thee; and that, by the operation of God's mighty power on thy soul, thou shouldst be " turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God ! " Art thou not amazed, that thou shouldst be " taken, when so many are left;" and that the Saviour, who to so many millions is only " a stum- bling-block and rock of offence, should be to thee a sanctuary," where thou hast found rest to thy soul ? Truly, it is a great matter if God has taught thee, that " thou hast not chosen him, but he thee^;" that thou hast not loved him, or apjjre- liended him, but hast been loved and apprehended by him*^; that *' He hath loved thee with an everlasting love ; and there- fore with loving-kindness hath he drawn thee*^!" Does not the thought of this overwhelm thy soul with gratitude? and art thou not altogether lost in wonder, love, and praise?]
2. As the security for the everlasting continuance of them —
[This is another part of the same stupendous mystery : and blessed, indeed, are the ears that have heard this secret from the Lord, and the eyes that can discern the truth of it! Believer, when God entered into covenant with his Son, he left it not uncertain whether any benefit should accrue from his mediation, but engaged, that " when he should make his soul an offering for sin, he should see a seed who should pro- long their days, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand." Then he gave thee to his Son, that in thee " he might see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." Thou wast then ordained to be a jewel in his crown : and the Father engaged, when he put thee into the hands of his Son, that " none should ever pluck thee from them®." Times with- out number does the Lord Jesus speak of his people in this light, as "given him from eternity by the Father^:" and " of those who were so given him, he will lose none*''." What a consolation is this to thee, under all thy difficulties and all thy conflicts, to know that " God hath made wdth thee an ever- lasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure'M" God him- self tells us, that " he confirmed his covenant with an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us\" Rejoice, then, in this thought. Bless God for making it known to thee. See how safe thou art in the hands of an unchanging God. See to what it is owing that thou hast not been con- sumed already^; and what is thy security, against all the vsdles
b John XV. 16. <= 1 John iv. 10. Gal. iv. 9. Phil. iii. 12.
d Jer. xxxi. 3. ® John x. 28, 29.
f John xvii. 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24. e John xvii. 12.
^ 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. ' Heb, vi. 17, 18. k Mai. iii. 0.