Growth in Grace

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” — 2 Peter, iii. 18.

If you will remark, this passage follows immediately the seventeenth verse, where the Apostle says, “Beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness; but grow in grace.” He puts the one after the other, as if the one must be the means of the other. There had been some in the Apostle’s days who had wrested certain hard expressions in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, and had wrested them to their own destruction; and, therefore, the Apostle warns Christian men — he warns the beloved sons and daughters of God — to take heed, lest they “be led away by the error of the wicked,” and so “fall from” their “steadfastness.” And in order that they may know how to stand, and to be preserved from falling, he gives them this direction: “Grow in grace;” for the way to stand is to grow; the way to be steadfast is to go forward. There is no standing except by progression. If you see a simple thing roiling along your floor at home, it will always stand upright as long as it rolls; but when it stops, down it goes. So with the Christian. As long as he is in motion, so long he stands; but if it were possible for the heavenly motion to cease, then the Christian would fall from his steadfastness. Glory be to God; he will be kept, and shall be presented faultless before the throne of God. The way to stand, then, is to go forward; the way to be steadfast is to progress; the way still to be alive, according to the Apostle, is to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

We will offer, first of all, two or three remarks upon growth in “grace” in general; and, secondly, a few remarks upon growth in grace being intimately connected with the growth “in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

I. First, then, we shall offer some remarks upon growth “in grace” in general. What shall we say about it 1

The first remark we make is, that there is a sense in which there is no such thing at all as growth in grace. If you understand the word grace as signifying free favor, and the love of God towards his people, there is not, and there cannot be, any growth in that at all. The moment a sinner believes, and trusts in his crucified God, he is, in the grace of God, then justified and complete in Jesus. And if he lives till his hair is gray, he will never be more justified, and never be more beloved, than he is the very first moment in which he believes in God. As soon as ever I have a vital communion with the Lamb, I am in grace. Let me live on, let my grace grow, let my faith increase, let my zeal become warmer, let my love be more ardent, yet I shall not be more in grace than I was before. God will not love me more; he will not have a deeper and purer affection in his heart to me then than he has the very first moment when I turn to him; nor will his grace the less justify me, or less accept me, the first moment when I come to him with all my sins about me, then it shall do when I stand before the throne. We never grow in the grace of election. We are always elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father; and in that sense of grace there is neither growth nor retrograde. So also in the matter of justification.

“In union with the Lamb,
From condemnation free,
The saints for ever were,
And shall for ever be.”

And they are at all times as much justified as they are at any other time. Give me to-day to be justified — to-morrow I shall be justified; yesterday I was. As soon as I put my trust in the Saviour, I became complete in grace, so far as that was concerned; perfect in Christ Jesus. I cannot be more than perfect, and, therefore, I cannot grow in grace in that respect; I cannot receive more justifying mercy; I cannot receive more pardoniftg grace; for I have had it all at once, and have so hpoma perfect in Christ.

But you will remark our text does not say any thing about grace growing; it does not say that grace grows. It tells us to “grow in grace.” There is a vast difference between grace growing and our growing in grace. God’s grace never grows; it is always infinite, it cannot be more, — it is always everlasting; it is always bottomless; it is always shoreless. It cannot be more; it could not in the nature of God be less. The text tells us to grow in grace. We are in the sea of God’s grace. We cannot be in a deeper sea; but let us grow now we are in it. We cannot be more in it than we are, than we always have been. We are in God’s grace; we are in the covenant; we are in the scheme of redemption; we are in union with Jesus; we cannot be more or less so, for we are secure through the blood of our Saviour. But while we cannot grow more in it, and it cannot grow more, we can “grow in grace.”

