The prayer looks forward to a perfect fulfilment. His prayer cannot be
vain.
(_a_) Perfect in degree.
(_b_) Perfect in extent, when all shall be gathered together and the
'whole family' shall be 'in heaven,' and Christ's own word receives its
crowning realisation, that 'of all whom the Father hath given Him He
has lost nothing.'
And these are not some handful picked out by a decree which we can
neither fathom nor alter, but Christ is given to us all, and if we
choose to take Him, then for us He has ascended; and as we watch Him
going up the voice comes to us: 'I go to prepare a place for you. I
will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye
may be also.'