IX.

WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM.

THE high design of God in giving us the promises is stated by St. Peter to be, that we "might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, through lust." It is not the gift of an outward and material glory, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses, and even a place in heaven would be no heaven to him whose tastes and temper were not heavenly. The pure abodes of the redeemed are such as only saints can value, when they have been made meet for them by the work of the Spirit in their souls. It is impossible to know how far the Scriptures speak literally, in the language they use respecting the city above, or how far it is only an accommodation to human modes of thought. There may be crowns in heaven, and shining

robes, and palms, and harps of gold-no one can tell; but this we do know, that it is not in these that the glorious felicity of the redeemed consists, for we might have them all, and yet be unhappy, because unholy; and if they were all awanting we might yet have fulness of pleasures at God's right hand. Only innocence can, anywhere, be really blessed. Sin is the discord and anarchy of our nature; innocence, the harmony of all our faculties. The one is war and tumult in the breast; the other, perfect peace. Perfect felicity can only dwell in souls that are perfect.

To raise us to this divine ideal is the one end of God's dealings with us, and of the whole economy of salvation. For this, his Son was given; for this, his Spirit strives with men ; and to exalt us to this is the grand purpose of all the promises. The corruption that is in the world, all the unholy influences on every side, are ever working on us to sink us to their level, blunting our sensibilities, degrading our desires, enfeebling our conscience, and in every way destroying our religious faculties. Our natural tendencies, until corrected by God's grace, have in them the seeds of moral death.

We are

We give our lower nature sway. slaves to self-indulgence, and constantly seek it in paths which conscience tells us are forbidden. Corruption round us finds corruption in us, and each feeds the other till we fall to even lower levels in our spiritual life.

To lure us from all this is the design of the promises. The soul, feeling its degradation and misery; feeling that all its substance is being wasted, and that it has nothing but wretchedness in return, when it comes to itself, lifts up its eyes and sees afar, in the revelations of God's word, the home of its Heavenly Father. Sweet words come to it from promise after promise, offering it forgiveness and kindly welcome, and free restoration. The heart is wooed by all that is tender and lofty: higher ambitions, holy joys, ennobling motives, endearing sympathies, and needful helps. Feeling what the guilt of its past life has been-how it has poisoned the springs of true happiness, destroyed selfrespect, kindled remorse, weakened and depraved the will, repressed every better impulse -it turns with a grateful but trembling emotion to lay hold on the hope set before it,

and resolves to arise and return to its Father, broken, contrite, subdued. The offers of free pardon, of loving re-admission to the family of God, of grace to help it in all its weakness, and lead it on, from step to step, till at last, in heaven, it become a "partaker of the divine nature"-changed into the image of God, from glory to glory, by the Holy Spirit-win it for ever.

That the aim of God's word is thus to secure an ever-advancing vigour and perfection of spiritual life, is the key to the sense in which we partake of God's nature. It is not that we become part of his essence or substance, as rain-drops merge in the ocean, or beams lose themselves in the sun, but that we attain a likeness of character to Him, by the impartation of his own grace. In the measure of our limited powers we can be holy as He is holy, and can reproduce the truth and love which have in Him their original fountain. As the wax takes the counterpart of the seal, the soul receives and retains the moral image of God. We become filled and transfigured by his brightness as the cloud, dark in itself, when filled with the light, is turned to stainless

whiteness; or as the planets, that have no light in themselves, borrow a shining glory from that of the sun.

In rousing the soul to seek this amazing bliss, the promises do not leave it to think that it is to sit passive, and merely yield itself to influences from without. He that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as God is pure. He learns from the whole spirit of Scripture that we must be "workers together with God." The grace of God teaches him that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we must live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present evil world. There is no waiting for a magical change to be wrought without any action of our own. Life becomes an humble but earnest working out of salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God works in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It is never forgotten that growth in grace is an earnest of future glory, and that the gates of heaven are on earth.

Faith and hope in God's promises are thus the spring of the Christian life, impelling it to seek to escape from all that is sinful, and to gain the image of God. The believer looks