him from falling, and to present him faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy •:" and whilst he contemplates heaven as an " inheritance reserved for him, he has the comfort of reflecting that he also is kept for it, even by the power of God through faith unto everlasting salvation™." Persuaded as he is that "He is faithful who hath promised"," and " able also to perform" his word", he is " confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in him will perform it until the day of ChristP," and " will preserve him blameless unto his heavenly kingdom i."
He shall have peace also in relation to every thing that may occur in his way to heaven. Numberless things arise of a tem- poral or spiritual nature to disturb the minds of those who are weak in faith : but when once " the mind is stayed on God," all these distractions cease. God is acknowledged as the author of all that is done, whether good or evil : not a sparrow, or a hair of our heads, falls to the ground, but by his special permission: and from whatever quarter trials arise, whether from voluntary agents, or unconscious elements, he is regarded as their true and proper source "■, and that consideration recon- ciles the soul to the dispensation^; yea, he acquiesces in it, assured that " all things shall work together for his good *." He is careful for nothing, because he " casts all his care on God";" and in humble prayer commits every thing to his all-wise disposal : and thus in a measure enjoys as much tran- quillity, in relation to future events, as the birds of the air, or the lilies of the field ^.]
This blessing God will bestow upon him, " because he putteth his trust in him" —
[There is nothing meritorious in faith, any more than in other graces : but there is in faith a power peculiar to itself: it engages the Most High God, and, if we might dare to use such an expression, we would almost say, binds him to exert himself in our behalf. When we lay hold on his word by faith, he feels his own honour pledged to fulfil our desire, and not to suffer us to be disappointed of our hope. Indeed, inasmuch as faith pre-eminently honours him, he delights to honour it: and to such a degree would he honour it, that, " if we had faith only as a grain of mustard-seed," that figure should be realized in our experience ; we should be rooted up from this world, as a sycamore-tree from the earth ; and though liable in ourselves to be tossed about by every wave, we should be fixed immove- ably amidst the most tempestuous billows y. This is strongly
1 Jude, ver. 24. ^ 1 Pet. i. 4, 5. " Heb. x. 23.
° Rom. iv. 21. P Phil. i. 6. i 2 Tim. iv. 18.
' Jobi. 14 — 21. s Ps. xxxix. 9. ' Rom. viii. 28.
" 1 Pet. V. 7. "^ Matt. vi. 25 — 34. >' Luke xvii. 6.