disciples, "Without Me ye can do nothing." Others may say what they like, but "Our help is in the Name of the Lord Who made heaven and earth." We are weak in ourselves, but then we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. When the gracious and spiritual power of Christ rests upon us, then we can unite with the Apostle, and say, "We can do all things through Christ Who strengtheneth us." "His commandments are not grievous" when we realise the spiritual power of our adorable Saviour in our souls.

Again, spiritual freedom must precede and accompany spiritual doing. Naturally, man is a bond-slave to sin, self, and Satan. He is bound by the chain of his sins, and is shut up a prisoner by the law. Now when spiritual freedom is vouchsafed to the quickened child of God, he becomes a free man in Christ Jesus. The Son has made him free from the law of sin and death, -free from carnal ordinances, and free from ecclesiastical formalism. He is no longer bound hand and foot with these grave-clothes, for Jesus has said, "Loose him, and let him go." He stands in the liberty, and walks in the liberty wherewith Christ has made him. free, and he has no desire to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. The man who enjoys spiritual freedom is the man who will be actively engaged in the Lord's service; for he prays God to give him grace, that he, being delivered out of the hands of his enemies, might serve before Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life.

Again, the disposings of the heart for good, and the actions of the life are both from the Lord. This leads me to notice an interesting passage in the 2nd of Philippians:-"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The business of a believer's life is to be constantly concerned about his own personal salvation. He walks humbly before his God. He fears and trembles lest he should in any way lean upon an arm of flesh; for he has been taught by the

Holy Ghost, that "It is God Which worketh in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure." He therefore tries to do all things and to suffer all things without murmurings and dispuings, and to be blameless and harmless both before God and man in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.

Again, all our doings must be in the Name of the Lord Jesus. As all our blessings come down to us from God through our Lord Jesus Christ, so all our doings must be performed in His Name. If we believe, it must be in His Name. If we pray, it must be in His Name. If we offer up the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God, they must be in His Name. Everything must be done in the Name of Jehovah Jesus. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." (Col. iii. 17.)

Again, all our doings must be with a single eye to the glory of God. The glory of the creature is not to be known in true and laudable service. Man is not to glory in man, nor in anything that man can do, but let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord. The glory of God is the great and grand end to be aimed at in all our doings. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. x. 31.)

Again, the rule of all our doings is the revealed will of God. The revealed will of God is the standard of every Christian doctrine, and the measure of every Christian practice. "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Sometimes, the believer does the will of God passively: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." And sometimes actively may God "Make us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

In conclusion, I wish to impress upon you most emphatically, that the best doings of the best of the

saints have nothing to do with saving a soul. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. When our doings are right, then they are the fruits of salvation, and in no sense the cause of it. Hear our Lord's words to His disciples:"So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." (Luke xvii. 10.) Beloved, take home with you the words of St. Paul to the Philippians:-" Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, Do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Amen! and Amen!!

COLLECT.

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERIES VIII. No. 6.

"I AM JESUS."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY

(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 5TH, 1883.

In the 18th Chapter of St. John's Gospel, and at the 6th verse, you will read :

AS SOON THEN AS HE HAD SAID UNTO THEM, I AM HE, THEY WENT BACKWARD, AND FELL ΤΟ

THE GROUND.'

In the first twelve verses of this chapter, we have an account, although not a full and complete account of what took place in the Garden of Gethsemane when our Lord resorted thither with His disciples for the last time. In order to obtain as full and comprehensive a view as possible of the whole Garden scene, we shall have occasionally to turn to the other Gospels to see what the writers of them have said respecting it. We shall not attempt to appeal to tradition, but to the sacred writings, in bringing before you the series of solemn events which occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane during the night our Lord was betrayed by Judas, and bound by the officers of the Jews, and led away to be tried, and finally to be taken as a lamb to the slaughter, to be crucified and slain on Calvary.

The redemption and salvation of His people must be accomplished, and the honour and glory of God must be maintained, though wicked hands be employed to do that which His counsel determined before to be done. Let us notice :

First, the place of the scene-the Garden of Gethsemane; and Secondly, some of the sayings and doings of the Saviour in the Mount of Olives and in the Garden before Judas betrayed Him with a kiss; and Thirdly, some of the sayings and doings of the Saviour after His betrayal by Judas until He was led away to the high priest. I hope that, under these divisions of our subject, we shall be able to open out to you what befell our Lord during the night before His crucifixion and death. It is a night of the Lord to be observed of all His followers in all their generations. Consider :

First, the place of the scene: its name-the Garden of Gethsemane. I shall not be able to indulge you with a graphic description of Gethsemane, this I must leave to others who are more highly gifted in this direction than I am. I shall, however, endeavour to give you some facts relating to the Garden scene. St. Matthew and St. Mark say, the place was called Gethsemane, which means, that it was a place either of an "oil press or of a "wine press." St. Luke calls it emphatically "the place," and St. John says, "Where there was a Garden, into which He entered, and His disciples." There is no disagreement in the account which the Evangelists give of this Garden whither Jesus ofttimes resorted with His disciples. This Garden may have belonged to some friend of our Lord, from whom the Saviour had obtained leave to retire whenever He was pleased so to do. This is the opinion of some who have investigated the subject more fully than I have attempted to do. I would observe, that it is well for us to have some place of retirement for communion and fellowship with our heavenly Father. The spot fixed upon may be in a mountain apart, or in a desert place, or in the solitary corner of a garden, or under the shade of some tree, or in an upper room, or in the quiet