ne your brightest in your corner, and you will be
'exalted' in due time. It is so, as a rule, in this world; sometimes too
much so, for, as they say is the case at the English bar, so it is
sometimes in God's Church, 'There is no medium between having nothing to
do and being killed with work.' Still the reward for work is more work.
And the law will be exemplified most blessedly when Christ shall say,
'Well done! good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.'

So this far-away figure of the minister-evangelist salutes us too, and
bids us be of good cheer, notwithstanding all faults and failures,
because it is possible for us, as he has proved, to recover ourselves
after them all. God will not be less generous in forgiveness than Paul
was; and even you and I may hear from Christ's lips, 'Thou art
profitable to Me for the ministry.'

II. PETER

LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH

'... Them that have obtained like precious faith with us through
the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'--2 Peter
i. 1.

Peter seems to have had a liking for that word 'precious.' It is not a
very descriptive one; it does not give much light as to the quality of
the things to which it is applied; but it is a suggestion of one-idea
value. It is interesting to notice the objects to which, in his two
letters--for I take this to be his letter--he applies it. He speaks of
the trial of faith as being 'precious.' He speaks (with a slight
modification of the word employed) of Jesus Christ as being 'to them
that believe, precious.' He speaks of the 'precious' blood of Christ.
These instances are in the first epistle. In this second epistle we have
the words of my text, and a moment after, 'exceeding great and precious
promises.' Now look at Peter's list of valuables; 'Christ, Christ's
blood, God's promises, our Faith, and the discipline to which that faith
is subjected.' These are things that the old man had found out to be of
worth.

But then there is another word in my text that must be noted, 'like
precious.' It brings into view two classes, to one of which Peter
himself belongs--'us' and 'they.' Who are these two classes? It may be
that he is thinking of the immense difference between the intelligent
and developed faith of himself and the other Apostles, and the
rudimentary and infantile faith of the recent believers to whom he may
be speaking. And