CHRIST AND THE BELIEVER INSEPARABLE.

BY REV. J. GEORGE BUTLER,

PASTOR OF ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON, D. c.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?—Romans, viii, 35.

You cannot too carefully examine the evidence of your love to Jesus. It should cause you anxious thought. Lovest thou Me? says the Saviour to every Gospel hearer. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, says the great Apostle, let him be anathema maranatha.

"Do I love the Lord or no?

Am I His, or am I not?"

Happy if, with penitent Peter, even though you have oft grieved and denied your heart-knowing Master, you may appeal to Him for the sincerity of your love. Then shall you surely see Him as He is, and love Him as you ought and as you desire.

But our text directs our thoughts to a contemplation of Christ's love to us. It is in a conviction of this that our love to Him begins. "We love Him because He first loved us." It is this love of the Saviour to us-a love that passeth knowledge, that leads to repentance that inspires hope, and faith, and charity. It is this love, shed abroad in the heart, that constrains to a life of obedience, and toil, and self-denial, in His service. It is the conviction of the love of Jesus, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, that sustains, and comforts, and cheers, the soul of the humble believer, in the midst of trial and suffering. It is because of the wonderful love of Christ to me, a poor sinner, that I know that He will keep that which I have committed to Him against the great day; that He, my Good Shepherd, who has laid down His life for the sheep, will never suffer those who hear His voice, and follow Him, to perish; that none shall be able to pluck them out of His hand. Blessed Word of the Lord Jesus!

But how may I know that Christ loves me? That He loves the unfallen spirits of heaven, who have ever delighted to pay Him homage, I have no doubt. The blood-washed, redeemed from earth, clothed with immortal blessedness, where they neither weep nor sin more, they feel the warm gushings of His loving heart. They can never doubt, for they no longer walk by faith, but see face to face. Oh! that, like them, I might feel the warm beatings of His loving heart, and hear His words of tenderness. But how, in this world of sin, offending every day, with this vile heart, with marks of my unworthiness and unfaithfulness, my secret and open sins ever before me, may I indeed hope that Christ loves me! Is that the thought that tears your anxious breast? Peace, troubled soul! God so loved the world-the world-that He gave His only-begotten Son. He came not to condemn, but that the world-the world-through Him might be saved. And "He that spared not His own Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Yes-in the gift of the Son, the believer has the assurance that every other thing necessary to complete the work-to crown the redeemed and honor the Redeemer-will freely be given. Whilst the Cross stands, I have a pledge of the purpose of the Father to save me, my wondering eye and loving heart being fixed there.

But for me did He die? do you ask-for me, whose heart has never been warmed by the recital of Gethsemene and Calvary-for me, who hate Him, who have blasphemed His name and trampled under foot His blood-for me, who am ever changing, though called by His name "now hot, now cold, now freeze, now burn"-has He died, has He risen, does He intercede for me? Oh! if a sinner, lost, despairing, He came to seek and save you. Jesus Christ, says the inspired Apostle, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man-for you, individually, just as fully as though no other sinner needed redemption. For when we were without strength, says Paul, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die; but God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All the weary and heavy laden-every one that thirsteth

"All the fitness He requireth

Is to feel your need of Him."

The Spirit and the bride say come; all heaven invites; they only shall be lost who will not come to Christ. Ye who disbelieve His Word, and harden yourselves against His providence, and resist His Spirit, ye are that barren fig-tree. But for the pleadings of this loving and ever-living Intercessor, you would have been cut down as cumberers of the ground. His loving arm stays the avenging blow of justice. And, in deciding for or against Christ, it is not, whether you choose annihilation or heaven, but whether you prefer heaven or hell. This wonderful love work of the Redeemer has secured life to all who died in Adam. All that are in their graves shall come forth, some to the resurrection of glory, some to the resurrection of damnation. In considering the love of Christ, it is for you to decide whether you will be

"with the damned cast out, or Numbered with the blest."

This Christ's love to me as a sinner-that is the ground of my hope, and source of my peace, and love, and joy. Bowed down beneath a load of sin, I rejoice in the assurance that Christ is my advocate, and that His blood cleanseth from all sin.

"This precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed church of God

Be saved to sin no more."

To illustrate more fully the depth and tenderness of this inseparable love of Jesus, let us look at some of the relations in which He presents Himself to us in these Scriptures, which we should search daily, because they testify of Him.

He is our friend-calls us His friends. He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother-the friend in need-the one above all others-the friend of sinners

"Which of all our friends, to save us,
Could or would have shed his blood."

He is thy tried friend, His is an unchanging love-faithful, strong as death. He is thy son, thy brother. He that doeth the will of my Father, the same is my mother and sister and brother. His is a filial heart-a fraternal love. When on earth, subject to His parents, mark how He cared for His mother, even when on the Cross-and His love is still as great. He is the brother born for adversity.

And what more beautifully sets forth the tender love of Jesus to