be spoken to the honor of our great Physician, that he has never lost one of his patients.

"Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end."

Why then, some will say, was it not a dishonor to God to suffer angels and men to break the first covenant, and fall under the curse of the law?--If they might fall from a state of perfect holiness into a state of ruin, why may not the saints fall from a state of imperfect holiness, and perish forever? To this we answer; That the introduction of sin into the system has proved, and will prove, in the hand of a wise and holy God, the occasion of great good; it was consistent therefore for God to suffer apostasy to take place. It was necessary that the covenant of works, made with innocent creatures, should be so constructed, that the first sin should forever forfeit the blessings contained in it. But the covenant of grace, made with penitent sinners, is in the hands of a Mediator, whose atonement for sin is infinitely meritorious; on whose account there is the forgiveness of many offences; and through whom grace can reign to eternal life. This cov

enant is of such a nature, as to give the most ample scope for the full display of the grace and faithfulness of the Redeemer. On the plan of this covenant, he begins to save his people from their sins; and on the plan of this covenant, he goes on to save them from all their wanderings. He glorifies his grace, his power, and his truth, in carrying on the arduous work of their salvation against the remaining strength of corruption in their hearts; against the power and subtilty of

the devil, and all the temptations of this evil world. He keeps them even to the end, and at last presents them faultless before his Father's throne. Seeing this full and finished salvation is consistent on the plan of atonement, it is greatly. to the honor of the Saviour, to save to the uttermost all those who put their trust in him. On the ground of the first covenant, there could not be one backsliding healed, but now he can heal all the backslidings of his people. This opens the door for such a display of faithfulness, as could not be made in the first covenant. The good shepherd can now keep all his sheep, notwithstanding their many wanderings. If they wander, he can search after them, and bring them back. If they say, like Peter, We know not the man, he will look them into repentance. If they sin, he is their Advocate with the Father. If they are in the dark, he gives them light. If they are in trouble, he sends them comfort. If they are tempted, he succours them. These things, he says, he will do for them and not forsake them. And has he said it; and will he not make it good? How worthy to be trusted is such a Redeemer! Surely, he is, by way of eminence, the friend which sticketh closer than a brother.

2. This doctrine is confounding to the dragon and his angels. With all their might and policy, they carry on the war against Michael and his angels; but, in the light of this doctrine, we learn that they will not prevail against one of the holy army. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He is filled with wrath against those who keep the testimony of Jesus. He has set ten thousand

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snares to ensnare, and ruin them; but Christ has always broken the snares, and their souls have escaped. When satan hath desired to have them, that he might sift them as wheat, Christ has always prayed for them, that their faith might not fail. Satan has had his apostles, who have transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ, and they have deceived and ruined many; but they have not deceived the very elect, The devil has stirred up wicked men to persecute the saints, by vilifying their names, plundering their goods, imprisoning their persons, and destroying their lives. But must it not be confounding to the devil and his instruments, whether false prophets, or persecutors, to find in the end, that by all their rage, and all their craft, they have never overthrown the faith of one that had this foundation, That the Lord Jesus Christ knew him to be his? But it will be still more confounding to satan and all the enemies of Christ, to find, that all which they did to distress and ruin the saints, turned out for their benefit. If all things work together for good to them who love God, then satan's rage, and the rage of wicked men against them, will work together for their good. Persecution is levelled at the true church of Christ, but it has never destroyed it. It has never thrown down one of the stones which the great Master-builder had prepared, and placed in his spiritual temple. The bodies of the saints may be destroyed, but the union of their souls to Christ cannot be dissolved by all the power of the enemy.

This view of things is distressing to the king

dom of darkness. on that kingdom, and taking subjects from it when he pleases, making them willing in the day. of his power. On the other hand, satan is making every effort to recover his lost subjects; but has never proved successful in a single instance; and if the doctrine vindicated in this sermon is true, he never will pluck one of Christ's feeblest lambs out of his faithful and omnipotent hand.

Christ is making inroads up

3. The doctrine of the certain perseverence of the saints, is calculated to support and comfort the children of God, and to lead them to build all their hopes upon Christ, and not on themselves. In other words, the doctrine is calculated to make them holy and happy. This doctrine is calculated to promote the holiness of the children of God, as it leads them out of themselves, and teaches them that Christ is their life. The perseverance of the saints, is built upon the mercy, power and faithfulness of the Redeemer. Here then is the believer's ground for hope that he shall endure to the end; and not any innate, or any imparted strength that there is in himself. This doctrine teaches him to be humble; to come up out of the wilderness, continually leaning upon his Beloved. The believer knows he must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling; but this doctrine teaches him to depend on God, to work in him, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. He knows that he must bear fruit, or be burned in the fire of hell as a fruitless branch; but this doctrine leads hina to depend wholly upon his union to the true Vine

for this fruitfulness. A spirit of self-sufficiency is as odious in the sight of God, as a covetous spirit, or as any thing else. This spirit characterized the pharisees, who were so odious to the lowly Jesus. As the doctrine to which we have been attending, is calculated to destroy this spir. it, and promote a life of faith, it must have a tendency to make the followers of Christ more holy. Hypocrites may turn this ever-abiding grace of God into wantonness; but it serves to cleanse those who have known the grace of God in truth.

The certain connexion between true faith and eternal life, is a doctrine full of support and comfort to the children of God. Where else shall they go for comfort? Here are the words of eternal life. Shall the christian go to his own heart, and hear its promise, never to deny and forsake Christ? Alas! he has seen too much of the deceit and backsliding of his own heart, to dare to trust it for an hour. If there were nothing bet ter than his present frames and good resolutions, to depend upon, he would sit down in despondency. The christian, in his holiest frame of mind, would not have the least hope of ever getting to heaven, if he did not believe that Christ had undertaken to be the finisher, as well as the author of his faith: For in his holiest frame, he has the greatest sense of his depravity and weakness. At such times, more than any other, he is feelingly convinced, that he is a fool, who trusteth in his own heart. But though his conviction of his own weakness, is so great; yet with right views of the covenant of grace, his hopes of heav