruade for all men; for kings, and all that are in authority. I will therefore that mon pray in every place." On the other hand, go through the Epistles, and reckon up how many exhortations occur therein to pray merely for self. You will find there are fev, or rather none af all. Even those which seem af first sight to be such, will be found really fo lmve in view the good of the Church. Thus, t.o take the words following the text, St.. Paul, in asking his brethren's prayers, seems fo lray for himself: but he goes on to Gospcl: exi»lain why—" that he might make kno the ' " or elsewhere—tlmt "the word of the Lord nfight have free course and be glorified;" or, as where he says "Let him that sl)eaketh in an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret, '' for this, too, was a Iget.ition in order fo the edification of the Church. 1 Col. iv. 2; 1 Thess. v.:25; 1 Tire. il. 1, 2, 8; 2 Thess. iii. 1; 1 Cor. xiv. 3.
3 5 2 [zlercessiot. lXlext, consider St. Paul's own example, which is quite in accordance with his exhortations: "I cease hOt fo give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, tiret the God of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom nd revelation in tire knowledge of Him." "I thank lny God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of naine for you all, making request with joy." "We give thauks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention o you in our prayers." The instances of prayer, recorded in the book of Acts, are of the saine kind, being ahnost entirely of an intercessory nature, as offered af ordinations, confirmations, cures, missions, and the like. For instance; "As they interceded before the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me ]3arnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them; and when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, tbey sent them " " aay. Again, "And Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and 10rayed: and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise. '' 2. Such is the lesson taught us by the words and deeds of the Apostles and their brethren. 1Vor could it be otherwise, if Christianity be a social religion, as if is lore-eminently. If Christians are fo live together, they will pray together; and united prayer is necessarily of an intercessory character, as being offered for each other x Eph. i. 16, 17; Phil. i. 3, 4; Col. i. 3; 1 Thess. i. 2. Acts xii5. 2, 3; ix. 40.
and for the whole, and for self as one of the whole. proportion, then, as unity is an espccial Gospel-duty, so does Gospel-prayer partake of a social character; and Intercession becomcs a tokcn of the existence of Church Catholic. Accordingly, the foregoing instances of intercessory prayer are supplied by Christians. On the other hand, contrast with these the recorded instances of prayer in nmn who were hot Christians, and)'ou will find they are hot iutcrcessory. For instauce: St,. l'ctcr's 1,rayer on the bouse-top was, we kllOW, answered by the revelation of the call of the Gentiles" vieving it then by the light of the texts already quoted, we may conclude, that, as was the alawel', such was the prayer—that it had mference to others. On the othcr hand, Cornelius, noç yeç a Christian, was also rewarded with au answer to his prayer. "Thy 1,rayer is heard; call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; lc shall tell thce what lhoe oeghlcst to do." Can we doubt, from these words of Angel, that his 1)rayers had l,ee offered for himself especially? Again, on St. Patfl's conversion, we are told, "Behold, he t)raycth." It is t)lain he was praying for himself; and observe, it was before he was a Chïisflan. Thus, if we are to judge of the relative prominence of religious duties by the recorded instances of the performance of them, we should say that Intercession is the kind of prayer distinguishing a Christian from such as are hot Christians. 3. But the instance of St.. Paul opens upon us a second reason for this distinction. Intercession is the especial observance of the Christian, because he alone [lii] Z is in a condition fo offer if. IL is the function of the justified and obedient, of the sons of God, "who walk hot after the flesh but after the spirit;" hot of the carnal and unregenerate. This is plain even fo natural reason. The blind man, who was cured, said of Christ, « We know that Goal heareth not sinners; but., if any man be a vo'shi2pc" of God and docth I[is will, hiln He heareth." a Saul the persecutor obviously could not intercede like St. Paul the Apostle. - IIe had yct fo be baptized and forgiven. If woald be a presumption and an extravagance in a i)enitent, before his regeneration, to do aught but COlffCSS his sins and deprecate wrath. He has hot yet proceeded, he has had no leave fo proceed, out of himself; and has enough fo do within. His conscience weighs heavy on him, nor has he "the wings of a dove fo flee away and be af test." We need uo, I sa.y, go fo Scriptnre for information on so plain a i)oin. 0ur first prayers ever must be for ourselves. 0ur own sMvat.ion is out personal concern; till we labour fo secure if, till we try fo lire religionsly, and pray fo be enabled to do so, nay, and have ruade progress, if is but hypocrisy, or af best if is overbold, to busy ourselves with others. I do hot mean that prayer for self always cornes tïrst in order of rime, and Intercession second. Blessed be God, we were all ruade tIis children before we had actually sinned; we began lire in purity and inuocence. Intercession is never more appropriate than when sin had been utterly abolished, and the heart was most affectionate and least selfish. Nor would I de,w, that a care fur John ix. 31.
