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but also in that of our own glorified and exalted Redeemer. As the members of his body, we ought certainly to maintain a pleasing sympathy with our Head, and to triumph in his honour and felicity as our own. If we love Christ, we should rejoice, because he is gone to the Father. And the same consideration may in its degree comfort us when our pious friends are removed: if we love them with a rational and generous friendship, and are not too much influenced by selfish affections under that specious name, our joy for their exaltation will greatly temper the sorrow which our loss must give us.

Our Lord uttered these words in the near views of a grievous assault from the prince of this world, who is the prince of darkness; but there was no corruption in him to take part with the enemy. Too much, alas, does he find in us to abet his temptations: let us earnestly pray that the grace of Christ may be sufficient for us: and that as his love to the Father engaged him to go through this painful conflict with the tempter, his love to us may make us partakers of his victory. In his name let us set up our banners; and the powers of hell shall flee before us.

SECTION XCV.

JOHN XV. 1-11.

I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me,

so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

How desirable it is that we may learn from this discourse to regard Christ, at all times, as the spiritual Head, from whom life and vigour are to be derived to all his people! Let us by the exercise of an unfeigned faith abide in him as the true vine; as being always sensible that without him we can do nothing; and that if we are in him only by an external profession, we are not only in danger of being cut off, and taken away, but shall in the end be cast into the fire. May we rather be purged and pruned, though it should be with the most painful dispensations of providence; if by this means our fruitfulness may be promoted to the glory of God, and to the benefit of the world! May his word operate daily upon us, to cleanse us from remaining pollutions! and if we thus desire to be clean, let us take heed to our way, according to the tenor of that word. (Psalm cxix. 9.)

We see our encouragement to pray: let us take it from Christ, and not be dismayed, nor yield to unbelieving suspicions. As the Father has loved Christ, so does he also love his people. Let us preserve and cultivate this sacred friendship; and, whatever it may cost us, let us endeavour to continue in his love, and to avoid whatever would forfeit it; making it above all things our care to keep his commandments. Christ always observing those of his heavenly Father, cannot but always and invariably continue the object of his love and delight may our conduct be such as that he may see reason to rejoice in us! and then we shall also have the surest foundation for a sublime and solid joy.

SECTION XCVI.

JOHN XV. 12-27.

THIS is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the

servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also.-If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

The Son of God condescends to speak under the character of a Friend and with what humble gratitude should we attend to his words! He lays aside the majesty of a sovereign to assume this more tender relation; and surely our overflowing hearts must inquire, blessed Jesus, what shall we do to express the friendship on our side? Let us observe what

he has here declared, Ye are my friends indeed, if ye do whatever command I you. Lord, we will run the way of these thy commandments, when on this noblest principle thou shalt enlarge our hearts! (Psalm cxix. 32.)

He has loved us with an unexampled affection, which has approved itself stronger than death; and, in return, he requires us to love one another. How gracious a command! How merciful to our fellow-creatures and to ourselves, who should infallibly feel the benefit of the practice of it, both in the delight inseparable from benevolent affections, and in the circulation of kind and friendly offices, which, degenerate as human nature is, few are so abandoned as not to endeavour to repay! Who would not imagine that the whole world should feel and obey the charm? And yet, instead of this, behold, they hate Christ, and his servants for his sake, though without a cause, and against the strongest engagements. Miserable creatures! who by a necessary consequence, whatever they may fondly imagine, hate the Father also, and stand daily and hourly exposed to all the dreadful terrors of an almighty enemy.

Let us not wonder if the world hate us: nor greatly regard it if it injure us. We are not of the world, nor is the servant greater than his lord: but surely the opposition which the gospel brings along with it, is nothing when compared with those blessings which it entails on all who faithfully embrace it. Were the sufferings and difficulties a thousand times greater than they are, we ought to esteem the Pearl of price, the most happy purchase at any rate, and to be daily returning our most thankful acknowledgments, that Christ sent forth his apostles, qualified with such a knowledge of himself, and assisted by such power from his Spirit, appointing them to go and bring forth fruit, even fruit which should remain to the remotest ages. Through his guardian care it still remains in the world: Oh may it flourish more abundantly among us! and may its efficacy on our hearts and lives be more apparent! And may Divine grace convince those who now reject and oppose it, that in the midst of such various evidence of his having come and spoken to them, they have no cloak for their sin! but with whatever fond excuses they may amuse themselves and others, it will quickly appear, that the bed is too short to stretch themselves on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap themselves in. (Isa. xxviii. 20.)

SECTION XCVII.

JOHN XVI. 1-15.

THESE things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever. killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.-But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

How great is the ignorance and folly of them that persecute their brethren iu the name of the Lord, and kill his dear children under the pretence of offering him an acceptable

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