of God. Till this be ascertained, even the genuine Christian cannot advance with comfort in the way of holiness. For ought he knows to the contrary, he may be seeking to cherish what has no existence in his soul; and even while he is making some progress in conformity to the image of Christ, he must be deprived of the peace and joy which would result from it, were he clearly acquainted with his spiritual

state.

2. The Divine seed from which growth in grace springs, is usually at first small and weak.-Were it consistent with the will of God, we cannot doubt that he could, in the moment of regeneration, at once begin and complete the good work in the soul of his people. Every grace, when implanted, might be in a state of perfection. As, in the beginning of the material creation, the body and mind of Adam were formed in a state of maturity; so it might have been in the spiritual creation. And something like this must take place in the case of all, who, like the thief on the cross, are made partakers of grace, only at the concluding hour of life.-But, for purposes infinitely wise, God has, in all ordinary cases, ordered it otherwise. In the economy of grace he usually works, as he now always does in the system of nature. From small beginnings we behold great results. The acorn, small though it be when cast into the ground, produces the majestic and wide spreading oak. The mightiest hero or potentate on earth, was once a little helpless infant. The man who is a father in Christ, matured in knowledge,

holiness, and Christian experience, was once a babe in grace who required to be fed with milk, and not with strong meat.

This truth is evidently recognised by our blessed Redeemer: " And he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."* In these words Christ taught, not only the certain progress of his church in the world, which, from a small beginning, was to extend till it filled the earth; but also the advancement of his kingdom in the soul of man. The incorruptible seed, when sown in the heart by the Holy Spirit, is represented as a grain of mustard seed, to point out how little and weak it then is. He who knew what is in man, thus described it; and every one acquainted with the case, must see the fitness of his description. How weak at first is the Christian's spiritual apprehension of Divine things? He sees them often as through a mist, dimly and imperfectly. How weak is his faith, and how ready to stagger at difficulties? How weak is his hope, and how prone to sink under delays? How weak is his humility, and how frequently is it overcome by the workings of pride? In a word, every gracious principle is in its infantile state,

Mark iv. 30-32.

and, to a great degree, unfit for hard work, or dangerous warfare.

3. The Holy Spirit is the great efficient cause of growth in grace.—This is a truth prominently set forth in the word of God. To this Almighty agent the whole work of grace in the soul of man is ascribed, from its commencement in the day of regeneration, to its completion in glory. It is He who quickens the soul dead in trespasses and sins, and makes it alive to God and to holiness. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." * All who are constituted children of God, are "born of water, and of the Spirit." It is He who renovates all the powers and faculties of their soul, implants in it gracious principles, and makes them productive of the peaceable fruits of righteousness. "They walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit :-the Spirit of God dwells in them :-through the Spirit they mortify the deeds of the body:-they are led by the Spirit of God:-the Spirit helpeth their infirmities: -and the fruit of the Spirit, which they bring forth, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." +

The manner of the Spirit's operation in the soul of man, either in the first implantation of the seeds of grace, or in his subsequent maturing of them till they produce these excellent fruits, we cannot comprehend. It is a spiritual and invisible process, enRom. viii. 1, 4, 9, 13, 14, 26; Gal. v. 22, 23.

* Tit. iii, 5.

t John iii. 5.

tirely concealed from outward observation, and which it is impossible, even for those in whom he dwells and operates, to comprehend and explain. Our blessed Lord plainly stated this truth to Nicodemus, when he taught him the necessity of regeneration:"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." But though the mode of his working be hid from our view, and beyond our comprehension; the certainty of it is evident from its supernatural effects. We know not the manner in which common fruit is produced on the trees of a garden. But when we see it, we cannot doubt that these trees are possessed of vegetable life and prolific qualities. A dead or a barren tree, we are certain, cannot bring forth fruit.-In like manner, we infer the existence and operations of a living and supernatural principle, in the production of supernatural fruit. And this unseen principle is the agency of the Spirit of God. The fruits which it produces are visible, and such as may be examined and proved by all men. They are fruits, not found in the wilderness of nature, but in the garden of grace,-fruits which grow only on the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, in which he is glorified.

4. Growth in grace is usually effected by the diligent use of means.-Ample security is given to all the children of God that they shall grow in grace. This formed a part of Jehovah's design in the ever

lasting counsels of peace. The apostle Paul frequently mentions this in his epistles to the churches. To the saints at Ephesus he says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." *

And to the saints at Thessalonica he thus writes, "We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." + This was part of the Saviour's design in undertaking and accomplishing our redemption. "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." And this, as we already have seen, is the grand design of the Holy Spirit's operations, in the regeneration and progressive sanctification of believers.

But unquestionable though the security be which God has given, that grace shall grow in all who are partakers of it; this does not preclude their diligence in the use of appointed means. § So far from this, they have no encouragement to expect the former, without a proper attention to the latter. In very peculiar cases, where there is no access to the means of grace, or when persons are incapacitated to

* Ephes. i. 3, 4. † 2 Thes. ii. 13. + Tit. ii. 14. § These means are particularly considered in Chapter XI.