I must make another remark. Il is certain that luhile the grace of God toward us does not grow yet there is such a thing as the development of grace. There are some persons who object much to progressive sanctification, and to any thing like growth in grace. My brethren are welcome to object if they like, but I am sure if they read the Scriptures (they will not object surely to Scriptural terms), they will find growth in grace very frequently mentioned; if that does not mean something of progressive sanctification, then I do not understand the term “growth in grace” at all. It is quite certain there are degrees of the development of grace. You will not say the young man who has been converted but the last few months knows as much of grace, understands as much, has as much faith and as much love, as the man who has for the last twenty or thirty years stood in his Master’s service. You will not tell me that one man who is scarcely ever seen coming up to the house of God, who is in a daily state of religious starvation, stands on a par in grace with a man who is laboring for his Master, whose love is evident to all, and whose faith is testified before the whole congregation. You will not tell me there is a dead level in Christianity. If you tell me so, I tell you that you have no eyes, or that you do not look about you. For it is certain there are some further advanced than others; some with greater faith than others have. There are “great faiths” as well as “little faiths,” great loves as well as little loves; there are men of ardent spirits who have grace more developed in them than others. It is true, they are not more loved of God than others, not more justified, nor more accepted, for in that we all stand on a level, and there is no difference; but as to the development of grace and the display of grace in our souls, every one must admit that there is a difference between different saints. I cannot understand the difference existing between different ministers of God, if it is not because of the difference in the degrees of grace. Some have just started and have preached a little about Redemption, but they have not got far enough to preach about Election, or at least not about the vital union of every blood-bought child of God with the person of Emanuel; or if they should now and then preach upon that they cannot talk about the eternal security of the saints in the breast of Jesus, and how against wind and tide they shall all sail to heaven. They have not grown enough in grace for that. Will not every one admit there are such things as degrees of development of grace? while it is true that there are none of us more justified, more elect, more chosen of God, and loved of Him than any others are.

But now for a third remark, and that is, that growth in grace is not to be measured by tveeJcs, and months and years. There are persons who look upon the age of a man to tell how much he knows about divine things. “Oh!” say some, “such and such a young man, what should he know about divine grace? There is a hoary-headed father there; he must know a great deal more.” You will very often find out your mistake. God delights to show how he scorns and scoffs all the distinctions of man. He delights to show how he makes the young men prudent, and that he gives to the children knowledge and discretion. It has ever been one of His boasts, that “out of the mouths of babes and sucklings he ordains strength, because of his enemies.” It is true, we do believe, and we should believe that there is more knowledge beneath the gray head. Generally speaking, there will be. Yet God, in order to display his sovereignty has so arranged that he will sometimes put his treasures in an earthen vessel that has not been fashioned but a few years. Do not suppose persons grow in grace according to their years. Some grow faster in grace in five minutes than others in fifty years. I believe some saints progress further in grace in one single month than others do in twelve months or twelve years. I am sure I may speak concerning myself. I have grown more in grace sometimes in one hour than I have at other seasons in a week, a month, or a year, when God in his infinite wisdom has been pleased to give me a vision of the Saviour, or to open up my depravity, or break up the fountains of wickedness that lay beneath in the soul. I have learnt more in one hour, when the Holy Spirit’s hand has been upon me, than I have in weeks and months simply with my own study. The growth in grace has not any thing to do with time. God’s people do not grow like trees grow. Sometimes they take a start and grow upward; at another time they are growing downward. Sometimes, apparently, the sap sleeps within the branch — a winter time comes over it, and it is asleep. Do not imagine, my dear friends, that because you are getting old you are growing in grace. People are continually warning young men of their danger. So we are in danger. But let me remind you that there is not an instance in Sacred Scripture of a young man’s disgracing his profession; but there are instances in Scripture of men of middle age and of gray hairs doing so. It is thus: we, who are young, are in the greatest danger, and therefore God keeps us to show his honor; but you conceive you are not, and therefore God suffers you to fall, that he may stain the pride of your glory, and let you see that it is not any thing in flesh, neither age, nor standing, nor rank, nor condition; but that he holdeth up the humble and casteth down the proud. David did not fall into sin until he had come certainly to maturity and into the very prime of life, and then he sinned with Bathsheba. Lot did not transgress before he came an old man. If you turn to the pages of Scripture, wherever there has been a lamentable fall — a Peter or any other — it has been a man who has grown up and become strong in years, because God would show us that it is not mere years that can teach us grace — in fact, that years, and age, and learning, and talent have nothmg to do with grace; that he could, if he liked, take a child of six years old, and pour wisdom and knowledge into the lips of that child that could puzzle the seers of this world. So He will do. He always takes the most unlikely beings, and because men have said experimental preachers must have gray heads. He says,” Nay; it shall be a youth that shall lead the multitude; it shall be a child out of whose mouth I will pour words of wisdom, for I will stain all human glory, and show

mankind that he is not the preacher but God; that it is not him that willeth, but God that showeth mercy; that it is not the man, but the God in the man. He could dispense with the man altogether; at any rate, he will have the man he pleases, and at what age he pleases, and qualify him as he pleases.

