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'Before him kings and tyrants fall,
Detest their crowns, and on him call,
And he a pardon freely gives :
The world, in sin, was dead before;
To life the world he will restore,

And in him all the world shall live.'

But we have said that a Leader must not only be wise to plan, and powerful to execute, but he must also be willing to suffer first in his own cause. Thousands of our race have embarked in noble causes, and have possessed sufficient wisdom and power, but have been unwilling to suffer. As long as prosperity smiled, they were faithful, but the moment persecution came, the cause was left to suffer. Not so with this Leader. He laid down his rules and followed them. In the midst of the riches of a world, he pathetically exclaimed, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.'* A rich young man came to him apparently desirous of being a follower. The condition was, 'Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and come and follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.' And he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.' As this Leader was willing to suffer first in his own cause, so he wanted no followers that would not be governed by the same self-sacrificing spirit. 'He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me,' said our great Leader to the world.

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Would we then be thought worthy of a place in

*Matt. viii. 20.

† Ib. xix. 16-22.

his ranks, we must renounce all the charms of wealth, all the flattery of the world, and all the allurements of popularity. We must be actuated by the purest motives. We should be like the American patriot in England during the struggle for liberty. Several attempts it is said were made to buy him over to the interests of the crown, but being weary of these importunities, he said one day to those who would draw him aside from the path of duty, 'I am poor, but the king of England is not rich enough to buy me.' So will the devoted follower say to the enemies of our Leader, 'I am poor, but this world is not rich enough to buy me.' Such is the spirit that our Leader wishes to see among his disciples. Let us then endeavor to rally around his standard; let us imbibe his spirit; and though our path may lead to persecution, and even death, yet we shall know that we cannot suffer more than he has endured before us. 'If they call the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of his household.'* Our path of duty is plain. Let us then move forward. We have a faithful Leader; one who has met the frowns and persecutions of a world, who was never known to falter for a single moment; one who possesses every qualification, and one who has said, 'I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.' Our Leader has been lifted up, and he is now drawing a world to himself. What a glorious work! He is not leading his followers through seas of blood and war, to an earthly possession, but to a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. May we be faithful then

*Matt. x. 25.

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even unto death. Our Leader has conquered death and sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high. There he will remain till the restitution of all things,' and then his followers will meet him in another and a better world, and enjoy his presence forever.

XLVIII. LIFE.

Jesus saith unto Thomas, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.' John xiv. 6.

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JESUS, in a few other instances, though in language somewhat different, declares himself to be the Life. Thus, he says, 'The Bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.'* 'I am the resurrection and the Life.'t Peter calls him 'the Prince of life.' The great Apostle, in writing to the Colossian church, says, 'When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' The apostle John opens his first epistle with a reference to Jesus, as our life: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.'|| Again: This is the record that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son.' In fine, Jesus is ever considered by the sacred writers as the Life of the world, and to present the various passages

* John vi. 33.
Colos. iii. 4.

† Ib. xi. 25.

Acts iii. 15.

1 John i. 1, 2.

¶ lb. v. 11.

wherein this great truth occurs, would be to transcribe a large portion of the New Testament.

The motto occurs in the midst of the conversation and exciting events connected with the Last Supper. From the bustling world of festive Jerusalem, the Saviour withdrew among the quiet circle of his disciples. The twelve whom he had chosen to be the props and pillars of a new world, were the company among whom Jesus had resolved to keep the festival. There he sat as head of a family and priest, uttering the prayers and songs, breaking the bread, and distributing the wine. Soon the Shepherd was to be slain, and the sheep to be scattered. In view of the approaching sufferings of the 'little flock,' he who was their Life, and the Life of the world, said, 'Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.' On hearing of the way, Thomas says, 'Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?' Then the great Teacher said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' But we cannot follow out the history. That we may do in considering the other two titles found in connection with the one under consideration.

In what sense is Jesus the Life? He is to the soul that which bread is to the body. As the latter imparts vigor and nourishment to our physical nature,

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