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I. THE CENTRE IS JESUS CHRIST. Jesus was His proper name, Christ His appellative. Jesus a name of His nature, Christ of His office and dignity. Jesus, a name of all sweetness. A Reconciler, a Redeemer, a Saviour. When the conscience wrestles with law, sin, death, there is nothing but horror and despair without Jesus. The Word of God, the Son of God, the Christ of God, are titles of glory; Jesus, a Saviour, is a title of grace, mercy, redemption. This Jesus Christ is the centre of this text; and not only of this, but of the whole Scripture. The sum of Divinity is the Scripture; the sum of the Scripture is the gospel; the sum of the gospel is Jesus Christ.

II. THE REFERRING LINE, PROPER TO THIS CENTRE, IS "THE SAME." There is no mutability in Christ; "no variableness, nor shadow of turning" (James 1:17). All lower lights have their inconstancy; but in the "Father of lights" there is no changeableness.

1. This dissuades our confidence in worldly things because they are inconstant. All vanities are but butterflies, which wanton children greedily catch for; and sometimes they fly beside them, sometimes before them, sometimes behind them, sometimes close by them; yea, through their fingers, and yet they miss them; and when they have them, they are but butterflies; they have painted wings, but are crude and squalid worms.

2. This persuades us to an imitation of Christ's constancy. Let the stableness of His mercy to us work a stableness of our love to Him. And howsoever, like the lower orbs, we have a natural motion of our own from good to evil, yet let us suffer the higher power to move us supernaturally from evil to good.

III. THE CIRCUMFERENCE.

1. Objectively. Jesus Christ is the same in His word; and that

(1)  Yesterday in pre-ordiuation;

(2)  To-day in incarnation;

(3)  For ever in application.

2. Subjectively, in His power the same; and that

(1)  Yesterday, for He made the world;

(2)  To-day, for He governs the world;

(3)  For ever, for He shall judge the world.

3. Effectually in His grace and mercy. So He is the same,

(1)  Yesterday to our fathers;

(2)  To-day to ourselves;

(3)  For ever to our children.

(T. Adams.)

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KJV: Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

WEB: Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.