Now, once more, groioth in grace is not to he estimated by our feelings. There are some of you, beloved, who think you are not growing in grace because you do not feel as lively as you used to do. “Ah!” say you, “when I was young every thing was good then. What peaceful hours I then enjoyed. I would go over hedge and ditch to hear the Gospel preached; it mattered not, I had such an intense desire to hear about God and Jesus Christ, such love to the Gospel, that when I once got to hear a minister preach, it mattered not who ever he might be, it all seemed sweet. But now I am so depressed, I cannot enjoy the words I used to do.” Do not think because your wild heat is gone you have not grown. When we light a fire, we always put the straw and such like at the bottom; and when we first light it there is a great deal of flame and a great deal of smoke that rises. But afterwards, when the flame gets hold of the coals, there is not so much blaze, but there is really more heat. You may have some of your flame and smoke departed, but then it gets to be more solid fire; we would rather warm our hands by the coals than by the straw, for that must soon go. So with grace. It begins with flame, catches the lighter substances, lays hold on the imagination and the passions; but, in after life, it appeals to the judgment, and makes the man one solid lump of burning fire. He is not a little flame rising towards heaven that tJie wind might blow out with a puff; but he becomes so strong ‘d fire that the wind shall but increase the flame, and shall make the heat the greater. So with you. Perhaps you are become more solid though you are less fiery. Do not suppose when you are depressed, therefore, you are not growing. Many of God’s plants gro,w best in the dark, and He often puts them in the dark to make them grow. When you are growing upwards, recollect there is such a thing as growing downward. You might have had yesterday a divine manifeation that took you up to the top of the delectable mountains. You must not think you are big because you are high, for pigmies perched on Alps are pigmies still; and if you were ever so little, it would not make you any bigger if you were taken to the top of St. Paul’s — you would be little still. If you are in a mine deep down, do not think you are smaller for that. I tell you you will grow faster in the dungeon often than on the top of a mountain; but it is no pleasant spot. When our depravity is revealed to us, when our desolation of spirit, when our utter hopelessness and powerlessness are uncovered and made manifest by God’s Holy Spirit, we grow, I believe, even faster than we do when, on the wings of seraphs, we are privileged to mount on high. Do not measure your growth in grace by your feelings. Some of you make a kind of barometer of your feelings. Do not do so. If we are in Christ, we are in Christ by faith, and not by feelings; and recollect, whether your feelings are good or bad, you are no more or less a child of God. Your faith, sinner, unites you with the Lamb — not your feelings. Trust Him in darkness, trust Him in distress, lean on Him when you cannot see Him, and when there seems nothing to walk on, still tread, for the ground is firm beneath the foot of fliith.

Then do not think you are growing in grace because you happen to be doing a little more for the Church externally. “Oh!” we often think, “now I am progressing, am I not? I am busy .n the Sunday-school, laboring hard there; I am preaching; I am doing this, I am doing the other: now I am progressing.” Ah! it is a good thing to be very diligent in good works, and to be abounding in acts of righteousness; but if you begin to say, “Now I am growing,” because of this or because of that, you have made a great mistake. It oflen happens when we are very full of public labors that we are very short in private devotions. I must confess that myself — and that is a very lamentable thing — for then I am not really growing. A man may have his hands ever so full before the world, and think he is doing much; but he is not growing after all. Do not think that is any excuse for anybody who is not doing much, you Issachar-like people, like “a strong ass between two burdens, and too lazy to lift either, I will not give you a word of comfort.” You are not growing, for you are doing nothing. And those that are doing something must not boast of their growth. It hath more to do with private devotion than public exercise; it hath more to do with meditation than explanation; it hath more to do with contemplation and adoration than with public service. We must look more to the state of the internal matters, keeping a good lookout on the closet. We must well attend to the reading of the Scriptures, and see that that is constantly kept up. If not, however much we may seem to progress outwardly, we are not any richer; we are only beating out the little gold we had into a thinner plate, a-nd spreading it over the surface. The more we do for Christ the more He will do for us; but let us take heed whilst we water other people’s vineyards that our own is not neglected, and that the stones of the hedges thereof are not cast down. May God grant you, brethren, to grow in grace.

n. Now we come to the second thought — That growth in

GRACE IS INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH THE GROWTH “IN KNOWL-EDGE OF OUR Lord and S^wiour Jesus Christ.” In fact, there cannot be any grace at all except as we know Christ, and there can be no growth in grace except as we grow in our knowledge of Christ. We may always test ourselves whether we are growing by this: Do I know more of Christ to-day than I did yesterday Do I live nearer Christ to-day than I did a little while ago 1 for increase in the knowledge of Christ is the very test as well as the cause of an increased growth in grace. In order to prove this I will pass over one or two Christian virtues, and you will see they must increase as we know more of grace.

