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Whose children are you willing to see sent down to the world of woe?

Look to the Apostles. Mark the toil, the self-denial, the suffering which they underwent; the cheerfulness and perseverance with which they sustained these evils. Who, among the vast family of Adam, ever laboured and suffered like them? For what did they labour and suffer? By the side of these disinterested and glorious men, serenely and cheerfully encountering toil, danger, persecution, and death, to form disciples for Christ, and fill heaven with inhabitants, how do statesmen, kings, and conquerors shrink, and wither, and fade from our sight.

Look to the cross. Behold the Son of God nailed to the accursed tree, pouring out his blood, and giving up the ghost, that man might be saved! Shall Christ die, and will you refuse to labour, that your fellow-men may live for ever?

Awake, then, to righteousness, to your obvious, unceasing, and most important duty. God has given you all that you are, and all that you possess. Your possessions are his; you are

his. "All souls are mine. The silver is mine, and the gold "is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. Render, therefore, to God "the things that are God's." Cheerfully as well as faithfully, perseveringly as well as patiently, devote your time, your talents, your property, and your efforts to this divine purpose. Let no difficulty discourage, no passion slacken, and no obstacle prevent your exertions. Extend them through life, and say from the heart, day by day, "If I forget thee, O Jeru"salem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not "remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my "mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

But it is not sufficient that you labour. If you would find success, you must pray also. No good descends from heaven to this world, except as an answer to prayer. "Ask, and ye "shall receive" is the great law according to which all blessings are given. Pray always with all prayer and supplication of the Spirit, therefore, for the restoration of mankind to the favour and the service of God. For this glorious end let the secret aspirations of the closet rise unceasingly to the throne of

mercy. These let the morning and evening oblation of the household accompany every day to the presence of God, and call down the life-giving influence of the Spirit of grace upon this world of death and ruin. Finally, for the same delightful end, let the sweet incense of the sanctuary ascend in one vast cloud to heaven, from Sabbath to Sabbath, as the united and acceptable offering of all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, to Him who has not said to the house of Jacob, "Seek ye "my face in vain." Thus shall the millions of your fellowmen, ransomed of the Lord, return and come to Zion with "songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall ob"tain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee 66 away."

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SERMON XV.

CHRIST LOVES HIS CHILDREN TO THE END.

SERMON I.

JOHN XIII. 1.

"Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

THE period with which this chapter commences, is placed, by judicious commentators, immediately before the last passover, at which our Saviour was present. The declaration made in the text is intended, as I apprehend, to refer to all the events, and to all the discourses contained in the subsequent parts of the book. By most of them it is directly illustrated, and, by the whole taken together, it is placed in the strongest light conceivable.

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Having loved," that is, having once begun to love, indicating, that placing his affection was decisive with regard to its continuance, and that it was insusceptible of decay or termination.

"His own, which were in the world." This phraseology teaches us that they were his property, chosen for himself, and destined to his use and service. All things are his for they were made by him, and for him. But these were his in a pe

culiar manner, and are here intentionally distinguished as standing in a nearer relation to him than any thing else which this world contains. His property in them is peculiar, both in kind and degree, and his interest in them of a superior na

ture.

At the same time, they were still in the world, and were not numbered with those who, being his own property, had ascended to heaven. The objects of his love here specified, were not" the spirits of just men made perfect." They were still, in greater or less degrees, sinners. They were sanctified only in part, and were but partially attached to him. They had many errors, many follies, and many faults, still remaining, and therefore many things to be blamed and to be forgiven. Their disposition was at times alienated from his interests, and opposed to his precepts. At the best, it was imperfectly conformed to his pleasure. Even the good which they would, or wished to do, at times they did not; and the evil which they would not, they often did, because of the sin still remaining in them. He did not love them, therefore, merely on account of their personal worth, but with views of a more exalted na

ture.

"He loved them unto the end." The end here may, without violence, be variously understood; and yet the application of the term be strictly just, as well as highly impor

tant.

From the text thus briefly explained, I derive this doctrine :

Christ loves his children unto the end.

This doctrine I shall illustrate from his conduct towards his apostles. Particularly,

I. He chose them out of the world.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” John xv. 16. They were originally, like ourselves, miserable sinners. "In them, that is in their flesh," as St. Paul testifies of himself, "dwelt no good thing;" nothing which rendered them worthy and amiable in his sight; nothing on which he could

look with approbation. On the contrary, they were enemies. to his character, cross, and kingdom. They 66 were in the "world," in the moral or worst sense," the world that lieth "in wickedness;" but, as he informs them in the 16th chapter," he chose them out of the world."

In the same time, they were born of humble lineage, were educated in a very lowly and limited manner, and lived in obscurity and insignificance. It was therefore obvious, that they could be of no consequence to him. He could derive from them neither instruction, property, assistance, nor credit. It was of course impossible that he should have chosen them for his own benefit. Whatever they were to do for him, at any future period, it was indispensable that he should enable them to do it. Their power, their wisdom, nay, the very disposition with which they were to act, must be all derived from him. Even these, then, and the usefulness to which they gave birth, could be no original reasons why he chose them; for he could have given exactly the same attributes, and furnished exactly the same usefulness to any others.

In choosing them, he covenanted with them, although they perhaps knew nothing of the fact, to supply all their wants; so far as should be necessary for his service, or their good. From this time he took their wants upon himself, and the supplies of them; their sins, and the atonement of them; their sufferings, and the necessary relief. A series of offices, infinitely necessary to them, and infinitely benevolent on his part, he now began; in which he displayed unlimited condescension, and in which, through an interminable progress, his love was to be more and more unfolded to them for

ever.

II. In teaching them the doctrines and precepts of his religion.

The benevolent, and, to them indispensable office of an instructor, he assumed from the beginning, and continued it until his ascension. Nay, he resumed it after this wonderful event; and, although he had finally left the world as a place of residence, he sent down his Spirit to dwell with them, to

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