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humility and thankfulness; and when we so embrace it as to found all our hopes of salvation entirely upon it, then we may properly be said to obey the truth. Now this every Christian does; he does not merely give his assent to any propositions about Christ, but he "flees to Christ for refuge," and relies upon him as his only Saviour. And the Apostle takes for granted (with good reason too) that they to whom he was. writing, had so received Christ: for, however they might have been baptized into the faith of Christ, they were no better than mere heathens, if they had not truly believed in him.]

2. That in obeying the truth they had also "purirified their souls"

[We may cleanse the outward part of our conduct by various means. A regard to our reputation, a self-righteous desire of recommending ourselves to God, or a spirit of pride and self-complacency, will be sufficient to rectify in a measure our external behaviour; but it is the property of faith alone to purify the heart. And as nothing but faith will prevail for this end, so wherever faith is, it will infallibly produce this effect. The faith that has not this fruit is dead; and will no more avail for our salvation than the faith of devils 4. therefore does the Apostle take it for granted, that they, to whom he wrote, experienced this effect of their faith; seeing that it is the principal intent of the Gospel to ensure and produce it.]

Well

3. That they had so purified their souls as to have attained an unfeigned love of the brethren

[As faith purifies the heart, so in a more especial manner it "works by love." The love of the brethren never was nor ever can be, found in an unrenewed soul. There may be a semblance of it; there may be a partial attachment to our own sect and party, or a carnal attachment to a person who is spiritually-minded; but there never can be a love to spiritual persons simply on account of their relation to Christ, and their conformity to his image. But let the smallest portion of true grace be imparted to the soul, and instantly will this love spring up in the heart. Many things indeed may occur in the mind to restrain its exercise for a season, and to impede its growth; but it may be taken for granted that this principle both abides and operates in the heart of every true Christian; "he that loveth him that begat, cannot but love those who are begotten of him."]

b Acts xv. 9.
e Tit. ii. 11, 12.

c 1 John iii. 3.

d Jam. ii. 19, 20.

f Gal. v. 6.

g 1 John v. 1.

4. That they had attained all this through the influence of the Holy Spirit

[Faith itself cannot exist in the heart, till the Spirit of God has wrought it in us: he must overcome our reluctance, and make us willing to obey the truth. Neither can our

hearts be purified but by the same almighty power. Faith indeed is the instrument whereby our sanctification is effected; but the Holy Spirit is the agent. Every progressive step of it must be wrought by him1. Our love can flow from no other source; whatever be the grace that is exercised by us, He must be acknowledged as the author of it; "it is the same Spirit that worketh all in all."]

If what is here taken for granted be really found in us, nothing will be more acceptable than, II. The exhortation grounded upon it

"The end of the commandment," says the Apostle, "is charity;" and our profession as Christians supposes that it exists, and operates, in our hearts. But care must be taken that it be exercised,

1. With sincerity—

[There is a politeness and civility which is only a counterfeit of Christian love: but it is not this which the text inculcates. We are indeed commanded in other parts of Scripture to "be courteous ;" and it would be well if some professors of religion paid more attention to this command. But the love enjoined in the text, is an "unfeigned" love to all the saints, arising from a view of their relation to God, and to ourselves. It must be an abiding principle in our hearts, operating uniformly in the whole of our conduct towards them. It must lead us to exercise meekness, forbearance, and forgiveness, and to seek both their temporal and spiritual welfare, as occasion. may serve1. In short, our love must be without dissimulation m; it must be not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth".]

2. With purity

[Even where there is a portion of Christian love, there may be a considerable alloy mixed with it. We may be influenced too much by selfish considerations. We may be seeking our own interest or honour, while we imagine that we are giving a testimony of Christian love. Yea, our love which was pure at first, may easily degenerate into mere carnal affection. The greatest caution is necessary, especially among

h Ps. cx. 3.
1 1 Cor. xiii. 4-7.
VOL. XX.

i Rom. viii. 13. m Rom. xii. 9.

N

k 1 Cor. xii. 7—11. n 1 John iii. 18.

young persons, lest our hearts betray us into indiscretion of any kind, and Satan take advantage of us to lead us into sin.]