With regard to love, some of us say, how little we love Christ J How many of you sing —” It is a point I long to know,

Oft it causes anxious thought — Do I love the Lord or no?
Am I his, or ana I not?”

That is a very good hymn — I find no fault with it — but let it bo short metre, please. Don’t sing the hymn long. Now and then you are very welcome to it, but get through it as quickly as you can. I would rather hear you sing that hymn —

“A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing,
Nor fear with thy righteousness on.
My person and offering to bring.”

“Oh!” say you, “that I might grow in love. I want to know that I love Jesus. I want to feel my heart going after Him.” Well, the way to grow in love is to know more of Christ. The more you know of the Saviour, the better you must love him; the more you discover of his beauties, of his excellences, of his virtues, of his perfections, and of his glories, the more your soul will be in him. I tell you who do not love Christ at all, it is because you do not know him; for if you knew any thing of him, you would love him in proportion to your knowledge. The more you know of my Master, the more you will love him. You have only lifted one corner of the veil that shrouds his forehead; you have seen but one portion of his visage, and now you love him. Oh, if you had faith to lift the veil entirely, to see his countenance, to mark the majestic sweetness which sits enthroned upon his lofty brow; if ye could descant on his eyes, which are “like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim” — if ye could describe him as being “altogether lovely,” ah! ye would love him more. Blessed are the men that improve in acquaintance! Jesus Christ is one of those blessed ones; the more you know of him the more you love him. Sweet Jesus! when I saw thee first I loved thee! When first thy wounded hand and bleeding side were uncovered to me, then I loved thee. Ah! but that love is nothing compared with what I have now. And, oh! when I shall see thee as thou art — when my soul becomes changed into love, the love I have now shall seem to have been nought but a spark; ay, very hatred itself compared with that love which I shall have to thee then! Know more of Christ; read more of him; think more of him; ask about him more; because you will be sure to grow in the grace of love in proportion as you know more of Christ.

So with regard to faith. What is the reason why so many of us groan because our faith is so little? It is because we do not know enough of Christ. There are many people who want to know a great deal about Jesus. They think if they knew more about Jesus they would have more faith. “Oh!” says one, “when I look at myself, I think, ‘Oh, what is to become of me 1 ‘Then I want to see if there are not some evidences. I think, ‘Well, there is so and so, and that looks good.’” All wroncp — all wrong;! You have no business to look there — no business at all. You won’t grow in faith by looking at yourself. One look at Jesus is worth fifty at yourself. If you would have more faith, keep your eye on Jesus. The sweet wounds of Christ on Calvary are the mothers of faith; and these are the breasts from which faith must draw its nourishment. If you grow in faith you must live near to the cross. The sweet flower of faith was first sown by a drop of blood, and it must be watered by it every day. Know more of Christ; think more of him, and your faith will increase. Your little faith would soon get strong if you lived more on Jesus. If you would become Greathearts by-and-bye, and knock those great giants about as terribly as old Greatheart did of old, live near to Jesus; live with Jesus; feast at his banqueting table; for there is no food so strengthening as the flesh of my Lord, and no wine can so invigorate you as the blood of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

So with regard to our courage; for that is a Christian grace, and one in which many are very terribly deficient. Our Christian courage will always increase in proportion as we know Christ. We have sometimes little Christians that have not Christian courage enough, I was about to say, to speak to a cheese-mite; they would not be able to profess the name of Christ before the smallest creature in the world; they would be ashamed to tell they loved the Saviour almost before the bare walls, for fear som« bird of the air would hear them and tell the tale.

