4. Without end—
The Father's love to Christ shall endure for ever —
[He has given him a pledge of this in his exaltation to heaven.]
Christ's love to us shall also be everlasting — [He knows no change of mind with respect to what he has bestowed x. Whomsoever he loves he continues to lovey. This truth is a just ground of joy and confidence2.]
What returns can we ever make to Christ for such amazing love?
II. The duty resulting from it —
This part of the text requires application rather than discussion — It sets before us, not merely our privilege (which is, to continue in a sense of Christ's love to us) but our duty ;
1. To love Christ —
[This would have been our duty, though he had not so loved us. But the obligation to it is greatly increased by his love. Let him then be exceeding precious to us. Let us despise every thing in comparison of hima.]
2. To continue in love to him —
[We are too apt to decline in our loveb. But declensions, however secret, are very offensive0. They will, if continued in, disqualify us for heaven d: they will reduce us to a worse situation than evere. Let us therefore cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart f.]
r Heb. ii. 10. s Heb. xii. 6. [ Ps. Ixxxix. 31 — 33.
u Zeph. iii. 17. x Rom. xi. 29. V John xiii. 1.
z Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39. a Phil. iii. S.
b Matt. xxiv. 12. c Rev. ii. 4. d Luke ix. 62. e 2 Pet. ii. 22. ' Acts xi. 23.