nd there is occupied in presenting Himself
before the Father in intercession for us--covering all our approach to
God with His acceptableness. Out of the protecting power of this love
of Christ, then, who shall tear us? It is quite true that troubles may
beat upon us--outward affliction, or inward trouble, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword. We may find that only the
words of the Psalmist[1] suit our case, 'For thy sake are we being put
to death the whole day: the estimate formed of us is that of sheep
meant for slaughter.' But in all these contingencies the love of
Christ can supply us with a more than victorious power. For this is
St. Paul's conviction, that no conceivable power {324} of life or of
death, or of the angelic hierarchy, nothing in present circumstances or
future destiny, no possible force, neither the highest height of
heavens or the deepest depth of hell, no possible creation of God other
than what we now know to exist, shall be able to tear us from that
which holds us in a grasp stronger than the strongest--the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus, who is our Lord.

What then shall we say to these things? If God _is_ for us, who _is_
against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for
us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth; who is he that shall condemn? It is Christ Jesus that
died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it
is written,

For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is not much that needs comment in these verses. We may notice
the contrast {325} between the tone of the Psalmist quoted by St.
Paul--weighed down, like many a servant of the older covenant, with the
unintelligible experience of the persecution