and not with meat," because they were yet in too carnal a state to enter into the deeper subjects which he would gladly have brought before themg. Thus then should we also do. We should " feed babes with milk, and minister meat to those only who by reason of a more adult age are able to digest ith." Nor let any one think this unbecoming a minister of God. It is the true and proper office of love. Jacob would not drive his lambs too far, lest in one day he should kill them all1. And our blessed Lord " carried the lambs in his bosom, and gently led those that were with young." And thus must we also exercise the same tender care in administering to the lambs of our flock, lest by undue rigour we " break the bruised reed," or by overwhelming exactions we " quench the smoking flax."]
3. To press forward with holy unremitting dili- gence—
[It was of his holy Apostles that our Lord said, that in the days after his removal from them they should fast. Who then are ive that we should think ourselves at liberty to remit our exertions in our heavenly course ? Never will there be in this life a moment when our vigilance can be dispensed with, or our most self-denying labours be relaxed. Nor, if St. Paul was " in fastings often," should we account that holy discipline unnecessary for us. On the contrary, we should by all possible means " keep our body under and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, after having ministered to others, we ourselves should be deemed unworthy the approbation of our Godk.]
g 1 Cor. iii. 2. i» Heb. v. 12—14.
» Gen. xxxiii. 13. k 1 Cor. ix. 27.