tands without any specific
address.

Be that as it may, this trinity of inward graces is Paul's highest and
best wish for his friends. He has no earthly prosperity to wish for
them. His ambition soars higher than that; he desires for them peace,
love, faith.

Now, will you take the lesson? There is no better test of a man than the
things that he wishes for the people that he loves most. He desires for
them, of course, his own ideal of happiness. What do you desire most for
those that are dearest to you? You parents, do you train up your
children, for instance, so as to secure, or to do your best to secure,
not outward prosperity, but these loftier gifts; and for yourselves,
when you are forming your wishes, are these the things that you want
most? 'Set your affections on things above,' and remember that whoso has
that trinity of graces, peace, love, faith, is rich and blessed,
whatsoever else he has or needs. And whoso has them not is miserable and
poor.

But I wish especially to look a little more closely at these three
things in themselves and in their relation to one another. I take it
that the Apostle is here tracking the stream to its fountain; that he is
beginning with effects and working backwards and downwards to causes; so
that to get the order of nature and of time we must reverse the order
here, and begin where he ends and end where he begins. The Christian
life in its higher vigour and excellence is rooted in faith. That faith
associates to itself, and is inseparably connected with love, and the
faith and love together issue in a deep restful tranquillity which
nothing can break.

Now, let us look at these three things as the three greatest blessings
that any can bear in their hearts, and wring out of time, sorrow, and
change.

I. First, the root of everything is a continuous and growing trust.

Remember that this prayer or wish of my text was spoken in reference to
brethren; that is to say, to those who, by the hypothesis, already
possessed Christian faith. And Paul wishes for them, and can wish for
them, nothing better and more than the increase and continuousness of
that which they already possess. The highest blessing that the brethren
can receive is the enlargement and the strengthening of their faith.

Now we talk so much in Christian teaching about this 'faith' that, I
fancy, like a worn sixpence in a man's pocket, its very circulation from
hand to hand has worn off the lettering. And many of