for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." These words were originally addressed to churches, most of the members of which were converted Jews. These had, by their first and natural birth, been related mutually as members of the external holy family, by their common relation to Jehovah, the God of Israel, through the link of their natural descent from Abraham. That relation, however, as belonging to the "flesh," to things seen and temporal, was liable to dissolution,-in the case of the individual at death, in the case of the nation when the new and better economy was introduced, when the substance took the place of the shadow, and the spirit of the letter. They were now, by a spiritual change termed the new or second birth, become mutually related as brethren, by becoming in common related to God as their spiritual Father. This relation was far superior to the former. It bound them together as spiritual beings to God, as "the Father of their spirits;" and it was effected in a manner corresponding to its nature. It was formed by truth being introduced into their minds-" by the word of God," "the word preached in the gospel," being understood and believed by them. They were all ONE, inasmuch as they were " all the children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus." faith bound them to God, and to one another, and formed a bond suited to their natures as rational beings. That The intimate relation thus formed was a permanent one. The seed was "incorruptible." The phrase, "the word of God," is explanatory of the figurative expression-“ the 1 Few things could more strikingly show the power of preconceived opinion to produce misinterpretation than the fact, that "the word" has been here explained of the personal word, to support a particular metaphysical theory respecting the nature of regeneration. 2 Gal. iii. 26. seed not corruptible, but incorruptible." The words, "which liveth and abideth for ever," viewed by themselves, might refer to God, who alone hath immortality, who is the living One, inhabiting eternity; but when, in the passage quoted from the prophet Isaiah,1 apparently for the purpose of illustrating this phrase, we find the terms, "the word of the Lord endureth for ever," we cannot doubt that the epithets, "living and abiding for ever," are intended to be descriptive of "the word of the Lord," the grand link of the common connexion of Christians with their heavenly Father, and of their mutual relation to each other. That word is eternal truth. That truth, introduced into the heart through divine influence, by being understood and believed, becomes a "living,” active, operative principle there, producing holiness and joy. And it "abideth for ever:" it dwells an ever-living principle in an indestructible shrine— the never-dying human spirit; and dwelling for ever there, in the case of all the holy family it forms an everlasting link of connexion with their common Father, and with each other. 2 This relation far surpasses all other relations. There is no brotherhood like this, none so intimate, none so lasting. The relation of a Jew to a fellow Jew was very intimate. It was the relation of man to man, of kinsman to kinsman, of common heirs of the privileges of the first covenant to one another; but that relation, fruitful as it was of advantages (for the Jew, during the preparatory economy, had much and manifold advantage), had the taint of mortality. It belonged to "the flesh," to what was carnal and outward, not to what was spiritual and inward. It was perishable. But this relation, as it is spiritual in its nature, is unending in its duration. Till mind ceases to be mind, truth to be truth, God to be God, it must continue, binding believers in a holy, happy relation to God as their Father, and to one another as brethren, to all eternity. Was it not reasonable and right, then, that they should "love one 1 Isaiah xl. 6, 7. VOL. I. Rom. iii. 1, 2; ix. 4, 5. another with a pure heart fervently?" If he is rightly considered as a monster who refuses to cherish and manifest peculiar regard to those who are connected with him by the ties of a natural relationship, which may in a moment, which must in a few years, be dissolved for ever, what name is to be given to a man calling himself a Christian, who does not regard and treat as brethren those who, if his profession be a sincere one, stand to him in a relation, of the intimacy of which the nearest earthly relation is but a feeble figure, and the duration of which can be measured only by the years of the Eternal? § 2. The common character of Christians a motive to brotherly love. The common character to which all Christians have been formed by the agency of the same Spirit, and the instrumentality of the same word, is a strong motive to the cultivation and exercise of Christian brotherly kindness: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit to the unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." The force of this motive is, Ye are now in a moral capacity for loving the brethren constantly and fervently; exert and manifest your moral power. It was once otherwise. The unpurified soul, overrun with the loathsome leprosy of ungodliness, worldliness, selfishness, and malignity, was morally incapable of the healthy functions of its affectionate nature. It could not love Christ, Christianity, or Christians. But "old things are passed away;" there has been a radical cure effected; divine truth, under divine influence, has put forth its healing power over the diseased mind; the moral capacity of loving what is really lovely, has been called into being;and now what remains but that it should be improved by being exercised? The human heart is naturally a very impure place. It is "a habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." "He who searches the heart," and is "the true and faithful witness," declares, that "out of it proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, and false witness." Every thing that defiles the man originates there. While the heart remains unpurified, the love of Christians, as Christians, cannot dwell there. There is no harmony, there is direct powerful antagonism, between the modes of thinking and feeling which characterise the natural, the unrenewed, and the spiritual, the renewed, the Christian mind. But in the case of those whom the Apostle was addressing, this impurity of soul was cleansed. "They had purified their souls in obeying the truth." "The truth" is the revelation of the character of God, the great reality in the person and work of his Son, contained in the gospel; "the word of the truth of the gospel," a well-accredited declaration of the mind and will of Him who cannot be deceived, and who cannot deceive; the very truth most sure. To obey that truth is to yield to its influence, and that from the constitution of man can only be done by understanding and believing it. He who refuses to attend to, to consider, to believe, the truth, rebels against it cannot submit to its influence. He, on the other hand, who attends to, considers, and believes it, cannot but yield to its influence. The persons referred to had believed the gospel. They had received the grace of God not in vain, and they had done this "by the Spirit ;" that is, under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who fixes the mind on the truth and its evidence, so as to lead to the belief of the truth. It is the man in the exercise of his rational faculties who believes; but he exercises these faculties under a divine influence. It is the man, not the Holy Spirit, who believes; but the man who believes, acts as he is influenced by the Holy Ghost. 1 Matt. xv. 19. The consequence of this faith, produced by divine influence, is such a purification of the soul as leads to the "unfeigned love of the brethren." "Ye have purified your souls to the unfeigned love of the brethren;" that is, 'Ye have so purified your souls, as that ye have now an unfeigned love of the brethren.' While the soul remains unpurified, if love to the brethren be expressed, it must be feigned, hypocritical; but when the soul is purified, the love of the brethren is a natural, spontaneous feeling. In the degree in which the truth is obeyed, the soul is purified; and in the degree in which the soul is purified, the brethren are loved. Now, says the Apostle, the Holy Spirit, through the faith of the truth, has bestowed on you the good gift of the love of the brethren. "Neglect not the gift that is in you." Cultivate the lovely plant. "Quench not the Spirit." "Grieve not the Spirit." Allow the truth, under his influence, "to dwell in you richly," "to reign in your minds and hearts," and fill them to an overflow with the love of the brethren. A question naturally rises out of these discussions, which well deserves the serious consideration of each of us. Do we love the brethren with a pure heart fervently? Do we love the brethren as brethren? Do we love Christians as Christians? Do we love them on account of their relation to God and Christ, on account of their attachment to both, and on account of their resemblance to both? Do we cordially esteem them? Do we affectionately love them? Is our "delight" in them, as "the excellent ones of the earth?"3 as the Psalmist phrases it. Have we complacency in them? Do we make them "the men of our counsel?" Have we pleasure in their society, and are we endeavouring, by every means in our power, to promote their welfare? If we can answer these questions in the affirmative, 11 Thess. v. 19. 2 Eph. iv, 30. 3 Psal. xvi. 3, |