PART VI.]

OBEDIENCE THE TEST OF LOVE.

than in hearing the prayers, and satisfying the desires, and supplying the wants, of his people. Our Father in heaven is glorified in the holiness and happiness of his children; and how delightful to think that Jesus, who died for us, is the depository and dispenser of all blessings to us! I will do it: "Ask, says he, "and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." We are not straitened in "Hitherto ye have asked nothing." him, however we may be straitened in ourselves. He is "a sun and a shield; he will give grace and glory; and no good thing will he withhold" from his believing, desiring, praying people. He will bestow blessings on his poor petitioners, till there is no room to receive. "Open, then, your mouths wide, that he may fill them." Praise him for his munificence-trust in his promises. Let your supplications daily be presented in his name before the in sinIf you pray for an answer. up throne of God, and look cerity and faith, you shall not pray in vain. Oh, that we were but as desirous of receiving-as ready to receive the blessings of his salvation, as he is to bestow them!

VI.

KEEPING CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS A TRUE MANIFESTATION OF LOVE TO HIM.

JOHN XIV. 15.—" If ye love me, keep my commandments."

THERE is an abruptness in these words, an apparent want of connection both with what precedes and with what follows them, that, at the first glance, must strike every attentive reader. They occur in the midst of a number of consolatory considerations, suggested by our Lord to abate the extreme trouble of heart which the intimation of the near approach and painful accompaniments of his departure from his apostles had produced,—considerations admirably fitted, all of them, to answer this benignant purpose.

Previously to his uttering these words, he had told them that he was going home to his Father's "house of many mansions," that his object in going thither was to prepare a residence for them there, and that when the arrangements were completed he would return, and take them all along with him, to dwell with him and his and their Father, for ever, in these heavenly mansions. He had further assured them that the power of working miracles, which they had derived from him, was not to be withdrawn from them at his departure, and that they, in consequence of his departure, were to be enabled to do things which, in magnitude and importance, should far transcend any miraculous works, whether performed by him or by them.

16 John xvi. 23, 24.

And then, immediately after uttering the words before us, he proceeds to assure them that though they were to be deprived of the bodily presence of him who had been their instructor, their monitor, their keeper, their guide, their comforter for all these ideas are folded up in the word "paraclete," rendered by our translators, here, "comforter," and in the First Epistle by John "advocate "he would in the spirit of truth send them another instructor, and monitor, and helper, and guide, and comforter, who should more than compensate for the loss of his bodily presence, teaching them all things, leading them into all truth, bringing all things to their remembrance, and remaining with them for ever.

It is just in the midst of these most appropriate and powerfully consolatory considerations, which naturally run into each other, that the words of our text are abruptly, to a reader unexpectedly, introduced "If ye love me, keep my commandments." When we call up to our minds the whole circumstances in the scene in the upper chamber after supper, the abruptness, which at first surprises, is seen to be in the highest degree natural, and "the golden words" before us will appear as full of consolation as of instruction, as expressive of benignity as of wisdom.

Sorrow had filled the hearts of the disciples, filled them to an overflow-so filled them, that at present there was no room in them for other thoughts and feelings. Our Lord's exceeding great and precious promises seem to have made no sensible impression. They could not then receive them. They could not realize future good. They only felt that, about to lose their Lord, they were very miserable. Our Lord witnessed, with tender sympathy, but not with entire approbation, their deep distress, their sad countenances, their deep-drawn sighs, their silent tears. He saw in them genuine symptoms of a genuine love, and, with his characteristic wisdom, he appeals to the right affection for the purpose of checking what was wrong in its manifestation. It is as if he had said-'I am sensible of your affection to meI never doubted it-I see it now very distinctly expressed; but there is a better way of showing your affection for me than this. If ye love me, manifest your love, not by inconsolable regrets for my necessary departure, but by compliance with the injunctions I have laid on you.' "Let not your hearts be troubled: believe in God, believe in me; watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." Take heed that ye be not offended in me this night. That were a proof of your affection to me, which would give me far more satisfaction, and bring you more relief, and in yielding which you would give vent to your affectionate feelings, and thus find consolation and peace.'

This seems the direct reference of our Lord's words, which, however, express the general truths, that obedience to him is the best proof of love; and that this manifestation of love is one of

1 παράκλητος.

2 "Ne luctu ostendite, amorem, sed obedientia.”—GROTI S.

the best ways of obtaining an alleviation of the sorrow produced by his departure.

The case admits of easy illustration from a somewhat parallel one, of no rare occurrence in this world of bereavement and sorrow. A venerated parent, a beloved brother, "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother," is stretched on the bed of suffering, soon, obviously soon, to be the bed of death. The affectionate relatives stand around in deep, speechless sorrow. The eye soon about to be closed in the darkness of death, beaming with a more than natural brightness, rests benignantly on them, and the voice soon to drop for ever into silence, in feeble but distinct accents thanks them for all the proofs of their love, and for this last one also, but requests them to show their regard to him, by habitually living under the influence of that truth, which it had been his most earnest desire to impress on their hearts. And would not compliance with that request be the best proof of their affection, would it not give unmixed satisfaction to their departed, sainted relative, were he made aware of it-and would they not in this mode of expressing love for their departed relation, sooner and better, than in any other way, rise above the bitterness of the unavailing regrets occasioned by their bereavement?

