more.

"And such were some of you.'

We were black as hell when he looked on us-we were hell-worthy, under his Father's wrath and curse-and yet he loved us, and said: I I will die for them. "Thou hast loved me out of the pit of corruption," each saved one can say. Oh, brethren! this is strange love he that was so great, and lovely, and pure, chose us. who were mean and filthy with sin, that he might wash and purify, and present us to himself. This love

passeth knowledge!

4. What this love cost him. When Jacob loved Rachel, he served seven years for her-he bore the summer's heat and winter's cold. But Jesus bore the hot wrath of God, and the winter blast of his Father's anger, for those he loved. Jonathan loved David with more than the love of women, and for his sake he bore the cruel anger of his father, Saul. But Jesus, out of love to us, bore the wrath of his Father poured out without mixture. It was the love of Christ that made him leave the love of his Father, the adoration of angels, and the throne of glory-it was love that made him not despise the Virgin's womb-it was love that brought him to the manger at Bethlehem—it was love that drove him into the wilderness; love made him a man of sorrows-love made him hungry, and thirsty, and weary-love made him hasten to Jerusalem-love led him to gloomy, dark Gethsemane-love bound and dragged him to the judgment hall-love nailed him to the cross-love bowed his head beneath the amazing load of his Father's anger. "Greater love hath no man than this." "I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

Sinners were sinking beneath the red-hot flames of hell; he plunged in and swam through the awful surge, and gathered his own into his bosom. The sword of justice was bare and glittering, ready to destroy us; He, the man that was God's fellow, opened his bosom and let the stroke fall on him. We were set up as a mark for God's arrows of vengeance; Jesus came between, and they pierced him through and through-every arrow that should have pierced our souls stuck fast in him. He, his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree. As far as east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. This is the love of Christ that passeth knowledge. This is what is set before you to-day in the broken bread and poured-out wine. This is what we shall see on the

throne-a Lamb as it had been slain. This will be the matter of our song through eternity: "Worthy is the Lamb!"

1. O the joy of being in the love of Christ! Are you in this amazing love? Has he loved you out of the pit of corruption? Then, he will wash you, and make you a king and a priest unto God. He will wash you in his own blood whiter than the snow-he will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. A new heart also will he give you. He will keep your conscience clean, and your heart right with God. He will put his Holy Spirit within you, and make you pray with groanings that cannot be uttered. He will justify you-he will pray for you-he will glorify you. All the world may oppose you-dear friends may die and forsake you—you may be left alone in the wilderness; still you will not be alone-Christ will love you still.

2. O the misery of being out of the love of Christ! If Christ loves you not, how vain all other loves! Your friends may love you-your neighbours may be kind to you—the world may praise you ministers may love your souls; but, if Christ love you not, all creature-love will be vain. You will be unwashed, unpardoned, unholy—you will sink into hell, and all the creatures will stand around and be unable to reach out a hand to help you.

3. How shall I know that I am in the love of Christ? By your being drawn to Christ: "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Have you seen something attractive in Jesus? The world are attracted by beauty, or dress, or glittering jewels have you been attracted to Christ by his good ointments? This is the mark of all who are graven on Christ's heart-they come to him; they see Jesus to be precious. The easy world see no preciousness in Christ; they prize a lust higher, the smile of the world higher, money higher, pleasure higher; but those whom Christ loves he draws after him by the sight of his preciousness. Have you thus followed him, prized him-as a drowning sinner cleaved to him?-then he will in no wise cast you out-in no wise, not for all you have done against him. "But I spent my best days in sin"-Still I will in no wise cast you out. "I lived in open sin”—I will in no wise cast you out. "But I have sinned against light and conviction"-Still I will in no wise cast you out. "But I am a backslider"-Still the

arms of his love are open to infold your poor guilty soul, and he will not cast you out.

II. Many would separate us.

From the beginning of the world it has been the great aim of Satan to separate believers from the love of Christ; and though he never has succeeded in the case of a single soul, yet still he tries it as eagerly as he did at first. The moment he sees the Saviour lift a lost sheep upon his shoulder, from that hour he plies all his efforts to pluck down the poor saved sheep from its place of rest. The moment the pierced hand of Jesus is laid on a poor, trembling, guilty sinner, from that hour does Satan try to pluck him out of Jesus' hand.

