March 29

John v. — 16. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath-day.

17. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19. Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth; and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son;

23. That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.

24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.

26. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.

29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Daniel xii. — 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.

When Jesus spoke of his Father, it was not in the sense in which we address God as our Father; for, whereas we express by this phrase a relation of dependence and the feeling of filial reverence, he associated himself with God upon terms of equality, and declared an absolute unity of the Father and the Son in thought, knowledge, purpose, will, honor, authority, power. The Jews understood him to make himself equal with God, and often charged him with blasphemy in such a claim. Yet Jesus never sought to free himself of such a charge by saying that they misunderstood him or persected his meaning; on the contrary, he proved his oneness with the Father by citing his acts of divine supremacy. So complete is this oneness, that the Father and the Son could not possibly act in contrariety, nor would either act apart from the other.

It was morally impossible that Jesus should do any thing of himself. By virtue of his oneness with the Father, he rep-

resented to men the will of God, and wrought before them the works of God. He had power, at his own will, to raise the dead, — an act of absolute divinity. He was clothed with the prerogative of judgment, which requires both omniscience and omnipotence. He fixed the conditions of life and death for the whole race of man; and in the last day he will summon the dead from their graves, and pronounce upon every one his appropriate sentence of life or condemnation. Even now this formal judgment is anticipated. He quickens our souls by his word; and if we obey the voice of this almighty Saviour, believe on him, and live to do good, he will impart to us the warrant and the power of an endless life. All life is in him by reason of his essential unity with God; all spiritual life comes to us through his grace; and the life everlasting is secured to us by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 159, 177, 180.

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification, grant, we humbly pray thee, that we may so truly partake of his death and resurrection as ourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. May this holy day witness to us the grace of Christ in our redemption! and may thy Holy Spirit witness and seal within us the pardon and peace which that redemption brings! Grant us the comforts of thy gospel, O Lord! the joy of thy salvation: the spirit of prayer and praise; the communion of thy saints; and, above all, communion with thyself.

Bless thy Church, her worship and sacraments, her ministers and members: may the beauty of the

Lord our God be upon her! Bless the Sunday school, and guide teachers and scholars in thy Word. Have compassion upon those who disregard thy day, and upon all who know thee not; and incline thy people to seek and save the lost. Be with the missionaries of the cross, according to thy promise, O Lord! and make known thy way among the heathen. Hasten the coming of thy kingdom in universal peace and knowledge and righteousness.

We humbly thank thee for the mercies of another week, and the blessings of the past night. We commit to thy loving care this family, and all dear to us at home or abroad; and pray thee to bring us all together unto thy heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.