(Delivered in Kirkfield Church of Scotland, Glasgow, on 28th April, 1838)
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of the Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye should ask of the Father in my name he may give it you. These things I command you that ye love one another.” John 15: 17.
The soul of man was originally endowed with a capacity to love God supremely, and to love his fellow-men as himself; and this formed an essential feature of that righteousness in which he was created. To keep alive this pure and noble affection, he was admitted to the closest intercourse with Him who is the fountain of life, and so long as he remained in the enjoyment of this privilege, so long did his heart abide in love. But the act of apostacy, which severed him from God, extinguished the flame of brotherly love, and by no effort of which creatures are capable, can it be revived. But this is done by “God manifest in the flesh”, who now creates those that are dead in sin, unites them to Himself by His Spirit, and thus restores them, as to the possession of brotherly love, so to that divine communion by which it is nourished. The Lord Jesus, addressing persons who are in this condition, enjoins them to love one another, and expresses His injunction, by opening up to them the nature, and evidence of His love to them. We made some progress in the illustration of His discourse on this subject, in our last lecture; and now we desire to proceed, as the Lord may be pleased to direct to the words, “Henceforth I call you not servants”.
To be able to receive these words, as addressed unto you, it is necessary that you be in the condition of the disciples of our Lord: for it were to plunge into the greatest confusion, to take them up and apply them to yourselves, whatever be the character you possess. And do you ask, what was the condition of the disciples? We find a brief but comprehensive answer in the preceding verse, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” The arguments which Christ adduces, and the point to which they are directed, can neither be understood nor felt by others than the friends of Christ. He first appeals to His death, as a proof of His love to His people; and affirms that a greater proof could not be given: “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends”. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us”.
The next proof which he adduces of His love is taken from the intimate converse which He condescends to hold with them: “Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth”. The Lord Jesus does not treat His people as masters usually treat their servants or slaves.
We have found, that to cultivate brotherly love, it is necessary to abide in Christ. Of course, it is supposed that men are in Christ, by vital union to Him through the Spirit; for else they cannot abide in Him. But to abide in Him requires, that He give out to the soul in the light of divine truth views of Himself, His work and salvation; and that the soul by faith receive these and feed upon them: just as if a branch abides in a tree, the vegetable juice must be communicated by the stock and received by the branch. Now, brotherly love is a grace of the Spirit, a constituent element in every branch of the true Vine, an essential property of every member of the body of Christ; and therefore if it is to be nourished and preserved, it must be by suitable communications from Christ. The subject of this communication is in general the love of Christ, at once the spring of the love which true believers bear to the brethren, the food by which it is sustained, the mould after which it is fashioned, and the argument by which it is enforced: “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you”.
To render the love of Christ effectual, however, in producing the grace of brotherly love, it must be revealed and applied. And this is done in the word of the truth of the gospel, and by the saving work of the Spirit of God. To see how this is brought about, let it be observed, that brotherly love is what we may call a secondary grace, flowing from the love which a believer has to Christ Himself, which, therefore, may be called a primary affection. Now, the effect of the revelation and application of the love of Christ is, to produce love to Him. Because the same grace by which this is done, renews the heart into a capability of this affection. But how, it will be asked, is the love of Christ revealed? It is by His work as a Saviour. It is by no means an uncommon thing for people to take up this notion, that Christ loves them, though they cannot tell on what grounds they rest this opinion. They have an impression to that effect, and they find it comfortable to cherish it, and therefore they easily persuade themselves, that it is just. If they are closely pressed on the subject, they will perhaps argue that Christ loves them, because He has been very good to them in His providence, preserving their lives, giving them food to eat and raiment to put on, and bestowing on them manifold favours. But, brethren, this is not the way in which true believers come to love Him in return. The love of Christ is exhibited in the scheme of redemption, and throughout the whole of that amazing work is its light seen brightly to shine. Now, it is when the soul is quickened by the Spirit of God into a susceptibility of divine impressions, and is enlightened to perceive the love of which those are made, it is then, and then only, that it learns to love Christ. “We love Him because He first loved us.” “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”.
Now, from this noble affection branches off the love which their Lord required disciples to bear to their fellow-disciples: for this secondary affection rests upon a common relationship to Christ, a common interest in His salvation — a common participation of His benefits, and a common reflection of His moral image. And where these essential properties of disciples are wanting, there is no foundation laid for brotherly love: for do not imagine, that this is a blind instinct, which you can at your pleasure form out of your hearts. No: it is an intelligent and holy principle, which must be awakened and sustained, and regulated by a suitable object, and by sufficient motives. But, if there be no relation to Christ, no interest in Him, no likeness to Him, there is no object for Christian love. Be it, however, that there is an object, there must be on the side of the person loving a capacity to appreciate the properties which it possesses: for what avails it to hold out the most fragrant flowers to a man who has no sense of smell, or to exhibit the most splendid pictures to a man who has not the sense of sight? And what avails it, to hold out the most excellent christian character, or the clearest evidence of union to Christ, if there be no spiritual perception or holy affection to apprehend it? And, what is the affection which is capable of appreciating christian excellence and union to Christ, if there be no spiritual perception or holy affection to apprehend it? And, what is the affection which is capable of appreciating christian excellence and union to Christ? It is love to Christ Himself: “And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.” He that has no love to Christ cannot love his brother: for the first element in brotherly love respects their union unto Christ. But, how is it possible for a man to love an individual, because of union to one for whom he has no regard whatever? Nay, when we remember that he who does not love Christ hates Him, then union to Christ will lead to hatred of the person united. If you saw a man joining himself to your bitterest enemy, and uniting with him in his opposition to you, would he not from this very circumstance come in for a share of your hatred? So it is with those that are one with Christ. But, on the other hand, he who loves Christ cannot but love the brethren; and his love to the brethren may be taken as a fair criterion of his love to Christ. “For he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” For why is it that believers love Christ? Is it because of His relation as mediator to the Father? His people are one with Him in this relation. Is it because of His perfect righteousness? His people are one with Him in that righteousness. Is it because of His fulness of grace? His people are one with Him in that fulness.