"As it is written, For thy

1. He did this in old times: sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."-Verse 36. This is a cry taken from the Book of Psalms. God's people in all ages have been hated and persecuted by Satan and the world. Observe the reason: "For thy sake"-because they were like Jesus, and belonged to Jesus. The time: "All day long"-from morning till night. The world have a perpetual hatred against true believers, so that we have to say at evening: "Would God it were morning; and at morning, Would God it were evening." They have no other perpetual hatred. The manner: "We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." The world care no more for ill-treating a Christian than the butcher does when he lays hold of a sheep for the slaughter. The drunkards make a song of us. Such was the cry of believers of old. The same cry has been heard amid the snowy heights of Piedmont; and, in later days, amid the green hills and valleys of Scotland. And we are miserably deceived if we flatter ourselves that the same cry will not be heard again. Is the devil changed? Does he love Christ and his dear people any better? Is the worldly heart changed? Does it hate God and God's people any less than it did? Ah! no. I have a deep conviction that, if God only withdraw his restraining grace, the flood-gates of persecution will soon break loose again; and many of you, left unconverted under our ministry, will turn out bloody persecutors-you will yet avenge yourselves for the sermons that have pricked your hearts.

2. The apostle names seven forms in which trouble comes. Two of them relate to the troubles that are common

to man, and five to those that are more peculiar to the children of God.

(1.) Tribulation and distress: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." God's children are not freed from distresses-sickness, poverty, loss of friends. Jesus said to them: "In the world ye shall have tribulation." "Whom

I love I rebuke and chasten." Now, Satan tries to take advantage of these times of tribulation, to separate the soul from the love of Christ; he tempts the believer to despise the chastening of the Lord-to plunge into business, or among worldly friends, or to follow worldly means of soothing sorrow. Again: he tries to make the soul faint under them-repine and murmur, and charge God foolishly—not believe his love and wisdom in the furnace. In these ways Satan tries to separate from the love of Christ. A time of tribulation is a time of danger.

(2.) Persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword-all these are the weapons Satan stirs up against God's children. The history of the Church in all ages has been a history of persecution. No sooner does a soul begin to show concern for religion-no sooner does that soul cleave to Jesus, than the world talk, to the grief of those whom God hath wounded. What bitter words are hurled against that soul! In all ages this has been true: "They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy." Those that eat the bread of God have often been driven from their quiet meal-those who are clothed with Christ have often had to part with worldly clothing, and have been exposed to famine, nakedness, peril, and sword-the last extremity. Cain murdered Abel. They killed the Prince of Life; and so all his creatures ever since have been exposed to the same. Do not say, The times are changed, and these are the days of toleration. Christ is not changed-Satan is not changed, and, when it suits his turn, he will use the same weapons.

III. All these cannot separate us.

"In all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us."

How are we more than conquerors?

1. We conquer even before the battle is done. In all other battles we do not know how the victory is to turn

until the battle is won. In the battle of Waterloo, it was long thought that the French had gained; and Napoleon sent several despatches to Paris, declaring that he had won. But in the fight with the world, Satan, and the flesh, we know how the victory is to turn already. Christ has engaged to carry us through. He will guard us against the darts of the law, by hiding us in his blood. He defends us from the power of sin by his Holy Spirit, put within us. He will keep us, in the secret of his presence, from the strife of tongues. The thicker the battle, the closer will he keep to us; so that we can sing already: "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We know that we shall overcome. Though the world were a million times more enraged-though the fires of persecution were again to be kindled though my heart were a million times more wicked-though all the temptations of hell were let loose upon me- -I know I shall overcome through him that loved me. When Paul and Silas sang in the low dungeon, they were more than conquerors. When Paul sang, spite of his thorn, "I will glory in my infirmities," he was more than

a conqueror.

2. We gain by our conflict. Often a victory is a loss. So it was in that battle in Israel, after the dark night in Gibeah. All Israel mourned, for a tribe was nearly cut off out of Israel; and so, in most victories, the song of triumph is mingled with the sobbings of the widow and orphan. Not so in the good fight of faith. We are more than conquerors. We gain by our enemies. (1.) We cling closer to Christ. Every wave of trouble for Christ's sake lifts the soul higher upon the Rock. Every arrow of bitterness shot after the believer makes him hide more in the clefts of Jesus. Be content, dear friend, to bear these troubles, which make you cling closer to your Beloved. (2.) They shake us loose from sin. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own. If the world smiled and fawned upon you, you would lie on its lap. But when it frowns, then Jesus is our all. (3.) Great is your reward in heaven. We gain a brighter crown. Be not afraid; nothing shall ever separate you from the love of Christ. O that I could know that you were all in Christ's love that the arms of Jesus were infolding you then I would know that all the hatred of men, and all the policy of hell, would never prevail against you! "If God be for you, who can be against If God has chosen you-called you-washed you

you?"