k John ii. 12—14. i 1 Pet. ii. 2. ^ i Cor. xiv. 20.
n Rom. XV. 14. Heb. iii. 13 ° Prov. xi. 25.
Heb vi. 1 — 3. Therefore leaving the jorinciples of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead, tvorlcs, and of faith toivard God, of the doctri?ie of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judg- ment. And this will we do, if God permit.
IN arts and sciences of every kind, the greatest proficients feel a need of improvement : their very advancement only serves to shew them how little they know, and to increase their zeal in the pursuit
of higher attainments. But in rehgion, every one thinks he knows enough, and is content with the pro- gress he has ah-eady made. What we learned in our early youth serves, for the most part, as a sufficient stock to carry us on through hfe ; and the habits which we have acquired in our place and station satisfy our minds, so that we are ready to ask, "What lack I yet?" But surely this is not right. If, as the Apostle John informs us, there are diver- sities of age and stature in the Christian life, and in the Church there are httle children, young men, and fathers, it surely does not become us to remain all our days in a state of infantine weakness and igno- rance, as if that were the full measure that God had authorized us to expect. St. Peter expressly tells us, that we should " grow in grace, and in the know- ledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." And in the preceding context, the Apostle complains of his Hebrew converts, that " whereas, from the time since their conversion, they should have been qua- lified for teachers, they had need to be taught again the very first principles of the oracles of God ; and were become such, as still had need of milk, rather than of strong meat^" But, as there were some of them who were no longer " babes, but had attained to full age, and by reason of use had their senses exercised to discern both good and evil," he would, for their instruction, " leave," as it were unnoticed, " the first principles " of the Gospel, and, by a fuller statement of its mysteries, " lead them on unto per- fection ^" Now, "this will we also do, if God per- mit." My endeavour at this time shall be to shew,
I. What those principles are, the developement of which we shall at present wave —
The first of these is, " Repentance from dead works " —
[This is so plain a duty, that no one who has ever heard the Gospel can entertain a doubt respecting it. Sin of every kind must be mourned over, as deserving of death ; and must
a Heb. v. 12. b Heb. v. 13, 14. with the text.