xv. 12-14.) "He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." (ib. xiv. 21.)

Here is His own truthful testimony. But, we are not confined to this; for thus do others witness of His love. "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. (ib. xi. 5.) "Behold" (said the Jews) "how He loved him." (ib. xi. 36. "Jesus beholding him," (the young ruler) "loved him." loved His own, He loved them unto the end." (John xiii. 1.) "I live," says St. Paul, "by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. ii. 20.) "Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the Church." (Eph. v. 25.)

(Markx. 21.) "Having

Such is a small portion of the evidence given in God's word of Christ's love: but, were all recorded here that is revealed, the theme must still be too deep for man's power to fathom; yea, as saith St. Paul, it "passeth knowledge." (Eph. iii. 19.)

We see, then, in the acts and words of Christ, evidence sufficient of His uniform and consistent obedience to God's commands; and, if He obeyed the law-if He loved with that intensity of devotion which it demands, He has been faithful to the covenant, and has so far fulfilled the conditions it imposed. Examined by the test of God's holy uncompromising law, our Lord and Saviour comes out of the trial, pure. We find that, under all His temptations and provocations, He maintained His perfect integrity; that He "did

no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, (1 Pet. ii. 22); and that, at all times of His earthly sojourn, He proved Himself to be "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." (Heb. vii. 26.) Such, reader, is your Saviour. Such is the character of that Redeemer who solicits your confidence. Can He be trusted? Dare we venture our souls in His hands? Surely, if the tenderest love, combined with the will and the power to relieve man's sufferings, should inspire any timid, anxious soul with hope, the life of Christ, even without the knowledge of His invitations and promises, supplies us with a foundation strong enough for the most fearful soul to build his expectations upon, and there rest in security and peace.

CHAPTER XV.

OUR COVENANT REDEEMER IN HIS WORK OF

INSTRUCTION.

"The day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, aud to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Benedictus.

Ar the time of Christ's entry upon His public ministry, the Jewish dispensation was waning, and the Gospel dispensation, which He came to establish, was at hand.

The developement of His kingdom was not, however, effected without due preparation, for a messenger was sent before the Lord, to make His paths straight; which John did by preaching in the wilderness, and calling upon sinners to repent.

It was not until Christ attained the age of thirty years that He commenced His public ministry, up to which time He was a faithful member of the Jewish Church; but now He was about to substitute for it the Gospel kingdom, therefore, that He might fulfil all righteousness He was publicly baptised, and so bound Himself to the law of this new covenant.

Christ, from the hour of His baptism at once commenced the new constitution of His Church; and yet He did no violence to the deep-seated prejudices of His Jewish brethren. It was not by any rash and harsh course of action that He hoped to succeed; but by gradually, and almost imperceptibly unfolding His new doctrines, by preaching the Gospel, by enlightening the Jewish mind, and by performing such works as would at once proclaim His Divine authority.

That the instruction of men by the preaching of salvation, was a part of the work which Christ undertook to perform in the covenant of redemption, appears clear from several passages of Scripture. In the Psalms, Christ is represented as saying to His Father, in attestation of His faithfulness, "I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained My lips, O Lord, Thou knowest. I have not hid Thy righteousness within My heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation: I have not concealed Thy loving kindness and Thy truth from the great congregation." (Ps. xl. 9, 10.) Again, He says by Isaiah," The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me: because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto

them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." (Is. lxi. 1—4.) When Jesus, at twelve years of age, discoursed with the Jewish doctors, He called that work, "His Father's business"; and when John sent his disciples to ask Christ if He were the Messiah, the Lord answered by referring them to His preaching, "Go," said He, "and show John again those things which ye do hear and see," "the poor have the Gospel preached to them." (Matt. xi. 4, 5.)

Of the blessing which Christ should confer by His preaching, it is said, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined," (Is. ix. 2); and in our Lord's declaration of Himself, and the purpose of His coming, we see the fulfilment of this prophecy, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness." (John xii. 46.)

The preaching of salvation being a portion of Christ's work, how comforting is it to the sinner, to see that it was done. Having come to illuminate the minds of men with the light of Divine truth, we discover that Christ lost no opportunity of proclaiming it. Where do we find so zealous and industrious a preacher ? He came into Galilee, "preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and