courag-e completely spoilt their &nticipated sport of A ch&.se or A fight. 3. He mads him.•e(f known f,Q them. Re could nsk them with firmness, "Whom seek ye?" but tremblingly they replied," Jesus of Nnzareth." The Rom&n soldiel'B hnd unOinchingly faced m11.ny mi~hty foes, but this defenceless Jesus of Nazareth overpowered them with his maj<>sty. '' I e.m be" proved too mnch for them. They fell to the ground. And the collision woul<l have proved fatal to them were it not for the buffers of bis goodness Rnd mercy. Judas'11 kiss was unnecessary; Jesus introduced himself. 4. He went forth, aUhough knowing <ill. "Knowing all things," etc. His knowledge in one sense was disadvantageous to him. There is a certRin amount of ignorance connected with all human bravery. Hope of esoe.pe and victory is Rn element in the heroism of the brn,•est soldier. If we knew all our future, it would go far to unnerve our courage and parn.lyze our energies; but Christ knew all. He had mentally gone through all the torturl'B of the next few hours. Re knew that deRth with all its pains and shame was but a drop to the ocean of his agonies. He knew infinitely more than the soldiers and the dii;ciples. They only knew the outward; he knew the inward. They only knew the visible; be knew the invisible. They only knew a part ; he knew all. The weight of doath was nothing to the weight of sin he had to bear. He knew this in all itJ! bearings and bitterness; but in spit.e of all, such was his courage that, in this hour of trial, he did not flag, but went forth. Ill. THE SOURCES OF ms COURAGE. What courage was his? 1. The courage of an e:xceptionally great nature. We must have an adequate cause to every effect. The heroism of Jesus, although human, yet often towered above it and became Divine. He was the Word made flesh, and God manifested in the flesh. He was a perfect Man, but ever united with Divinity-full of Divine life which made him triumphant over death and its agonies. 2. The cou,rage of loving obedience to his Father's will. He was ever conscious of this. It was bis delight, and the inspiration of his life. "My meat and my drink," etc.; "The cup that my Father bath given," etc.? It is bitter, but I shall drink from his hand what.ever may be the consequences. 3. The courage of ccmscioua r«titude and innocency. Guilt and imposture make a man a coward, while rectitude and innocency make him a hero. Conscious of the Divinity of his mission, the purity of his life, the guilelessness of his spirit, and the rectitude of his motives, Jeans went forth to meet bis foes; and this consciousness raised him so far above timidity as to clothe him with the majesty of Divine heroism, which sent them reeling to the ground. 4. The courage of perfect krwwledge of results. He not only knew his suffer- ings, but also his joys; not only the shame, but also the glory; not only the apparent defeat, but the subsequent grand victories. He could see life in his death for myriads, and glory in the highest. With the agonizing groans of Gethsemane were mingled the anthems of triumph., and in the gleam of torches and lanterns he could see the world flooded with light, and heaven with glory and happiness. 5. The courage of self-sacri- ficing and disinterested love. In the greatest bravery of selfishness there is an element of cowe.rdice; but in Christ there was not a taint of selfishness,-his life was absolutely a sacrifice for others. He would not implicate others in his hour of trial, but gave himself to save them-and all this was voluntary. The volunteer is ever more courageous than the pressed soldier. The courage of Jesus was that of a volunteer, and his heroism that of Divine and self-sacrificing love. LESsoNs. 1. The foes of JestJ,S were the unccmscioua minist6rs of Divine justice dema:nding hi,, life as a ranson for sin. They were inspired by hatred to Jesus, but this hatred was overruled to answer the most benevolent purpose. 2. Jesus perscmally and willi1,gly gave his life up for this pwrpo11e. He was most anxious that justice should be paid in the genuine coin, and not iri counterfeit. " If ye seek me, let," eto, 3. In ronsequ..enc,e of his meeti'flfl the demand of justice by his life, he demands the relea,e rf li,isfrier.ds. "If ye e3ek me,'' etc. He doe£ not aek this as a favour, but demands a.s his right. 4. This demand is most readily granted. In this instance they were not touched. Justice cannot resist the logic of Christ's death and intercession with regard to believers. If the accepted surety pay, the debtor is free. 6. The infinite importance to l,e wr.ited by j<I,ith with Christ. Then the chastisement of our peace is npon him, but otherwise it must be upon ourselves.-B. 'I'.
Yer~. 1, 2.-A I.allowed spot. Thtre are depths and unique things in this Gospel oR. xvur. 1- -40.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. ,JOHN.