disappear. If to the churches of England to-day there came a sudden
accession of knowledge of Christ, and of union with Him, the first
thing that would go would be the wretched barriers that separate us
from one another. For if we have the life of Christ in any adequate
measure in ourselves, we shall certainly have grown up above the
fences behind which we began to grow, and shall be able to reach out
to all that love the Lord Jesus Christ, and feel with thankfulness
that we are one in Him.



CHRIST'S FRIENDS

'Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth
I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his
lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of My Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not
chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He
may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one
another.'--JOHN xv. 14-17.

A wonderful word has just dropped from the Master's lips, when He
spoke of laying down His life for His friends. He lingers on it as if
the idea conveyed was too great and sweet to be taken in at once, and
with soothing reiteration He assures the little group that they, even
they, are His friends.

I have ventured to take these four verses for consideration now,