of John," and he preached his fifth sermon from that wonderful text. He did not divide the text up into firstly, secondly, and thirdly, but he took the whole text and threw it at them. I thought that sermon was better than ever. I I got so full of love that I got up and told my friends how much God loved them. The whole church was on fire before the week was over. Tuesday night came, and there was a greater crowd than ever. The preacher said: "Turn to the 3d chapter of John and the 16th verse and you will find my text," and he preached his sixth sermon from that wonderful text, "God so loved the world," &c. They thought that sermon was better than any of the rest. It seemed as if every heart was on fire, and sinners came pressing into the kingdom of God. On Wednesday night people thought that probably he would change his text now, as he could not talk any longer on love. There was great excitement to see what he was going to say. He stood before us again and he said: "My friends, I have been trying to get a new text, but I cannot find any as good as the old one, so we will again turn to the 3d chapter of John and the 16th verse." He preached his seventh sermon from that wonderful text. I have never forgotten those nights. I have preached a different gospel since, and I have had more power with God and man since then. In closing up that seventh sermon he said: "For seven nights I have been trying to tell you how much God loved you, but this poor stammering tongue of mine will not let me. If I could ascend Jacob's ladder and ask Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, to tell me how much love God the father has for this poor lost world, all that Gabriel could say would be 'That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."" When he got through preaching in Chicago, we had to get the largest building there, and then thousands went away because they could not get in. He went to Europe, and returned again. In the meantime our church had been burned, and you people of Philadelphia had put us up a temporary building. When he came there he preached in this temporary building, and he said: Although the old building is burnt up, the old text is not burnt up, and we will preach from that. So he preached from where he had left off preaching about the love of God.

Do not believe that God does not love you. He loves you with an everlasting love. "God is love." He wants to save you. IIere is a verse in the Song of Solomon: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me." Think of his left hand under our head, and his right hand around us.

There is a story told of a young man who came to this country from England, became naturalized and went to Cuba, and was there

some time. When the civil war came on in 1867, he was arrested as a spy, and taken before the military court and ordered to be shot. Then he sent for the two consuls of this country and England, and told them his case, that he was not a spy or a politician. They found he was perfectly innocent, and had nothing to do with the war. They went to the Spanish officers and said: "This man is an innocent man; he is not guilty of what he is accused." The officer said: "He was found guilty by the Spanish government, and he must die.” The consuls had not time to refer to the Spanish government. They brought this man to the grave, and the black cap was drawn over him, and the Spanish soldiers were all ready to fire. But just before they received the command to fire, who should rush up but the American and English consuls. Our American representative took the stars and stripes and wrapped them around the man, and the English consul wrapped the English flag around him, and they said: "Fire on these flags if you dare.' They did not dare to fire, because behind these flags were two powerful nations. Think of the flag of Heaven! God says, "My banner over you shall be love." Come under the banner of Heaven to-night. Do not go out of this building until you are sheltered under this precious banner. If you are under his blood, you are saved for time and eternity. Escape for your life; come under the banner of love, and he will keep you until you stand before him, pure and washed in the blood of the Lamb. Is there any other verse I need quote to you? "Herein," says John, "is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." I can imagine some of you say, "God is angry with the sinner every day." That is one of the strongest passages in the Word of God, that God loves the sinner. Suppose these two boys down here (in the audience) are mine. Suppose one of them is kind and affectionate, and the other swears, lies, steals, gets drunk, and behaves as badly as any being can. If I didn't love the boy who behaved badly, I would let him go; but just because I do love him, it makes me angry to have him take a downward course. "God is s angry with the sinner every day." He is angry when the sinner takes a downward course, and it is the strongest proof of his love. If a boy is never corrected, it is a proof of his father's want of love. If you spare the rod, you spoil the child. It is out of pure love that God corrects us. It may be that I am talking to gome one here that reasons in this way: "If God loves us, why are we punished?" It is because he does love us. It says here in Hebrews, at the 12th chapter and 6th verse: "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" God dealeth with us as with sons. Father, how do you deal with your boy? Don't you punish him when he goes astray? It is a true sign of love when you punish

your boy. If I am disobedient and go astray, God has to punish me. That is the reason there are so many suffering. Now it is not easy to go against God's law and disobey God. When you were a little boy and went contrary to the wishes of your father and mother, were you not unhappy? Is there a man here to-night who will not say he was unhappy? If he goes against God's law and disobeys God, we make ourselves unhappy. The most disobedient man is the most unhappy man, though he have all the wealth of Philadelphia, and the most obedient man is the happiest. That law holds good everywhere. God says: "If you walk contrary to me, I will walk contrary to you." There is no peace for the wicked. It is because God loves us he wants to bring us to himself. If he did not afflict us when we were disobedient to him, we never would come to him and be saved. If you are under the chastening rod, it is because God loves you; and he asks you to love him. Is it not the most reasonable thing you can do to love God and turn unto him? Oh, may God bring you under that banner which is love. May his banner float over you, and may that banner be love. Let us sing.

"Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to thy bosom fly."

DEATH OF CHRIST.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chas tisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53: 5.

Last night I was speaking about the birth of Christ, and there was no room for him. I might have added to that sermon that the world did make room for him at one time, and that was upon the cross. That was the only place they could make room for him-between two thieves. I want to speak about the death of Christ tonight, because it concerns every one of us. He was wounded for our transgressions, not for his own. He did not transgress; if he had, he would have to have died for himself. He was lamb without spot, and thus he became the sinner's substitute. "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

A few years ago I was going to lecture in Dublin, and I got out a few placards, and on them was printed, "Christ died for our sins." I said that should be my text. If I could only picture that scene, and make that scene of Calvary real, I would not preach but that

one sermon.

If that would not break men's hearts, I do not know what would. We cannot draw that picture as we would like; the world does not know what it means. The suffering of the Son of God we do not know. There is not a man living can tell what the Son of God suffered mentally. I want to take up what he suffered physically; and, oh, that God may help me to-night to make it real!

I remember when our war was going on, if I took up a morning paper and read of a terrible battle-ten thousand men killed-Ï would lay it down and forget about it. At last I went on to the battle-field, and I helped to bear away the sick and wounded. After I had been over one or two battle-fields, I began to realize what it meant. I could hear the dying groans of the men, and their cry for water. Then when I heard of a battle, the whole thing was stamped upon my mind. So when men take up their Bible, because they have read it from their youth up, they will read this chapter of Isaiah from which my text is taken, foretelling the sufferings of Christ, and lay it down and forget about it. If I tell you how a little child suffered, it will bring tears to your eyes; but if I tell you how the Son of God suffered it does not have the same effect upon you, and you will sometimes go away laughing.

Let us imagine we are living in the days when the Son of God was upon earth-that we are citizens of Jerusalem-that we are there at that memorable feast, and that late one Thursday afternoon, as we are walking down the street, we see thirteen men coming down the same street. We notice every one stops and looks at them. We make inquiries who they are, and we are told, "It is Jesus and his Apostles." Away they go to the guest chamber, and soon they are seated around his table. He begins to be exceedingly sorrowful. That night he knew one of them was to swear he never knew him; that the Shepherd was to be smitten, and the sheep were to leave him. He was sorrowful unto death. John was wondering what was making him so sad. At last he told them that one of them that night should betray him. The whole crowd looked startled, and one said, "Lord, is it I?" and another said, "Lord, is it I?" Every one of them began to distrust himself; and at last Judas, that awful traitor, who was already plotting with the chief priest to deliver him up, said, "Lord, is it I?" Jesus gave him to understand that it was. And presently he turned and said, "What thou doest do quickly;" and he got up and left. I do not believe you could find a sadder party than that little party. Judas had seen him perform his mighty miracles. He had been with him when he had fed the multitude in the wilderness. He had been with him when he had wept over Jerusalem. He had been associated with him for three long years. And now Judas gets up and goes out. It was night. I can imagine I hear him as he goes down those stairs. Hark! hear him; step after step, out into the blackness of the darkness of night. He goes off to

the Sanhedrim, to the rulers of the Jews. He says to them, "What will you give me?" He sells his Master for thirty pieces of silver. How cheap he sold his birthright. You condemn him; but how many of you are selling him for less? A lady last night wanted to become a Christian, but she would not give up a ball that was to come off on Wednesday night. She would sell her soul for a night in the ball-room. How many would sell him for a night in some drinking saloon? Judas made a bargain. He sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. I hear the chink of the silver as it is thrown down upon the table. Judas says, "Now give me a band of men,

and I will take you to him."

After Judas went out, the sweetest words that ever fell from the lips of any person in this world were spoken by Jesus. It was on that occasion he 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 all those sweet words in the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of John were uttered on that occasion, after Judas had left. How Judas lost those heavenly words! While he was away, Christ was engaged in trying to comfort his disciples, instead of them trying to comfort him.

At last he said: "Come, for the time of my departure is at hand." Perhaps it is midnight as they walk down the streets of Jerusalem. He is with them for the last time. He is soon to be taken from them, and be delivered into the hands of sinful men. I see that little band, as they walk along through the streets of Jerusalem. Away they go over the brook Cedron. And he takes Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, as on the Mount of Transfiguration, and withdraws from them. He throws himself upon his knees. I can hear him pray: "Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." And as he prayed, he sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. No one knows the agony he suffered at Gethsemane. He sweat, as it it were, great drops of blood. Being in agony, he prayed more earnestly; but Peter and John and James fell asleep. After he had prayed some time, an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen him. Then he wakes up his little band of disciples; he looks over across the garden, and he sees a band of men with lanterns, and torches, and weapons, hunting around among the olive trees. He knew whom they were hunting for. He went to this band and said, "Whom seek ye?" There is something mysterious about his voice, and they tremble, and fall flat to the ground as if struck by death. And Jesus asked them again, "Whom seek ye?" They said, "We seek Jesus of Nazareth." But they had not the power to lay a hand