3. With fervour

[An empty profession of benevolence to the poor will not be deemed equivalent to an actual relieving of their wants; nor will a cold expression of regard to the brethren fulfil the sacred duty of love to them. In the latter especially, it should know no bounds, but those which were affixed to the love of Christ. Did he love us to such a degree as to lay down his life for us? we ought also to lay down our lives for, the brethren°. There is no service, however difficult or self-denying, which we should not render them for good. We should love one another, as the Greek word means, 66 intensely." To sum up all in one word, we should love one another, as Christ has loved us. ] APPLICATION

Let us,

1. Inquire whether the things here taken for granted be found in us

[Have we indeed received the Holy Ghost? and through his almighty influence have we believed in Christ, and purified our souls, and got a principle of holy love implanted in us? And do these attainments become so many motives to diligence, and means of spiritual advancement! Let this be duly weighed, and it will serve to shew us what we are. If we be in the faith, our self-examination will increase our comfort; and, if we be not in the faith, it may be the means of carrying conviction to the soul. Let us be assured that faith, love, and holiness universally characterize the Christian, and that our evidences of conversion will bear an exact proportion to our attainments in these things. Let therefore our exercise of these graces be so manifest and undeniable, that the Spirit's agency in us may be confessed by all.]

2. Endeavour to fulfil the duties that are here imposed on us

[A sweeter command cannot possibly be given. To obey it is to enjoy a heaven upon earth. Heaven is a region of ineffable, unceasing love; and the more we have of that divine principle the more happy shall we be. Let us then strive to mortify whatever may retard its growth in our souls. Let us beware lest through the abounding of iniquity it wax cold. And let us strive to exercise it with all that purity and fervour which become persons so highly privileged.]

• 1 John iii. 16. · ἐκτενῶς. John xiii. 35. and Isai. lxi. 9.

9 Eph. v. 1, 2. John xv. 12.

1 John iii. 19.

MMCCCXCI.

GROWTH IN GRACE IS TO BE DESIRED.

1 Pet. ii. 1-3. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

ye

A STRANGE opinion has obtained amongst some, that there is no such thing as growth in grace. But the whole tenour of Scripture, from one end of it to the other, proclaims the contrary. We will go no further than to the passage before us, and to the context connected with it. In the beginning of his epistle, the Apostle had spoken of Christians as "begotten by God the Father to a lively hope." To stir them up to walk worthy of their high calling, he says to them," Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, as obedient children; not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in your ignorance; but, as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy"." This injunction he enforces by a great variety of arguments. He urges, first, the consideration, that God the Father will judge them according to their works; then, that they have been redeemed by God the Son; and then, that they have been born of God the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the preached word, which unalterably inculcates and requires holiness. From these premises he deduces the exhortation in our text: " Wherefore, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted, (or as it should rather be translated, since ye have tasted,) that the Lord is gracious." Here the idea is kept up of their being children of God, though children but

a 1 Pet. i. 3.
d 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.

b 1 Pet. i. 13-16.
e 1 Pet. i. 23-25.

c 1 Pet. i. 17.

newly born; and they are urged to desire and feed upon that blessed provision which God has made for them in his word, and which alone can secure their growth in the divine life.

The words, thus viewed, will lead us to consider, I. The character of God's children

Many are the descriptions given of them in the Holy Scriptures; but there is not one in all the inspired volume more simple or more accurate than this: "They have tasted that the Lord is gracious." This, I say, is,

1. Their universal experience

[There is not a child of God in the universe to whom this character does not belong. The very instant that a child is born of God, this is his experience. Indeed it is of "new-born babes" that it is spoken. As to their knowledge of God, his nature, his perfections, his purposes, it may be extremely limited and imperfect. Even of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of" the exceeding riches of God's grace as displayed in him," they may know but little: but they have

tasted that the Lord is gracious," and they do assuredly know it by their own happy experience. If the person be young or old, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, he has learned this, and knows it, and feels it in his inmost soul. He has heard of the Saviour; he has sought for mercy through him; and he has received into his soul a sense of God's pardoning love and mercy in Christ Jesus: and in this he does rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. He may indeed have received. but a taste: but a taste he has received: and it is "sweeter to him than thousands of gold and silver." The most uncivilized savage, when born of God, is in this respect on a footing with the most enlightened philosopher: he has believed in Christ; and he "makes Christ all his salvation, and all his desire."] 2. Their exclusive distinction

[Simple as this is, there is not a creature upon the face of the whole earth of whom it can with truth be predicated, but of one who has been "begotten of God," and "born again of the Holy Spirit." Others may be very wise and learned, and may be able to descant with accuracy upon all the deep things of God. They may in words and in profession greatly magnify the grace of God: but they have never had a taste of it in their own souls. And the reason is plain: they have never felt their undone state by nature: they have never been sensible of the immense load of guilt which they have

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