g shipwreck, from the depth of the sea; mercifully
hear us, and grant that by the merits of both we may obtain the glory of
eternity." [H. 149.]

Now suppose for a moment it had been intended in any one prayer
negatively to exclude the merits of Christ from the great work of our
eternal salvation, and to limit our hopes of everlasting glory to the
merits of St. Peter and St. Paul, could that object have been more
effectually and fully secured than by this prayer? Not one word alluding
to the redemption which is in Christ can be found in this prayer. The
sentiment in the first member of the prayer refers us to the power
exercised by the Son of God, and Son of man, when he was intabernacled
in our flesh; and the second expression teaches us to contemplate the
providence of our Almighty Saviour in his deeds of beneficence. But no
reference, even by allusion, is here made to the merits of Christ's
death--none to his merits as our great Redeemer; none to his merits as
our never-ceasing and never-failing Intercessor. We are led to approach
the throne of grace only with the merits of the two Apostles on our
tongue. If those who offer it hope for acceptance through THE MEDIATION
of Jesus Christ, and for the sake of his merits, that hope is neither
suggested nor fostered by this prayer. The truth, as it is in Jesus,
would compel us in addressing {256} Him, the Saviour of the world, to
think of the merits of neither Peter nor Paul, of neither angel nor
spirit. Instead of praying to him that we may obtain the glories of
eternity for their merits, true faith in Christ would bid us throw
ourselves implicitly on his omnipotent merits alone, and implore so
great a blessing for his own mercy's sake. If we receive the whole
truth, can it appear otherwise than a disparagement of his perfect and
omnipotent merits, to plead with Him the merits of one, whom the Saviour
himself rebuked with as severe a sentence as ever fell from his lips,
"Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence to me; for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men;"
[Matt. xvi. 23.] and of another who after his conversion, when speaking
of the salvation wrought by Christ, in profound humility confesses
himself to be a chief of those sinners for whom the Saviour died, "This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief?" [1 Tim. i.
15.] We feel, indeed, a sure