Now, love to Christ, we have shown, is produced by the revelation and application of His love to His people. We go on to observe, that by the same means it is sustained, and carried forward to maturity. And when with this, we take into account the fact, that brotherly love grows out of love to Christ, we shall see how it is, that to enforce the cultivation of that affection, our Lord dwells so long on the evidence of His love to His people. In our last lecture, we considered the first proof which He adduces, namely that He laid down his life for them; and in every view it was suitable that this should come first: for though it be the crowning act of His eternal love, it is the first that is apprehended by the returning prodigal: for as we have already remarked, sinners come to know the love of Christ by His work, as a Saviour. And we know that His work as a Saviour was legally completed in His death. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” By this gate, must men enter into the mysteries of Christ’s love, and into fellowship with Him in it; and any attempt to attain these objects by another course, will prove as abortive as they are presumptive. And let it be remembered, that Christ crucified is held forth for salvation to the ends of the earth. We know, and we shall immediately show that there are blessings enjoyed only by the chosen seed, but the offer of salvation by the death of Christ is common to all to whom the gospel is preached; and the man that will not enter this common ground at the outset never will get a step further. And it is of importance to remark, that as this is the way which you are at first to enter the King’s chambers, and into all the honour and happiness which are there to be tasted, so it is the way by which you are to enter them at all times, when through temptation, or carnality, or sin you have wandered from them. Those of you, therefore, that complain you have no love to Christ and the brethren at all, and those who complain that your love has waxed cold, are invited this day to behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, and if that call be obeyed, and if you are living under the fruits of what that death hath procured, then you may pass on to the next proof of His love which the Saviour adduces, namely the familiar intercourse to which He admits His disciples.
“He does not call them servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you.” The condition of a slave with his master is one of distance and fear, and the duty which he owes is that of receiving and executing his commands. In the early stages of the Christian life, there is a good deal of this spirit manifested, even by true believers. And hence the Old Testament economy was one in which the spirit of bondage reigned to a very considerable extent. The Apostle Paul, accordingly, in his epistle to the Galations represents the children of Israel, as having been like an heir under tutors or governors, and differing in nothing from a slave, though he were lord of all. In allusion to this state of things, as well as to the character of their experience in the early part of their course, the Saviour says to them, “Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth.” A servant hears his master’s orders, but what are his secret counsels and designs, or what may be the purpose of the orders he receives, he knows not. We need hardly say, that though this condition be most suitable to the relation which subsists between master and servant, it is one which lays the servant under certain disadvantages. But these, observe, are incident to his condition, and to require that a servant should know all about his master’s affairs, is in effect to say that he should not be a servant at all, but an equal.
Now, had Christ placed His disciples in this situation, they would have no cause of complaint, for may not He do with His own what He will? And an honour ought they to have esteemed it to be allowed to serve Him, though they had been kept in entire ignorance of His counsels and operations. But see, brethren, the greatness of His love: He calls them friends. He admits them to a relation to Him of a far more honourable and comfortable nature than that of a servant: and the manner in which He deals with them in this relation corresponds to its nature. “For all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you”. The things which Christ hears of the Father are such as relate to the salvation of sinners by His mediation. To repeat them in detail would be to rehearse the substance of the whole Scriptures, and more especially the discourses of the Lord Jesus to His disciples. And neither may we dwell on the nature and importance of the communications which are there made, but may simply remark, that the Person from whom they are heard, the Father, and the Person by whom they are declared — the Lord Christ, may convince us that they are intensely interesting in themselves, and unspeakably valuable unto men. The condition of man in time and eternity hangs upon the sovereign pleasure of the Father, the Representative in the government of the world of the three-fold God — and were we but duly awake to this solemn truth, we should enquire with the deepest anxiety, what it is that He saith unto men. Now, the Lord Christ appears as a messenger from heaven, charged with all the counsels of God, for the salvation of men. “The Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth”. But to whom doth Christ make these counsels known? To His friends. It is no doubt true that He hath given a revelation of them in the Holy Scriptures, and that revelation is open to men of every condition; but with all this, He holds the effectual and saving revelation of them in His own hand, just as if this Book had not been given, or as though it were sealed within and without with seven seals. Let men break them if they can, and get a saving knowledge of its contents independently of Christ? It cannot be: “The only Begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”