other attempts at the subjugation of self-will at best but batter down a mud rampart-occupy some stray outwork; they leave untouched, unconquered, the great citadel of the heart.

R. W. PEARSON, Ph. D., M.R.A.T., &c.

Cavendish Theological College, Manchester.

SUBJECT:-Asking the Father in the Name of Christ.

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you."-John xvi. 23.

Analysis of Homily the Five Hundred and Elebenth.

"In that day." There is a reference here to the day of Pentecost-the great advent of the spirit; but we must look onward to a still more glorious day for its full meaning and realization.

verse 19. ask him."

"Ye shall ask me nothing." He does not mean ask in prayer. It is not the same word in the original as the asking of the Father, in the latter part of the verse. It is the same as "Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to They did not understand the meaning of " a little while," &c. The disciples understood but little of Christ's words at the time He spoke them. They were continually asking explanations. But here He points to a day when they will no longer need an explanation. Ye will ask no questions, because ye will see clearly, and understand all. "Ye will have no occasion to ask or solicit me for answers ;-ye shall clearly perceive all things." "None of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? Knowing that it was the Lord."

This extraordinary sentence contains a grand truth, the increasing light of the Christian life. This is a dark night in the history of the disciples-the night of the upper room and Gethsemane. But Jesus Christ directs their eyes to a period when they shall stand in a bright shining day,

without a question to ask. The history of The history of every individual Christian is similar. The commencement of the spiritual life-like the commencement of Israel's journey—is in a night of darkness. You have now only "light and gladness "in the seed; "Light is sown But it will grow into a perfect day. shall ask me nothing."

for the righteous," &c. "And in that day ye

Our life is only beginning in this world; it will lead its path onward undisturbed by death. But the beginning will give an eternal direction to its course. So much of our path that comes within the bounds of this world is enclouded, more or less, in darkness. We have many questions to ask. We cannot understand the meaning of God's dealings with us in His Providence. "If this world is governed by my Saviour, why am I so poor? Why is my cup so bitter? Why have I lost my parent-my husband-my wife-my child?" Be patient, my dear friend! Your Saviour directs your eye to a day when you will see and understand all. He says:- "I will come again, and receive you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may be also." "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing." Blessed day! when you will reach your Father's house. of the above sentence.

Then will be the full realization
No more questioning!

But until the arrival of such a day our Lord directs us, a few hours before leaving our world by death, to make known all our troubles to the Father, and to make use of His name as a plea on our behalf; and He pledges His word that the Father will give whatsoever we shall ask in His name, "Verily, verily," &c. We shall enquire farther, what does He mean by His name, and what gives so much weight to His name.

"My

I. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE NAME OF CHRIST? name" is a favorite sentence of His the night before His death. He repeats it again and again. And we can easily see that it has not always the same meaning. Sometimes it

means:

First: Ask the Father in Christ. All our dealings with God must be in Christ. Man needs a place to meet God. We cannot commune with the Invisible and the Infinite, without a medium. The mind hovers through endless space without any point to rest at. It may be that the feeling of the deficiency of a proper medium to approach God, was the first occasion of idolatry. At first, the sun was not worshipped, but was made a medium between the worshipper and his God. But God was always against all manner of idols. He was preparing a better way. He prepared a MAN to fill the gulf, and to be an everlasting Mediator; and this is "The Man Christ Jesus." "God was manifest in the flesh." God came to dwell and abide in man. So says the Son of Man;-"The Father dwelleth in me." "And no man cometh to the Father but by me.”

Christ is the tabernacle of congregation. (Welsh-Pabell y Cyfarfod-tabernacle of meeting) "Where I will meet you (says God) to speak there unto you." That little house in the midst of the camp of Israel, was God's office, where He transacted all business with the nation.

It was there

He revealed His will, and heard all complaints and supplications. What this tabernacle was to Israel, Jesus Christ is to man. In Christ, God reveals all His heart, and hears all supplications. If you have anything to tell Him, He will hear you graciously in Christ. your desires, and supply all your need. in Christ's name, is asking Him in Christ.

the Father.

He will grant all Asking the Father And when it has

this meaning, Christ promises to do Himself what is asked of "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." Again:

Secondly: Ask the Father through Christ. Asking with faith in Christ as our representative with the Father. Christ is not gone to heaven on His own account. He is gone as our representative. "He appears in the presence of God for us." What the High Priest was to Israel, Christ is to us. The High Priest was the representative man, or the man of the nation. He carried the names of all the tribes

He

to God on his bosom, and the blood of the nation's sacrifice in his hand; and his destiny was the destiny of the nation. Christ is the world's High Priest. What Aaron was to the Jew, Christ is to man. He is THE MAN of men; the representative Man before God. appears there with our nature, our cause, and our interest. He carried the blood of our sacrifice-though it was His own blood-in His hand; and His destiny shall be ours also. Now, we are to make all our supplications through Him;-with faith in the success of His intercession. "Abide in me, and whatever ye shall ask, it shall be done unto you."

But the meaning in this verse is, Pleading the name of Christ as an argument with the Father. This leads us to our second enquiry:

II. WHAT GIVES SO MUCH WEIGHT TO THE NAME OF CHRIST? We may observe three things which give weight to a name;-character, position, and service.

First: Character. A high character gives influence to a

name.

"A good name (character) is better than precious ointment." You would confide much in a man of character,

whether he be rich or poor. Character has two sides-one

towards man, and the other towards God. In the former ours may be better or worse, but in the latter we all fail completely. God Himself never saw but one human character without a spot or blemish-that of the "Man Christ Jesus." Christ might have asked the question in heaven, as He did on earth,-"Who can convince me of sin?"

All must feel the weight of a good character. The worse the man, the less the value he puts on a good character, and the less he is influenced by it; and the better the man the more the value, and the more the influence. God has the highest character, and it is He that values a good character the most. "Noah, Daniel, and Job," though far from being perfect, were men of high character in the sight of God; and consequently of great influence. But the undefiled character of "his only begotten Son," in whom "he was well

pleased," has an infinite weight with God. And in the text Christ throws the whole weight of it to back the prayer of His disciple. "Ask in my name." A poor sinner could

never find such influence on his behalf. ·

Secondly: Position. A high position gives influence to a name; and the higher the position the greater the influence. The name of our beloved Queen would procure many a favor, almost in any country, for us. Because of her personal character? No, though that is good-but because of her high position. She sits on the throne of Great Britain, and sways the most influential sceptre under heaven. It is this that gives so much weight to her name.

But if a high position gives influence to a name, what think you of Christ? He is exalted to the highest throne of heaven. "God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name," &c. "He ascended up far above all heavens-far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion," &c. He sits the very highest"far above all"-in the great dominion of the everlasting God; and whatever influence this exalted position of Christ commands, it is all given to strengthen and empower your supplications before the throne of grace. "Ask in my

name."

There is a

But there is another idea in this position. relation in it. It is asking a Father in the name of a Son. The strongest of all arguments with a true father, is the name of a dearly beloved son. And this is not weakness. If the name of your son is more than a match for your heart, think not that you are weak and effeminate. This is heavenly, yea, divine. It is only the shadow of what is above. The father and child on earth are only a picture of the Great FATHER and SON in heaven. In the bosom of man there is but a drop of the Father; but God's bosom contains the ocean: and He will yield all that He has before the power of His Son's name. "Ask in my name." Thirdly Service. The greatest thing, perhaps, that gives weight to a name is service. And it is so with Christ's