The Alton Sermons

ticular Church, or to the Christians of any particular age. It is a general epistle to all who have been called to share in the great and precious promises of the gospel. What is said in it, is said to all Christian people, and of course to us among the number. Let us look then on the text, as the parting exhortation bequeathed by St. Peter to us. Let us consider him as saying to us personally, Grow in grace and spiritual knowledge. Do not sit down satisfied with your present progress in religion. Do not fancy you have already attained to that holiness and righteousness which ought to be the mark of Christians. Beware of slumbering or hairing on the road. Beware of mistaking words and professions for Christian faith, a decent behaviour for Christian practice, the outward form for the inward spirit. It is not enough for Christ's soldiers to stand their ground, andmaintain their steadfastness : they must press forward and gain more ground. It is not enough for them not to fall from grace: they must make new shoots upwards, and grow in grace; and this can only be done by growing in religious knowledge also. Such, my brethren, is the purport of St. Peter's farewell charge to us: and surely the last words of so great an apostle must be well deserving of our most serious attention. Let me beg you therefore to give me that attention, while I try to set before you what is meant by growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of Go... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.