TO CHRIST BE GLORY BOTH NOW AND FOR EVER. AMEN.

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: to Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." —II Peter 3:18 [KJV]

Christian, know thy danger. Thou art ever liable to be led away by the error of the wicked one, to decline from the TRUTH, and to fall away from thy stedfastness in the faith of Jesus. Exhortations warn of this; they tend to quicken stronger exercises of faith and love, as a remedy against this; yea, through the influences of the Spirit they cause new-born souls to grow and increase with the increase of God, just as reviving showers of rain and warm influences of the sun, cause the fruits of the earth to grow. It behoves every follower of the Lamb to consider this; to wrestle with the God of all grace, lest he grow faint in his mind, his hands hang down, and his knees become feeble; but that he "grow strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus." Behold the inseparable connection between grace and Jesus, knowledge and growth. No growth in grace but by the knowledge of Jesus. The more thou growest up in thy HEAD, Christ, the more thou wilt grow out of hope in thyself, out of conceit with thyself, out of the reach of the SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY WICKED.

To know and experience the grace of God in Christ, is the special mercy of poor sinners. To grow in the faith of free-grace truths, and in the knowledge of the love of Jesus, is our richest consolation, our highest joy. Hast thou experienced a little of this special grace? Hast thou tasted that the Lord is gracious? In this consists thy present blessedness, peace, and joy. But, alas! what is thy knowledge and experience, but like a drop of water to the vast ocean. Art thou hungering after more grace, thirsting after greater knowledge of Jesus? Verily, thou shalt be filled—"filled with all the fulness of God." It is the nature of grace, the property of the knowledge of Jesus, to create an insatiable thirst in the soul after deeper experiences of it: hence means of grace will be diligently used, the scriptures, which testify of Jesus, constantly searched, the gospel of grace highly prized, the sincere milk of the word desired, and the influences of the Spirit implored. Why all this? That the soul may grow in the faith and love of Jesus; that the bud of grace may blossom and bear ripe fruit to the glory of God. The smallest knowledge of Jesus shall be increased till the believing babe in Christ comes "in the unity of the faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," until faith is turned into sight, hope swallowed up in fruition, and the love of an unseen Jesus on earth shall ripen unto the fullest enjoyment of Him in heaven; and all this to the glory of God the Father, Who hath made us accepted in His beloved Son.—see Ephesians 1:6

William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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