They are so ashamed of their own faith (and yet it is a real faith) that they scarcely dare to speak. The smallest stone in the road would make them stumble; a straw would be almost as great as a range of mountains like the Himalayas; they would be entirely cast out of the road if they had the least prospect that there could be a shadow in it for them to pass by. This is because we do not know Christ that we are afraid of any thing. I believe, when we come to know Christ, we shall be afraid of nothing at all. Shall we be afraid of man? Nay; we shall say, “Whether it is right to obey God rather than man, judge ye.” Shall we be afraid of the devil when we know Christ”? Nay; we shall say, “Christ hath got the devil chained, and he can always pull the dog in when he attempts to bite; Christ hath hold of the dragon, and he cannot inflict deeper wounds than Christ willeth.” Ah! we shall not be afraid of death, for we shall regard him aS an angel of the covenant sent to fetch God’s people up to heaven. Courage will always be increased in proportion as we know more of Jesus; and if we could have Christ for our daily and hourly companion, I believe all the hosts of hell, marshalled in battle, would no more affright us than would a flock of small birds that might settle down on our path, but we should say, “Arise, thresh the mountains, and beat them small; flm them, and the wind shall carry them away.” If you would have more of courage, get more of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So with regard to our zeal, which is a grace awfully wantnig in these times. If we would be more zealous, we must live more near to Christ. If the Son of Man were to come upon earth, would he find zeal upon earth? It was said, “would he find faith 1” once; but would he find zeal? It would cost him a great deal before he discovered much of it, amongst Christians. There would be sound good orthodoxy, but no zeal; there is heterodoxy, still no zeal. Where do yOu find it? Just here and there. There is a remnant, according to the election of grace, who are zealous for God; but in these times, we are sorry to say it, religion has degenerated into a kind of formality. It is a fashionable thing to be pious. We have been going on in the same track as other people; there was an old cart rut, and we all drive along it.

We have kept on at the same pace as our fathers; but, oh! if we knew more of Christ, we should have more zeal. I cannot think it possible for men to lack zeal when they know Christ. They would then, say, “Did my Saviour shed his blood for me 1 and shall I fear to die for him 1 Did he come all the way from earth and heaven to win a soul, and shall I stoj) proclaiming it?” Should we have so many lazy preachers if they had got more of Christ in their hearts’? If they understood more of Jesus, would they think so much of their constitution, and be afraid to preach continually to the people 1 Oh! if people knew more of Jesus, should we have so many slothful, sluggish, members in our churches, with so many that can make any excuse rather than labor for Christ, who can patch up any empty apology for idleness ] No; brethren, if we knew more of the Saviour, if we had more frequent visions of him, if we saw him oftener on his cross, and viewed him more frequently sitting with the crown upon his head, we should say, “I vow revenge against my sloth; I will think all I can do will be too little for so good a Lord; if I might make some reserve, and duty did not call, I will love my God with zeal so great that I should give him all.” It is no use to try to get more zeal except by the right way — knowing more of Christ. And if we seek to grow up in zeal by certain ideas of our ovn, certain “revivals” as they are called, and all that nonsense, we shall have a zeal like a house on fire; it will do more mischief than it will do good. There may be some heat and a deal of illumination: it will die away by-and-bye into black ashes, poisoning the churches every where. I have seen revivals in England — and I can always tell where “revivals” have been by the scarred state of the places after them — what have been called “revivals,” got up by certain extraordinary meetings, and fanned by sundry preachers, who have invented strange doctrines, preached hell-fire apparently, calling on men unceasingly to repent, repent, and said nothing of the grace of God. They have for a time stirred up the people to a kind of religious furor, and they have lefl behind a very desert. Before them it was like a garden of the Lord, but behind a desert. The church has been divided; there has been a reaction; they have sunk into the most lamentable condition. If we would have true zeal, a true “lovefeast,” it must be by the preaching of the good old doctrine, the good old truth, and the preaching of Christ; not any thing else: for “whatever comes from any thing else comes of the devil; to hell it shall tend; its issue shall be destruction, and not salvation. But if we get to the truth of God, there will be “revival” enough. We want nothing but Gospel, good old-fashioned Gospel, to stir the world again. Though men have tried new schemes, God will put a stain upon their glories yet. All these heresies must be swept away, and the true Gospel — distinguishing grace of God in all the sovereignty of election — must yet again be 23reached. And when it is preached in all its fulness, then shall the church be zealous, and then shall Zion arise, shake herself from the dust, and put on her beautiful garments.

