*> Isai. liii. 10. ' Numb, xxiii. 19.
'^ A-er. 18. ' 2 Sam. xxiii. .5.
has been given to Christ, pardon and peace, and hohness and glory.
On nothing short of this must our anchor fix. It must rest on nothing that is in us ; no frames, no feehngs, no experiences, no attainments. From God's covenant all our hopes flow; and on that must they all rest. We, alas ! are changeable ; and on us can no confidence be placed : but God is unchangeable, in all his purposes, which are unalterably fixed, " ac- cording to the counsel of his own will™;" in all " his promises, which are all yea, and amen, in Christ Jesus";" and in all his gifts, for " his gifts and calling are without repentance"." This is a foundation which will hold us fast ; as it is said, " The foundation of God standeth sure ; the Lord knoweth them that are his p."
But, as this anchor is said to be sure and steadfast, it will be proper for me to shew, III. From whence it derives its power and tenacity —
In order that a tempest-tossed vessel may be pre- served in safety, it is necessary that the anchor itself should be of a good quality, and that the anchorage should be firm. And both these are requisite for the establishing of the soul : the " consolation" must be, not like '' that of the hypocrite, which is but for a moment "J;" or that of the novice, which will give way on the very first assault of temptation': it must be far more solid ; but it must be formed in us by God, even by the Holy Ghost, the Comforter : and it must lay hold on God himself, and derive all its efficacy from him.
But still, it is not from the strength of the anchor that our stability will be derived ; but from the Lord Jesus Christ, who will render it effectual for its desired end.
It is not obvious, at first sight, why the Forerunner should be mentioned : for what has Jesus, as our Forerunner, to do with our anchor entering within the vail? But, on a closer inspection, it will be
"> Eph. i. 11. "2 Cor. i. 20. » Rom. xi. 29.
V 2 Tim. ii. 19. 'J Job xx. 5. ■■ Matt. xiii. 20, 21.
2295.] THE christian's ANCHOR. 259
found, that though there is an apparent cliange in the figure, there is a perfect unity in the subject ; the whole power and tenacity of our anchor being de- rived from Him, who is entered into the very place where that anchor is cast : for it is by means of the very same anchor that he himself has entered there, even as all the saints before him did^: and he is entered there expressly "for- us" that he may secure to us the very same issue as he himself has attained.
Let us enter a little more distinctly into this. I say, that it was by means of the very same anchor that Jesus himself rode out the storms with which he was assailed, and is now at rest in the desired haven. See him in the midst of all his storms : hear his reply to the most powerful of all his adversaries : " Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above'." Here his perfect con- fidence in an unchanging God is the manifest source of his stability. But to see this anchor in full ope- ration, mark it as described by the Prophet Isaiah : *' The Lord God will help me : therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a flint ; and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me : who will contend with me ? let us stand together : who is mine adversary ? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me : who is he that shall condemn me ? lo, they all shall wax old, as doth a garment : the moth shall eat them up""." And was this an empty boast ? No : this anchor held him fast, through all the storms that earth and hell could raise against him ; as St. Paul informs us, saying, that "for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God-\"