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for if one of them could, they all might. And then his covenant purpose to bring many sons unto glory would be defeatedhis relation to them as a Father would be broken-he would be a Father without children he would deny them the promised blessings he would forget to be gracious to them-his will concerning them would change, or would be over-ruled by some opposite will-and his great plan in the covenant would come to nothing. But these things cannot possibly be. He is the Father of his children, and he has engaged, by promise and oath, to love, to bless, and to keep them for ever. Out of perfect love he gave them to his Son, who undertook to be their Saviour: he came, and was made man, Jehovah incarnate, to live and die for them. He was so delighted with them (for he has all their names written in his book) and with the work, that he was straitened till it was accomplished. ings on him for ever! it is finished. The royal Saviour is upon the throne, almighty to save his dear redeemed. He would lose his

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name, which is above every name; the ho nours of his salvation would fade away upon his head, and the glories of his offices would come to nothing, if one, whom Jesus lived and died to save, should perish. But it is not possible. Whom he loves, he loves unto the end. "I give unto them," says he, "eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." They are his seed-and it was covenanted that he should see his seed. They are the travail of his soul-and he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. How can he be satisfied, if any one of them should be lost? He prayed: "Holy Father, keep, through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are one." And the Father always heard him. He prayed, that they might be with him where he is, to see his glory; and the holy Spirit covenanted to bring them to it-he undertook, as his name, Spirit, imports, to breathe life into them; to call, to convert them, to keep them, and to give them every thing needful for their spiritual life. How

can they fail of coming to glory, being thus kept for it by the power of God? The holy Spirit would lose his name, Spirit, or breath of life, and his office, which is to abide with, and to dwell for ever in, the elect people of God, if any one of them should die from God, and perish. Thus there is full security given by the names and offices of the Trinity, that believers shall be kept from falling away. The Father cannot be without his children. The glory of Jesus would fade away, if one of his redeemed was plucked out of his hand. The divine honours of the Spirit of life would be eclipsed, if he was to forsake his charge, and suffer any of the redeemed to fall into hell. But these things cannot be. The will of the Father, Son, and Spirit, is the same concerning the salvation of the elect, which is as secure as covenant bonds and oaths can make it.

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Art thou then, O my soul, established in this great truth? Dost thou yield to the power of the evidence which the blessed Trinity have vouchsafed to give thee? Me

ditate carefully upon it for the growth of thy faith. Search the scriptures, and observe how clearly God declares his fixed purpose to keep his people, and to hold them up unto the end. The great preacher of the gospel in the Old Testament church, speaks thus of the unchangeable will of a covenant God: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." A great preacher in the New Testament church has confirmed the same precious truth. He is treating of the golden chain of salvation, and showing how inseparable every link of it is, and in this prospect he triumphs: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or

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nakedness, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loveth us.' By the mouth of these two infallible witnesses the truth is established-they depose that the covenant is immutable, and that nothing can separate believers from the love wherewith God loves them in his Son. O most comfortable doctrine! How encouraging is it in any undertaking to set about it with certain hope of success. How animating in our Christian walk; how reviving in the dark and difficult path of it, to have God's promise that he will keep us, and bring us to a happy end! How pleasing is it to go on by faith in our warfare, casting all our care upon him who careth for us! How delightful is it to trust his promise, and daily to find it made good! "Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto eternal salvation." Here, O my soul, thou art to seek for strong consolation amidst the trials and difficulties of thy walk. Thou art afraid of falling-God has engaged to hold thee up. Thou hast been tempted to think thou shouldst fall quite

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