Let us never rest, till we are in actual possession of it—
[We must " lay such hold upon it," that none shall ever be able to wrest it from us : as our Lord has said, " Hold fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown11." " Look that ye lose not the things that ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward0." It is only " by a patient continuance in well-doing that we can attain to glory and honour and immortality?." " If we draw back, God's soul will have no pleasure in us'1:" nor can we ever be " partakers of Christ in the eternal world, unless we hold fast our confidence in him firm unto the end1." In every one of the epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, the final happiness of the saints was sus- pended on their fighting manfully unto the end, and over- coming all the enemies of their salvation : " Be ye then faithful unto death, and God will give you the crown of lifes."]
To what is here said, let me add,
1 . A word of direction —
[" Put on, and keep ever girded upon you, the whole
armour of God1" Yet rely not on any preparation of
your own; but " be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his mightu." Go forth, like David, in a simple dependence on your God; and he shall bring your every foe, however formidable, into the dust before youx. True it is, that you must be good " soldiers of Jesus Christ," and " quit yourselves like men," and " war a good warfare." But " the battle is not yours, but God's." " By his own strength shall no man prevail* :" but " he who trusteth in the Lord shall not be ashamed or confounded world without end."]
2. A word of encouragement —
[It is no just ground of discouragement to any man, that he is weak: " when he is weak, then is he really strong; because God will perfect his own strength in his weakness." Nor need any be afraid because they are young. Timothy was but young: yet to him was the exhortation in my text directed. Are any of you fainting by reason of the difficulties which you have to encounter? Think who it is that is engaged in your behalf, even Jesus, " mighty to save." Think, too, what " a cloud of witnesses" are at this very moment viewing you with the deepest interest, and ready to rejoice in your success. Think, also, what reflections you will have in a
n Rev. iii. 11. ° 2 John, ver. 8. p Rom. ii. 7.
i Heb. x. 38. r Heb. iii. 14. s Rev. ii. 10.
* Eph. vi. 11. u Eph. vi. 10. x lSam.xvii.45 — 47.
>' 1 Sam. ii. 9.