2. This love is but perhaps faint in some, and will admit of an increase in all. Cry to the Lord to fan the spark into a holy flame. Those who are destitute of this love consider,

2. The enemies.

1. It is the supreme excellency you refuse to love. All beauty and perfection centres in him.

2. Your not loving God is an unnatural wickedness; he is your Father. Mal. i. 6.

3. Most ungrateful wickedness, when you think what he has done for you. 1 John iv. 10.1

4. This is a most comprehensive wickedness.

5. If this principle and temper be continued, it will exclude from heaven.

6. This temper, if it continue, will certainly prepare you for, and lead you to hell. Seek for this love.

1. Labour to be deeply sensible of your aggravating sinfulness and danger.

2. See the necessity of divine grace to change your hearts, and inspire you with divine love.

3. Betake yourselves to earnest prayer.

4. Meditate upon the glory and perfections of God; the great things he has promised to those who love him. Rom. viii, 28.

Lastly, Never be weary of these means. Prov. iv. 18, 19.

THE GREAT WORK COMPLETED.

I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.—John xvii..4, 5.

THE promises of God do not supersede the use of prayer. They are rather encouragements to it, as being a guide to our desires, and the ground of our hopes. It is necessary on our part, in order to obtain the performance of them. (Ezek. xxxvi. 37.) The same necessity

was laid upon our Lord himself. (Ps. ii. 8.) Hence, in his last moments, he prays for his promised reward. Consider,

I. Our Lord's appeal.

Christ acted in the capacity of a servant. He considereth how his works are completed, and speaketh of them in that view. He appealeth to the Father.

1. That he had glorified him on earth. This he did, 1. In his life. The whole of his life was conformed to the divine will. Not the smallest blemish could be found in it.

2. In his doctrine. He declared the Father to the world. He directed persons to himself only as the way to the Father.

3. In his miracles. These, though wrought by his own power, were ascribed to the Father. (John xiv. 10.) Hence the Father was particularly glorified by them. Matt. ix. 8.

4. In his death. In this be most eminently glorified the Father. (John xiii. 31, 32.) Even Peter, in his death, is said to glorify God. (John xxi. 19.) Much more did Jesus, both in the manner and end of it.

2. That he had finished the work which had been given him to do.

1. He had fulfilled the law. This was part of his commission. It was necessary that he should fulfil it, both that the law might be honoured, and that a righteousness should be wrought out for us. He did fulfil it in every point.

2. He had satisfied the demands of justice. He had undertaken to expiate sin by the sacrifice of himself. It was necessary he should do so as our surety. He did it by bearing our sins in his own body on the tree. our debt to the uttermost farthing.

He paid

3. He had introduced a new dispensation. He had fulfilled and abrogated the Mosaic ritual. Set up the kingdom of God among men. Commissioned and qualified men to carry it on.

This appeal afforded him just ground for the petition he proceeded to offer.

II. The petition he grounds upon it.

He had before prayed to be glorified on earth. (verse

1.) He now prayeth to be glorified in heaven. a glory with the Father before the world was. from eternity with God. (John i. 1.)

equal glory with the Father.

He had

He was

As God, he had

1. This glory he had laid aside. He veiled his Godhead in human flesh. Being in the form of God he took on him the form of a servant. Hence he is said to have

made himself of no reputation.

2. He now desired to resume it. The ends for which he had laid it aside were accomplished. It was therefore expedient that he should resume it.

3. He prayed that his human nature might be exalted to a participation of it. This had been promised to him. (Ps. xvi. 10, 11.) And it was now about to be conferred upon him. Phil. ii. 9.

4. This petition was highly reasonable, as grounded on the foregoing appeal. He had left heaven to promote the Father's glory. He ought therefore to return to it for his own glory. It was right that his body, which had been the instrument whereby the Father was glorified, should itself be glorified with the Father.

Inferences.

1. How easy is it to see who are real Christians! Every true Christian followeth Christ and walketh as he walked. But the end and aim of Christ's life was to glorify the Father. Here then is a plain line of distinction, whereby we may judge. May we all dread the doom of the unprofitable servant. May we begin the work assigned us in good earnest. May we, on our death-bed, be able to make the same appeal, and offer a similar petition to that in the text.

2. What ground of consolation is there for true penitents. The work assigned to Christ was to redeem a lost world. He perfected that work, so that nothing need or can be added to it. Let penitents then confide in him and rejoice in his salvation.

3. How blessed is the end of the Christian's labours. Here he laboureth much and suffereth much for God's glory. But soon he shall be glorified with God himself. He shall continue to enjoy that glory when the world shall be no more. Let Christians then look forward to the end with joy.

THE SOLEMN WARNING.

This year thou shalt die.—Jer. xxviii. 16:

WHEN we are entering upon the threshold of a new year, it may be well for us to stand and pause, and take a serious view of the occurrences that may happen to us. We cannot predict to ourselves the particular events that may befal us. There are certain events that happen to us every year. We may expect them this year. There are others, that sometimes occur in the compass of a year, and sometimes do not. And there are events which we know are before us, and we are sure they will occur, but whether this year or next, to-day or to-morrow, is uncertain. Such is the close of the present life, and our entering on eternity. That we must die is certain; but the hour or year is wisely and mercifully concealed from us. We should therefore be always ready, and stand in constant expectation. It becometh us to reflect seriously upon the mere possibility of this event happening this year, and realize to ourselves those important consequences that result from this supposition. It is not only possible, but highly probable, that death may meet some of us within the compass of this year. Yes, it is highly probable, that if some prophet, like Jeremiah, should open to us the book of the divine decrees, one or other of us would see the divine sentence, "This year thou shalt die."

I. The possibility of this event.

1. This year we may die. For our life is the greatest uncertainty in the world. We have no certainty of another year, another day.

2. Because thousands have died the last year. This year will be of the same kind. "A time to die," &c. 3. Thousands will die this year, and we may be of the number.

4. Though we be young, the regions of the dead are crowded with those who have died in their youth.

5. Though we have not finished our education. 6. Though we be in health and vigour.

7. Though we be full of business.

8. Though we be not prepared for it. I am not ready, will be no excuse to plead.

9. Though we deliberately delay preparation.

10. Though we be unwilling to admit the thought. 11. Though we may strongly hope the contrary.

12. Though we promise ourselves many years of pleasure. Luke xii. 19, 20.

II. The important consequences; should we die this year.

1. If we should die this year, unpardoned, unrenewed, we shall be for ever cut off from the pleasures of the present life.

2. We shall have no pleasures to substitute for those we lose.

3. All our hopes, as to the present life, will for ever perish.

4. We shall be deprived for ever of all the means of salvation.

5. All our hopes of heaven will eternally vanish.

To conclude.

1. And is it possible that we may die this year? How awful the thought, if we are still in our sins! Let us not say, 'This year we may not die,' but rather turn our thoughts to inquire-Is it possible for me to escape this impending danger? Where, how, whence may I obtain deliverance? If this be our language, our case is not desperate. We have ground of encouragement.

2. How pleasing the thought, and how happy the con sequence, if we are believers in Christ, that eternal salvation is so near.