In his second letter the apostle Peter addresses his brethren as having obtained "like precious faith" as himself. This faith is "the present truth" (chap. 1:12) of Christianity. It refers to unseen eternal things-to be believed. Therefore it is called the "faith." To those then who have believed, the apostle says:"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." To them are given all things that pertain unto life and godliness, having been called to "glory and virtue." Attracted to Christ in glory they are to exhibit courage until they are with Him. Thus are given unto them "exceeding great and precious promises" setting forth their portion in Christ, that by these they might be "partakers of the divine nature" in its practical expression. In this way they escape "the corruption that is in the world through lust," for occupation with Christ protects from evil (2 Pet. 1:1-4).

Having encouraged them by these words, the apostle becomes intensely minute, desiring them to manifest a faith that is full of the grace of God. This in no wise weakens his earlier remarks, rather is it based upon them. As he says:"And besides this [for this very reason also], giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (vers. 5-7).

It is said that the text properly reads:"In your faith have also virtue." The soldierly virtue is meant, even COURAGE. This is one of the first necessities in the path of faith. Without it the flesh controls us, the world retains its advantage over us, for God is excluded from His place in our lives. For this reason we should use diligence to have courage in our faith. We should learn to say Yes! or No! for God. No doubt when thus minded we shall discover that in us there is no strength; but we must take account of what we are "by the grace of God," who has not given us the spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion. Therefore, if we seek it, we may have courage in our faith.

The young convert soon discovers his need of this; he realizes that he ought to show his colors; that many will dislike his attitude in the matter; and in fact that there now exists a breach between him and the world. Did he evade this, darkness would settle upon his spirit. We may sometimes observe how this darkness exhibits itself in such questions as:"What harm is there in frequenting places of amusement?" or "In what way will dancing unfit one for the Christian life?" Now such questions as these are not solved by discussing details, but by asking if the enquirer has ever sought to have courage in his faith? For if he has not, how can he be right in anything until he obeys God? But let him begin to carry out the directions of God, and such questions as these will be conclusively answered by himself in an altered and vigorous life wherein he finds no room for worldliness. Indeed there are many questions in the minds of young and old that can be promptly answered if we endeavor to have courage in our faith.

Granting however that we have done so, what then? The apostolic answer is:See that you have "in virtue KNOWLEDGE." For courage, although indispensable, is not sufficient; it requires "knowledge" in it. Therefore we should cultivate the habit of privately reading large portions of the Holy Scriptures. We should also learn to "rightly divide" them, like one in a strange city who begins to find his way by frequenting the well-known streets, and who explores the smaller ones afterward. No doubt too we should read books that are helpful. However, we should not stop there, but search the Scriptures in the company of our brethren. If we can, we ought to attend Bible readings, for they broaden knowledge and remove fanciful notions. Moreover they test our grace with one another and, if rightly used, promote mutual helpfulness. But no good Bible reading consists merely in an exposition of the text but includes a practical application thereof. Knowledge of this sort will not puff up.

It might now be supposed that a courageous and intelligent Christian is a fully equipped one, but this would be a mistake:he is to have "in knowledge TEMPERANCE." How often has a hopeful situation been weakened by the absence of this grace! For instance a few zealous brethren begin to acquire "a grasp of things," but they also become combative, some taking offence unless their view is accepted. Or a logical brother gives "short" answers and reveals the defects in his brother's view with sharpness. But as he goes on with God, he realizes that this is fleshly; hence he learns to exercise restraint upon himself and to serve all in a moderate spirit; in his knowledge he includes temperance.

However we are to have "in temperance ENDURANCE." This is because we are sometimes in danger of giving up. There is therefore need to wait upon the Lord lest we become weary and faint in our minds. So necessary to us is endurance that even an apostle heads the list of his proofs of apostleship therewith. Great were the trials imposed upon Paul in the Corinthian assembly, but not "signs, and wonders, and works of power" among them are first cited as the evidence of his mission, but his "endurance."

Seeing however that endurance implies a test, something perhaps that might tend ultimately to occupy us with men, we are enjoined to have "in endurance GODLINESS." This is the antidote to distraction. It involves prayer, a habit of reference to God as Director, and includes thankfulness. We may see too, in Titus 2:12, that this piety is one of the things which the grace of God undertakes to teach us, hence its absence indicates truancy from the school of God. May we then see that we have "in endurance godliness."

Surely now we have a full faith, but no! We are to have "in godliness BROTHERLY LOVE." Perhaps it is said however:But all Christians do love one another; they are taught of God to do so, and their confession is:"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). This is all true; nevertheless we are told to have brotherly love in godliness, evidently suggesting that it is properly active and recognizable. Have we not sometimes seen how the meagerness of this in a godly brother has brought bondage upon true believers. Their ardor is dampened and their liberty of utterance curtailed in his presence. No allowance is made for their measure and an attempt is made to mold them unnaturally. Have we not seen enough of this to make us appreciate the apostolic exhortation to have "in godliness brotherly love." Where the measure of this is large, there is slowness to censure, there is a kindly atmosphere, there is a readiness to help, and there is liberty.

But the very heart of every quality that our faith should include is love; hence we are to have "in brotherly love, LOVE." It is like the inside box of a number of snugly fitting Indian boxes. It is placed in the innermost position of the seven things to be found within our faith; a living pulsing thing, it throbs through every quality in our faith; it is the nature of God. But it may be asked:Is not brotherly love divine? Beyond a doubt it is. Yet it is properly qualified by the word "brotherly," which limits its measure. Moreover a brother may show his affection to another in such a way that it develops into a form of partisanship. Now none of us might have the skill to adjust this to a proper proportion, but we may submit it to the expanding and purifying energy of a love that is larger than that of brother for brother, even the love of God. This love embraces all the children of God, and includes all mankind as well. Hence if this love is at the heart of every grace within our faith, the brethren with whom we come in contact will be loved with a pure heart fervently; all saints everywhere will be affectionately regarded and prayed for, governments will be interceded for; and the lost will have the gospel preached unto them in sympathy with God's disposition toward them.

May we endeavor then to have these things, making us neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he that "lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." The light that was in him is darkness, the bearing of questions that arise are not plain to him until it is too late, and he has lost the sense of the holiness of the grace that purged him.

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." R. J. Reid