The stability, of which my text speaks, stands on other grounds : it arises from,
r John iv. 14. s 1 Pet. i. 23.
1 1 John iii. 9. » 1 Cor. ix. 27.
1. The immutability of God's purpose —
[" God's counsel shall stand ; and he will do all his plea- sure x." And this counsel he has exercised in reference to the salvation of men ; some of whom he has " chosen before the foundation of the worldy," yea, and "chosen unto salvation," through faith in his dear Sonz: and " those, whom from eternity he has predestinated to the adoption of children, he calls and justifies in time, and glorifies in the eternal world3." And, as in his nature " he changeth notb," so, in reference to these things, " there is with him no variableness, neither shadow of turning0:" and on this our hope, and the hope of all his people, is founded : for, seeing that, " in order to shew to us the immutability of his counsel, he has confirmed his promise with an oath, we, who have fled to Christ for refuge, have from that very circumstance the more abundant con- solation11." On this ground, all his people may be confident that " he will perfect that which concerneth theme;" and that " He who hath begun the good work in them, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ*." On this ground, the very least and weakest of his saints may hope that they shall " endure unto the endg;" since they are assured that God " will never, never leave them, or forsake them'1."]
2. The sufficiency of his grace —
[Were man expected to keep himself, there is no one who must not sit down in despair. But we expect that God will exert in our behalf that very power which raised up his dear Son from the dead"; and that " his strength shall be made perfect in our weaknessV We know that " his grace is suf- ficient for us1," how great or numerous soever may be the difficulties with which we have to contend. We are assured, that " none can ever pluck us out of his hands™;" and that, as " he will not depart from us," so his fear put into our hearts will be sufficient to keep us from ever departing from him"; and, consecpuently, we may even now exult and triumph over our enemies, almost as we shall do in heaven itself; saying, " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Yea, we may be persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord0."]
x Isai. xlvi. 10. y Eph. i. 4. z 2 Thess. ii. 13.
a Rom. viii. 29, 30. b Mai. iii. 6. c Jam. i. 17.
d Heb. vi. 17, 18. e Ps. cxxxviii. 8. f Phil. i. 6.
g 2 Thess. iii. 3. h Heb. xiii. 5, 6. ' Eph. i. 19.
k 2 Cor. xii. 9. « 2 Cor. xii. 9. m John x. 29, 30.
" Jer. xxxii. 40. ° Piom. viii. 35, 39.