in knowledge, in faith, in humility, in love, in patience, in holiness. In all these things, and in all other things which belong to the constitution of the new creature, there should be advancement and growth.

Conversion is a great matter. Yet we shall err sorely if we stop short at conversion. The beginning of Christianity in the soul must not be confounded with the perfection of it. Much has no doubt been done, when a sinner is converted; so much, indeed, that heaven rejoices over it; but much still remains to be done. The seed has been sown, but the tree of righteousness has yet to arise; the babe has been born, but the period of weakness and experience is not yet passed, and the day of manhood is to come. There is strong ground to suspect the genuineness of conversion when it is rested on as in itself enough, and as sufficiently securing the salvation of the soul. The conversion that is real must be distinguished from a transitory excitement in the mind; it lays the foundation of a great and permanent change that progressively advances to completion, and it includes the implanting of graces in the soul, which in due time must arrive at a blessed maturity.

of God, and that that mind might be in them which was also in Christ Jesus. This growth does, moreover, comprehend increase in the knowledge of Christ, and in the love and the faith of him.

When seeking after growth into the likeness of Christ, let believers remember the headship of Christ. Grow up into him which is the head.' Christ is the head of every man; that is to say, every believer is a member of Christ-is one of the members of that mystical body of which Christ is the head. In virtue of this connection, the people of God grow; by this connection their advancement and ultimate maturity are provided for. It is in this way that they have that union with Christ of which we spoke before, and from which their spiritual growth proceeds.

What are the means by which the growth of Christians is promoted? Although the body could not grow separately from the head, yet the necessity for food is not thereby superseded. Food would be useless, if the body were alone, and divided from the head, because then the body would be inanimate; but it is of most important and essential service to the body that has life. The members of Christ must have food; the means of nourishment must be ministered to the new creature. Wherewithal, then, is the child of God to be nourished? With the word-with the truth-with the truth spoken in love.

The truth about God, and about sin; about Christ, and about salvation, is the meat of the believer. The truth, which consists of the sure sayings of Jehovah; of his threatenings, his promises, his declarations, and his commandments; the truth which is couched in words carrying the attestation, Thus saith the Lord,' is what the renewed soul hungers after, and what oftentimes fills it as with marrow and with fatness. The truth, in a sense still higher and more wonderful in that sense in which it must be taken where Christ says, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life—is the bread with which the citizens of Zion are satisfied and strengthened. I am the bread of life.' The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.'

Let us attend to the description of this growth, which is given in the words before us. It is a growth in all things,' as we have seen. It is also a growing up into him, which is the head, even Christ.' The believer must grow up into Christ. What kind of growing is this? Looking to the context, it is apparent that it is a growing which springs out of union to Christ. Spiritual life, in its first communication, and in its continued supplies, is from Christ. Without me ye can do nothing.' Without me ye cannot live, nor can ye grow. 6 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.' Farther, this is a growing into the likeness of Christ. When the likeness It is required that the truth be spoken in love. of Christ is realized, and Christ's image is com- Mutual affection needs to be assiduously cultipleted in the soul, the growing is at an end, and vated at the very time when truth is laid hold maturity and perfection are reached. What was of, clung to, asserted, and propagated. Love of the great desire of Paul in reference to his spirit- the brethren ought ever to be conjoined with ual children-for what did he labour, and travail, love of the truth. Alas, how often have they and pray? Was it not that Christ might be been dissevered. In order to derive full benefit formed in them? In other words, that they from the truth, a loving spirit requires to be might be conformed unto the image of the Son cherished. A harsh, censorious frame, will not

fail to mar its benignant influence, and to arrest | It is the doctrine which comes from Christ, and the believer's growth. There is a peculiar effi- relates to Christ. Let us have this dwelling in us. cacy connected with love with an affectionate Let us be filled with it. The idea here expressed and charitable consideration for others-whereby is not merely that we should know it, but that it disposes the minds both of those who entertain we should have it among our thoughts, and that it, and of those who are the objects of it, for it should be influentially present to our minds. receiving the truth and experiencing the full The idea is both knowledge of, and meditation advantage which the truth is intended to convey. upon, the doctrines exhibiting Christ in the lovingThe latent energies of the truth come out more kindness of his mission into our sinful world, in fully at the gentle call of love. the mystery of his person, in the adaptation of his offices, in the value of his atonement, in the freeness and all-sufficiency of his grace, and in the perfection of that example which he set us that we should walk in his steps.

THIRD DAY.-MORNING.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.' Col. iii. 16.

