Observer, July 1, "2.

'He was

upon the cross, He made expiation for the sins of the world. wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Thus He has magnified the law and made it honourable. He suffered the penalty of sin that we might be forgiven. He died that we might live for evermore. He entered the gloomy portals of the grave, that the gates of paradise might be opened to all mankind. And by what He has done He has laid us under eternal obligations to love and serve Him.

3. We ought to love Christ because of what He is doing now. Think not, my hearers, that Jesus is less interested in us now than when He tabernacled among men. No. His interest in the great work of man's redemption is as true and deep as ever. When Jesus rose from the dead He ascended into the heavens to carry on His great mediatorial work. He came into the world to die for us. He ascended into heaven to intercede for us. And there at this moment He is carrying on a work of priestly grace on behalf of His people.

Many would gladly decide for Christ but they are afraid lest they should afterwards fall away. Now this difficulty can only exist where the work that Jesus is doing now has been lost sight of. Remember, Christ not only died to save you in the past, but He lives to save you in the present, and in the future. If we were left to "endure to the end" in our own unaided strength, not one of us could hope to enter heaven. But, O how comforting! Jesus our great High Priest "Is able to save them to the uttermost (evermore-margin) that come unto God by Him, Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." And through Him we may depend upon receiving daily and hourly grace for daily and hourly need. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

4. We ought to love Christ because of what He has promised to do for us. He has gone to prepare a place for His people. He has promised to come again, and receive us to Himself, that where He is, there we may be also. O how kind! How gracious! How condescending! Receive us to Himself! That where He is, there we may be also! That poor sinners should be elevated to the highest rank in glory with Jesus is surely the crowning miracle of grace. Now we are sinners saved by grace. shall be sinners crowned by grace. Sinners glorified by grace. of the free, rich, superabounding grace of God, through all the ages of eternity. Because of what He is in Himself, because of what He has done for us, because of what He is doing now, and because of what He has promised to do. Jesus, the Son of God, merits the deep and undying love of the human race.

II.

Then we Monuments

WHERE LOVE TO CHRIST really exists it will MANIFEST itself in OBEDIENCE. "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words."

Love to Christ pre-supposes faith in Him. This clearly understood, I proceed to state four of the commands which He has given. These commands are applicable to believers in various positions. It will thus be seen that ample opportunities have been given to all, to evince the genuineness of their love to the Saviour, by their faithfulness in keeping His words. The commands to which I allude relate to Baptism, the Lord's Supper, Brotherly Love, and Personal Holiness.

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BAPTISM.-Hear the words of the Lord Jesus to his Apostles-" Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned.”—Mark xvi. 15, 16. Hear also the Apostle Peter, in the first sermon preached after the commission was given,-" Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."-Acts ii., 38.. There may be some persons here this evening who believe in, and profess to love, the Lord Jesus; but who have not been baptized since they believed. The attention of such is respectfully called to the scriptures quoted. And allow me affectionately to remind you that Jesus has said, "If a man love me he will keep my words." Well," one says, "I cannot see what better I would be by being baptized." Never mind, your business is to obey. "ff a man love me he will keep my words." Well, but I cannot see what the baptism of the body in water can do towards washing away the sins of the soul." Never mind, your business is to obey. "If a man love me he will keep my words." It is enough for us to know that remission of sins is promised to the penitent believer in baptism. "Well, but I cannot see the point of connection between the means used and the end sought, and I will not be baptized till I do." One or two illustrations from the Old Testament will, I think shew you, that this decision on your part is not wise. And they (the children of Israel), journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. people spake against God and against Moses. Wherefore have ye brought

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us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said,—We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived."Num. xxi., 4-9. Will anyone be kind enough to tell me the point of connection between the means used and the end sought here? Those bitten and dying Israelites might have said, "I cannot see what possible connection there can be between my looking at a serpent of brass, upon a pole, and the extraction of this poison from my veins, and I will not look till I do." But, if any Israelite had spoken thus, he would have proved himself, not a wise man, but a fool.

Take another illustration,-"Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, see, I have given into thine hand Jericho and the king thereof and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. This shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of ram's horns, and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a

Observer, July 1, '72.

great shout and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."-Josh. vi., 1-5. What was the point of connection between the means used and the end sought here? Can anyone explain the connection between the blowing of ram's horns and the overthrow of the walls of Jericho? I can conceive the smile of supreme contempt with which some people now living would have received Joshua's command. "The idea of bringing down those strong walls by blowing ram's horns! How ridiculous! Much better to spend those seven days preparing battering rams!" But was it ridiculous? The sequel shows that it came to pass, precisely as the Lord had spoken.

One more illustration. "Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper ****** And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."-2 Kings v. What was the point of connection between the means commanded to be used, and the end sought in this case? Naaman could see none whatever. Indeed he seemed to feel as though the prophet had only mocked him. Hence we read that he turned and went away in a rage. But was it mockery? Let the narrative speak for itself. "Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."

And was there no point of connection between the means used and the end sought in each of these cases? Yes: unquestionably yes. The point of connection consisted in the command and the promise of God. So also with baptism. The command and the promise of God on the one hand, your faith and obedience on the other, constitute the living links of connection between baptism and the remission of sins. Human wisdom, human reason, and human pride will always be staggered by something in the divine arrangements. Let it ever be ours to cultivate that simple faith, and that implicit submission to the will of Christ, which will lead us to believe all that He has taught, and to obey all that He enjoins.

