the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas,"-that in all things, -He in His Church, and His Church in Him," in all things He might have the pre-eminence.”

Only look well to it, that what Christ is to the Father, that Christ is to you,-"pre-eminent," alone, all. Make it the argument of every petition,-make it the fulcrum of every confidence,—and then there is nothing in earth or heaven worth the having, which is not yours to command to have, and to enjoy, for whatever is highest, He is above it, and whatever is first, He is before it.

LA

XIII.

The Source of Love.

"Love is of God."-I JOHN iv. 7.

AST Sunday we saw Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, meet in Trinity. The only crown of Trinity is love. Therefore, the Church puts it this day upon the head of Trinity,-"love."

And we are very much passing this day, in the arrangements of the Church's services, from doctrines to duties,— from articles of faith to the corresponding acts of obedience. And this is the uniting point between creeds and practice, -between the visible and the invisible, between God and man, between earth and heaven,-in both, common to both, binding both,-"love."

Eternally and essentially, all love is God, and all God is love. To reveal this to man, that stream of paradise was parted, and became into three heads. There was the electing love of God the Father, which gave His Son to the world, and the world to His Son. And there was the love of Jesus to the death, by which he gave Himself the innocent sufferer for a guilty race. And there was the love of the patient Spirit, in seven-fold offices, and all to comfort those who were unhappy because they were wicked, and wicked because they were unhappy.

And thus the three streams, all mingling, met again in the one grand flood of thought,-" God is love."

All love?

It is a fine truth,-"Love is of God." Assuredly; in so far as it is love, it is of God. It may be more or less ignorant love,—it may be more or less corrupt love, but in that it is love,-whatever in it is really love,—is of God. The sun's rays are vitiated in our thicker air; but whatever is light is of the sun.

And what do we mean when we say that it is "of God?"

First, we mean, it is of the nature of God. All love is first in God. If you ever think of God as anything else but love,-all love,-love to every creature,-you do not know God. Here is Satan's great lie. He paints to the mind a God that is partial love, qualified love, exceptional love, which is not love at all. And thousands and tens of thousands accept that picture,—a half love, an interrupted love, a shadowy love,—and call it God's. But God's necessity is to love, absolutely, universally, to love. The wicked? Yes, the wicked; "While we were yet sinners, He loved us." Those whom He is punishing,-while He is punishing them? Yes; even as a father a child that has grieved him. God always loves. Pierced, outraged, chastening, banishing, expelling, He loves still. Does a father cease to love even an expelled child? Whatever else changes, love never does. And every approach you make to love, every attainment you make in love, is a part of the nature and the character of God,—you assimilate to Him,-you become part in Him. And this image, this conscious image and oneness, is what is to make your confidence at the last day. "Herein is our love made perfect, that "—in order that-" we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world." Take care you understand those last words.

They are the charter of your peace in an awful hour. Take care you understand them. "God is love,"—if we love we are like Him,—in that likeness we may be bold,— it is a proof that we can never be separated, "because as He is,"-love," so are we,"-love,-" in this world."

Secondly, "love is of God" because it is His gift. Whoever wants real love, must ask for it as a creation. It does not spring up here in this lower ground, but it comes down from heaven. If you want to love God, you must remember that He has said that "the love of God is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost given unto us." If you find it hard to love anybody, you must remind yourself that love is a fruit: and before there can be fruit, there must be seed. And what is the seed? "The fruit of the Spirit is love." And if your home is not a home of harmony, you must recollect that it is God that "maketh men to be of one mind in a house." All love is a gift.

And thirdly, "love is of God" because it is an emanation, always flowing. This is the reason why those who live nearest to God, grow the most loving. They catch the droppings; they get imbued with that with which they are in contact. O the love of heaven! what an atmosphere of love they are breathing. For it is the light of God everywhere, mantling everything with an unclouded fervour; and that light is love.

So, "love is of God." The instincts of nature are part of God. A parent loves because the relationship is cast in the mould of the great Father of us all. A happy affection is happy as God makes it. Marriage, truly viewed, is the essence of the union of Christ and His Church. All union is an approximation to God. "Love is of God."

Now let us look at one or two of the exoduses of this

And there is a state far on

procession of love. There is a state of mind, the lowest and worst, which has no love and no fear. There is a state which often suceeeds,-safe, but miserable,-fear, but no love. There is a state in advance, in which love and fear struggle for the mastery. never, perhaps, quite reached here, but which a Christian is constantly approaching and of which he has many earnests, in which "love has cast out fear." And why does love always finally prevail? The answer is plain; because "love is of God."

A little child, in its natural life, begins by loving. It loves first, and trusts afterwards. It loves first, and understands afterwards.

It loves first, and knows that it is loved, I do not say is loved, but knows that it is loved, afterwards.

So must it be with the spiritual life. Begin by loving; believing, understanding, knowing, will come afterwards, in their proper order. Love is the parent of faith, more than faith is the parent of love,-though of course they act and react. But in the first instance, love takes the lead, because it is the nearest to the fountain. "Love is of God."

The shortest road to almost every good thing is through love. For instance, what is the way to get humble? in other words, what is the most humbling thing in the whole world? To feel that you are loved. Who, then, is the humblest? We have had the answer in the second lesson to-day, in the weeping woman,-in the shade,behind, at the feet,-the one who is, and is conscious that he is, loved.

So, love is the way to humility. And to what does humility lead? To a good temper,-to contentment,