the souls of other men may be the first symptom of a man's beginning to think about his own; or that persons, who are conscious to themselves of much guilt, often pray for those whom they revere and love, when under the influence of fear, or in agon)ç or other strong emotion, and, perhaps, at other timcs. Still it is true, that there is something incongruous and hconsistent in a nmn's presmning to intercede, who is an habitual and dclil)erate sinner. Also it is true, that most men do, more or lcss, fall away ri'oto God, sully thcir baptismal robe, need the grace of repentance, and bave fo be awakened to the necessity of prayer for self, as the first step in obscrving prayer of any kind. "God heareth hot sinners;" nature tclls us this; but none but Goal tlimself could tell us that IIe will hear and answcr those who are hot simmrs; for "when we havc done all, we are unprofitable servants, and can claire no reward for our services." But I[e bas graciously promised us this lncrcy, in _cnpntre, as the followiug texts will show. For instance, St. James says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a ,ighteous man availeth much." St. John,, "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, bcca«sc Z'«cp His eommandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." 1 1%xt let us weigh carefully out Lord's solemn announeements uttered shortly belote His crucifixion, and, though addressed primarily to His Apostles, yet, surely, in their degree belonging to ail who "believe on Him through their word." We sball find t.hat consistent obedience, mature, habitual, lifelong holiness, is thereil ruade the condition of His intimate fitvour, and of power in Intercession. "If ye abide in Me," He sa.ys, "and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and if shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, th,nt ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you; abide ye in My love. If ve keep lny eolnmandments, ye shall alide in My love. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I eommand you. tleueeforth I call you hot servants; for the servant knoweth hot what his lord doeth; but I hure called you friends, tbr ail tiret I have heard of My Father, I have ruade known unto you." From this solemn grant of the peeuliarly Gospel privilege of being the "friends" of Christ, itis certain, that as the prayer of repentanee gains for us sinners Baptism and just.ification, so our higher gift of having power with Him and prevailing, depends on out "adding fo out fifith virtue." Let us turn to the examples given us of holy men under former dispensations, whose obedienee and privileges were anticipations of the evangelical. St. James, after the passage ah'eady cited from his epistle, spea.ks of Elijah thns: "Eias was a man subjeet to like passions as we are, yet he prayed earnestly that it might hot vain, and it rained hot on the earth by the space of three years and six months." ltighteous Job was appoint.ed by Ahnighty God to be the effeetual int.ereessor for lis erring friends. Moses, who 'as John xv. 7-15.
"faithful in all the house" of God, affords us another eminent instance of intercessory power; as in the Mourir, and on other occasions, when he pleaded for his rebellious people, or in the buttle with Amalek, when Israel continued conquering as long as his hands remained lifted up in prayer. Hem we have a striking emblem of that contimmd, earnest, unwearied prayer of men "lifting up holy hands," which, under the (:ospel, i, revails with Ahnighty God. Again, in the book of Jeremiah, Moses and Samuel are spoken of as mcdiators so powerful, tht on]y the sins of the Jews were too gTeat for the success of their prayers. In like nmnner itis implied, in the book of Ezekie], that three such as Nouh, D«miel, and Job, would suftice, in some cases, to save guilty nations from judgment. Sodom might hure been rescued by ten. Abruham, though he could not save the abandoned city just mentioned, yet was able to save Lot from the overthrow; as af another rime he interceded successfully for Abimelech. The very intimation given him of God's purpose towards Sodom was of course an especial honour, and marked him as the friend of God. "Slmll I bide from Abrahum thut thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely bccome a great and mighty nation; and a]l the nations of the world shall be blessed in him?" The reason follows, "for I know hi», that he will command his children and his household after him, and they slmll keep wuy of the Lord fo do justice and judgment, that thc Lord inay bring upon Abraham that which He bath spoken of him. ''1 1 Gen. xviii. 1-19.