Oh, how full of wisdom, how full of grace, are the words of our Lord! How kind is he in his reproofs, how considerate in his kindness! He knows our frame-he remembers we are dust. He tells his sorrowing disciples that the acceptable way of expressing affection for him, was not by regretful musings on his departure and their loss, but by active diligence in obeying his commandments, and doing their duty-intimating, though obscurely, what he expresses more distinctly by and by, that such an expression of affection would not pass unnoticed by him, but would be witnessed with delight by him from his throne on high, and send a thrill of holy satisfaction through his heart, even amid the glories and joys of the celestial state. How would these words fix themselves in the disciples' inmost hearts, and what a tide of consolatory sanctifying influence would they pour forth amid all the sacrifices, and toils, and sufferings, and sorrows, which lay before them, ere they rejoined their Lord in their Father's house above! "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

These are words in which we, my brethren, have as deep an interest as they had. Let us endeavor to find out how we may turn them to good account,-first, as a test of character-and then as a guide of conduct.

That was an interesting question which our Lord, a little before his ascension to heaven, put to the apostle Peter:-"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" The question was interesting in itself-doubly interesting in the circumstances in which it was proposed None of the disciples loved their Master better than

Brown Patterson.

4 John xxi. 15.

Peter did. None of them had made such strong and so frequently-repeated professions of their love to him. It was Peter who, when our Lord, seeing multitudes, who for a season had been his admiring auditors, withdrawing their attendance on him, said to the twelve, "Will ye also go away?"-replied, "Lord, to whom can we go but to thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life." It was Peter who,-when our Lord asked the disciples, "Whom do ye say that I, the Son of man, am?"-replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" It was Peter who said, "Though all men should be offended in thee, I will never be offended-I am ready to go to prison and to death with thee though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee."

Now Peter was no hypocrite-he meant all he said he felt all he expressed; but he was rash and self-confident. He had to learn how mistaken was the estimate he had formed of his own strength-he had to learn that, "without Christ," apart from Him, "he could do nothing." Right affections to Christ depend on faith; and faith is not likely to stand firm in the hour of temptation, if we do not watch and pray. Peter was taughteffectually taught these lessons, by bitter experience. The hour of temptation came, and it found Peter unprepared. Once, again and again, on a temptation-we may be apt to think by no means very powerful-he, with execrations, denied that he knew the Master to whom, for whom, he had, but a few hours before, declared himself prepared to die.

Was it wonderful, then, that Peter should have felt the question, "Lovest thou me," to be an interesting one?-Was it wonderful that, when Jesus said, the third time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me," Peter should have been grieved, remembering that he, a third time, had said, "I know not the man?" Oh, what searchings of heart must that question have caused; and oh, how happy for Peter, that, after them all, he could bare his bosom to the inspection of his Lord, who "searcheth the heart and trieth the reins," and before whom "all things are naked and opened," and say, if not with unfaltering lips, with a good conscience and honest heart, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee!”

The question our Lord put to Peter he now puts to us, who, like Peter, profess to be his disciples: he puts it especially to such of us as are purposing to make a very solemn profession of our love to him next Lord's day, over the instituted emblem of his holy suffering humanity.

There is more similarity between our circumstances and those of the apostle than, at first sight, we may readily apprehend. Like him, we have all, again, and again, and again, made profession of our love to our Lord; and have we not all, like him, again, and again, and again, denied him? We have never denied our Lord in the precise form in which Peter denied him--we have

5 John vi. 66-69. Matt. xvi. 15, 16; xxvi. 33. Luke xxii. 33. John xiii. 37. 6 John xv. 5.

never been in circumstances in which that was possible. But we have all too often acted in a manner inconsistent with our profession-we have all done what our Lord forbids-we have all neglected to do what our Lord commands; and we do not know ourselves, if we suppose that, were we placed in Peter's circumstances, and left to the natural effects of the operations of the sinful principles of our fallen nature, we would act a better part than he did.

The question should excite in us, as it did in Peter, great searchings of heart; for it is an all-important question. If I love Christ, really love him, supremely love him, all is well with me -all is well with me for ever. For what says the faithful and the true Witness? "If any man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." And is not he happy "whom God delights in, and in whom he dwells ?" On the other hand, if I do not love Christ, love him really, love him supremely, I am in a state of condemnation, and living and dying in that state, I am assuredly undone for ever. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, he must be Anathema Maran-atha," he shall be accursed at the coming of the Lord." It surely becomes us all, then, to endeavor to obtain a satisfactory answer to the question proposed to us by our Lord, "Lovest thou me?" Happy shall he be who, after passing through the investigation, with the means of prosecuting which I am about to present you, shall, with an intelligent, honest conscience, be able to reply with Peter, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee."

He who puts the question furnishes us with the means of answering it. He who says, "Lovest thou me?" says also, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Does he, think you, who uses this language, need information on the subject? Is it, in any degree, an uncertain thing with him, with regard to any one of us, whether we love him or not? Oh, no. The heart is, indeed, deceitful above all things-who can know it?-He who searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins of the children of men. The darkness, in that dark place, the human heart, is light to him. His eye pierces through the disguise of the most plausible profession, and often sees that there is no love to him where there is the profession of a great deal; and that eye, too, can see genuine affection to him and his cause, mingled with much with which it is ever struggling, in a heart in which its owner is sometimes much at a loss to say whether it be there or not; and, if it be, whether it is to vanquish, or to be vanquished.

But, while Christ never can be doubtful as to whether we love him or not-for there is not a thought in our minds, a feeling in our hearts, but, lo, he knoweth it altogether-our fellow-Christians, our fellow-men, may be doubtful of it, ay, must be doubtful of it, if we do not exhibit the appropriate symptoms of true love; and we ourselves, in this case, inay be doubtful, must be doubtful

7 John xiv. 23. 8 Cowper.

91 Cor. xvi. 22.

10 John xxi 17.