One thought more. If we would grow also in the grace of brotherly kindness, we must know more of Christ. Oh, beloved! we must lament again. There is too little brotherly kindness. There is a great deal of that mawkish kind of brotherly kindness which consist in this — “we must never say any thing contrary to anybody else’s opinion. If we know a doctrinal error, we must not expose it, because love of our brethren implies if they are wrong we would not tell of it.” But I think true brotherly kindness is always to preach the truth, and tell our brethren where they are wrong, and give them the right hand of fellowship; to preach whatever we believe to be true, and try to maintain what God has taught us; and then, after all, to say, “Well, brother, you differ from me. I am not infallible; I still love you.” But that is no love which makes us hide the truth. True love will make us honest, zealous, and affectionate. Why don’t we love one another as much as we ought ] It is because we do not love the Saviour enough, and we have not seen enough of him. If we had seen more of the Saviour I am sure we should love him better. I met a strange idea in old Burrough’s when reading him the other day. He says, “If Jesus Christ were to come down to his church now, he would see some of his children with black eyes; some others would be seen scratched in the face, and some bruised all over. He would say, ‘Ha! where have you been?’ Lord, I have been fighting my brother, and ho did this. He would then say, ‘Children fight! the birds of .one nesr disagree! how sad it is!’” It is a queer thought, but it is not a bad one. We might think of that a little, for when Jesus Christ comes and finds his people controverting and quarrelling, what will he say? You remember the story I told you before. An old Scotch elder had been disputing with his minister at an elders’ meeting. He said some hard things, and almost broke the minister’s heart. Afterwards he went home, and the minister went home too. Next morning the elder came down, and his wife said to him, “Eh, Jan! ye look very sad this morning. What’s the matter wi’ ye 1” “Ah!” said he, “you would be sad, too, if you had had such a dream as I’ve had.” “Weel, and what did ye dream about f “Och! I dreamed I had been at an elders’ meeting, and I said some hard things and grieved the minister; and as he went hame I thought he died and went to heaven. A fortnight after, I thought I died, and that I went to heaven too. And when I got to the gates of heaven, out came the minister and put out his hand to take me, saying, ‘Come alang, Jan, there’s nae strife up here, and I’m happy to see ye.’” The elder went to the minister to beg his pardon directly, but he found he was dead; and he laid it so to heart that within a fortnight the elder himself departed. And I should not wonder if he did meet the minister at heaven’s gates, and hear him say, “Come alang, Jan! there’s nae strife up here.” It would be good for us to recollect that there is no strife up there. Glorified saints have not strife among themselves; and we should love one another more in brotherly kindness if we thought more of heaven and more of our blessed Jesus.

Lastly, there is another grace in which we need to grow; that is the grace of humility. I am sure we should increase in that if we lived nearer to Christ. Oh, humility! most precious thing, thou art most rare! He who talks of it most hath least of it. He who preaches of it best full often is least the subject of its power. Oh, humility! I have sometimes thought thou wert a phantom, and that pride was the reality. Humility, where art thou? The depths of poverty say “thou art not in me,” for the poor are often proud. The heights of riches say, “thou art not here,” for the rich are often proud too Oh, humility! thou art not to be found in science, for philosophy pufTeth up. Thou art not to be found in ignorance, the very mother of pride. Oh, humility! where can I find thee*? Where art thou? Nowhere can I see thee, or know what thou art, except I sit at the feet of Jesus, and behold myself a lost, ruined sinner purchased by divine love. Oh! if you would be humble, you must look at your Saviour, for then you would say: —

“Alas! and did my Saviour bleed?
And did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as 1 1”

You will never feel such a worm as when you see your Saviour die; you will never know your own nothingness so well as when you see your Saviour’s greatness. When you grow in the grace of God you will be sure to grow in humility. Growing Christians think themselves nothing, but full-grown Christians always think themselves less than nothing, and the more we get near to Jesus the smaller self will appear to be. Self and Christ can never come together. When I stand near self Christ is small; when I stand near Christ, self is small. May God grant you to grow in the knowledge of Christ. Read the Scriptures more. Seek more the influences of the Holy Spirit upon them; spend more time in devotion; ask God the Holy Spirit to give you a fresher gale from Calvary; be oftener on the’mount of transfiguration, in the garden of suffering, in the hall of agony, under the cross of crucifixion; live with’ Jesus and near to him; and so, changed from glory to glory as by the presence of the Lord, you shall each of you grow into the stature of perfect men in Christ Jesus.