tlieiT) of this; which if he had not been very solicitous of, should not have had so large a room in his thoughts then, when he had so little time left, in which he was to crowd and sum up all the heavenly counsel and comfort that he desired to leave with them before his departure. Nay, so great weight he lays on this, that he seems to lock up his own joy and theirs together in the care that they should take about this one command of loving one another, John XV. 11: 'These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you; and that your joy might be full.' What these things were, appears by the preceding verse: 'If ye keep my connnandments, ye shall abide in my love.' These were the things that he spake of in order to his joy in them, and theirs in him, that they woidd keep his commandments. Nov/, to let them know, how high a place their obedience to this particular command of love and unity had in his heart, and how eminently it con- duced to the continuing his joy in them, and filling up their own ; he chooseth that above any for his instance, in order to what he had said, as you may see, ver. 12, 'This is my commandment, that ye love one another.' Observe still, how Christ appropriates this commandment to himself. ' This is my commandment,' as if he would signify to them, that as he had one disciple, who went by the name of the disciple whom Jesus loved ; so he would have a darling commandment, in which he takes some singidar delight, and that this should be it, ' their loving one another.' But we are not yet at the last link of this golden chain of Christ's discourse. When he hath put some more warmth into their affections to this duty, by exposing his own love to them in the deepest expression of it, even to die for them, verse 13, then he comes on more boldly, and tells them he will own them for his friends, as they are careful to observe what he had leftin charge with them, verse 14: ' Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.' And now, taking it for grarited that he had prevailed upon them, and they would walk in unity and love as he had commanded them, he cannot conceal the pleasure that he takes therein, yea, and in them for it. Verse 15, he opens his heart to them, and locks no secret from them : yea, bids them go and open their heart to God, and be free to him, as he is to them, ver. 1(5 ; and mark from ■what blessed hour all this familiarity that they are admitted to bears date : ' From henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth;' that is, from the time that you walk dutifully to me, and lovingly to one another. One would think now he had said enough ; but he thinks not so. In the very next words he is at it again, ver. 17 : ' These things I command you, that you love one another :' as if all he liad left else in charge with them had been subservient to this.
Secondly, A second thing that speaks Christ's heart deeply engaged in the promoting of love and unity among Christians is, his fervent prayer for this. Should you hear a ^Jrreacher with abiuidance of vehemency press a grace or duty upon the people, in his pulpit, and as soon as the sermon is done, you should go under his closet window, and hear him as earnestly wrestling with God that he would give his people what he had so zealously pressed upon them, you would easily believe the man was in earnest. Our blessed Saviour hath taught us ministers whither to go when we come out of the pulpit, and what to do ; no sooner hath he done his sermon to them, but he is at prayer with God for them. And what he insisted on most in preaching, he enlargeth most upon in prayer: unity and peace was the legacy he desired so much to leave with them, and this is the boon he puts in strongl}' with God to bestow on them, John xvii. 11 : 'Father, keep through thine own power those that thou hast given me ;' and why all this care ? ' that they might be one, as we are.' As if he had said. Father, did we ever fall out? was there ever dis- cord betwixt us? why then should they vvfho are thine and mine disagree? So, ver. 21, and again, ver. 23, he is pleading hard for the same mercy. And why so often ? Is it so hardly wrung from God, that Christ himself must tug so often for it ? No, sure ; but as Christ said of the voice that came from heaven, John xii. 30, 'This voice came not for me, but for your sakes,' so may I say here, this ingeminated zeal of Christ for his people's unity and love was for their sakes. First, He weuld by this raise the price of this mercy in their thous;hts ; that sure is worth their care, which he coimted worth his
TIIK UOSl'EL Ol' I'EACE. 397