---

I. THE PRINCIPLE ON WHICH THE PRECEPT IS BASED. "As the Father hath loved Me," etc. The particle "as" of course does not indicate equality, but similitude; and even the similitude indicated is not absolute. From the very nature of the objects — the one, the Son — infinite — the other, Christians — finite — the love borne by the Father to the Son must, both in nature and degree, exceed the love which the Son bears to His people; and there is at least one point in which there is not resemblance, but strong contrast. Like the love of the Father to the Son, the love of the Son to His elect ones is —

1. Unbeginning. There never was a period when the Father began to love His Son. The only begotten Son was, from eternity, in the Father's bosom (Proverbs 8:22, 23, 30). In this respect the Son loved His chosen people, predestinated, as they were, in Him before the foundation of the world. There was a time when they did not love Him — for they did not exist; at a time when, though they might have loved Him, they did not — they would not; but there never was a time when He did not love them.

2. Infinite. The excellences of the Son, which are the ground of the Father's love, are infinite; and so is — so must be — the Father's love. The love of the Son to His people cannot be, in this sense, infinite; but we can set no bounds to it.

3. Active. How it manifested itself when there was nothing but Deity in the universe, we cannot tell. The declaration in reference to one of the economies is true of them all. "The Father loveth the Son, and" — i.e., therefore — "He hath put all things into His hand." The love of the Son to His people is also active. It has proved itself stronger than death. Whether we fix our minds on the value of the innumerable blessings it bestows, or on the cost of these blessings to Him, surely we must say, this love has "a height and a depth, a length and a breadth, that passeth knowledge."

4. Unchanged and unchangeable. Immutability is equally the attribute of the Father and the Son; and therefore it is impossible that there should be any change in the affection with which the one regards the other. In like manner does the Son love His people. He "rests in His love" — Jesus is "the same yesterday, today, and forever." The invariableness of His love to them wants one of the foundations on which the invariable love of the Father to Him rests. He never changes; but they often do.

5. Unending. While the Father and the Son continue to exist, they must continue to regard each other with infinite love; and, as a token of His everlasting love, the Father has given the Son an everlasting kingdom. The love of the Son to His people is also everlasting, and proves itself in the bestowal of eternal blessings. But there is one point in which the contrast is as striking, as the resemblance. The love of the Father to the Son was richly merited. But as for the objects of the love of the Son, as creatures standing at an infinite distance from Him who is God over all, blessed forever, it would have been wonderful if the Son had loved man, in His best estate, as the Father loved Him (Psalm 8:4). But how much more does the contrast come out when we remember what they are. The Father's love to the Son was love to dignity, moral beauty, innocence, excellence, perfection; but the Son's love to men, fallen men, is love to the degraded, the deformed, the condemned, the (but for His love) hopelessly lost (Romans 8:8).

II. THE DUTY ENJOINED. "Continue in My love," or, as Jude has it, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." To continue in Christ's love is to continue in cherishing those affections, and doing those actions, which are well-pleasing in His sight; and to continue in the enjoyment of an humble assurance, that He continues to regard us with complacential satisfaction. The subject teaches us —

1. How we should regard official station or personal standing in the Church of Christ. We should regard it as the being made branches of the True Vine; as a token of the love of Christ. To be a minister or a member of the Church is a far higher honour than to be a member or office bearer in the most distinguished literary or political societies in the world.

2. What is the duty of those who, through the love of Christ, have been placed in such circumstances. It is to continue in His love. The branch is put forth by the vine, or grafted into it, not for its own honour, but that it may grow, and blossom, and bring forth fruit, to the glory of the vine, and the vine dresser.

III. THE MANNER IN WHICH COMPLIANCE WITH THE PRECEPT IS TO BE YIELDED. By keeping our Lord's commandments, as He kept His Father's commandments. The following may be considered as among the most comprehensive and important of our Lord's commandments: Matthew 16:24; Matthew 6:19, 20, 33; Matthew 10:8; Luke 12:15; John 13:34. Now, when a disciple, from regard to His Lord's authority, and from love to His person, yields a cheerful habitual obedience to these commandments, he cannot but continue in His love. The eye of the Saviour cannot but rest complacently on him. And this is the only way in which a disciple can continue in his Master's complacential love. When the Father manifested His love to His Son, by constituting Him His great agent in the restorative economy, He gave Him a commandment (Psalm 40:7.8). He fully conformed Himself to this law; and, in doing so, he continued in His Father's love. Our obedience must have the same leading characters as our Lord's had. His obedience was the obedience of —

1. Love, and so must ours be.

2. In consequence of its being the result of love, it was cheerful. So we must run in the way of His commandments with enlarged hearts.

3. Universal — it extended to every requisition of the law. And in our obedience there must be no reserves, Do allowed omissions or violations.

4. Persevering. He was faithful to death, and it is He who endures to the end, that so continues in the Saviour's love as to be saved.

IV. MOTIVES TO COMPLY WITH THE INJUNCTION. By continuing in Christ's love, by keeping His commandments —

1. You will be conformed to Him, four Lord and Master. Ought not the "disciple to be as His teacher," etc. It is the great design of the Father of the whole family, that the younger members, the fanny brethren, should all be conformed to their elder brother.

2. You will minister to the Lord's enjoyment. His joy in us will remain, if, keeping His commandments, we continue in His love (ver. 11). The disciple whom Jesus loved breathed the Spirit of Him on whose bosom he had been accustomed to lean, when he said, "I have no greater joy," etc. (3 John 1:4) And Paul (Philippians 2). Our Lord had joy in His disciples, etc. (Matthew 11:25) His joy in them was proportioned to the degree in which they were made holy, useful, and happy, through the influence of His word and Spirit.

3. You will promote your own happiness. While Christ's joy in us remains, our joy in Him will be full.

(J. Brown, D. D.)

---

---

KJV: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

WEB: Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.