the Prodigal say of his Father, Why hast thou loved me thus ?

There is another thing I must say of this love-it is a perfect love-a love which has left nothing incomplete-a love which, having saved us, puts us down in the very presence of God in holiness, righteousness, even complete in Christ-a love which silences all fear. Dear hearer, do you say, "Because of my sin I am afraid of God-afraid to die." If you believe God's love, and see what that love has done in putting away sin, your fear is gone. God's love is a perfect love, and "perfect love casteth out fear." "But," you say, "I am afraid of God's righteousness; I am all unrighteousness." But God's righteousness, now, embraces the sinner as much as His love; His holiness is as fa

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vourable as His grace. "But," you say, "I am afraid of death." But why? The sting of death, which is sin, is gone, and along with it all judgment. "He that heareth my words, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life" Oh, that God Himself may reveal it to you, this eternal, free, sovereign, righteous, dying, perfect love!!

But, one thing more: it is a solitary love. It is alone in its character. There is nothing that can be compared to it. John the Apostle says, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God."

God had a love to angels; but it was not the love of a Redeemer. He had a love for the first Adam; and that love only gave him Paradise. But here is lovea special, wondrous love!-which gives "a poor vile sinner" to take the position and rank of son; which gives him to be joint-heir with the Son of God Himself, and to sit with Him on His throne: for, says Jesus, "Ye shall sit with me on my throne, as I am set down with my Father in his throne." Surely never, even in

God Himself, was there before such a manifestation of love!

I must add, it is unalterable. It never changes. Unlike our own love, it is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. And it is compassionate and tender as unalterable. As I have said, the sins of the prodigal never prevented the deep yearning of his Father, nor did the wanderings of the sheep alter the love of the Shepherd. What an exposition of the Father's love was the love of that good Shepherd! For said Jesus, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Did not the Lord compassionate publicans and sinners? He had travelled far from heaven to them; and, blessed One! He seemed to find His rest only when they found theirs in Him! O sinner! the guilt of slighting such love will form the bitterest ingredient in your cup of remorse. But I will not enlarge on this; methinks I hear you say, "It is plain."

And now I come to speak for a few moments on our acceptance of this love. God wants you to have it as a reality in your own soul. Many imagine that by-andbye in heaven they will possess this love; but let me declare it to you, that if you have not its great giftJesus-now on earth, you will never have it in heaven. God commendeth it to you here, and if you have it not here, you will never have it hereafter. This is a solemn and deeply personal consideration.

Do any ask-How are we to get possession of it? First of all, "God commendeth his love." This is what God does-He commends His own love to us, as if to love were not enough, or as if we, after all its amazing cost, should overlook it, or not know or accept it. He becomes His own advocate, deigns to propose His love, and advocate our acceptance of it; all which truly is matter for deep wonder. Dear people, this love is commended to you now; I am showing it to you this day. Paul speaks of his being in Christ's stead.

I am a mouthpiece for God, as if in God's stead I commend it to you. You get possession of it as you get possession of any other love. Some one in India loves me; but I do not know him, and so the love is all on one side; but I am told of his love, and now I love him also. Why it would be absurd to try to love God, when as yet I do not know God. Let me know of God's love to me, and then I love Him, because He first loved me.

Ah, then, let us be done with looking at self-be done with grovelling amid the rubbish and dust of our own natural hearts. A mere examination of self will never yield what you want. But let us look at God's love-at God Himself, who commends His love to us; how He gave His Son to die for us, and how Christ died this it is which gives rest and peace, and calls forth in us our love to God. "And, now, he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God:" as we sing

"I leave my joys, I leave my sins,

And find in Thee my home."

Further when this love is commended to you, and you believe it, it is "SHED ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS by the Holy Ghost which is given_unto us."

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How precious is this love-shedding! which is the work of the Holy Ghost, who speaks, says Christ, "of me" -who tells us of the love of God to the sinner_ who answers all our reasonings and objections withThough your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though red like crimson, they shall be as wool." What heart that sees such love, but must at once feel it within ?-shed abroad there by the Holy Ghost. It is by the Truth He does it. Any other doctrine would be fanaticism, and not the Gospel. Many indeed wait for the Spirit; but where will He speak to them but in His truth? He does speak there, presenting to us the love

of God and Christ objectively, or as an object to be seen. The carnal eye sees it not, but all who believe see it, and possess it. See how this is. When Joseph's

brethren stood before him, he asked them about the old man of whom they spake, saying, "Is your father yet alive?" (A question which greatly relieved them, for in their perplexity they know not how to speak to the first lord in Egypt.) But when they began to tell about the old man, their father, the love of Jacob was so shed abroad in Joseph's heart, that he had to turn away and weep. What false theology is it to say that a man must first find his own love to God, that is, before he knows or even hears of God's love to him! That would be to make brick without straw -to put the cart before the horse. These men so dilated upon Jacob, and his love for his lost son, that Joseph had to leave the room-Jacob's love was shed abroad in his heart.

And there was Rebecca. We may suppose she had never heard of Isaac; and it would have been absurd to say she loved him, when she did not know him. But when Eliezer came, and told her who and what he was, Rebecca's heart awakened to his love-and the love of Isaac was shed abroad in her heart.

Do you understand, beloved? Does the anxious, seeking sinner understand? Do you say it is all true about God's love, but I want to know how I am to possess it. I answer, only believe; believe it now: who that truly sees it, and believes it, but must possess it; and who that knows God, whose love it is, and Christ who died for us, but hath life, and is saved. "This is eternal life, that we may know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent." God commends His love to you, as a sinner. Can you take your place as a sinner? If so, the love is for you. What faith does is to believe the love which God hath to us; to rest on it; and to live in the peace and power of it.

And now to draw to a conclusion: let no one imagine that this question of divine love can in anywise lessen our ideas of sin. Who that would know what sin is, let him read the eighty-eighth psalm; also the twentysecond psalm. In the eighty-eighth there is not one ray of comfort; all is dark and dreadful. It is, doubtless, the language of Him who suffered for sin. There was nothing in the cup but sorrows and sufferings. Said an honoured minister, "This, to some who are in darkness, is the comfort of the psalm, that there is no comfort in it." In both psalms, in making atonement for our sins, the sufferer is seen separated from His Father. Hence He could say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And again, "Like the slain in the grave, thou rememberest me no more." Ah, no! This love, or the Cross which but manifests it, shows more than anything else the awful character, and dreadful desert, and doom of sin.

And further, let no one imagine that the reception of this love has no influence on the life. On the contrary, it is its knowledge, by the Spirit, more than anything else, which gives repentance and sorrow for sin, and which produces practical holiness.

Think you, can we know this love, and live as we list? No, indeed. That were a poor requital. Ask the returned prodigal, if he would leave the table at which he sits for the old land of his sin? Ah, no; the power of this love in us, and over us is most sanctifying; having drawn to itself, it separates from evil. When the prodigal believed in the fact of the love of His Father, he left all and returned to Him. When Rebecca believed in the love of Isaac, she became a stranger in her old home, and to her old associates. Beloved, we have seen the power of this love; drunkards, harlots, blasphemers, and sinners of every age and grade, have been made new creatures by it; the change it has wrought has been as sudden as great.