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"I will dwell in you, and walk in you. I will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”* Having, therefore, THESE promises." And thus what the "washing of water" does outwardly, that the word, brought home by the Spirit's power, works inwardly. Outwardly by the washing of water we are made members of Christ and children of God, but inwardly and abidingly by the word. Apostle, joining the inward and the outward, the sign and the thing signified, writes: "Christ gave Himself for it (the Church), that He might sanctify and cleanse it, through the washing of water, by the word."+

Whence the

And so we might have shown, had time allowed, how the lively conception of, and serious meditation upon, the death, resurrection, ascension, and future glorious advent of the Lord Jesus are continually put before us as means tending in a very eminent degree to promote our growth in holiness. And does not the vivid exhibition and representation which they contain of these great facts render the seasons of the Holy Communion so helpful and refreshing, so strengthening to our feeble resolves, so forcible. in supplying us with new incentives to follow after holiness?

(b) But, finally, our text assures us that chastisement, tribulation, affliction, all are ordained to this end in God's children. "He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." The apostle is reminding us how reverently we should accept God's chastenings; yea, though they cut us to the quick, wound us in our sorest and tenderest, in our * 2 Cor. vi. 16, 18. + Eph. v. 25, 26. Heb. xii. 10.

dearest and most prized possessions. "Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live ?" It might have been enough for us to know that because He is the Father of our spirits, it is most fitting to bend the neck to His yoke. But He does not require of us this stern, unreasoning reverence. He lets us into the reason, into a part, at least, of the mystery of this, into the purpose of this hard process of discipline. All those other means on which we have dwelt-the word itself, yea, the contemplation of Christ dying, risen, ascended, and yet to come may have failed to work any solid, marked growth in holiness; and so He who, of His wondrous condescension, would make us partakers of His holiness, sends you affliction, and in it will make Himself known to you, according to that gracious word, "I will bring her into the wilderness, and will speak to her heart: and I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." "I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought." He sends His Holy Spirit to fulfil His blessed office of Comforter, and His comfort is, as the Collect reminds us, a "holy comfort." His breath inspires holiness as well as peace. There comes with it a calm meekness, a chastened subduedness, or He transports the soul out of the depths of its anguish, and sets it where it has glimpses of heaven and of the unspeakable glory. "I have learnt to reckon since I have been here," said a poor hospital sufferer. "You learnt to reckon!" replied a bystander; "I thought that was a thing you could never do." "But I can now," was the answer. "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy * Heb. xii. 9. + Hos. ii. 14, I

to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ""* Such is the Spirit's teaching of "holy comfort." He shows the tried and bereaved children of God that the "same afflictions are accomplished in their brethren which are in the world," and that they have traced much of sanctifying, quickening influence to those tribulations, under the Spirit's light and guidance. Why should not they too, hereafter, find more cause to be glad for the drying up of their gourd than ever they were for the springing up of it? Affliction springs not out of the dust, then, but comes with a high and blessed purpose. It belongs to, and is part of, that wisdom and prudence which "make all things work together for good to them that love God;" yea, makes all things theirs, and teaches by some heart-breaking lessons that man does not live by bread alone (not by ordinary and expected sources of supply only), "but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." "He chastened us for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." Deep trial is a most impressive summons to a closer imitation of Christ, fellowship of His sufferings, conformity to his death. One of its deep undertones, its most thankfully remembered and instructive voices, is this: "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly (or upward) calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." Thus doth the Spirit work out this great object of the Father's loving heart, and give effect to the work of the Eternal Son. He is intent upon it evermore, to carry it to a triumphant and most glorious issue. Shouldst thou, then, despise this chastening of the Lord, or faint when thou art rebuked *Rom. viii. 18. + Heb. iii. 1.

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of Him? Because of the meagre and miserable growth made under ordinary means, He has sharpened His pruning-knife. Wouldst thou have it blunted because of the smarting wound it inflicts, or not rather rest upon the assurance, Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth (or pruneth) it, that it may bring forth more fruit." If you can hardly bear, then, for the present to hear that word of loving rebuke, yet at least "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God;" and we may well pray for all such yet afflicted and anguished sufferers, "The God of all grace, who hath called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you: to Him be glory. Amen."*

* I Pet. v. 10.

XIV.

Beliebers, Christ's Epistle, written with the Spirit of God.

2 COR. III. 3.

"Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God."

THE

'HE Apostle had been saying such high and lofty things of his ministry, in regard to the character of the message itself; the incalculably vast consequences hinging upon it; the high and glorious Being by whose authority he preached, and whose credentials he bore; the purity and singleness of motive by which he was animated in delivering his message; that he paused, as was his wont, to clear himself from a possible charge of arrogance and self-sufficiency. Is this our practice, then, he seems to inquire, to deal largely in vaunting harangues, and to invest our ministry with a mysterious grandeur and sublimity, to be preceded, wheresoever we come or go, with letters expressive of admiration and applause, loudly extolling our ability, our exemplary character, our brilliant successes, the honour and esteem we are held in, and the rest? Let others so act, he replies, so will not we. When men inquire of me, "Where are your letters commendatory, I say, look there; look at those Corinthians, what they were, and what they are! Ask for no letters besides: " murderers, thieves, adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, such were