Saviour Jefus Chrift. He comprises all religious knowledge, all that believers ought to be anxious to attain, as far as it relates to falvation, in knowing the Lord Jefus Chrift; and with great propriety, for in him the fulness of the God-bead dwells bodily. The eternal Son is one with the Father, and is very God. All the riches of the full affurance of understanding, is found in the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. In him also, as Mediator, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and to him, as the glorious centre, all the lines of Religion are directed. To know him, therefore, and to experience the power of his refurrection, was the sum of Paul's defires, and ought to be the highest wish of every believer.-In this life, at best, we fee through a glafs darkly. The cleareft manifestations of the Redeemer are but the hiding of his power; and the most lively views of faith difcover only a part of his ways, and prove how little a portion is known of him. How little do his people know of that depth of humiliation to which the Saviour stooped; of the greatness of his fufferings; and of the height of that glory to which their Emmanuel is now exalted!-How little have they discovered of the mystery of their union with Christ, and of the value of his righteousness! How fmall is their acquaintance with the ways of the Lord in his fanctuary, and his dealings in Providence! After the longest experience, after the greatest progress, there is still a breadth and length, a depth and height, which they have not comprehended; there remain riches in the love of Chrift which pafs their knowledge, and leave an unbounded field for farther investigation. Reft not, therefore, fatisfied with what you have attained, but grow, fays the Apostle; in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.

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But Peter, pre mifes as his firft and principal exhortation, to grow in Grace. This may be confidered as comprifing knowledge, and including still more. The laft part of the verfe can be viewed as explanatory of the first, while it directs in what way believers are chiefly to grow in grace, namely, by growing in the knowledge of Christ, as we shall directly fee.

Without referring you to the context, which would lead us too far from our subject, let it suffice to observe, that the exhortation now before us, is immediately connected with the warning the Apostle had just given, respecting the abuse of scripture, which was often wrested by the unlearned and unftable, to their own deftruction. This gave occafion for the laft word of advice, and one of the most important Peter ever wrote, but grow in grace. As if the Apostle had faid, whatever others may do with the fcripture, however erroneous in their doctrines, or wicked in their lives they may prove, be you, believers, upon your guard. Beware left ye be led away with the error of the wicked. Although you cannot totally and finally fall from grace, if ever ye have, indeed, been united to Chrift, yet ye can fall from your own ftedfaftnefs; you may lofe your comforts, and forfeit your usefulness; you may become involved in darkness, and bring a train of afflictions and chastisements upon yourfelves. As an antidote against this, as the beft preservative against backfliding, as the fum of all the Chriftian duties, grow in Grace. Whatever progrefs you may have made in Religion, you must still proceed. There is no fixed point at which a believer may ftop. Each portion of life has its peculiar duties. To what degree foever you have brought your fanctification, unless you carry it farther, go on and perfevere, you will act contrary to the fpirit and letter of the Gofpel. You may be nearer the

end than others who have not made the fame progress; but you have not yet obtained the prize. You may have performed the duties of youth, but thofe of manhood and old age remain to be discharged. You may have fulfilled the duties of profperity, but those of adverfity, of fickness, and of dying, are yet to be accomplished. To confine yourselves to a certain circle of duties, comforts and exercises; to ftop at any determined period; to be fatisfied with what you have already attained of love, of faith or holiness, is fo contrary to the nature of true Religion; that whoever finds a reluctance for farther advancement, or feels lukewarm refpecting a progress towards higher perfection, has reafon to call in question his former attainments, and examine narrowly whether the Spirit of Chrift dwelleth in him.

Religion, like every other principle in the foul of man, is progreffive. Wherever it is planted, it will increase. This is one never-failing mark of its truth and its divinity. It is not only the command of God, but it is the fincere defire of every regenerate foul, to grow in Grace. This is the fubject to which your attention is this evening to be called. To affift you in forming right ideas respecting growth in grace, and excite you to attend thereto, is what, as the Lord fhall enable me, I now pro pofe. In doing this, I must first explain the apostolic exhortations; and then, fecondly, direct you to the best means for complying with the fame,

GROW IN GRACE. This is the exhortation of the Apostle, this the folemn charge, expreffive of a duty univerfally binding upon all believers, and extending to Christians of every defcription. None so young in the service of Chrift as to be exempted; and none fo old or advanced in station, character or perfection, as to be failed above it. All have need of growth in grace, and

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the exhortation is addreffed to all. To enable you to understand this, I muft firft fhew you wherein growth in grace confifts; and then what is implied in the exhortation.

To know wherein growth in grace confifts, it is neceffary previously to ascertain the idea that is here to be affixed to the word GRACE. This, in its ufual and highest acceptation, means the love of God; but it means his love confidered in a particular view, as it is exercised wards finners, as it has for its object, not only the mife, rable, the helpless and forlorn, but the rebellious, the vile, the unworthy, who have forfeited his favour and deserve his wrath. Thus, by grace ye are faved; that is, not by merit, but by love freely extended to guilty and polluted creatures. And again, the grace of God that bringeth falvation bath appeared to all men; that is, the love of God, who fo loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, is now, by a preached Gospel, made manifeft to Jews and Gentiles, and publicly offered to all, without distinction of nation, age, sex, or character.

But GRACE expreffes also, in the language of scripture, the effects of this love, and comprehends all the benefits of the new covenant, as they are freely bestowed and savingly applied to the elect finner. Thus juftification through the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, is grace. Being juftified freely by his grace. All that is wrought by the bleffed influences of the Holy Spirit in the fouls of his people, is grace. Effectual calling, a new heart, fanctification and perfeverance; in one word, whatever is neceffary to render believers meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light, is all grace. Of his fulness bave we all received, and grace for grace. The foundation is laid in grace, and when the head stone is brought

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brought forth, the redeemed of the Lord will fhout in regard to the whole plan, Grace, grace.

It is with refpect to grace in this last view we are to understand the Apostle in the text, when he exhorts believers to GROW IN GRACE. The love of God on his part is not fufceptible of increase. It is perfect and abfolutely unchangeable. He loves with an everlasting love and whom he loveth, he loveth to the end. But we may advance in experiencing the bleffed effects of redeeming love. We may grow in the graces of the Spirit, and become more univerfally holy. This is what the Apostle means, and this is what I now must endeavour to explain. Could I content myself in fumming up the whole in few words, I might fay,-to grow in grace is to improve in holiness. It is to become more conformable to the image of the Son of God, more established in the truths of religion, and more genuine, habitual and uniform in all our acts of obedience. But this general view of the fubject is not fufficient. To fhew you in what it confifts, I muft defcend to particulars. I obferve, therefore,

1. To grow in grace is to grow in habitual repentance ; to become more humble and contrite; to know the plague of our own heart, and loathe and abhor ourselves on that account more fincerely before God.-The leading exercises of the foul in converfion, refpected the malignant nature and exceeding greatnefs of our fins. The Holy Spirit first taught us from the word to know our mifery, and mourn over our depraved natures; and he continues, by his bleffed operations, to lead us into clearer views of the fpirituality of the Divine law, and more accurate discoveries of our own vileness and unworthiness. Under fuch teachings, a greater hatred against fin muft arife, a more conftant forrow for it, and ardent longings

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