A secret message, — " Bless'd unto the end
Are they that love and they that still endure."
Jesus, my Saviour, take to Thee Thy poor,
Take home Thy humble friend.^
VL
Godliness.
1. At first sight, the mentioning of this virtue just at this place seems hardly natural. In looking at the order in which the
^ H. Howard, The Summits of the Soul, 47. ^ Dora Greemvell.
i8o THE UNFOLDING OF CHARACTER
different attributes of character are named, and in looking for the reasons on which that order itself rests, one is rather surprised to find " godliness " put where it is. For a moment, it appears as if it would have come better at the beginning or at the end of the entire series ; and the question occurs, whether indeed it is not included in that " faith " which lies at the basis of the spiritual structure. But " godliness " and " faith " are not identical ; and though, in a certain general sense, the one may be said to be included in the other, seeing that " godliness " cannot exist without " faith," yet they are not so involved as to preclude their being clearly separated and distinguished, and placed, if needs be, with some space between them in a series like this. Faith is godliness in its principle, as light in the reason : godliness is faith in its actings, as love in the heart. The one flows from and is the utterance and development of the other. Godliness is faith alive ; and not only alive, but active; not only looking and thinking, but feeling, speaking, doing, and thus infusing into all outward and visible performance a moral element that makes virtue holiness.
^ Xotice the place of godliness in the development of the Christian character. It is not one of the earliest graces, it comes in after much progress has been described. There is profound significance in this. In the beginnings of the Christian life, men are almost sure to be prayerful. The " exceeding great and precious promises " are in their hearts ; the strain of penitence drives them to God; personal imperfection is bitterly felt; and they are compelled to pray for grace to live a better life. But when they have reached somewhat of excellency ; when their will is disciplined, and pure desires are theirs ; when they are at home in the study of the gospel ; when they are self-possessed and patient; there is great danger of suifering from undevoutness. All their efforts are directed to self-culture, and they cease to pray. They have acquired power over themselves, and think less of God's help. And from this come barrenness and weakness. Gradually a change is evident ; their heart grows hard, self-con- sciousness and pride destroy the sweetness of their life. For want of heavenly motive they are impatient ; for want of heavenly aim they are self-indulgent. Many a time we have seen some of the most excellent of men — noble, wise, self-possessed, and patient — undergoing a sad and serious change. We notice a strange lack in them, something that is not harmonious with the general
2 PETER I. 5-7 i8i
elevation of their character. It is the want of devoutness. It makes them perhaps proud, or censorious, or wayward. And then begins a rapid deterioration ; the want of godliness is fatal to spiritual advancement.
It is the little rift within the lute.
That by and by will make the music mute,
And ever widening slowly silence all.
The little rift within the lover's lute, Or little pitted speck in garner'd fruit, That rotting inward slowly moulders all.
2. We lose the benefit of our patience, unless patience becomes a step to godliness. It is impossible to be godly without being patient; but it is quite possible to be patient without being godly : and the thing here taught is, that we are not to regard knowledge, temperance, and patience as the great things which God desires to see in us, but to know that these are to be cherished chiefly because they are the atmosphere in which godliness can exist.
^ Is our patience simply a stoical endurance of what cannot be cured, opening up into no sweet and blessed intercourse with the loving Father whose children we are ? Then indeed are we dwarfed growths, not without life, it may be, but it is life defeated and made retrogressive by being denied completion and defrauded of its flower and crown. In the course of this evolution, it is only by evolving to the next stage that we can render secure the stages already reached. Not to move forward is thus to move back. Not to grow up is to die down. Not to work salvation to a finish is to cancel our calling. " Wherefore," says St. Peter, "give the more diligence to making your calling and election sure."
3. There are three words which, taken separately, will give us some idea of the fulness of the grace of godliness — reverence, loyalty, godlikeness.
(1) The root-idea of godliness is reverence. — Because, as we have seen, patience is not a sullen submission but a glad upleaping to the Divine requirement, it passes naturally and by the laws of spiritual evolution into adoration of Him from whom it derives its staying power. That which we continually draw upon, and