Still the Lord having anointed him "to bind

up

the broken-hearted, and to comfort those that mourn"-yea, as "the Captain of our salvation, to bring many sons to glory"-he did not turn back; but "set his face like a flint," never resting till he could say upon the cross, "IT IS FINISHED," or, "I have accomplished the work thou hast given me to do." This principle, my beloved friends, which he so gloriously manifested himself, he directs his disciples to pursue. Thus He says, in another place:* "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." And we find that his faithful servants have thus followed him. They have not regarded present danger, but have nobly trod in the steps of their Divine Master. Take for instance the Apostle St. Paul. After he had been stoned at Iconium, and drawn

* John xii. 25.

out of the city, and left, as it was supposed, for dead; he arose up and went with Barnabas to Derbe. There he preached the Gospel to many, and then returned again to Lystra and Iconium-to the very place where he had been thus cruelly treated; "confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." This is the lesson our Lord would teach his disciples: "Let us go "Let us go into Judea again" let us again pursue our benevolent path. But in giving this command, he does not send them upon a solitary errand: he says, "Let us go into Judea again." For not only has he said: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!" but he is especially so in times of danger. We have only to read the narrative of St. Paul's journeys, and we find this to be the case. Thus, when he came to Corinth, and the unbelieving Jews were blaspheming and making an uproar in the city: "then spake the Lord to Paul by night, in a vision, saying, Be not afraid, but speak; hold not thy

peace, for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city." So when the Jews banded against him at Jerusalem, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." In his Epistle to Timothy, he makes known the fulfilment of this promise: "At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me; I pray God

it

may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding THE LORD STOOD WITH ME, and strengthened me, that by me the preaching of the Gospel might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

Still further to encourage them in this benevolent principle, whilst thus supporting them by his gracious presence, we find our Lord in other parts of his word giving most precious promises, such as the one recorded by St. Mark: "Verily I say unto you, There is

* Chap. x. 29.

no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life." Here we see, that they who give up any present comfort for the Saviour, shall even in this life receive a hundredfold; and this, if not "in kind, in kindness;" or in that "abundance of peace and consolation" which causes "gladness of heart, far greater than when their corn and wine increase."

Such, my beloved friends, is the important practical principle disclosed in these words of our Lord: "Let us go into Judea again," let us pursue the path of benevolent love, though this path conducts us to the very place of danger. It is to be regretted, however, that whilst our Lord so frequently exemplified this principle, and encouraged this practice by so many gracious promises, his carnally-minded disciples

were constantly opposed to it. No sooner, therefore, did he say to them, "Let us go into Judea again," than they thus addressed him, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou thither again "' How can it be that you can think of undertaking such a service? Surely you forget the danger to which you are exposing yourself." For the same fearful spirit which presented to them the risk of the journey, without any consideration of the deep affliction of the family Jesus loved, prevented their attending to our Lord's previous escape, and his all-sufficient power again to deliver himself. The danger was all with them, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou thither again?" Here we may observe the same spirit manifested by the disciples, as in the season when our Lord began to shew them, "How that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the Elders, and Chief Priests, and Scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." It will be in your recollection, that, upon that occasion, "Peter took him, and