when rain, or frost, or tempest come.

He

is "a friend born for adversity." "Whom he loves he loves to the end." He will correct his people for their sins; "but his loving kindness will he not utterly take away, neither suffer his faithfulness to fail." This is his name, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." Such are some of his qualities who is the FRIEND of his people a name he richly merits ; for as their friend he has paid their debts, ransomed their persons, reconciled them to God, purchased for them an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

Let us cheer our hearts, my beloved brethren, by referring to a few of those sweet words He has spoken to his friends: "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you." "Because I live, ye shall live also." Ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the

world giveth, give I unto you: I will never leave you; no never, never, forsake you.” These are only a few of his expressions of friendship. But regard his actions. "He

took not on him the nature of angels; but "He took on him the seed of Abraham, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest to God; to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.". "He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his enemies; but, blessed be God! while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Surely we may say it is a high privilege to have such a friend.

Let us then, my beloved Christian brethren, endeavour to realize this delightful and most consolatory truth. Our blessed Saviour, when he said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth," appears to use this word at this critical season, that he might convey to his disciples some just idea of the relation in which

he stood to them. For it is, when one whom we love is taken from us, that we feel the loss of a friend, and are then enabled more deeply to estimate his value. Think then of this; The Lord Jesus is your friend; and oh, such a friend, that the mind cannot conceive, still less the tongue set forth, his excellencies! He possesses every quality that can be desired: He is all that is amiable, powerful, faithful, tender, and unchangeable. Oh that the Spirit of truth would "take of the things that are Jesus', and shew them unto us;" so subdue our perverse wills, and melt our stony hearts, that this might be our joyful experience, "He is my beloved, and He is my

friend."

The second truth that is brought before us in this delightful portion of Scripture, is this; that this friendship is not limited to the Saviour, great as this privilege is ;

IT IS EXTENDED ΤΟ ALL THE SAINTS.

They are the friends of the friends of Jesus. You mark the words of our blessed Lord: "OUR friend Lazarus sleepeth." He does not say, my friend, but our friend

;

as if he would by this word bring to the recollection of the disciples, in a season of sorrow, that there was a union among his people; that they were all friends. This is one of the delightful peculiarities of the religion of Jesus. It is the religion of friendship. It is first to make us "who were enemies to God by wicked works," friends with him; and then to make us friends to each other,-a friendship which not even death itself can annihilate. You observe, it was when Lazarus was in his grave, that our Lord said, "Our friend sleepeth.' He is departed, but he is not lost; he is still our friend." "We are come," says the Apostle," to the Mount Zion, the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, and to the church of the Firstborn, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." An intimate communion subsists between the church on earth, and the church in heaven, as one of our hymns beautifully expresses it :

"One family we dwell in Him,
One church above, beneath :

Though now divided by the stream-
The narrow stream of death.

One army of the living God,

At his command we bow:

Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now."

They, indeed, have gained the prize of their high calling, while we have still to keep on our way through "good report and through evil report;" but this present difference in our state does not annihilate our friendship. The ties that bind the friends of Christ together, are far too strong to be dissolved by death-death rather strengthens them. Since the peaceful departure of those who are taken, brightens the hope that the God of all grace who kept them stedfast to the end, will perfect that which concerneth us also; that He will be with us when we are to pass through the stream; and that then we shall meet to part no more. But time forbids my enlarging upon this part of the subject, sweet as it is to think of the friendship of the friends of Jesus; to look forward to the day