power was then, as well as now, necessary to keep any man from falling1. How kind then was our Lord's solicitude to interest his Father in their behalf!
Their fall would be attended with the most pernicious con- sequences. It would open the mouths of their adversaries, and cause them to blaspheme"1. It would utterly destroy all hopes of success in their own ministry; and, even if they should be recovered, and saved at last, they would be deprived of a great part of their reward". Hence our Lord's request was the best that could be offered for them.]
Hence we may see, II. What we should mainly desire for ourselves —
An exemption from the troubles and calamities of life, however desirable in some points of view, is not greatly to be coveted. St. Paul, it is true, " desired to depart and to be with Christ :" but it was not in order to get rid of his trials, but that he might have full possession of the glory which awaited him ; not that he, his earthly tabernacle, might be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life0." But
To be preserved from " the corruptions that are in the world through lustp" is most desirable —
[The snares with which we are surrounded in this vain world are very many, and replete with danger. " The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," are soliciting us continually, and presenting temptations to us exceeding
difficult to be withstood Even though we may have
withstood them manfully for a season, we are yet in danger of being overcome by them at last, and of perishing thereby with an aggravated weight of guilt and condemnation q. So emi- nent a character was Demas, that St. Paul himself, a good judge of characters, twice united him with St. Luke in his salutations to the Churches : yet of him it is said, " Demas hath forsaken us, having loved this present world1." Who then can hope to stand, if he be not upheld by the Almighty power of God ? Truly it is God alone who is " able to keep us from falling5:" and therefore we should make our supplica- tions to him continually for that end.]
For the obtaining of this mercy it is not possible for us to be too importunate —
1 Jude, ver. 24, 25. m 2 Sam. xii. 14. " 1 Cor. iii. 15.
0 2 Cor. v. 4. p 2 Pet. i. 4. i 2 Pet. ii. 20.
r 2 Tim. iv. 10. " Jude, ver. 24.