endeavouring to walk in communion with God, in dependence on him, and obedience to him, they have nothing to fear. God has pledged himself, that they shall never perish h.]
2. From the assaults of Satan —
[Satan will indeed exert all his power to destroy them ; but he shall not finally prevail against them. He may " buffet them," and cast " his fiery darts" at them ; but he is a van- quished enemy ; and shall, ere long, be bruised under the feet of even the weakest saints'. Like the kings whom Joshua subdued, all the powers of hell shall one day be brought out of their dungeons, to receive, from the very lips of those whom now they persecute, the sentence they so justly merit k.]
3. From the power and prevalence of sin —
[Notwithstanding " the law of sin in their members," God's promise to all his people is, that " sin shall not have dominion over them1." As by the operation of fire on the hearth we may see what it would effect, if suffered to extend itself over the whole house, so by the working of sin in our hearts we may clearly see, to what a state we should quickly be reduced, if God should suffer it to rage with all its force. But he fulfils his word: and though thousands of times we have been, as it were, on the very brink of falling, God has interposed by his providence or grace to preserve our souls: and we remain to this day living monuments of his almighty power, and unchanging faithfulness.]
Exhortation —
1. Let us seek to become " the beloved of the Lord"—
[We account it no small happiness to be beloved of our fellow-creatures; but how much more to be beloved of the Lord! Whose favour is comparable to his? whose so honour- able, so permanent, so beneficial"1? Let us then go to him in the name of Jesus; for whose sake we shall be admitted to his favour", and be " blessed by him with all spiritual blessings."]
2. Let us endeavour to live more and more near to God —
[It is our privilege to dwell in God, and to have God dwelling in us. We might " walk with God," as Enoch did, and though not visibly, yet really, converse with him as our
h Isai. lv. 7. John x. 27, 28.
1 Ps. xci. 1 — 3. Jam iv. 7. Rom. xvi. 20. k 1 Cor. vi. 3.
1 Rom. vi. 14. m Ps. lxiii. 3. n John xiv. 21.