CHRIST'S sheep love Christ's voice. They listen gladly when he speaks to them. They treasure up in their hearts his gracious sayings. They do so at least when their souls are prospering. It is their interest to do it. It is their duty too. We are told of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, that she sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. This she did while her bustling sister was cumbered with her serving, and doing her best to entertain the Saviour well. Was it that Mary reverenced Jesus less than Martha reverenced him? No, she reverenced him more, and by her conduct she paid him higher honour. Martha's conduct bespoke her regard for him as a guest to be received with hospitality and distinction; Mary's told of strong faith in him as a divine teacher, whose golden sayings were all so precious in her esteem, that, casting every other care aside, she set herself to hear and store up in her mind the whole of them. She sought the word of Christ. She desired it to dwell in her, and that not in stinted degree, but 'richly. Let us seek to be like Mary. Let us embrace the word of Christ, and give it entertainment in our hearts. What is the word of Christ? The word of God is the word of Christ. Christ is God. The Spirit of Christ was he who inspired the sacred penmen, when they wrote of the things of God, and announced the revelation of his will. For this reason the scriptures are appropriately termed the word of Christ. They are also the word of Christ in virtue of the fact that the manifestation of Christ is the main object for which they are given. They are they which testify of me.' To him give all the prophets witness.'

Christ. The moral law is prescribed to every one of us by our Creator. The Christian has it prescribed to him again by his Redeemer. Christ

The word of Christ is the commandments of

re-delivers the commandments of God to all his people. He calls them his commandments; 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.' The law loses its terrors when it comes from the mouth of Christ. By him, no curse is added to it. He enforces it only with the motive of love. Dwelling in his followers, it rejoices their hearts. It is, in their view, more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; it is sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.

If the word of Christ dwell in us richly, we shall have wisdom. The highest wisdom-all saving knowledge-is embraced in it; and it is able to make us wise unto salvation. We ought therefore, to have it dwelling in us in all wisdom in all the variety and fulness of its exhibitions of truth, and of its revelations of the counsel of God. It will be to us an ever-flowing fountain of knowledge divine-a source of constant instruction in the ways of the Lord, and in the wonders of the kingdom of grace.

An exercise is prescribed to us. Teaching and admonishing one another.' For this we shall be prepared, if Christ's word be in us richly. When we ourselves are taught, we shall be able to teach; and when Christ's gracious word has a fixed and commanding place in our minds, we shall possess, and be in a situation to use, that standard of faith and conduct, without which the duty of mutual admonition cannot possibly be discharged. The mutual teaching, which is enjoined upon us, is a provision for our advancement in knowledge. It is a process of spiritual barter where there cannot be loss on either side, but must be gain and increase of store to all. It makes us no poorer to impart the discoveries which the word and Spirit of the Lord The word of Christ is the doctrine of Christ. have vouchsafed to us; and our treasure is en

said; As Moses, when he met with God, was changed by the impartation of a dazzling splendour to his face, so believers, when they view the Lord Jesus, are changed into the same image; they are assimilated to the object of their faith, and they shine like him, and are glorious.' The other circumstance is alluded to in the first

larged, when the lessons our brethren have clause of the verse. It is as if the apostle had learned are communicated to us in return. The admonishing of each other will advance us in holiness. The errors of our conversation, which we ourselves may not observe, do more readily arrest the notice of our fellow-disciples; and sinful habits might grow upon us unperceived, were we liable to no check from our brethren in the gospel. When Peter failed in acting with the straight-forwardness and Christian honesty that became him, he was seasonably admonished by Paul, who withstood him to the face. We owe it to our brethren to tell them of their faults, and they owe a similar service to us. Just because we are friends, and not enemies, we ought to speak to each other plainly and faithfully, and not keep back the truth.

If the word of Christ dwell in us as it ought, we shall be prepared and disposed for the praises of God. We shall be inspired with gratitude. The wonders of love and grace, disclosed by the word, must awaken sentiments which will be expressed in songs of thanksgiving. But, when we celebrate God's praises, let us beware of mere lip adoration. God is not imposed upon. He looks to the heart. And, if he find no love to him, no joy in him, there, our psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, will be an abomination before him. Wherefore, let us have grace in our hearts. Let there be the melody of feeling as well as of sound. Let our music and our praise be the true and honest indications of the presence and working of Christ's word within us, and of the graces of faith, and love, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, richly abiding in our souls!

THIRD DAY.-EVENING.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord,' 2 Cor. iii. 18.

