without blemish, and without spot; who verily, was foreordained before the foundation of the world."

And why? Because of the gracious unalienable workings of his infinite love. And herein was THE ASTONISHING MANIFESTATION OF THAT LOVE,-(a subject on which we proposed in the second place to speak)-"not that we loved. God, but that he loved us;" and he "so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Great God! Inspire our souls with such a comprehension of thine unspeakable love to the world, that it may work in us a corresponding. affection, even that we may love Thee with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength!

When we feel ourselves called upon, either by convictions of mind or by a sense of duty, to make a great personal sacrifice, that sacrifice is generally in something we can spare without severe injury, or else for some person who claims or merits our bounty. But when God gave his only begotten Son for the salvation of the world, it was a sacrifice of that which, least of all others, he could spare; and it was a boon to be bestowed, not upon those who deserved his love, or could claim his regard, but upon a sinful, ungrateful, rebellious world! Yet he so loved the world, as to give this

unspeakable gift. It was so great a love, that itcannot be described. Language is not capable of it-the mind of man, in his temporal state, cannot comprehend it. Even Christ himself, who declared this truth to Nicodemus, attempts not to portray it. It is a subject, therefore, for spiritual contemplation, "for everlasting wonder and praise, to angels and men."

Abraham, perhaps, was enabled to understand it as well as any man, when he was called upon to offer up his only son Isaac, a sacrifice to the Lord. The pouring out of his own full vessel of parental affection, afforded him a partial measure of the unmeasurable love of God in the sacrifice of his Son. Had a complete schedule of every sacrifice that it was in his power to make, been placed before him, and one after another been demanded of God, the life of his son would probably have been the last that he would have surrendered. The desperate rupture of affection in him, therefore, was like the concentration of every other earthly attachment, being cut down at a stroke. Yet greater, infinitely greater was God's sacrifice of his Son. Abraham's feelings were but tried, and the sacrifice was spared; but the love of God was proved to the uttermost when he laid upon his Son the iniquity of us all, and caused him to bear the sorrows and the sufferings, due to our sins, in his own body on the tree.

But let us not suppose, that, in this wonderful transaction, our compassionate Saviour was an unwilling sacrifice. His was a free-will offering, which was arranged in the regions of heaven before the world was. And, therefore, our Lord said unto the Jews, "I lay down my life for the sheep—I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me; but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."

Whilst, then, my brethren, we consider "what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that [through the gift of his Son] we should be called the sons of God;" let us not be forgetful of that unspeakable love of Christ, who, though "he was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God," yet for our sakes "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

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Would you, then, search into the love of Christ? Look into the gospel histories of his wonderful life, and behold it written there. Would you wish for a measure of his unmeasurable love? Consider the perfect happiness and exalted glory he left in heaven, to tabernacle in sorrow and privations among the children of men,-to suffer indignities

from the men he loved, with mental agonies, and a cruel death,—and try to measure it there! Would you desire to know and feel his exceeding compassion? Follow him to the tomb of Lazarus, and behold him weeping there! Observe his pathetic lamentation over impenitent Jerusalem, and learn his compassion there! Would you desire to have your hearts affected with his wondrous Passion? Follow him to the garden of Gethsemane, and behold him prostrate on the earthmark his agonizing prayer-see the sweat, as great drops of blood, falling to the ground, then, consider, what must have been his sufferings there! Follow him to the judgment-hall. Observe him left alone in the midst of his blood-thirsty foeshis disciples fled his guards mocking and scourging him, and behold his indignities there! Follow him to the cross. Behold him suspended by torturing nails, driven through his hands and feet, a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men,— and, amid all the appalling sufferings of the body, consider the mental writhings of his sorrowstricken soul, when, under the enormous load of human guilt that was laid upon him,-when, without sympathy from earth, or succour from heaven, he cried with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"—and ponder, my brethren, in perpetual meditations, what astonishing agonies must have been there! And

when we have considered all these manifestations of the Saviour's love, may the Lord grant unto us all, "that Christ may be formed in our hearts by faith," so that, being rooted and grounded in love, we "may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge."

III. Though I have now given a general view of the design of the love of God in that astonishing act, the gift of his son,-yet, as much ignorance, confusion, and misconception prevail on this important subject, I proposed to you a third head of discourse, concerning THE OBJECT OF GOD'S

UNSPEAKABLE GIFT IN THE SURRENDER OF

HIS SON, which we now proceed to consider.

That OBJECT is briefly, but specifically, stated in these words of the text-" that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Unless we consider man in a lost, perishing, condemned condition; lost to happiness and heaven; perishing through the disease of sin; condemned by the righteous law of a righteous God to the misery of hell,—the method of salvation by Jesus Christ is altogether paradoxical and unintelligible. But knowing this to be the state of all mankind by nature, and feeling by our own expe