4. The history of God's dealings with _Abraham will afford us an additional lesson, whieh must be ever borne in mind in speaking of the privilege of the saints on earth as intereessors between God and man. I ean faney a person, from apprehension lest the belief in if should interfere wit.h t.he truc recel,tion of the doctrine of the Cross, perplexed af finding i in the foregoing texts so distinetly eonneeted with obedienee: I say.)cc.plcxcd, tbr I will hot contemplate the case of those, though there are such, who, when fhe text of $cripture seems fo flmm be af varianee with itself, and one portion fo diverge from anothe; will hot allow flemselves fo be perplcxed, will hot suspend their minds and hulnbly wai for ligtt, will hot believe that the 1)ivine Seheme is larger and deeper than their own eapaeities, but boldly xa'es into a faetitions agreement what is Mrea@ harmonious in God's infinite eouusels, though not to them. I speak fo perplexed persons; a,nd woNd have t.hem observe t.hat Almighty God has, in this very instance of Abraham out spiritual father, been mindful of t.hat other aspect under whieh the most highly exalted among the ehildren of flesh must ever stand in His presenee. IL is elsewhere said of him, "Abraham bcli«»cd in the Lord, and He eounted i to tIim for righteousness, ''1 as St. Paul looints out, when he is diseoursing upon the free graee of God in our redemption. Even Abraham was justified by aitl, though he was perfeeted by works; and this being told us in the book of Genesis, seems as if an intimation fo the terplexed inquirer that his ditîàeulty tan be but an Gen. x v. 6.
apparent one—that, while God reveals the one doctrine, tic is hOt the less careful of the other also, nor rewards l[is servants (though tIe revards them) for vorks done by their own strength. On the other hand, if is, caution to us, vho rightly insist on the prerogatives imparted by his grace, ever to remember that it is g'ace only that ennobles and exalts us in I Ils sight. Abraham is our spiritual father; and as he is, so are his children. In us, as in him, faith must be the foundation of all that is,ccept.able with God. " By faith we stand," by tith we are justified, ly faith we obey, by faith out works are sanctified. Faith applies to us again and again the grace of out Baptism; faith opens ulon us the virtue of all other ordinances of the Gospel—of the Holy Communion, vhich is the highest. ]y faith we prevail "in the hour of death and in the day of judgment." And the distinctness and force with vhich this is told us in the Epistles, and ifs obviousness, even fo out natural reason, may be the cause why less stress is laid in them on the duty of prayer for seli: The very instinct of faith will lead a man fo do this without set command, and the Sacraments secure its observance. So much then, by way of caution, ou the influence of faith upon our salvation, furthering if, yet hOt interfering with the distinct office of vorks i giving virtue to our intercession. And here let me observe on a peculiarity of Scrip- *ure, ifs speaking as if separate rewards attended on separate "rat g. , according fo our Lord's words, "To hiln that bath more shall be given;" so that what has been said in contrasting faith and works, is but one instance under a general rule. Thus, in the Sermon on the Mount, the beatitudes are pronounced on separate virtues respectively. " ]3lessed are the meek, for they slmll inherit the earth;" "' Blessed are the pure in heart, for tbey shall see God;" and the rest in like manner. I ara hot attempting to determine what these particular graces are, 'hat the rewards, what the aptitude of the one to the other, what the real connection between the reward and the grace, or how far one grace can be separated from another in fact. Vre know that all depend ou one foot, faith, aud are but differently developed in different persons. Again, we see in Scripture that the saine reward is not invariably assigned to the same grace, as if, from the intimate union between all ga-aces, their rewards night (as it were) be lent and interchanged one with another; yet