THE LORD'S SUPPER.-Baptism is not the only command binding upon the believer. It is only the first. The faithful observance of the Lord's supper also devolves upon all who love the Saviour. Does anyone ask why? My simple reply is, because the Lord has commanded it. It is suffi cient for me to know that it is His will that I should do a given thing. Without staying to reason it is my duty to obey. But our blessed Lord in infinite condescension and grace has been pleased to tell us why He requires us to do this. "This do in remembrance of me."-Luke xxii., 19, 20. He well knew the frailty of human nature at its best estate. He well knew our weakness and inconstancy. He well knew how prone our hearts are to wander from Himself, and by this holy institution He would aid us to live near His cross. Thus in the weekly observance of this ordinance, which is everywhere admitted to have been the apostolic practice, we have frequent opportunities of having our feeble faith increased, and our spiritual strength renewed.

Observer, July 1, '72.

BROTHERLY LOVE.-"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."-John xiii., 34, 35. There is need for faithful teaching on this subject. How many heart-burnings, jealousies and evil surmisings, disgrace the Christian profession. Even among those who have been baptized into the name of Christ, and who come regularly to the Lord's table there have been, many who have caused that worthy name wherewith we are called to be blasphemed by their gross violations of the new commandment. But know, my brethren, that without brotherly love neither baptism nor the Lord's supper will avail you anything. This has been made the badge and test of discipleship. Our Lord does not say "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have been baptized." Neither does He say, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye come regularly to my memorial feast." But He does say, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Brethren, we are members of one family. We ought, therefore, to possess the family feeling and spirit-love. Heaven is our home. There love will reign supreme in every heart.

"Beyond this vale of tears,

There is a life above;

Unmeasured by the flight of years,

And all that life is love."

But let us never forget that we must love here if we would love there. Do we love one another? It is easy to love those who live in the same street, pay the same rent, wear the same kind of dress, and occupy the same social position. But to love those who are poorer, those who are subjected to care, and want, and toil-that is where the shoe pinches. Will our love stand this test? Will it break through all distinctions of class, and caste, and pride, and hail every disciple as a brother beloved? If genuine, it will. If it will not then-" The coin is spurious, nail it down." "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

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PERSONAL HOLINESS.-"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."-Matt. v., 48. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”—Heb. xii., 14. Many people seem to think that God will make them holy by miracle at the resurrection. Hence the feeble efforts which they put forth after holiness in this life. But it is nowhere said in Scripture that holiness is to be wrought in us by miracle. On the contrary, it is to be wrought out by ourselves in the present life, by God's help and blessing. Instead of creating us holy by miracle at the resurrection, the decree will then go forth" He that is unjust, let him be unjust still and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Heaven is the home of the holy, and none but the holy can enter there. And seeing that all who are holy there must have become holy here, "Let us be diligent, that we may be found in peace, without spot and blameless." Have we to lament our low attainments in holiness? Do we find it exceedingly hard to make any progress at all? O let us get nearer to the Lord! The closer we keep to Christ, the greater will be our growth in grace. And the difficulty of becoming holy will just increase in proportion to our distance from Him. It is a

Observer, July 1, '72.

law of our moral nature that we become assimilated to those objects which we most closely and constantly contemplate. Let us give Jesus the first place in our thoughts. Let Him be the subject of our devout and daily study. And in the devout, reverent and adoring contemplation of Jesus, we cannot fail to rise into His image in purity and grace. For "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." III. THE BLESSED REWARD OF LOVING OBEDIENCE. "And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." "MY FATHER WILL LOVE HIM."-The love of God may be a love of pity and compassion, or it may be love in its highest sense-that of compla cency approbation, and delight. We require to keep these two manifestations of the divine love before our minds in reading the Scriptures. Some texts represent God's love to us as the cause of our love to Him,- -"We love him, because he first loved us." Others represent our love to God as the cause of His love to us, as in the passage before us.-“ If a man love me he will keep my words, and my Father will love him." Now there is no contradiction. All is perfect harmony to the intelligent and discriminating reader. In the first instance the love of God is that of pity and compassion, in giving up Jesus to die for our sins. Overwhelmed with gratitude and love to Him who first loved us, we are constrained to yield a grateful and loving obedience to the words of Jesus. Then the Father looks down upon us with feelings of complacency, approbation and delight, because we have done those things which are well pleasing in His sight. This is the highest manifestation of divine love. This is the love with which He loves His Son. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again." The Father did not look with pity and compassion upon His Son, because He came to die for man. But He did look upon Him with feelings of complacency, approba tion, and delight. And so it is with every faithful follower of Jesus. While walking in obedience to the will of God, he may rest assured that the divine eye is ever beaming down upon him in highest, holiest satisfaction. O bliss unspeakable! Joy beyond all thought! Be it ever mine to know this purest, sweetest, highest love of God! All such rejoice in the light of Jehovah's countenance: live and walk happy in the smile of God.

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"And we will come unto him." What a wellspring of blessing is here! What heights and depths of grace are here! He has said, “ And my Father shall love him"; but now mark the change in the language,— WE will come unto him." Instead of the singular person He substitutes the plural, we. And thus the Father and the Son are associated in the rich communications of Gospel grace. We will come unto him: in the time of weakness to strengthen: in the time of temptation to succour: in the time of perplexity to direct aright: in the time of danger to shield: in the time of sadness to cheer: and in the time of mourning to pour into the wounded and bleeding heart, the balm of healing and consolation.

AND MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM.-The allusion here, is doubtless to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Christian. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."