180 i PETER, II. 1—3. [2391.
newly born ; and they are urged to desire and feed upon that blessed provision which God has made for them in his word, and which alone can secure their growth in the divine life.
The words, thus viewed, will lead us to consider, I. The character of God's children —
Many are the descriptions given of them in the Holy Scriptures; but there is not one in all the inspired volume more simple or more accurate than this : " They have tasted that the Lord is gracious." This, I say, is,
1. Their universal experience —
[There is not a child of God in the universe to whom this character does not belong. The very instant that a child is burn of God, this is his experience. Indeed it is of " new-born babes" that it is spoken. As to their knowledge of God, his nature, his perfections, his purposes, it may be extremely limited and imperfect. Even of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of " the exceeding riches of God's grace as dis- played in him," they may know but little : but they have " tasted that the Lord is gracious," and they do assuredly know it by their own happy experience. If the person be young or old, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, he has learned this, and knows it, and feels it in his inmost soul. He has heard of the Saviour ; he has sought for mercy through him ; and he has received into his soul a sense of God's par- doning love and mercy in Christ Jesus : and in this he does rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. He may indeed have received but a taste : but a taste he has received : and it is " sweeter to him than thousands of gold and silver." The most uncivilized savage, when born of God, is in this respect on a footing with the most enlightened philosopher: he has believed in Christ; and he " makes Christ all his salvation, and all his desire."]
2. Their exclusive distinction —
[Simple as this is, there is not a creature upon the face of the whole earth of whom it can with truth be predicated, but of one who has been " begotten of God," and " born again of the Holy Spirit." Others may be very wise and learned, and may be able to descant with accuracy upon all the deep things of God. They may in words and in profession greatly magnify the grace of God: but they have never had a taste of it in their own souls. And the reason is plain : they have never felt their undone state by nature : they have never been sensible of the immense load of guilt which they have