enough is said there to direct our minds to the existence of the prin'ciple itself, though we be unable to fathom ifs meaning and consequences. It is somewhat upon this principle that our Articles ascribe justification to iaith onty, as a sym- 11ol of the free 'ace of our redemption; just as in the parable of the Pharisee and Publican, our Lord wofld seem to impute it fo self-abasement, and in His words to the "woman which was a sinner," to love as well as to faith, while St. James connects it with works. In other instances the reward follows in the course of nature. Thus the gift of wisdom is tlm ordinary result of trial borne religiously; courage, of endurance. In this way St. Iaul draws out a series of spiritual gifts one from another, experience from patience, hope from experience, boldness and confidence fron hope. I will add but two instauces from the Old Testament. The commandment says, « Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long;" a promise which was signally fitlfillcd in the case eve of the:Rechabites, who were hot of Israel. Again, from Daniel's history we learn that illumination, or other miraculous power, is the reward of fasting and prayer. "In those days I, ])aniel, was mourning thrce full weeks. I are no pleasant l)rcad, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I auoint mysclf at ail, till three whole weeks were fulfilled...... And ho said unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for ri'oin thc first day that thou didst set thine heart fo uudc'statd and to chastcn thysclf bcfore thy God, thy words were heard, and I ara corne for thy words......:Now I ara colne to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days." With this passage compare St. Peter's vision about the Gentiles while he prayed and fasted; and, again, our Lord's words about casting out the "dumb and deaf spirit," "This kiud can corne forth by nothing but by pmyer and ast.lng. It is then by a similar appointment that Intercessio is the prerogatire and gift of the obedient and holy. 5. Vqy should we be unwilliug to adlnit what if is so great a consolation to know? Why should we refuse to credit the transforlning power and efficacy of out Lord's Sacrifice? Surely He did hot die for any COlnmon end, but in order to exalt man, who was of the dust ofthe field, into "heavenly places." He did hot die to leave him as he was, sinful, ignorant, and misemble. He Ex. xx. 12; Jet. xxxr. 18 19; Dan. x. 2-141 5Iark ix. 29.
did hot die fo see His purchased possession, as feeble in good works, as eorrupt., as poor-spirited, and as desponding as before He came. Rather, I[e died to renew hiln after IIis own image, to make him a being He might delight and rejoiec iii, t.o make him "partaker of the divine nature," to fil] hiln within and without with a flood of gTaee and glory, to pour out upon him gift upon gift, and virtue upon virtue, and power upon power, eaeh aeting upon each, and working together one and all, till he beeomes an Angel upon earth, instead of a rebel and an outeast., tle died to bestow upon him t.hat privilege which ilnplies or involves all others, and brings hilu iuto nearest resemblanee to Himself, the privilege of Intercession. This, I say, is the Christian's espeeial prerogative; aud if he does hot exereise it, eertainly he has hot risen to the conception of his real place among created beings Say llOt he is a son of Adam, and has to undergo a future judgluent; I know it; but he is SOluething besicles. ]Iow far he is advaneed into that higher state of being, how far he stil] lmguishes in his first condition, is, in the case of individuals, a secret with God. 8till evm T Christian is in a eert.ain sense both in the one and in the other: viewed in hinlself he ever pl'ays for pardm, and confesses sin; but viewed in Christ, he "has aeeess into this graee wherein we stand, and rejoiees in hope of the glo T of God." Viewed in his place in "the Church of the First-born enrolled in heaven," with his original debt eaneelled in ]3aptism, and all subsequent penalties put aside by Absolution, standing in God's Rom. v. 2.