THERE were two circumstances in the history of ancient Israel, that were present to the mind of the apostle, when he wrote these words. One was the effect produced upon the face of Moses by his converse with Jehovah in the mount. The skin of his face shone;' glory had been communicated to it, and was reflected from it. The other circumstance was the interposing of a vail between the people and the face of Moses, when they and he spake together.

The first of these circumstances is pointed at in the way of analogy or comparison in the second

clause by the way of contrast. There the apostle substantially says, 'When the Israelites of old held their intercourse with Moses, a vail hid the glory of his face from their eyes; but in our case, when we commune with the glorious Immanuel, we do it with open face, no vail intervening, and thus we behold the glory of the Lord.'

Two topics for our meditation offer themselves in this verse. The first is a discovery made, and the second a change produced.

The apostle intimates that Christians do, 'with open face, behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord;' and he thereby tells of a discovery made to them.

Consider the nature of the discovery. It is the glory of the Lord that they see. In the case of Israel, the glory was that of Moses; here, it is that of Christ. There, it was the glory of the servant; here, it is the glory of the Son. There, it was outward, natural glory, radiating from the face of a sinful man; here, it is spiritual glory, belonging to him who is the brightness of the glory of God. We have here the glory of the

life of Jesus. This consists in the holiness by which his life was signalised. Every action he performed, every word he spake, and every thought of his heart, betokened that it was he of whom in the volume of the book it is written, ‘I delight to do thy will, O God.' During the six thousand years to which the existence of the human family nearly extends, he is the only and the single Man, out of the myriads of its unsum

med generations, who never, by thought, word,

or deed, so much as once broke the law of God.

We have here the glory of the death of Jesus.
The glory of his death? Yea, the glory of his
death, and of his cross. To the unenlightened
eye nought but disgrace and shame are discerni-
ble there. And doubtless by disgrace and shame
his death was attended.
But there was a glory
in it which overcame them. His departing cry,
'It is finished, dispersed the clouds, and the
glory of his cross stood revealed. We have also
the glory of his person. He is God, and he is
man. He is the Word made flesh. And we
have the glory of his mission. He came from
God into a world by which God's authority had
been renounced, and in which a proud and un-

grateful rebellion was in open and rampant pro-ple Christ set us that we should walk in Lis gress; yet he came not to condemn the world, steps. nor to execute vengeance, but that the world | through him might be saved. We have, finally, the glory of his work. He is Prophet, Priest, and King. He calls men out of darkness; he makes intercession for them ever; he delivers them from slavery, and he vanquishes death and hell for their salvation.

Notice the preparation for the discovery of the glory of the Lord. It is with open face', that believers behold it. The expression points to the removal of a vail, whereby the glory would be hid. The vail that was put between Moses and the people was an emblem and type (see ver. 14-17) of a spiritual vail which interposes, in the first instance, between all men and Christ. This vail consists of unbelief and carnal-minded

ness.

It consists of unbelief: and so the prophet complained of it as hindering the people from seeing the glory of Christ, when he cried, Who hath believed our report?' The vail of unbelief, said Isaiah, is on the hearts of all, and therefore He is despised and rejected of men; and they see no beauty in him that they should desire him. It consists of carnal-mindedness. For the carnal mind knoweth not the things of God; neither can it know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And when Paul had in vain set the glory of the Lord before a number of his countrymen, his solution of the failure was, the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed.' It is indispensable that the vail be removed. As the bandage must be taken from the eyes of a man that has been blindfolded, before he can see the light of the sun, so must this vail be taken away, that the glory of the Lord may be beheld. God only can remove it. God will, God does, remove it from the hearts of all his own.

The instrument of the discovery is the word. It is in the glass, the bright mirror, of the gospel that we must look for the glory of Christ Jesus our Lord.

The other subject, which the verse before us presents for our study, is a change which is said to be produced. We are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

Observe wherein the change consists. It is a change into the same image,' that is, into the image of Christ which believers behold; it is a transfiguration into the glorious likeness of Immanuel. It is a change which is otherwise spoken of as a putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a change resulting in a conformity to the exam

Mark how the change proceeds. It is from glory to glory. It is not instantaneous. No, it takes the lifetime of the Christian to complete it. It is like the change through which the unhewn marble passes, till it is formed into a graceful and majestic statue. Part after part progressively appears, the noble countenance, the powerful limb, and all the rest, until the faithful and admired copy of the honoured original is before us. Thus does the change into Christ's image go forward; it advances from feature to feature, from part to part, from glory to glory?

The means by which the change is produced are the display of the glory of the Lord. Thus was the face of Moses made to shine. And thus are sinners transformed into the image of Christ. Let us steadfastly, therefore, behold his glory.

