of affection as those of a truly converted sailor, and all the more for the genuine nature which there is in them. We need not hesitate, perhaps, to repeat the anecdote of a rough son of the ocean, who, being wrought upon by preaching, stood up, and in the first impulse of true submission to his Maker, his face flooded with tears, waved his hat, and gave a cheer, using the name of God. That was his way of saying, "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof;" nor did Gabriel, perhaps, ever say, 'Hosanna,' more sincerely or acceptably to God. The interest and love which such a man awakens in you is deeper far in the heart of Christ. Judging from the interest which certain individuals awakened in him when on earth, we are constrained to feel that there are none whom he loves more than the sons of the ocean, when, amidst temptations, opposition, bad influences of every kind, in perils of waters, in perils in the city, in deaths oft, they love and serve him with all their hearts. We will think of Christ as the seamen's Friend, pledging his friendship for them by one of the first acts of his life. Let all who preach to seamen, let all who are specially devoted in any way to efforts for their good, be encouraged in thinking of Christ as the seamen's Friend. In grateful recollection of the fishermen of Galilee, let us help the Seamen's Friend Societies, and when their cause is presented to us, let us seem to

hear Andrew and Peter, James and John, pleading with us for their brethren. To whom would they be drawn with stronger interest, should they revisit earth, than to their brethren on our lakes and seas? Look into that narrow place in the ship, see that dim lamp, watch that storm-beaten, weather-stained face of the seaman, as he reads in a Bible which you have procured for him, that He who made " Arcturus, Orion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the south," and who "alone treadeth on the waves of the sea," loves him, and gave himself for him, and says to him, even to him, Follow me. Let no sister of such as he, through our neglect, mourn over his hopeless death, and have occasion to say, “Lord, if thou hadst been there, my brother had not died." The surface of the deep will one day be alive with the hundreds of thousands who sleep in it. May we have reason to think that some of them by our means had made Christ, who was their Friend, the Saviour of their souls.

SERMON X.

JOHN.

JOHN XXI. 20.

THEN PETER, TURNING ABOUT, SEETH THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED FOLLOWING, WHICH ALSO LEANED ON HIS BREAST AT SUPPER, AND SAID, LORD, WHICH IS HE THAT BETRAYETH THEE?

JOHN alone tells us that he is that disciple whom Jesus loved, and in five instances he uses that designation of himself which no other evangelist has applied to him. He tells us that at the last supper "there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved;" that Jesus from the cross saw "his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved;" that Mary Magdalene ran with the news of the resurrection to Simon Peter, "and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved;" that when Jesus appeared to the disciples at Tiberias after his resurrection, "that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord;" and that Peter, having had his own violent death disclosed to him by Christ, "turning about, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved follow

ing, which also leaned upon his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?"

It is unnecessary to say that this disciple was grat ified with this name a new name, which the love of his adorable Master had written upon him; but while a friend and favorite of a royal person might be expected to place great value upon a name or title conferred by his king, to be used by others in addressing him, it is unusual to designate one's self as having been specially beloved; and it is the more unusual when others do not thus refer to him. Some would be liable to the imputation of vanity under these circumstances; but a man whom Christ loved may be trusted to speak of himself. Selfishness in him will be controlled by humility -ambition and vanity be displaced by simplicity and godly sincerity. His being beloved by Christ presents itself to the mind of John as a truth rather than a cause for vain glory. Unconscious of wrong motives in speaking of it, he is not jealous that others will envy him; and at the same time, only one who was conscious that his conduct would bear criticism would be willing to use a designation of himself which would be sure to invite the strictest scrutiny of his words and actions. Praise has the effect upon a good man to make him humble; it makes him think how many things there are in him not discerned by others, which, if known, he supposes would lessen their approbation, and that at

least God knows them, and it therefore seems a light thing to be judged of man's judgment. If love and approbation from a good man greatly esteemed thus discloses our unworthiness, and acts as an incentive to goodness, the love of Christ to John must have had a subduing and purifying effect upon his character. While it left him still a frail mortal, it gave him confidence in his motives, and made him transparent in his feelings and conduct; so that, with the strength and dignity of a man, he nevertheless had the artless simplicity of a child who speaks of loving and being loved with no imputation or suspicion from us of being vain.

There is an incident in the history of John which is a striking illustration of this simplicity of character proceeding from a conscience void of offence, and at the same time it presents us with the strongest form of testimony from others to the purity of his character, and shows us the relation between him and Christ.

At the last supper "Jesus was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake." Matthew says, "And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one to say unto him, Lord, is it I?" Christ gave an answer, but Matthew does not tell us particularly how that answer was obtained. John completes the narration. He says, "Now, there was