lion. Thus faith unites believers to him, to the Father, and to each other. As lhc ~1111 iM the centre of union in the solar system, so Christ is in the Christian system. 2. The endowment of the Divfoe glory. "The glory which," etc. What glory was given t,, Christ which ho also gave to his disciples? (1) The glory of the Divine unity. 'l'hiR he gave in word and deed. (2) The glory of the Divine reco_gnition. He knew tho Father, nnd introduced him to them. (3) The glory of the Divine character. It wa1 reflected on him oven in hnman nature, and he reflected it upon them. (4) 'l'he glory of self-sacrificing love. 'l'his he gave them, not merely in it.~ vicariouR and Divine resnlts, but as e.n example, inspiration, and the master principle of the nc,v lif"e. (5) This glory is one. 'l'hc µ:Jory of the Son is that of the Father, and the glory of believers is that of the Son, lie imparted to bis disciples the same glory, and, as far as he was concerned, in eqnal degree; and the participation of believers of the same Divine glory through Christ unites them with one another and with the Divine nature, the ultimate result of which must be perfect oneness. 3. The prayer of Jesus on their behalf. (1) The prayer of Jesus is effective and succes.sful. It contained all he did. Ilia life was a prayer, and his death wns a prayer, and bis life in heaven is a continuous and all-effective prayer. (2) The burden of his prayer was the perfect and universal union of believers. And his prayers are all ultimately answered. IV. IN ITS SPECIAL AND ULTIMATE PURPOSES, 1. The perfection of each individual believer. Perfect unity of all can only effect the perfection of each one. Not one believer can be perfected till all believers are. No member of the body can be absolutely free from pain until every member is. Believers must be perfected into ono ere one can be absolutely perfect. 2. The conversion of the world. (1) Its realization of Christ's Divine mission. "That the world may believe and know," etc. (2) Its realization of the Divine love to believers as well as to Christ. "And lovedst them, as thou," etc. (3) The world's realization of Divine love is most effective in the produc- tion of saving faith and knowledge. The world must be convinced of Divine love through love. It must be convinced of the intensity of the Father's love; and its impartiality to all, on the same and the fairest conditions-to each individual believer in Christ wbom he sent, as well as to Christ himself. Let the world realize this, then it will believe and know. (4) The perfect unity of believers will produce this realization. A large degree of it will produce faith. Perfection will produce knowledge. Union is strength, disunion is weakness. The :first disciples, whatever may be their failings, were strong in loving unity, reflected the glory of their Christia.nity and of the Divine nature, and, few as they were, effected almost unparalleled success in the conversion of the world, and eliciting the admiration of infidels: "See how they love one another!" And let the Church become proportionately united, and it will bring such evidence of Divine love and truth to bear upon the world as will be simply irresistible, like the rays of the sun or the united drops of the ocean. LESSONS. 1. Christian union is of supreme importance. It is the goal of Christian life and the perfection of Christian character, and essential to individual and social sanctification. It is the central idea of Jesus and the burden of his prayer, and with regard to Christian character. With this his great prayer ends. 2. The Christian Church lacks in nothing so much as in this. It is essentially imperfect in the present state, especially taken as a whole; but no virtue to-day is so absent from it as real spiritual union. 3. 7'his should be dil-igently and prayerfully cultivated. AU hindrances to it should be excluded-which, in a few words, are selfishness, self-seeking, and pricle, with their injurious progeny. Let these be driven out, and let the Church make the same efforts for inward and spiritual union as it makes for outward reforms; then it will shine with the true glory of the Lord, with the true li~ht of its mission, and with con- vincing effects upon the world. 4. Tu attain this let Christ occupy his proper position in each believer, and in the Church as a wliole. Let him be the sole Prophet, Priest, and King. Let his self-sacrificing life and love be the centre, example, and inspiration of every believing heart; then we shall soon have a true Church of Christ on eartb.-B. 'l'.
Ver. 24.-Hea'lfen. Notice-- I. HEAVEN AB A PLACE. 1. It is a place. (1) This is suggested by our fundamental notions of things. We must look at our future existeuco to some extent in the light of the present. There is a ro:-.1 analo~y between all the stages of existence of the same THE GOSPEL AOOORDING '1'0 BT, JOHN. [on, xvn. 1-26,