SERMON VII.

Delivered in the Lombard Street Church, Friday Evening,, November 14, 1834.

GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE.

"But grow

in

grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."-2 PETER iii. 18..

Having been honoured with an invitation from the "Young Men's Universalist Institute" in this place, to deliver a lecture before them this evening, I have selected the passage just read in your hearing, as being appropriate to the occasion-believing it will lead to some inquiries and remarks, which may, if duly considered, contribute to the promotion of the great end and object of the institution.

The language of the text, supposes that there is such a thing as growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And. it is a remark worthy of particular notice, that the human mind is so constituted that it rarely remains long stationary; and this is the case in every stage of life. If we are not acquiring knowledge, we shall be likely to be losing it. If we are not increasing in grace, we shall be likely to be decreasing in it. If we are not engaged in the laudable enterprise of acquiring useful knowledge, it is more than probable we shall be engaged in acquiring that which is worse. than useless.

We are not to understand the Apostle as intending to confine the exertion of the human intellect exclusively to the particular subject named in the text. It is unquestionably the duty of all men, and especially of young men, to aequire a knowledge of the arts and sciences, by which they can render themselves useful to themselves and to society. The Apostle, however, speaks as a minister of the gospel; and his exhortation regards the Christian religion and the Christian dispensation. It is therefore necessary for us to improve the text, with special reference to the great subject which the Apostle had in view. And this we shall do, without supposing that this subject is the only one which deserves our attention, or that it requires us, in any way or nature, to neglect the wide and extensive range of duties belonging to common life, and the interests pertaining thereunto.

What does the text require? It requires us to grow in knowledge in relation to the great mission of Jesus Christ into our world. And it supposes that by growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall, at the same time, be growing in grace. And there is something very beautiful and instructive in this suggestion. For if there be any thing in the dispensation of the gospel-if there be any thing in the character of the Lord Jesus Christ-or if there be any thing unkind or ungracious toward the children of men in the purposes of his mission,-then, growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ would not, at all times, and on all subjects, increase us in grace. The supposition that there is any thing in the dispensation of the gospel that is contrary to favour, or contrary to

the very nature of grace, is a mistake which has not existed in the world for centuries, without having produced its baneful and deleterious effects. Acting on this mistake, zealous professed Christians have supposed, that they were acting in conformity to the principles of the religion of Christ, when they were acting as enemies of the human race, with passions as fiery and ungoverned as those of Saul, when he thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus. Acting under this mistake, Christians, through many centuries, have thought they were commissioned to exercise all cruelty and barbarity toward some of their fellow creatures. So that the knowledge which abounded with them, was the knowledge of that which did not lead them to be gracious, or to exercise favour and kindness towards their fellow men.

But here I must not detain you. We shall ask the question again: In relation to what, may we endeavour to grow in knowledge, so that by so doing we may at the same time be growing in grace? We must grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But different times and circumstances vary the duty with regard to the acquisition of such knowledge. I will explain what I now state. When Christ commanded his disciples to preach the gospel to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, they were to confine their labours to the commonwealth of Israel exclusively. The great labour then to be performed, was, to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah who was promised in the law and prophets. It was necessary for them, then, to grow in knowledge, and to acquire such knowledge as would enable them to convince the

Jews that the Messiah had actually come.

And if you read such of their speeches as were made to the Jews, you will find them labouring to effect this object particularly. But when the blessed Saviour had sealed his testimony with his blood, and had arisen from the dead victorious over death and the grave, he commissioned his Apostles to go into "all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Now, the gospel commission is enlarged. Before, it was confined to the commonwealth of Israel. It is now extended unto all nations. And when the apostles were sent to preach to the Gentiles, it was necessary for them to be possessed of that kind of knowledge of the dispensation of the gospel, respecting the Messiah, as would enable them to carry conviction to the understandings of both Jews and Gentiles. And this work embraced the labour of convincing the Gentiles, that their idolatry was not true worship that there was one only and true God, who had absolutely sent a messenger into our world, which messenger was Jesus Christ-and that this messenger had fulfilled the Jewish prophecies; thereby demonstrating, even to the Gentiles, that the divine revelation recorded in the Old Testament, was valid and good..

If you will look at this subject one moment, you will see how it was necessary that the Gentiles should understand that the Old Testament prophecies were true. And until convinced of this fact, they could not be convinced that God had made a revelation to man, And until they could be convinced that God had made this revelation, they could not embrace the Messiah promised in the law of Moses, and spoken of by the Prophets. Here,,

then, you will perceive that the wicked Jews, who were the murderers of the Lord of life and glory, unintentionally assisted in the great work of carrying conviction to the Gentile world, that the Scriptures of the Old Testament were true. How did they do it? They did it by fulfilling the prophecies; by putting Jesus to death; for if they had not put him to death, then the prophecies of the Old Testament would not have been fulfilled. In this case, the apostles could not have brought this powerful argument to the Gentile world, to support the dispensation of the gospel they were sent to preach. In relation to this particular, you will read the 11th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans, where are recorded these remarkable words, addressed to the Gentile believers: "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also obtain mercy." What does he mean by the Gentiles obtaining mercy through the unbelief of the Jews? Did you ever suppose that unbelief did any good in the world? What does the Apostle mean? He means that the Jews, by their unbelief, and by their rejection of the Saviour, fulfilled the prophecies concerning him. Now when the Apostles could take the prophecies, and lay them before the Gentiles, and show them that the Jews, who expected the Messiah, had themselves fulfilled these prophecies, it was next to impossible for the Gentiles to disbelieve, or have any doubt upon the subject. For the Jews had kept the prophecies in their own custody. They had fulfilled them precisely as the Prophets declared they would. This entirely clear

may