in distinguishing the tints of meaning belonging to the words about which critics differ, the dialogue may be rendered like this :

Jesus. Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me more than these (others) ?'

Simon. 'Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that Thou art dear to me.'

Jesus.-Feed My lambs.'

John, lovest thou Me?'

'Simon, son of

Simon.-Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that Thou art dear to me.'

Jesus. Tend My sheep.' 'Simon, son of John, am I dear to thee?'

Simon.Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that Thou art dear to me.'

Jesus. Feed the choice ones of My flock.'

This, however, is not the whole report of the trial; which, indeed, may be considered as going on to the twenty-third verse.

We next proceed to study the history of the question and answer separately.

I. The history of the question claims attention.

1. On our way to higher elements of interest, our thoughts are arrested by points in the circumstantial statement of the question. The writer, in continuing his account of what was said and done in the glory of that memorable dawn, goes on to say: 'Now, when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith unto Simon Peter:

Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me more than these?' Here we have a most interesting note of time. It was delicately characteristic of Jesus to see that all the men were strengthened and quieted, body and mind, before the great questioning took place. No one who had not been present would have shown the sense of mingled homeliness and solemnity which this verse shows. It is a picture by an eye-witness, and is in the style of that given in the fourth chapter of this Gospel. When we read, 'When Jesus sat thus on the well,' we say these two lines are by the same writer; we recognize the hand; and if we found no argument on this line singly, we regard it as one of the minutely circumstantial notices which mark this chapter, and which equally mark the chapters before it, along with various other considerations, making it hard for us to be persuaded that he who wrote this did not write those.

2. Keeping in mind that this question is not merely historical, but is meant for every one in every age whom it may concern, observe that it is a question to a believer. Did I hear a spirit speak? What do you say? You are not a believer? Then, for the present, this question is not for you. Faith goes before love. It is impossible to love one whom you do not even trust. Perhaps you have not yet fully grasped this elementary principle, and are looking for

love before trust. You have heard that love is the one essential that constitutes religion; therefore, before anything else, this love you resolve to have. All other things may wait; but this one thing you will make sure of. The law says: 'Thou shalt love; this do, and thou shalt live.' Then you say to us: How do you do it?' Your tormented souls labour hard to find out the secret of this first desideratum by searching manuals of devotion, by reading such books as 'Thomas à Kempis,' by going down with a light into the dark cellars of yourselves, and by peering about there.

Perhaps even Christians have put you wrong by their loose and unscientific use of phrases; telling you that all you have to do is 'to give your hearts to Christ'; but in strict logical and theological truth it is a mistake to say to any one of you while yet an unbeliever, 'You must give your heart to Christ;' for you have no heart to give to Him, until by faith you receive the heart He gives to you. Believing is receiving; and when the love of Christ is received, the recipient loves Him back again. Come without a heart, and receive a heart by coming. Come wanting salvation, that you may receive salvation; part of which salvation consists in being filled with the new consciousness and inspired with the new motive called love to Christ. Come just as you are, that you

may in time be made just what you ought to be. Come all wrong, that you may be made all right-receiving that rectification which includes the lighting up within you of the right love to the right Lord. Come in faith, that you may receive love.

Is this clear to your judgment? Have you tried this experiment? And have you found the faith that precedes love? Are you quite sure? Better take no food, better take no sleep, better take no part in the most urgent transactions of life, until you can say 'Yes' to the question of Christ's own Spirit, 'Do you now believe?' Then, after answering this question as to your faith, you will be prepared for answering questions as to the effects of faith; and the first effect is love.

3. This question reminds us that the great test of faith is love. 'Faith worketh by love.' Sometimes faith and love are practically so much alike that we can hardly distinguish one from the other, and love only looks like a mode of faith. Talk to that true teacher of theology, a Christian child, and, while perhaps she will not say a word about faith, she will be sure to tell you that she 'loves Jesus.' 'Wrong!' says a hard old doctrinist, 'we are justified by faith.' 'Right!' say we; for in the consciousness of that little heart love and faith are one. The child lovingly trusts her Saviour as she would

her own mother.' is where faith is. It is the one certain test. A man may be true to Christ, yet if Christ were in some way to say, 'Understandest thou Me?' or, 'Followest thou Me?' or, 'Confessest thou Me?' he could not always establish the fact of his discipleship by an affirmative reply to questions like these; for conscious ignorance, inconsistency, and sin would compel him to feel uncertainty. There is, however, no Christian heart but quivers to the question, 'Lovest thou Me?' or that can fail to feel that it goes down to the root of the matter. We set our seal to Wesley's words, 'We may die content without the knowledge of many truths, but if we die without love, would the knowledge of many truths avail us? Just as much as it would the devil. I will not quarrel with you about your opinions. only see that you love the Lord Jesus Christ.'

More or less developed, love

4. This question was asked in the spirit of reproof.

There was reproof in the very appellative, 'Simon, son of John,' and the sound of it must have struck upon him like a bolt of ice, making his burning soul suddenly freeze. On the day of his introduction to Christ, it was predicted that he should be called 'Peter '-that is, a stone. This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of his memorable confession, when the Lord said to him, 'Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build