December 24

thing in the annals of eternity and in the records of the universe that will bear a comparison with his sufferings and glory. Therefore they desire to look into these things: and every fresh gaze excites them to exclaim with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing." And to them that believe he is precious. They inquire with joy and praise, "Who is this?" And they can return an answer to themselves—He is fairer than the children of men. He is the chief of ten thousand. He is altogether lovely. He is the consolation of Israel. He is the friend of sinners. He is the benefactor whose heart is made of tenderness, whose bowels melt with love. He is the King of glory. He is Lord of all. But who can declare his generation. No one knoweth the Son but the Father—He views him with infinite complacency. "Behold," says he, "my servant whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth." "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." "He hath put all things under his feet."

The question may be asked subordinately with regard to the Christian as well as with regard to Christ. There is a connexion and a resemblance between them; and they also are for signs and for wonders. They do not indeed approach God in a way of atonement. The work is done. The propitiation has been made, and we have only to plead it: the righteousness has been brought in, and we have only to submit to it. He opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers, and they have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. And this is their duty, their privilege, their character—they draw near to God; and they value ordinances as the means of communion with him.

For each of them has engaged his heart to do this. And it is this that yields him pleasure in the exercise and carries him through all difficulties and discouragements—"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart answered, Thy face Lord will I seek." "O God, my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise."

But "who is this that has engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord." A creature once far off, but now made nigh by the blood of Christ: once regardless of the things that belonged to his peace, now seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. The subject of an internal welfare; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. The bearer of many afflictions. The scorn of the world. The most excellent and important creature upon earth. The heir of glory. The dignitary of eternity. "What! know ye not that the saints shall judge angels?"

DECEMBER 24.—"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."—Ephesians 5:2.

THE admonition supposes a relative character. Various are the beings towards whom our love is to be exercised. God takes care for oxen, and hears the young ravens that cry: and a merciful man regardeth the life of his beast, and feels a tenderness even towards all the orders of creatures below his own nature. But we are ex-

pressly required to love our neighbour; and, according to our Saviour's own explanation in the parable, every one is our neighbour who needs our aid, and is placed within the reach of our kindness. We are therefore to love our enemies; not indeed with a love of esteem and complacency, which would be impossible, but with a love of benevolence and beneficence; blessing them that curse us, doing good to them that hate us, and praying for them that despitefully use and persecute us. We are also to love sinners, not their sins but their souls, having compassion, and endeavouring to save, pulling them out of the fire. None indeed have such claims upon our pity and compassion as those who were ready to perish for ever; destruction and misery are in their paths. But while, as we have opportunity, we do good unto all men, we are especially to remember them that are of the household of faith. These are related to us by grace: these are one with us by spiritual and everlasting unions. These have peculiar titles to our affection—These we are to love out of a pure heart fervently: to love as brethren.

For how is this affection to be exercised? We are to "walk in it." The term intends not only activeness and progression, but influence and prevalence. When we say a man is in liquor, or in a passion we mean to say that it has the possession and the command of him. We read of "walking in pride;" and we understand by is a man's feeling and behaving vainly and haughtily on all occasions, and in all circumstances. The first Christians "walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost:" the fear and the comfort distinguished, governed, and absorbed them. Walking in love, therefore, intimates the importance of this disposition, and that we should not be satisfied with an ordinary measure of it. We are not to have love in us, but to be in love; to walk in love. It is to be our element, our actuating principle. It is only in proportion as this prevails that our religion can prosper. This is the fulfilling of the law. This is the end of the gospel commandment. It is the bond of perfectness—Therefore "let all your things be done with charity."

And how is it enforced? "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." Does the Apostle mean to make the love of Christ our model? or our motive? or both? Unquestionably both.

He means to make it our model, and to say that we are to love others in the same way he loved us. Our love cannot indeed equal his; but it may, it must resemble it: not indeed in all its acts and qualities, but in its source and nature. He loved us really, and we must love not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth. He loved us expensively; so that when rich, for our sakes he became poor, made himself of no reputation, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And are we to shun self-denial? And to make no sacrifices? "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." His love is constant and unchangeable; and we are to continue in his love, and never to grow weary in well-doing.

He means also to make it our motive, and to say, that as he has loved us we are to walk in love, in consequence of this, and because of this. The Apostle does not argue from fear, or mercenariness, or even the allowed hope of reward: but urges a consideration the