hosts of Israel :" and he has opened to us access to the waters of life, " of which whosoever drinketh shall never thirst s." Moreover, to effect this, he has not merely jeoparded his life, but actually laid down his life : knowing assuredly all the suf- ferings he must endure in order to procure these blessings for us, he voluntarily undertook our cause, and never drew back, till he could say, " It is finished." Is He not then worthy to be loved by ics ? Yea, should there be any bounds to our love to him ? Should we not be " willing to be bound, or even to die, for his sake?" Surely, whatever dangers we may be en- compassed with, we should say, " None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto me," so that I may but fulfil his will, and promote his glory.]
3. With what grief and indignation should we mortify every sinful desire !
[When once we see what sin has done, we shall see what it merits at our hands. It was to countei'act the effects of sin, that Jesus shed his blood. Shall we then indulge sin of any kind ? However gratifying it may be to our feelings, should we not say, like David in our text, " Is not this the blood of God's only dear Son, even of my best Friend, who laid down his life for me ? I will not drink it ; I wdll sacrifice my every lust unto the Lord." Ah, Brethren! look at sin in this view: and if it be dear to you as a right eye, or apparently as neces- sary as a right hand, do not hesitate one moment to cast it from you with abhorrence ; humbling yourselves for having ever conceived a desire after it, and adoring your God that it has not long since involved you in everlasting death and misery.]
s John iv. 10, 13, 14.