commandments,' or with His later one, which immediately precedes our
text, 'If ye keep My commandments ye shall abide in My love.' For
this is the relationship between love and obedience, in regard to
Jesus Christ, that the love is the parent of the obedience, and the
obedience is the guard and guarantee of the love. They who love will
obey, they who obey will strengthen love by acting according to its
dictates, and will be in a condition to feel and realise more the
warmth of the rays that stream down upon them, and to send back more
fully answering obedience from their hearts. Not in mere emotion, not
in mere verbal expression, not in mere selfish realising of the
blessings of His friendship, and not in mere mechanical, external
acts of conformity, but in the flowing down and melting of the hard
and obstinate iron will, at the warmth of His great love, is our love
made perfect. The obedience, which is the child and the preserver of
love, is something far deeper than the mere outward conformity with
externally apprehended commandments. To submit is the expression of
love, and love is deepened by submission.

II. Secondly, note what Christ does for His friends.

'Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what
his lord doeth.' The slave may see what his lord does, but he does
not know his purpose in his acts--'Theirs not to reason why.' In so
far as the relation of master and servant goes, and still more in
that of owner and slave, there is simple command on the one side and
unintelligent obedience on the other. The command needs no
explanation, and if the servant is in his master's confidence he is
more than a servant. But, says Christ, 'I have called you friends';
and He had called them so before He now named them so. He had called
them so in act, and He points to all His past relationship, and