more, God encourages you so to act, with an assurance that you shall not exert yourself in vain. Go to the Lord Jesus Christ, and cast yourselves at the foot of his cross, and then see whether it shall be in vain. He has said, that " Whosoever cometh unto him, he will in no wise cast out ;" and you may rest assured, that that promise shall be fulfilled to you. How- ever distant you have been from God, you shall be " brought nigh to him by the blood of the cross ;" and " from being- strangers and foreigners, you shall become fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of Godr." This blessing it is your duty to seek in God's appointed way ; and if it be, as we have shewn, incomparably the greatest that a human being can possess, seek it with an earnestness proportioned to its worth ]
2. Never to grow weary in the pursuit of it —
[Many persons are fond of perplexing themselves with the deeper doctrines of religion, when they should rather be edify- ing themselves with those which are more plain. Some will argue, that if God have written our names in his book, he will never blot them out again, because " his gifts and calling are without repentance." But though it is true, that " God will carry on his work," and " perfect that which concerneth us," it is equally true, that " if we draw back, we draw back unto perdition, and God's soul will have no pleasure in uss." Of his faithful people he has said, that " he will not blot out their names from the book of life e :" but he uses directly opposite language in reference to the ungodly, and to those who decline from his waysu. It is " to them who, by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honour, and immortality, that God will give eternal lifex." Let no difficulties then discourage you; but " press forward for the prize of your high calling:" and expect assuredly, that, as already " your witness is in heaven, and your record is on high y," so your unworthy names shall in due time be acknowledged by your Lord and Saviour, and you shall " inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
r
This is the idea suggested in the text. The enrolling of names has respect to citizens, whose rights are thereby ascertained and as- sured.
s Heb. x. 38, 39. * Rev. hi. 5.
u Exod. xxxii. 33. Ps. lxix. 28. Jer. xvii. 13.
x Rom. ii. 6, 7. ? Job xvi. 19.