August 8

As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.—1 Peter 2:2.

As the new born babe grows and develops into maturity by appropriating suitable nourishment, so the babe in Christ, should desire and appropriate, that spiritual food which is furnished in the word, that they may advance into all the proportions and beauty of a complete Christian.

Thus are we taught the way to abound in grace and glory, and how to be transformed into the image of Christ. The beam and light of the sun are the vehicles of the heat and influence of the sun; so the light of the gospel of Christ is that which conveys the virtue and gracious working of the Spirit upon the soul. And therefore we are to seek those varieties of grace, which are for meat to satisfy the desires, and for medicine to cure the bruises, of the soul, only upon the banks of the waters of the sanctuary; that is, in the knowledge of the word of truth, which is the gospel of salvation. The more of this glorious light a man has, the more proportion of all other graces will he have too. And, therefore, the apostle puts the growth of these two together, as contributing a mutual succor to one another, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ:" your grace will enlarge your desires of knowledge; and your knowledge will multiply your degrees of grace. And St. Paul makes the knowledge of the will of God in wisdom, and after a spiritual manner, to be the ground of fruitfulness in every good work; and that again an inducement to increase in knowledge: as, in the twisting together of two cords into one rope, they are by art so ordered, that either shall bind and hold in the other. As, in the heavens, the inferior orbs have the measure and proportion of their general motions from the supreme; so, in the motions of grace in the soul, the proportion of all the rest arises from the measure of our spiritual and saving light. The more distinctly and thoroughly the spirit of a man's mind is convinced of the necessity, beauty, and gloriousness of heavenly things, the stronger impressions thereof will be made on all subordinate faculties; for we move towards nothing without preceding apprehensions of its goodness;—which apprehensions as they more seriously penetrate into the true and intimate worth of that thing, so are the motions of the soul thereunto proportionally strengthened. As the hinder wheels in a coach ever move as fast as the former which lead them; so the subordinate powers of the soul are overruled in their manner and measure of working towards grace, by those spiritual representations of the truth and excellency thereof, which are made in the understanding by the light of the gospel. Thus the apostle tells us, that "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ" was that which made him so earnest to win him; "the knowledge of the power of his resurrection, and fellowship of his sufferings," was that which made him reach forth, and press forward unto the mark and prize of that high calling which was before him.

How important that we give ourselves to the diligent study of the word, and prayer for spiritual illumination, that we may thereby "grow up into Christ our living Head in all things."