There is no reward on the ground of human merit. Our love to Christ is not the cause of Divine Love to us; it is strictly and properly the effect. If love be recompensed, it must be entirely of grace, and the recompence is secured by undeserved gratuitous promise. This promise we have in the text; "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him."-This precious promise includes three things.

1. The favour of the greatest Father: "he shall be loved of my Father."-How natural is it to value the favour of the great; how are we pleased with the notice of men of influence and rank; what efforts are often made to gain their respect; yet how little does it yield, and frequently how soon is it gone! They are happy "whose God is the Lord;" the smile of this Benefactor, the favour of this Father, is never lost; it yields the greatest good, it confers the highest honour, the most distinguished felicity of which we are capable. Brethren, if we have the love of "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," we have omnipotent Power on our side, we have unerring Wisdom as our guide, we have invariable Truth as our stay, we have boundless Mercy as our treasure, we have infinite unchangeable Goodness as our present and eternal portion. With him is "the Fountain of Life." "In his favour is life, and his loving kindness is better than life."-The promise includes,

2. The affection of the kindest Saviour. He says, "and I will love him."-The disciples to whom Jesus spoke knew little of the Father; consequently the promise of his favour would not so closely interest them. They knew much more of the Lord Jesus, and understood much better what his love

meant: he had long been with them, and had given them many tokens of his tender affection: he was about to leave them, but he assures them his love should continue the same. "He that loveth me, I will love him.”—And what is your sentiment of the love of Jesus Christ? Its" breadth, and length, and depth, and height," you cannot comprehend. It passeth knowledge!" Once it was expressed on the cross, now it is displayed in glory. At the right hand of the Majesty on High he is highly exalted, ever living to make intercession for us. Jehovah loves as a Father; Jesus loves as a Brother. Reflect on the kindness of his heart! Was he not "born for adversity?" And is 'it not in circumstances of trial that his kindness is most clearly manifested, his affection most forcibly felt? He bears the endearing character of a Shepherd: and with what affectionate care doth he feed his whole flock! How doth he stoop to the wants of the most indigent and weak! "He gathers the lambs in his arms, he carries them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young." This Shepherd, this Brother, is your compassionate Saviour, your "Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he is the propitiation for your sins." Is it a Is it a light matter to share in his love? Surely not. Whom he loves, he loves to the end; whom he saves, he saves effectually. Look unto him, and he will save you, with an everlasting salvation.-The promise also includes,

3. The presence of the best Friend.-The Lord Jesus Christ is this Friend; "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother;" and this Friend says, "He that loveth me, I will manifest myself to him." Not personally: he does not appear in visible form, but discovers himself to the believer's faith: he is

present with his people by his Spirit's influence in the heart; in this way he manifests himself unto them, as he does not unto the world. By his Spirit he enlightens the mind in the knowledge of his truth, and gives impressive views of his grace and glory : he purifies the heart from the dross of sin, from all that deep depravity which nothing but his sacred energy can reach: he enlivens the graces which he hath planted, causes them to grow, makes them fruitful, and gives them strength. In all this, he enlarges the comfort of those that love him; he revives their love to him; he fills them "with joy and peace in believing.'

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But this clause," I will manifest myself to him," is farther explained by the words which follow the text: "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." This best Friend, you perceive, does not reward his people with a transient visit; he becomes a guest he is not " as a wayfaring man, that turneth aside to tarry for a night;" he takes up his stated residence. Sing, and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord *. All this must intimate the kindest complacency, the most familiar intercourse, perfect security, exalted enjoyment, and eternal felicity. As God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people †." "The Lord thy God, in the midst of thee, is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love ‡.”

From the whole, learn,

1. The insufficiency of external privileges.-These

Zech. ii. 10. + 2 Cor. vi. 16. ↑ Zeph. iii. 17.

you enjoy, but these are not enough. You all have the commands of Christ; but are you keeping them? You may have them in your houses, but not in your hearts. You may have them in your Bibles, in catechisms, and other books, but not in your hearts. You may have them placed before your eyes, proclaimed in your ears, and laid up in your memory, yet not in your hearts. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith," and whether the love of Christ be in you. Forget not what he says; "He that keepeth my commandments, he it is that loveth me." Beg of God to give you a relish for his words, a right acquaintance with them, and a disposition cordially to obey them. Beg of God that your obedience may be steady, uniform, and persevering; then will you enjoy the best evidence of love to Christ, you will give solid proof that your privileges are improved, that you do not rest in them, but are looking through them, and rising by them, to sterling scriptural excellency.-Learn,

2. The honour which attends real Christianity.You have heard that Christians possess the favour of the greatest Father,, the affection of the kindest Saviour: this concurs to exalt their character, and to render them happy. And would not you be of their number? Do you see no meaning in such language as this? "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him." The followers of Christ are not unfrequently despised; they meet with much reproach, and their religion is derided as enthusiastic and ridiculous. Let men revile; a Christian is "the noblest work of God:" he is the temple in which Jehovah deigns to dwell; and, having dwelt in his temple here, he will raise it up from dust and ruins, and reside in it for ever. Envy

not the world: desire not to resemble the great, the noble, the mighty; there is nothing in these distinctions of real and lasting worth; and many such persons are living under the frown and curse of the Almighty. "A Christian is the highest style of man,' the first favourite of Heaven, the most honourable and happy on the face of the earth.-Learn also,

3. The proper use of religious ordinances, and the spirit in which we should attend them.-When the Saviour says to him that loveth him, "I will manifest myself to him," we naturally inquire; "Where will he do so? What means hath he instituted in the observance of which he may be found, and his presence enjoyed?" Suppose a friend promise an interview, and engage to confer a favour, and appoint a time and place of meeting for the purpose, should we not take care to be where he appoints? We certainly should, and with readiness, in such degree as we loved our friend, and valued his favour.

Our best Friend has instituted the ordinances of religion he has appointed the preaching of the Gospel; he has engaged to be in the midst of those who meet together in his Name. Jehovah himself hath said; "In all places, where I record my Name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee*." What a promise is this! and who is not concerned to receive the blessing? We want a humble, believing, waiting disposition of heart; a heart to receive the Saviour, and to welcome the communications of his grace. Mark the condescension of his words; "Behold! I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me †.”