Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-27
Abstract OF Sermon
By e. II. Webster Feb. 10th, 1873.

y
utterlnt st hat come unto Sod by him, seeing he
ever iiveth To make intercession for them, -
Hr6. 3:12:}.
The present reading Of this text
seems to teach-what, indeed, has been
quite too commonly held-that Christ
is able to save us from certain infic-
tions and punishments, which God
would else bring upon us. seeing he
ever lives to plead with God against
such inhiction. and to keep God in a
state of mind favorable to u.s. But
this idea, seems to me, to put God,
before the world at an immense disad-
vantage, as compared with Jesus Christ,
| | think also, that it contradicts the
very central, truth of the New Testa-
ment-viz. "God so loved the world
that he gave his only begetten son that
whosoever believeth in him might not
perish but have everlasting life" Ac-
cording to this, Christ's whole work is
but an expression, a revelation OF Gods
love: while according to the reading
and common Interpretation OF our text,
Gods kindness, and willingness to
bless us. is result Of Christ's work.
4 better reading of the text-one
which the original language entirely
warrants-is this, ''seeing he ever hveth
to interpose in their behalf The
Interpretation then is, not that he in
terposes between us and God, to save
US from his correctings or judicial in
fictions, but that he interposes between
us and our foes, the world, the flesh,
and the devil that he ever lives to
interpose his strength. where we are
weak hi, wisdom, where we are ig-
norant in short, his hclpfulness, him-
self, just when and where we need.
There is, indeed another text, in
this very epistle, which seems to bear
out the reading and Interpretation
which we have rejected, to wit Heb.
9::2244-''For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for US AS though
he went to, present our case to God,
and use his personal influence to secure
from God, graciousncss and mercy
| toward us which God would else, not
have shown or, as though, after the
manner of the jewish priests, he went
to heaven to make an offering to God,
that should secure his grace, or favor,
for Us. But the truth s even Christ's
death is a manitesting of Gods grace
to US for, by the grace Of Col he
tasted death for every man" Now it
is plain contradiction to say, that be-
cause of the great favor or grace Of
God toward US, Jesus died, and then
to say that he died and went to God to
secure that grace. [ know, Christ
has too often been represented as stand
inc before God, and arguing with our
Father, using hi. experiences Of sor-
row and suffering in this world, as the
grand reason why God should listen to
him, and show favor to the world
but how heathenish this appears, when
we set it out plainly before US. What
affection can we have for what conf
dence can we have IN a God, who needs
to be argued with, to be persuaded, to
be good to US The truth is, Gods
love to us, is the ground out of which
grows all that Christ did and taught
and suffered It was because God was
infinitely gracious to us already, and
from the beginning, that Christ came
at all. Christ IS indeed God himself
manifest in the flesh, s'reconciling
the world unto himself" [ under
stand then that he 'appears in the pres
ence of God for u.s., not to move God
whose good will is already and always
perfect, but as our Savior-that is, he
is there at the seat of universal power,
where he can best serve us and manage
for us and help US; where he may
best use not himself to move God, but
all the resources of God to move us
and win us and save US.
With this general Interpretation, let
US notice the three points in our text
First-"thene that come unto God by
him.
Second-he is able to sare to the utter
most.
Third" -"seeing he ever lives to inter
poseto them.
First-not those who say-he died for
me and so [ shall be saved that is