Thirdly, That nothing can separate us from the fruition of his love. This will bo best seen from the grounds —
1. The immutability of God's love to the elect. His elective love maketli not only our vocation effectual, but our justification and glori-
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fication also, Eom. viii. 30. He will not cease to love us, nor cast off the care of our salvation, till he hatli brought it to its final period.
2. The infinite merit of Clirist. It is in the text, ' The love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' His free love is carried on to us in that way, for the fruits of his eternal love we cannot obtain but by Jesus Christ. Now his merit is an everlasting merit : he went not to heaven till he had obtained eternal redemption for us, Heb. ix. 12. A purchase that shall ever stand in force.
3. The unchangeable covenant, and the promises of God, which irreversibly make over this right to us : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' For all the promises of God are in him, yea, and amen ;' and Heb. vi. 18, ' That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation.' Surely this should give us a strong consolation, that we have the word of the eternal God for it ; that if we run for refuge, and slick there, nothing shall defeat our right.
4. The union of a believer with Christ, as a member of his body, and so belonging to his care and protection. For the Lord Christ is a saviour to all tliose to whom he is truly a head : Eph. v. 23, ' Christ is the head of the church and the saviour of the body.' Therefore every living member of the mystical body is safe ; nothing shall dis- solve or break that blessed union that is between Christ and believers.
5. The almighty power of God and ChrLst : 1 Peter i. 5, ' Ye are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation.' Heaven is kept for them, and they are kept for heaven. Christ hath promised his almighty power for the safety of believers. As it was he, and not we, that purchased our salvation ; so it is Christ, and not we, that must have the keeping of the purchased benefits ; and he saith that none shall pluck them out of his hands, and out of the Father's hands, John X. 28, 29. Tliis is the great security of the fold, that they are under the ]X)wer of so careful and so able a shepherd. This almighty power of God and Christ doth mightily fortify us against all tempta- tions we meet with in the way to heaven.
6. This right accrueth to believers by virtue of their interest ia Christ: 1 Cor. iii. 22, li3, 'All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or to come ; all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' All things are theirs wherein they are concerned, if not in possession, yet in reduction or final use— friends, enemies, ordinances, providences ; all conditions — life, death. If you resolve firmly to obey Christ and adhere to him, you need not fear anything. Now upon these grounds a christian may conclude that nothing shall separate him from the love of God which is in Ciu-ist Jesus our Lord.
Fourthly, That we ouglit firmly to be persuaded of this. Here I shall show you how this persuasion is bred in us.
1. By the word of the gospel, discovering to us the whole mystery of our redemption by Christ, with all the consequent benefits. There all God's merciful designs for the justifying, sanctifying, and glorifying the creature are manifested to us as matter of our faith : Acts xix. 8. ' And persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.' The doctrine and end of his ministry was to persuade men of the necessity of coming out of their lapsed estate and the power of the devil, and to
416 SEKMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XLVII.
put themselves nmler the government of the king, whom God hath set upon his holy hill of Zion, that he may defend them against the devil, the world, and the flesh, and at length bring them to everlasting happiness. Again, Acts xxviii. 23, ' And he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus,' &c., assuring them of his sufficiency to save them. Now this they did, partly by showing the danger of the contrary : 2 Cor. v. 11, ' Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men ; ' and partly by showing the grace and readiness of God to own them in all troubles : Acts xiii. 43, ' Persuad- ing them to continue in the grace of God.' And if men do quarrel at this dispensation, they will not be edified by any other, be it never so extraordinary : Luke xvi. 31, 'Neither will they be persuaded though one should rise from the dead.' There is more reason to persuade the Scriptures are true, than it a message were brought to us by a visioa or apparition ; which would not induce us to quit our sinful habits and customs. Now this is tlie means, when we receive it, and are persuaded of it.