But means are not enough. There must be an agent too. The agent is the Spirit. The change is brought about by the Spirit of the Lord. Let us pray for the Spirit. Let us earnestly seek after his precious illuminations.

FOURTH DAY.-MORNING.

'I hare esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food,' Job xxiii. 12.

HAPPY is the man who, surveying his past life, can truly declare thus! Yea, happy is he, although in the midst of trouble like Job, and ills should have befallen him like those that came upon that exemplary patriarch. He will not perish among the waters of adversity: he will be unscathed in the furnace of trial, as were the three children of old; he will be safe, as Daniel was, in the lions' den.

It is our duty to be frequently engaged in the work of self-examination. Prove your own selves,' is the injunction of scripture. Sometimes we are specially called of God to do it. In the day of his contendings with us, when we are suffering by his rod, we ought to consider our ways.' Well for us, if we can say of Him under whose chastisement we are smarting, 'I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food!' In that case, we may surely believe that he who smites us is our friend,— that all things, and therefore that affliction, shall work for our good,-and that a divine purpose of love is the spring of our troubles.

Let us see what is implied in this remarkable declaration of Job. It is clearly implied that

those wants which are connected with the body are not the only ones that must be provided for, and that the necessaries of the present life are not the only blessings that we should seek to obtain. Job believed that he had a soul; he believed and remembered that the life and welfare of his soul were worthy of consideration. Job did more. He reckoned his soul to be more precious than his body. He valued the life of the former more highly than the life of the latter. In all this Job differed from the generality of mankind, whether of his own day, or of ours. Most men have little or no practical and influential belief in the existence of their own souls. They act as if, when the body falls by the stroke of death, there were no surviving spirit, which is then ushered into eternity. They toil for the body; they toil that it may be clothed and fed, that it may be garnished and gratified. They attend to this world; they are engrossed by this world its cares, its joys, its vicissitudes! And no more can be said of them. We cannot tell of their efforts for their souls, of their spiritual anxieties, of their religious experience! Or, at the most, it can only be said, that some feeble and transient notice is occasionally bestowed on the affairs of their souls, while it is to their temporal interests that they attach the chief concernment, and the one thing needful with them is, that these may be safe and prosperous!

did David declare his desires for the word, and the satisfaction and joy it gave him. Thy words were found, and I did eat them,' said Jeremiah, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.' And Job says here, I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.'

Let us learn to prize the word of God. Let us cultivate the feelings with which David, Job, Jeremiah, and true believers in every age, have regarded it. If the psalmist was right when he exclaimed, I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil,' we must be grievously in the wrong when we set the word at nought. Let us value it for the sake of him from whom it comes. We ought to remember that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it-that the Spirit of the Lord hath dictated it. Let us value it for its own intrinsic excellency. The word of God must be good. It is good. No encomium upon it can be too high. It is better than gold. It is more precious than rubies. Life is in the word.

The word of God is a comprehensive expression, embracing many oracles or utterances, many words of his mouth. There is a fulness and a variety in scripture, that are never enough to be admired. Be the state of the soul what it may, there is that in the word that will answer to it. Do we yield to temptation and indulge in sin? It has threatenings to alarm us. Wax we weary, and are we fainting in our minds? And are lukewarmness and sloth stealing over us? It has rousing exhortations whereby we may be re-animated. Walk we in the midst of trouble? have we fightings without, have we fears, have we sorrows, within? For such an emergency there are words of his mouth' in the shape of promises exceeding great and precious, which are yea and amen in Jesus Christ our Lord.

FOURTH DAY.-EVENING.

It is also implied that the word of God is necessary to our spiritual well being. 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' There is a double life for man-a natural life to which bread is necessary, and a spiritual life, which it needs God's word to sustain. It is interesting to mark the relish entertained for the word by those who have become partakers of spiritual life. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the judg. ments of the Lord are true and righteous alto-THEY shall bring forth fruit,'-they shall glorify gether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.' 'I have longed Who is the man that brings forth fruit? It is after thy precepts.' 'I will delight myself in thy he whom God has graciously planted in his vinecommandments which I have loved.' The law yard, and whom the heavenly Husbandman has of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands nourished and strengthened. The tree of righteof gold or of silver.' 'How sweet are thy words ousness is the planting of the Lord; by him it is unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my bedewed with seasonable grace; he makes his mouth! I love thy commandments above gold, Sun, the Sun of righteousness, to shine upon it; yea, above fine gold! In such strains as these and so it produces fruit.

'They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing,' Psal. xcii. 14.

God by their lives; they shall be obedient to his will; they shall execute his commandments.