See then, fathers, that ye improve your knowledge for this end : and soon ye shall " see him as ye are seen, and know him as ye are known " ]
Application —
1 . To those who are included under any of the foregoing titles —
a Jam. iv. 7. » 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. Heb. v. 12.
Compare John i. 1. with 1 John i. 1.
[Let the least and meanest in God's family rejoice in the unspeakable blessings vouchsafed unto them. But let not the most advanced imagine, that they are not yet to proceed to higher attainments. All must " war a good warfare ;" all must seek to " grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus :" all must " be faithful unto death, if ever they would obtain a crown of life."]
2. To those who have never yet been brought into the family of God —
[Dearly beloved, the forgiveness of sins is the exclusive privilege of God's children. This is manifestly implied in the address to little children. O then seek to be made new crea- tures in Christ Jesus! Our Lord tells you repeatedly that " you must be born again :" and that, " if you be not, you never can enter into the kingdom of heaven." Pray then that you may " be born of the Spirit ;" and that you may be in- terested in the Redeemer's death. So shall you be numbered with the children of God, and be made partakers of their inheritance for evermore.]
1 John ii. 15 — 17. Love not the ivorld, neither the things that are in the tvorld. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof : but he that doeth the will of God abide th for ever*.
WHATEVER our attainments may be in the divine life, we still need the voice of warning and exhortation, to keep us from the evils to which we
a This text might be treated somewhat differently : — Thus, Consider,
I. The persons addressed.
II. The exhortation given them.
III. The force of the exhortation as so addressed.
The two first heads might easily be taken from this and the fore- going Discourse ; and the third head be treated in distinct Addresses to the three different classes. Thus, —
"Little Children ;" Think into how many sins the world ha'