charity. The father is 'delighted with it, and there is a general joy infused through all who live in grace and do the works of the New Dispensation.

The importance of Grace is not to be forgotten. A Pelagian or Quaker may keep the commandments, and be strictly sober, honest and industrious; but such sort of sanctity serves nothing for eternal life unless it be animated and moved by sanctifying grace.

My Father glorified.-In having good children.

2Very much fruit.-The love of God for His creatures is best shown in the liberality of His gifts and the wish that all should make the best use of them, and thereby ennoble themselves.

My disciples.-This is addressed to those who, in future, would follow the example of the Apostles. To themselves it had no meaning, as they had become.

41 also have loved you.-The same charity which we have in heaven I came to send upon earth as far as your hearts are capable of receiving it.

Remain. There are motives upon motives given for the desire of this charity of God; but all in order that we may remain in it.

Keep My commandments.-This is the one essential condition.

"Kept My Father's.-Even to the going to death, as you shall shortly see. My joy.—The joy of a master is to produce good scholars, and the joy of a father is to see his children growing up virtuous about him.

May be filled.-The import of this is, that if they try to imitate Him they shall find the peace He promised, and then their joy after death fulfils every desire.

12. This is my commandment. That you love one another, as I have loved you.

13. Greater love than this no man hath, that a man 3lay down his life for his friends.

14. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.

15. I will not now call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth. But I have called you friends; because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, "I have made known to you.

16. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

17. These things 1oI command you, that you love one another.

Charity towards God was inculcated before now. Our Lord comes to fraternal charity. This is the second table of the Law— thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This love is not to be a mere negative thing consisting in not doing anybody harm. It must be manifested in works, of which the greatest is laying down one's life. This is the ne plus ultra of real charity.

Now it is observed that Our Lord's charity went beyond even that, inasmuch as He died even for His enemies-for the very men who were crucifying Him. The true sense of the phrase, which S. Thomas of Aquin has adopted is: "lay down his life for those whom he loves." Our Lord loved His enemies and

therefore gave His life for them. Such of His enemies as saw this act of heroic charity and became converted, loved Him then with immense interest, like S. Paul and S. Augustine.

The spirit of self-sacrifice is put down as the best kind of charity.

'My Commandment.—As if He would say My pet commandment, the one I prefer to all others. Love one another.

"As I have loved you-They had experience of His love. It was a love of preference, a disinterested love, a love for which little was given back, and a love stronger than death. Fortis est ut mors dilectio.

Lay down his life.-A man cannot give anything more. his honour, his interest are nothing in comparison to his life.

His money,

If you do. This is the condition-the one condition of being numbered among His friends.

Servants. They considered themselves, and felt honoured in the idea of being His servants. They are now priests and apostles; and so their position is changed.

I have made known.-This is the prophetic future in Hebrew, which is the same as the perfect tense. What the prophets say, really occurred to them, so certain were they of its occurring.

"I have chosen you. He wishes to impress upon them the fact that His choice was not for what they were, but what He could make them be.

Bring forth fruit.—He did not call them or anybody else to a life of laziness.

Ask of the Father.-The strength they need when tired.

1oI command you.-No exemption from this command.

Lay down your life:

1st. For your conscientious

duty.

2nd. For the salvation of your neighbours.

3rd. For the honour of Jesus Christ.

Vocations:

Ist. Are not deserved by goodness.

2nd. Are gratuitous gifts.

3rd. Meant for work, not idleness.

18. "Si mundus vos odit, scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit.

19. "Si de mundo fuissetis, mundus quod suum erat dilligeret: quia verò de mundo non estis, sed ego elegi vos de mundo, proptereà odit vos mundus.

20. "Mementote sermonis mei quem ego dixi vobis: Non est servus major domino suo. Si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur; si sermonem meum servaverunt, et vestrum servabunt.

21. "Sed hæc omnia facient vobis propter nomen meum, quia nesciunt eum qui misit me.

22. "Si non venissem et locutus fuissem eis, peccatum non haberent: nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo.

23. "Qui me odit, et Patrem meum odit.

18. If the world hate you, know ye that it hated me before

you.

19. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you 'out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20. Remember my word that I said to you: "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also.

21. But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake, because they know not 'him that sent me.

22. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

This love which Our Lord prescribes to His Apostles, and recommends by His own example will not be requited. On the contrary it will stir up the evil passions of men just as His own love did. He prepares them for this by His warnings and reasonings.

Your very unworldliness will be a crime in the eyes of worldly men. They will have more compassion for a real criminal executed than for one of you. This was seen afterwards in His own Passion when Barabbas was asked for. It was seen in England, when five shillings were paid for an inch of the rope that hung Palmer the murderer, and the relics of the Saints were scattered to the wind amid blasphemies.

Now, in verse 22, there is a fine point involved. The Pharisees

had faith in Moses and in the Messias until Our Lord came; and then they lost it in seeing His mean appearance and meek teaching. They could not rise from their disappointment even by the aid of His miracles, and then they went from sin to sin.

1The world.—The world now in this portion of Our Lord's discourse and what comes afterwards means those who are more intent upon the present life than the future, and who make the precepts of the Gospel give way to the traditions of fashion and selfishness.

Love its own.—It loves its warriors who make so many widows and orphans and strew fields with the bleaching bones of honest men. It will not love or honour the peaceful, hard-working apostle.

3Out of the world.-His faithful followers condemn the world by their indifference to its ways, and hence incur its hatred.

*The servant is not greater than his lord.-He said this thing oftentimes. Persecute you.-A prophecy too well fulfilled.

"Yours also. The words of Master and disciple in this case are the

same.

'Him that sent Me.-The persecution of the Apostles and first Christians arose from the absence of the knowledge of God.

Would not have sin.-People are not condemned without their own fault.

'No excuse. He did enough to convert a world, and yet He converted very few.

10 My Father also.-This identity in the concern of salvation is often insisted upon because it is the foundation of Faith.