In this unchanging faithfulness of God the most enlightened saints have always confided, for the completion both of their own salvation and that of others. For the completion of their own salvation: "THOU shalt guide me with thy counsel," said Asaph, "and afterwards receive me to glory. —My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." "I know whom I have believed," said Paul, "and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that whici I have committed unto Him against that day.The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom. -Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day."—For the completion of the salvation of others: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you," said Paul to the Philippians; "BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST." David had the same confidence in God respecting the salvation of all the saints: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord :though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand." "The Lord-forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved forever."

There are many passages, too numerous to be quoted, which assert the doctrine without so distinctly bringing into view the divine agency. For

a specimen take the following: "A just man falleth seven times, [ever so often,] and riseth up again." "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever." "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; his righteousness endureth forever.— Surely he shall not be moved forever.-His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.-His righteousness endureth forever; his horn shall be exalted with honour." "Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

If the saints may finally apostatize, what can be meant by "the full assurance of hope" which all are exhorted to acquire, and by the "sure and steadfast" hope which rests on the covenant of God? Is it merely a hope that they may happen to be in a gracious state when they die? But this is the common hope of all sinners, who nevertheless are said to possess "no hope." What less can it mean than that triumphant confidence, (involving the certainty of persevering,) which Job expressed when he said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me."*

*Job xvii. 9. and xix. 25-27. Ps. i. 3. and xix. 9. and xxxvii. 23, 24, 28. and Ixxiii. 24, 26. and lxxxiv. 5, 7, 11. and lxxxix. 3, 4, 19, 29-33. and xcii. 12. and cxii. 1, 3, 6, 7, 9. Prov. iv. 18. and viii. 35. and xxiv. 14. Jer. xvii. 8. and xxxi. 31-34. and xxxii. 38-40. Mal

It cannot be denied that there are many passages of Scripture which warn Christians against apostacy, which urge the necessity of enduring to the end, and some which, taken by themselves, even seem to speak as though a truly righteous man might finally fall. These passages may all be reduced to two classes :

(1.) Those which press upon real Christians the necessity of enduring to the end. These, so far from proving that they may fall away, are the very means by which their perseverance is secured. This may be illustrated by an occurrence in Paul's voyage to Rome. The angel of the Lord had assured him that not one of the company should perish; and yet when the sailors were deserting the wreck, Paul said to the centurion, "Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved."* It was certain that all the company would be preserved, and it was certain that the sailors would continue in the ship; and this threat was the very means by which the whole was secured. Now if you can find texts which peremptorily threaten real Christians with destruction in case they apostatize, it is only a parallel instance, and no more

iii. 6. Mat. x. 42. and xiii. 31-33. Mark iv. 26-29. Luke x. 42. John iii. 36. and iv. 14. and v. 24. and vi. 35, 40. and xiii. 1, 36. and xiv. 2, 3. and xv. 2, 16. and xvii. 1, 2, 9, 11, 15, 17, 20-24. Rom. vii. 4, 6. and viii. 1, 2, 14, 15, 17, 33-35. and xi. 28, 29. 1 Cor. i. 8, 9. and x. 13. Gal. iii. 16, 17. and iv. 7. Eph. ii. 12. Phil. i. 3, 6. 1 Thes. v. 23, 24. 2 Thes. iii. 3, 4. 2 Tim. i. 12. and iv. 8, 18. Heb. vi. 11, 13-20. and viii. 6-13. and x. 1, 2, 9, 10, 14-18. 1 Pet. i. 4, 5. 1 John ii. 27. and iii. 9. Rev. iii. 4.

* Acts xxvii. 21-24, 30-32.

proves that they will apostatize, than Paul's threat proved that the words of the angel would fail.

(2.) The other class speak of apostacy, not from real godliness, but from a profession, from external righteousness, or from a mere conviction of truth. Several of the strongest passages are expressly limited to some such meaning by their own context. Take for instance that memorable one in the sixth of Hebrews: "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and havė tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance." This is probably the strongest passage to be found in the Bible. Now does this speak of real Christians? Certainly not; for to guard against such a construction it is immediately added, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak; [we are persuaded that you are real Christians, and of course will not be suffered to apostatize;] FOR God is not UNRIGHTEOUS to forget your work and labour of love :" He is not so unfaithful to His promise as to suffer those who have given undoubted proofs of sincerity to perish. Take another instance from the 10th chapter of that Epistle: "If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and

fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith. He was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. The just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Now does all this prove that real Christians may apostatize? Certainly not; for it is immediately added, "BUT WE ARE NOT OF THEM WHO DRAW BACK UNTO PERDITION, BUT OF THEM THAT BELIEVE TO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL."

But every question respecting the previous sanctification of apostates is settled once for all by a single verse in the First Epistle of John. There were in those days hereticks and profligates who had withdrawn from the communion of the Church. The question is, had any of them been real Christians? John tells you, in language applicable to apostates in every age, and that sweeps off all these objections at a stroke: "They went out from us, but they were NOT OF Us; for if they had been of us they would NO DOUBT have continued with us; but they went out from us THAT THEY MIGHT

BE MADE MANIFEST THAT THEY WERE NOT ALL OF US."*

In other words, had they been real Chris

* 1 John ii. 19.