Peter, feeling that his departure is at hand, with eloquent pathos, exhorts the brethren to continue steadfast. "We were eye witnessess of his glory," he said; "but we have a more sure word of prophecy" (than sense seeing and hearing). Glorious had been the promised revelations when men could bear them. The King had been crowned Lord of all, though unacknowledged save by a few despised followers. The kingdom had been established, the reign of Spirit begone; apprehended as yet only by the faith-faculty in men, but destined to conquer all the nations. Peter tells them by what steps they must journey toward the day star of their hopes: "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."
No directions impossible to follow were laid down for their journey from sense to Soul; but only the clearest, simplest rule,—Be virtuous; virtue is the stepping-stone to knowledge, which teaches temperance, patience, godliness, kindness; all these lead to charity,—love that gives faith to mount the glory heights of moral and spiritual perception where God himself is light.
Pure Christianity understood in divine science is the broadest philanthropy unadulterated by creeds or dogmas; it presents the perfections of mathematical verities,—square, sound, provable theorems. Now that its morning has dawned upon earth, the day star may shine in all our hearts.
