other." Their love was cemented by the consideration that they were all members of the same mystical body, of which Christ is the Head, and were heirs together of the same grace of life. The apostle Paul refers to this subject repeatedly, in his epistle to the Ephesians, comparing the church to a building fitly framed together, and to a body in which the members are firmly joined together. In the preceding part of the chapter from which the Epistle for this day is taken, St. Peter makes use of the same comparison of the church of Christ to a building. He He says to believers, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. And afterwards he calls them, A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. As partakers in common of all the glorious privileges here enumerated, he addresses them, in the text, as dearly beloved. He then, in the

First place, reminds them of the character which they sustained in consequence of their Christian profession, that of strangers and pilgrims on earth;

Secondly, He exhorts them affectionately to conduct themselves in a manner suitable to it; and

Thirdly, He shows them the effect which would be produced upon some of those around them, by a consistency with their profession being observed in their conduct.

Let us direct our attention to these subjects, beseeching the Spirit of God to apply the truths and precepts of His holy word to our hearts and consciences, and make them profitable to us for the regulation of our walk and conduct according to His blessed will.

First, The apostle reminds the Christians whom he addressed, of the character which they sustained in consequence of their religious profession. He speaks of them as strangers and pilgrims. That they were literally such, appears from the inscription at the beginning of his epistle. It is addressed to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. The idea is transferred to their spiritual state. The word rendered strangers, may not improperly be paraphrased by the remark of the apostle to the Hebrews, Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. It denotes persons who have no settled abode, no proper home in the place where they are. It is used by St. Stephen to describe the temporary abode of Moses in the land of Midian, when he had fled from Egypt. So, the Christian's home is not in this world. He is like a traveller who takes up his abode for a time at an inn, while he

is on his journey to his father's house; but who has no idea of making the inn his place of constant, or long continued, residence. We are here in this world for a short time, and then we quit it for ever. The shortness and uncertainty of life is a solemn subject; because the wise as well as the foolish virgins are apt to slumber and sleep, while the Bridegroom tarries. How are the children of men disposed to make this world their home, and to look for and desire nothing more or better. How few are willing to adopt the language of Job, I would not live alway, for my days are vanity.14 It is not on account of the vanity, the sin and folly which abounds in the world, that we are usually desirous to quit it. It is only when affliction of mind, body, or estate come, that mankind, in a fit of despair, would, for a moment, choose death rather than life, on account of the miseries which press upon them. They feel the effects of sin, and would wish to avoid them; but sin itself, the cause of all the evil that is in the world, they abhor not. The characteristic of the multitude of mankind is, they are of the world;15 their desires are confined to the things of time and sense. How to enjoy this life, is all their aim. What is earthly, sensual, and devilish,16 is their pursuit. from the text, that the children

But we find,

of God are

14 Job vii. 16.

15 1 John iv. 5.

16 James iii. 15.

strangers upon earth. This world is not their home. They are engaged in its concerns, as persons who are transacting business at a distance from their home, and therefore do not consider it as their resting place; their treasure, or what is really most valuable to them, is in heaven; and their affections are there also. For this we find the patriarchs commended. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth; they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one; they looked for a city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God." So the Psalmist declared, I am a stranger in the earth; I am a stranger and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.18 Our Lord Jesus Christ said respecting His disciples, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.19 We may have some idea of our state before God, by applying this description of the Christian character to ourselves. Is this world our home? Do our desires centre in it? Are our hopes fixed upon it? If so, we have reason to suspect that our character is different from that which is described in the text. The true Christian's home is in heaven, because there is his Father's house; and as an affectionate child, who is absent from home, desires to return to the embrace of his beloved parents, so the child of God longs to be admit

17 Heb. xi. 13, 16, 10. 18 Ps. cxix. 19; xxxix. 12. 19 John xvii, 16,

ted to behold the face of his heavenly Father in righteousness; and to rejoice in partaking of the blessings of His great salvation for evermore, and never again to be separated from Him whom his soul loveth.

There is another word used in the text, to describe the Christians' character. They are not only strangers, but also pilgrims, or sojourners. This word describes persons who are not living among their own people. It may be illustrated by the case of the Shunamitess, who prepared a chamber for entertaining the prophet Elijah, whenever he should pass by that way in his journeys. When the prophet inquired of her, what he could do for her, in return for her kindness, she answered, I dwell among mine own people; 20 which was as much as to say, that she wanted for nothing, was contented with her station in life, and did not wish for any alteration in her circumstances. The state of the Christian in this world, is the reverse of that of the Shunamitess. As a pilgrim or sojourner upon earth, he does not dwell among his own people. He is like a person in a foreign land, who is living among a people whose language and customs are different from his own. The people of the world are not the children of his heavenly Father, they are not the subjects of his King. While therefore he is in this world, he feels himself to be among foreigners; and, like Jacob