presence upright and irreprovable, acceptêd in the Beloved, clad in the g,rments of righteousness, anointed with oil, and with a crown upo his head, in royal and priestly grb, as an heir o' eternity, flll of grace and good works, as walking in all the commandments of the Lord blameless, such an one, I repett it, is pliuly in his fitting place when he intercedes. He is marie after the pttterl and in thê fulness of Christhe is what Christ is. Christ intercedes above, and he intc'cedes bclow. Why should he linger in the doorwty, praying for pardon, who has bcen allowed to share in the gxace of the Lord's passion, to die with l[im and rise agtin? l[e is already in a capacity for higher things, l[is prayer thenceforth takes a higher range, and conteraplates hot himself merely, but others also. He is taken into the confidence and counsels of his Lord and Saviour. He reads in Scripture vhat the many cannot see there, the course of His providence, and the rules of YIis government in this world. IIe views the events of lfistory with a divinely enlighteed eye. He sees that a gret contest is going n among us between good and evil. He recognizes in sttesmen, and wiors, and kings, and people, in revolutions and changes, in trouble and prosperity, not merely casuel matters, but instruments and tokens of he,ven and of hell. Thus he is in some sense a prophet; hot a servnt, who obeys without knowing his Lord's 1)lans and purposes, but even a confidentiel "fmiliar friend" of tbe Only-begotten Son of God, cahn, collected, prepared, resolved, serene, amid this resfless and unhappy world. O lnystery of blessedness, too great to think of steadily, lest we grow dizzy! Well is if for those who are so giïted, that they do hOt for certain kow tbeir privilege; well is it for thenl that tlley can but timidly guess af it, or rather, I should say, are used, as well as l.ound, to contemplate it as extenml to themselves, lodged in the Church of which they are but members, and the gift of all saints in every time and place, without curiously inquiring whether itis theirs peculiarly above others, or doing more than availing themselves of if as any how a trnst committed to them (with vhatever success) to use. Well is if for tlem; for what mortal heart could bear to know that it is brought so near to God Incarnate, as to be one of those vho are perfecting holiness, and stand on the x-ery steps of the throne of Christ? To conclude. If any one asks, "How ara I to know whether I ara advanced enough in holiness to intercede?" he lins plainly nfistaken tbe doctrine undêr consideration. The prixilege of Intercession is a trust comnfitted to all Christians who have a clear conscience and are in full comnmnion with tbe Church. We leave secret things to God—what each man's real advancement is in holy things, aud 'hat his real power in the unseen world. Two tlfings alone concern us, to exercise out gift and make onrselves more and nlore worthy of it. The slothful and unprofitable servant hid his Lord's talent in a napkin. This sin be far from us as regards one of the 'eatest of out gifts! xvords and works 'e can but teach or influence a few; by out prayers we may benefit the whole world, and eve W individual of if, lfigh and lo; friend, stranger, and enemy. Is it not fearful then to look back on our past lives even in this one respect? IIow can we tell but that our king, our country, out Church, out institutions, and out own respective circles, would be in far happier circulnstances than they are, had we been in the practice of more earnest and serious prayer for them? How tan we complain of difficulties, national or personal, how c,nn we justly blame raid denounce evfl-lninded and powerful lnen, if we have but lightly used the intercessions offered up in the Litany, the Psahns, and in the I[,ly Conlnlunion? llow can we answer fo ourselves for the souls who have, in our time, lived and died in sin; the souls that have been lost and are now waiting for judgment, the infidcl, the blasphemer, the profligate, the covetous, the extortioncr; or those again whu have died vith but doubtful signs of faith, the death-bed penitent, the worldly, the doubleminded, the ambitious, the um'uly, the trifling, the self-willed, seeing that, for what we know, we were ordained fo influence or reverse their present destiny and ha'ce hot done it? Secondly and lastly, If so much depend on us, "Y'hat ruminer of persons ought we tobe, in all holy conversation and godliness!" Oh that we may henceforth be more diligent than heretofore, in keeping the mirror of our hearts unsullied and bright, so as fo rettect the image of the Son of God in the Father's presence, clean from the dust aud stains of this world, from envies and jealousies, strife and debate, bitterness and harslmess, indolence and inlpurity, care and discontent, deceit and neanness, arrogance and boasting! Oh that we may labour, hot in our own strength, but in the power of God the l[oly Spirit, tobe sober, chaste, temperate, meek, affectianate, good, fitithful, firm, hmnble, patient, cheerfil, resigned, under ail circumstanees, at all rimes, among all people, amid all trials and sorrows of this mortal lire! l[ay Goal grant us the power, aecording fo 1Ils promise, through llis Son our 8aviour Jesus Christ!