caution on our part ; nay, I am persuaded, that they are carried into effect by means of that very fear which his warnings inspire. And this is, I apprehend, the true solution of the difficulty, as far as it can be solved by man. God's precepts teach us what we ought to do : his exhortations put us upon making every exertion in our power : his threatenings humble us for our short-comings and defects : his p>romises incline us to look to him for strength : and his covenanted engagements encourage us to " hope even against hope," and to renew our exertions in an assured expectation of ultimate success. View the different portions of Scripture in this way, and, whatever the heat of controversy may lead men to urge against each other, there will be found no real opposition between them, but a perfect harmony in every part.
But, it may be said, it is contrary to fact that the Lord's people are so preserved ; for the inspired records inform us of many who " make shipwreck of their faith," and " whose end," in consequence of their apostasy, was " worse than their begin- ning." This also is true : but it disproves not one atom of what is asserted in our text.
Hear what St. John says to this very point : he acknowledges that some had apostatized from the truth : but, says he, " They went out from us, but they were not of us ; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us : but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of usf." To this it may be replied, that, if apostates are disclaimed as having ever really belonged to Christ, it is impossible to tell who do really belong to him. I readily acknowledge, that no man can know either that he himself belongs to Christ, or that any other person does, except by his works, or in any degree further than he is war- ranted by his life and conversation. If a man have the mark and character of Christ's sheep, he may have a good hope that he belongs to Christ ; but the very moment that he declines from that character, his evidences of relation to Christ decay, and, together with them, his hope of ultimate acceptance with him. " The foundation of God standeth sure; the Lord know- eth them that are his : but let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
As to the objection that these doctrines are contrary to the interests of morality, it has been already answered, when we were guarding this subject from abuse. The doctrine that asserts that we shall be kept in the ivay of holiness, can never be inimical to the interests of holiness. But we would further ask, What must be the effect of denying these doctrines ?
f 1 John ii. 19. See this also confirmed by facts, Luke xxii. 31, 32. John xvii. 12.