of their souls, will say, ' I have no fear; I trust in God.' But it is a desperate delusion to say, ' I trust in God,' when they use not the means which God himself has appointed for the attainment of the end. What would these persons themselves think of a man who should say, ' I trust in God for an harvest,' whilst he neglected to plough and sow his field ? Yet this man would act as rationally as they1. Be it so, that all depends on the election of God : but, if we are " elect of God the Father, it is through sanctification of the Spirit, and through sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ k." The means are ordained, as well as the end : yea, the end is ordained by and through the means : and if we will not go to Christ to " sprinkle our con- sciences with his blood," or apply to the " Holy Spirit to sanc- tify " our souls, we shall in vain hope to attain the end. I warn you therefore, Brethren, not to " pervert the Scriptures to your destruction V but to seek that conformity to them, in all things, which God requires.]
2. A word of encouragement — [To you at this day, no less than to his people of old, does God say, " In returning and rest shall ye be saved ; in quiet- ness and confidence shall be your strength"1." And is not this sufficient for you ? Whom did God ever forsake ? Who that ever trusted in him was confounded ? Is he not the same God now as ever he was? " Is his arm shortened, that he cannot save ? or is his ear heavy, that he cannot hear 1 " The tempest- tossed disciples were rebuked for entertaining a fear, when Jesus was embarked with them", though they had no specific promise in relation to that particular storm: but ye have pro- mises which relate to every danger to which a human being can be exposed. " Know then in whom ye have believed, that He is able to save that which you have committed to him0 :" and, under the darkest circumstances that can ever be imagined, " be strong in faith, giving glory to your Godp."]
i Gal. vi. 7, 8. k 1 Pet. i. 2. '2 Pet. iii. 16.
m ver. 15. n Matt. viii. 24 — 26. ° 2 Tim. i. 12.
p Rom. iv. 20.