lamps and keep them bright and burning, so that their light might shine before men, and they be ready to meet their Lord! The slothful servant was not found blameless, who had hidden-neglected -the talent, which had been given him to use, to use for the glory of God and the good of his fellowcreatures. A multitude will not be found blameless, who have "called Christ, Lord, Lord, and have not done the will of his Father which is in heaven." Therefore the apostle's warning: be diligent, that ye be found blameless: found to have been "doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain." "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

So doing, ye" stir up the grace of God" within you so doing, ye are "not idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our God and Saviour: so doing, ye are good stewards of the manifold grace of God:" so doing, ye make your calling and election sure:" so doing, ye shall be found of God in peace, without spot, and blameless: and an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness.'

These words ought to be considered as an urgent call to "examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith-to prove our own selves." What reason is there to suppose, that we shall be found in peace

with God, without spot, and blameless, in the great day, if we are not in that state now? These things do not come of themselves: it must be the effort of the whole heart to reach that state, and the business of the whole life to maintain it. Whoever has studied Scripture, and seen what holiness is: whoever has lived in the world, and seen what a world it is: whoever has considered his own heart, and perceived what is required there: he will know that without diligence; without pains and labour; none can appear before God in peace. Still if there is much to warn the Christian, there is more to encourage him. He has with him One who "will perform unto the end the good work which he has begun; One" who knows them that are his, so that none can pluck them out of his hand :" One "who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

Wherefore" abide in him; that when he shall appear, ye may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

LECTURE LIII.

THE CHRISTIAN'S GROWTH IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE.

2 PETER iii. 15-18.

15. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you ;

16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

The long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. Every day that a threatened calamity is postponed, offers opportunity to escape. So Peter writes: and so his beloved brother Paul had written; " Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ?" 1

Still it will be with too many, as it was of old : "Because sentence against an evil world is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of man is stedfastly purposed to do evil.” And often the mys

2

teries of the divine counsels, and the operations of divine grace will be used to palliate sin, and to confound truth and error. Paul, in his epistles, had spoken much of these things. And no wonder if there were in them some things hard to be understood: "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? and who hath been his counsellor ?"

So that the description given by Peter here of the people of his own day, is exactly the description of the present age. Human nature is the same in all times and countries. Within thirty-five years of the time when the apostles had first gone forth, "preaching the kingdom of God," some were scoffing at the promises of God, having "forsaken the right way," and "beguiling unstable souls." Others were finding out, even in the Scriptures themselves, some

1 Rom. ii. 4.

2 Eccl. viii. 11.

thing which they might wrest to their own destruction, instead of profiting by them to their salvation. Whilst others had received the word in "an honest and good heart;" had "laid hold of eternal life ;" and were "bringing forth fruit with patience." To Το these he drops a word of exhortation and consolation.

17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

As with the body, so with the soul. If there is health, there will be growth: growth in grace. In the christian life there will be a continued increase of vigour, a renewal of the soul day by day through the supply of the Spirit of our God. And this will be shown by two signs: First, by the overcoming of sin; and next, by advancement in righteousness and holiness.

1. The first beginning of a state of grace, is resistance against sin. To this the Christian is pledged by every consideration. He cannot continue in that which ruined the world. He cannot continue in that which Christ came to save him from. He cannot continue in that which crucified the Saviour. cannot continue in that which must shut him out for ever" from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power." Therefore we read, "Whatsoever is born of God, doth not commit sin."

He

But because sin is at once renounced, abandoned, resisted it does not follow that all temptation is at

an end. Temptation is left, as the enemies of Israel were left on the borders of Canaan, to prove men, and see what is in their hearts. The new man is born, but not perfect. There is still the old nature contending against the new. Sinfulness remains,

though "sin has no more dominion." They were in a state of grace, concerning whom Paul writes: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things ye would." The enemy, who would otherwise prevail unresisted, is now disturbed and assailed: nay, he has received a severe and, we may hope, a mortal blow; but he has much strength left, and will renew the fight at every opportunity. And the first sign of growth in grace is, that Satan finds fewer opportunities: contends less hurtfully shows that his strength is failing the besetting sin, whatever it be, has less and less of power. If it be covetousness, the affections are more easily raised from things earthly to things above. If it be sensuality, intemperance, the flesh is more readily subdued to the Spirit, the affections and lusts more habitually mortified. If it be pride, this is kept down more and more, and succeeded by courtesy and meekness. If it be uncharitableness, such feelings give way more and more to a spirit of kindness and brotherly affection: so that the overcoming of sin, and the advance in righteousness, proceed together. The sin which is driven from the heart, does not leave the heart void; it is replaced by the opposite virtue. The weed which is rooted up makes way for the fruitful and profitable

3 Gal. v. 17.