treatment from others, which is often due to our moral unlovclinesR. The apostle, however, thinks of that which is unmeriterl-suffering, e.g., for right doing. 'l'here is a mystery in thiR, but it is something that Scripture recognizes this, yea, even says it is this" wbereunto ye are called." 2. This endurance is due to a consciousne~s of God, " This is grace, if a man for conscience toward God," etc. All endurance is not Christian. ,ve may endure because we are not sensitive, or because we are stoical. 'l'hat is not the endurance that needs Christianity for its existence, or that is followed by Christian blessing. Aim at the endurance which is only possible through takin,,. God into account: "God is in my trouble, and God is with me in my trouble." "H: enrlured as seeing him who is invisible." 3. This is the endurance which is fulfilled, after the manner of Christ. It is possible to endure, but with impatience and repining. Christian endurance i:; of a higher order; it is like Christ's, who had no unkind feeling for his rersecutors. At the feast they said he had a devil, but, nothing daunted, he stood and cried, " If any man thirst," etc. ; he rejected the suggestion to call down fire on the inhospitable village; he called Judas in the moment of his treason, "Friend;" he healed Malchus's ear who was binding him; he forgave Peter's denial; he prayed for his murderers. We are here summoned to endurance like that (vers. 22, 23). Ill. 'l'BE MOTIVES APPLIED. How can we rise to endurance like this? 'l'bree motives are suggested here. 1. This patient endurance is pleasin,q to God. "If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable [literally,' grace'] with God." He regards it as grace, or, if you will, as thanks. It is the utterance of the submissive spirit which says," Not my will, but thine be done." It is wonderful that we can give pleasure to God; yet every token of loving, trustful, obedient submission must please the Father. 'l'hin k of him saying, "For my Name's sake thou bast borne," etc. 2. This patient endurance is following Christ. "Leaving us an example." There is much comfurt in knowing we put our feet into his footprints, and that he knows what we suffer, since he has experienced it first. It is much to have indications that we nre on the right track. "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross, and follow me;" "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own, but," etc. But best of all, to follow him is to ensure his presence. His servants serve at his side, as Peter did. To follow is to follow him close. "To go forth without the camp, bearing his reproach," is to go forth " to him." 3. This patient endurance is a working out of ·redemption. " Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being," etc. Since Christ by bis sacrifice has freed us from sin's condemnation that we might become righteous, it becomes us to welcome anything by which that righteousness. may be attained. If for our righteousness he would endure the cross, we may not shrmk from the discipline of bis love to that end.-C. N. Vers. l-3.-Spiritual childhood. In this "therefore" (Revised Version) our apostle gathers up the argument, perhaps, of all the preceding part of the letter, certainly of the passage immediately preceding this; viz. ii' we as Christians have begun to live this higher life, bow will its early stage manifest himself? So we naturally note- I. SOME OF THE SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD. One of the signs that Christian men and women are, what Peter had heard the Lord say they ought to be, like little children-growing children-is in what they lack. This whole group of evils are most unchildlike evils. "Putting away" implies that they had been wrapped in them, swaddled as it were in them. "Wickedness," or malice. Perhaps the wider meaning of wickedness is intended here. Leighton says, ".All is one garment, or parts of one, for sometimes some are mentioned, and sometimes others." "Guile," "hypocrisies"- the £.rnt being the spirit of deceit, the second the acting a part as on a stage. "Envies;" "evil-speakings." Here again the first describes the malign spirit-, the second the speech that spirit inspires. II. THE CHIEF NOURISHMENT OF SPIRITUAL CHILDIIOOD. "Spiritual milk." Milk is a good standard of all food; it contains all the constituents of food. So does the Word of God contain all elements of spiritual nutrition. "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." Similarly, there is a natural aliment, and there is a spiritual aliment. "Without guile;" that food is to be simple, unadulterated. Milk when impure is a terrible source of disease; so the Word of God, when mixed with error, wurks deadly mischief. "Long for;" have a keen appetite for the Word of God,, not en. n. 1-25.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 113
for the engar-plums of sentiment or the stimulants of sensationalism, but the milk of the Word. A true appetite is at once a sign of health and a means t,, health. III. TnE TRUE DEVELOPMENT OF srmrrUAL crm,nnooo. "Grow." The bud that does not become a flower is a failure. So the Christ.inn that does not grow is a failure. Piety is the art of right growing. "Unto salvation." 'l'hat is the ideal-not mern rescue from guilt-, but attainment of holiness; not mere emancipation, but citizenship. "If ye have tasted thnt the Lord is gracious." This implies that the Christian character is developed, even in its early stages, from a solid experience. Only tasted, but surely tasted. Luther puts it well for us: "'fo them who with the heart believe the word 'Christ has been eent for me and is become mine own; my miseries are his; his lir~ is mine,'-that word is sweet."-U. R. T.