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tend to justify fuch reasoning; I know it is groundlefs and unjust: but, let me afk you, Is it not often ufed? and may it not be expected from the greater part of mankind, who judge of things by a falfe appearance? If, then, you poffefs any ingenuity of mind, any tenderness and regard for the glory of the Redeemer, you will ftudy, by your conduct, to prevent this afperfion. Can you be eafy under the apprehenfion of contributing to fuch reflections on the Son of God? And will you not tremble to think, that you should be the unhappy occafion of fuch injuries to religion? Never, therefore, pretend to be Chriftians, the followers of the immaculate Lamb, while, indeed, you are impious and wicked. Let not the name of God, the honour of our dear Redeemer, and fo venerable a thing as Religion, be expofed to contempt, by your inconfiftent practice. But, let me befeech you, that you walk confiftently with your profeffion, that you live in conformity to Chrift's example; and, as you profefs to abide in him, that you walk as he alfo walked.

And now, to conclude: Would you fhow yourselves Chriftians indeed; would you do honour to religion, and adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour; would you retrieve the credit of the gofpel, fo deeply wounded in the houfe of its friends, and make your religion appear to the world in its native beauty; in a word, would you reap the joys of holinefs yourfelves, and recommend it effectually to others: Then, be perfuaded to imitate the example of Christ. Study his temper and life, as they are reprefented in the gofpel-history; earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit to form you into a refemblance of Him; and be always rifing in a real conformity, till at laft you arrive at the ftature of perfect men in Chrift Jefus. To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, be everlasting praife. Amen.

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As the Father hath loved me, fo have I loved you: Con

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THESE words are part of our Saviour's farewelldifcourfe to his difciples.

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In the beginning of this chapter, he reprefents the mystical union between himself and fincere Chriftians, by comparing it with the vine and its branches. As there is a natural union between the vine and the branches, fo there is a fpiritual union between Christ and believers; and this union is the cause of fruitful. nefs in the works of new obedience and a holy life. There are fome, indeed, who seem to be grafted into Christ by an outward profeffion, who, becaufe they are not vitally united to him, derive no faving influences from him, by which they might be enabled to bring forth fruit. Thefe, he tells us, his heavenly Father will lop off, and take away, as unprofitable and dead branches: "Every branch in me," fays he, "that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and "every

"every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that "it may bring forth more fruit (a)." And, because all our fruitfulness depends upon our union with Chrift, as the fruitfulnefs of the branches depends upon their union with the vine, he exhorts his `disciples, in the beginning of the 4th verfe, to continue or abide in him, by the conftant exercife of faith and love, that he might be engaged to abide in them by the influences of his Spirit: " Abide in me," fays he," as I in you." This exhortation he enforces in this and the two following verfes, by reprefenting to them, the abfolute neceffity of their abiding in him, in order to their fruitfulnefs'; the extreme danger of apoftafy, or not abiding in him, namely, that of f.nal rejection, and being caft into the fire, as a fruitlefs branch taken from the vine; and, laftly, the great benefit and advantage they, on the other hand, would reap, by their abiding in him, viz. the full anfwer of their prayers. In the verfe immediately preceding the text, he recommends to them abounding fruitfulness, as that which would redound to his heavenly Father's honour, and be a manifeft proof, both to themselves and others, that they were his difciples: "Hereby," fays he, "is my Father glorified, that "ye bear much fruit, fo fhall ye be my difciples." And then follow the words of the text, expreffive of the love of Chrift to his difciples, and enforcing, from the best motive, the continuance of their attachment and regard: "As the Father hath loved "me, fo have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

In these words, you may observe an important duty recommended to us, "Continue ye in my love." This may be understood, either of Chrift's love to his people, or of their love to him; or, rather, both may be included, for they are infeparably connected. As if he had faid, "Take peculiar care, ye, who are my difciples, make it your conftant ftudy to "remain

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(a) John xv. 2.

" remain stedfast in your love to me; for this will be "the best way to maintain, and keep up, the com"fortable fenfe and affurance of my love to you; "this will establish you in my love, and draw forth "the tokens and manifestations of it, more and "" more, to your fouls."

We may alfo obferve the powerful argument our bleffed Saviour makes ufe of to enforce this exhortation" As the Father hath loved me, fo "have I loved you." An astonishing expreffion of the condefcending grace of Chrift.

His Fa

ther loved him, who was infinitely worthy; and he loved his people, who were moft unworthy of his love: nay, he loved them with a pure and tender affection, bearing fome proportion and refemblance of his Father's love to him; a love which, as it far tranfcends all created understanding, can be compared with no other, but the love of the Eternal Father to his only-begotten Son. Our bleffed Saviour, therefore, fets before his difciples, in the text, his aftonishing love to them by this lively comparifon, as an argument to engage them to continue in his love: "As the Father," fays he, " hath loved me, "fo have I loved you: Continue ye in my love."

In difcourfing on this fubject, I fhall endeavour, by Divine affiftance, Firft, To confider the love of Chrift to his people, as it refembles his Father's love to him. Secondly, The important duty he infers from it; or, what it is to continue in his love. conclude with fome practical improvement of what may be faid.

And then

I. Let us then confider the love of Chrift to his people, as it refembles his Father's love to him, and obferve the propriety and juftnefs of the comparifon.

1. The Father's love to Chrift, was coeval with eternity itself. For as they are one, in being and in operation, their complacency in each other is mu

tual,

1

tual, infinite, and from everlasting. Thus, we are informed, "That the Lord poffeffed him in the begin"ning of his way, before his works of old.”—“ I "was with him," fays he, "as one brought up with "him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always " before him (a)." But, not to pry into this awful darkness, or rather dazzling light, in which God neceffarily dwells, far beyond the reach of human thought, let us obferve, that the love of Chrift to his people, resembles, in this refpect, his Father's love to him. For, like the fountain from which it flows, it was from everlasting. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever he had formed the earth and the world; while, as yet, there were no deeps, nor any fountains abounding with water; even then, he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the fons of men. In a word, no

finite mind can fully underftand the origin of his love, or trace it back to its first spring. This can only be done by Him, who is himself from everlasting, and who, at one view, difcerns the paft, the prefent, and the future. Hence, Jefus our Redeemer, loved his people from all eternity; and, as an evidence of it, he cheerfully undertook to accomplith their redemption, even in the certain profpect of the deepest humiliation, and the most painful fufferings : "Lo, I come," fays he; " in the volume of the "book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, "O my God."

2. The Father's love to Chrift, is a very dear and intimate love. Hence, he is faid in fcripture to be his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleafed; an expreffion which ftrongly implies that dear and tender affection, which the Father bears to him. And fuch, likewife, is the love of Chrift to his people, a most fincere, endearing, and intimate love; a love that never was, and never can be equalled. "He loved

(a) Prov. viii. 22.

"us,"

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