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The Third Sunday after Easter.

EVENING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: 2 Peter i.

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Verse 8.-"For if these things be in you, and abound, they you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

MAN's way of salvation consists of two parts, the one being divine, the other human. The divine portion contains God's provision, the human portion contains man's duty. Those two portions are brought before us by St. Peter in this chapter. He first tells us what God has done for us, and then He tells us what we are to do for ourselves. It is not consistent that heaven should take all the pains and we none.

God takes the initiative by "giving unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." To encourage us in the possession of that life, and in the exercise of that godliness, He hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these we might be partakers of the Divine nature. The promises of the Gospel are both great and precious. Greatness and goodness shine with the brightest lustre when they meet in the same subject. Such a glorious combination is rarely found in persons or things. Great men are not always good, neither are good men always great. Stones may be great but not precious; pearls are precious but not great. Both those qualities, however, are found in the promises of God. They They are great in their source, great in their contents, and great in their number. They are also precious in their substance, and precious in their application to the mind. Then God having given unto us the object and the means of promoting it, we are to be diligent in adding daily to our stock and store, "Giving all diligence, add to

your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." This is a beautiful combination of graces and duties, which cannot exist singly, but must live together, and work together in the Christian's life. "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We have here, First, The positive blessing to be obtained; Secondly, The negative duty enforced; and Thirdly, The means of promotion recommended.

I. The positive blessing to be obtained: "The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Knowledge is one of the most glorious of the distinguishing attributes of human nature in its best estate; and after that nature's fall, knowledge is undoubtedly the most glorious distinction within its reach. Man was created in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. The two latter attributes he solely lost at the fall: the former he retained, though in an imperfect state. The desire of knowledge seems to be the prevailing feeling of the human mind in every position of life, and in every state of the intellect. In an advanced state of the intellect it becomes even a raging passion, so that the individual will submit to any deprivation and labour in its pursuit. The man of science is patient, persevering, and fanatically zealous in acquiring knowledge. Knowledge is his god. The highest aspirations of his soul are to enter into the dark mysteries of nature, and discover new revelations of truth.

But whilst such a man deems himself happy in discovering the wisdom of the structure of an insect, or in exploring every crevice and rock for matter to gratify curiosity, he turns away his eyes from Him who is the perfection of wisdom. The ancient Greeks prided themselves of being the depositories of knowledge; but in the time of St. Paul, the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ was "to the Greeks foolishness," as well

as "to the Jews a stumblingblock." So it is still to those who would be wise in the things of this world. Still, as to dignity, importance, and value, there is no knowledge which can rank with this. Knowledge in all the branches of science is good, admirable, noble, worthy of being cultivated by prince and peasant; but let it not presume to dictate to the truths of inspiration. When it does that, it becomes false, and is no more worthy of respect than a madman's dream. "The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" is "to know him, whom to know is life eternal.

Its excellences may be seen by considering

1. That it gives spiritual life to those who are dead in trespasses and sin. It converts the soul from the love of sin to the love of God; it delivers from the bondage of Satan and makes the captive free. No other science can boast of such an effect. Other knowledge may indeed raise the mind to act on nobler objects than those which occupy the attention of the unlearned and ignorant; but, in the most perfect degree, it will not have the smallest influence to change the heart or produce the love of God. It will never rend the chains from the limbs of the spiritual slave, and lead him into a glorious liberty. Nothing but the knowledge of the gospel will free from this state of bondage. In respect to this Christ declares, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

2. It delivers from that eternal misery which is the doom of all who are unacquainted with it. The way to escape eternal punishment is not by philosophy, or astronomy, or metaphysics. They may give you a false notion that if you live a moral life, and act conscientiously towards your fellowmen, you may trust to the mercy of God not to punish you for any delinquency of which you may have been guilty. At the best this will afford but an uncertain hope. It is working a problem on a supposed hypothesis, and may lead you to a wrong conclusion. In the Gospel, on the contrary, you are told how to escape, and it gives you a certainty of your safety if you attend to its instructions. Here you are

taught to "repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out;" to "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved;" that there is "no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ;" and that in Him "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

3. Not only does it free from punishment, but also frees from guilt. It exalts the vilest sinner above the highest archangel without the smallest appearance of caprice. Even in this world freedom from guilt, and consequent peace and happiness, are produced. The wisdom of this world has always been searching for plans to lessen human misery, to reform from crime, and to promote peace. Hitherto all such attempts have failed, and will fail, until combined with the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The attempts made to exclude the Scriptures from the education of the lower classes, and to confine it to mere secular instruction, is a mistake which will be found out when it may be too late; it is investing them with a power which they have no moral principle to wield, and is likely to be productive of more danger than even ignorance itself. The knowledge of the Bible only will produce peace upon earth, goodwill towards men, as well as glory to God in the highest.

Finally, this knowledge introduces us into the immediate friendship and familiarity with God. It connects us to Him with an union by which He becomes our Father, and we become His children. He is ours and we are His. We have free access at all times into His presence, and are permitted to ask of Him what we need. St. Paul, regarding the value and advantages of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, could say, with the enthusiastic feelings of a Christian confessor, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them loss that I may win Christ."

II. We notice the negative duty enforced in the text: "They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." If you possesss this knowledge, act it out in life and practice. If you be the children of God, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The exercises of Divine graces are the best evidences that we are partakers of Divine knowledge.

According to the common acceptation of words, barren and unfruitful seem to be synonymous terms, whereas the Apostle intends them to convey a different meaning. The word here rendered barren may be translated idle, whereby the sentence would read, "That ye shall neither be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." The former word would imply the necessity of active and energetic effort in acquiring this knowledge, and the latter would imply an equal activity in practising the same knowledge when acquired. The one signifies the possession, the other the results.

1. The acquiring of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ involves active energy. Idleness is deprecated in every department of life. It is condemned by the voice of both God and man. Solomon says that "the soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." St. Paul exhorts the Romans not to be "slothful in business," whilst they were to be "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." It is "the hand of the diligent maketh rich" in spiritual as well as in temporal things. God will not do all, and we do nothing in our salvation. He has done and will do for us what we are unable to do ourselves, and He has engaged to give us His aid to assist us to do the rest, but will do nothing to encourage our idleness, or that will dispense with our effort. No, we must ask to receive; we must seek, to find; we must run, to win the prize; we must fight, to achieve the victory; we must labour