Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/179

 proof of  love."  How  necessary  is  it  for  you,  if  you  really love  your  Saviour,  to  act  and  suffer  for  Him!  Compassionate Him,  at  least,  in  His  sufferings:  offer  up  the  fast of  Lent,  and  whatever  painful  circumstances  may  attend it,  for  your  past  sins,  and  in  union  with  His  pains  and torments.

I. After  having  enjoined  the  love  of  God  above  all things, our  divine  Master  insists  on  the  love  of  our  neighbor. "This is  my  commandment,"  He  emphatically  says, " that  ye  love  one  another,  as  I  have  loved  you." (John xv. 12.)  He  calls  this  "a  new  commandment,"  and styles it  "  His"  own,  because  it  is  peculiar  to  Christianity. This precept  was  new,  as  to  the  manner  of  observing  it, because He  requires  that  our  love  should  be  like  His,  extending to  friend  and  foe,  without  respect  to  merit  or recompense,  and  even  with  our  own  temporal  inconvenience. "By this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  My disciples,"  He  says,  "  if  ye  have  love  one  for  another." (John xiii.  35.)  Take  care  that  you  be  one  of  His  disciples, and  respect  what  He  has  inculcated  in  such  weighty terms.

II. Our divine  Teacher  commands  us  also  to  practise prayer. " Hitherto  you  have  not  asked  anything  in  My name;  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be full." (John xvi.  24.)  So  friendly  an  invitation  cannot fail to  ground  a  great  confidence. The poor  and  needy are invited,  and  even  pressed  to  receive  benefits;  and the invitation  comes  from  a  Being  who  is  both  able  and willing to  realize  His  promise. We have  only  to  pray  in a  proper  manner,  that  is,  in  Christ's  name,  for  such  things as regard  our  salvation,  and  with  perseverance.