hle love are, then, the great security of the saints of God. His is the eye that never slumbers, His the hands that never hang down, His the feet that are always swift; and if there were no other consideration, one might say, that this consideration renders it absolutely impossible that one true child of God shall ever perish. "This is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing."-not even the dust; how much less then the precious soul! The very faithfulness of Jesus is their eternal security, faithful to His trust, faithful to His commission, faithful to His word, faithful to His saints, faithful to His God. A few words, by way of conclusion. I have laid stress upon this point, because, I doubt not, it has often been made a hindrance to many a tender conscience.

Oh! look up ye sojoumers. You that are in the world, and have not Christ personally present with you in the midst of " world that lieth in darkness," and are oftentimes, it may be, cast down and discouraged because of the way-" be of good cheer;" Jesus, though personally absent, is spiritually present. Did He commend His apostles to the holy keeping of His Father when He was upon earth? He commends you to His Father now He is in heaven, moment by moment. The great white throne is there; and in the glory of His grace He stands before God, sprinkling the mercy seat with His own most precious blood. Do you want Omniscience to lead you, and Omnipotence to support you? Do you want the tenderness of an infinite love? Do you want infinite wisdom to be your guide in all your difficulties, and infinite faithfulness, that can never deny itself? You have them all in Him. Oh! then, I would say, may you be led, not merely to look to Jesus, but to go to Him in the exercise of believing faith and prayer.

Look to Him amidst all your comforts; because there is more danger of sleeping in comforts, than in anything else. I have seen many persons walk most determinedly for God in rough paths, but when the Lord hath caused them to abound in comforts, they have slipped aside from the right path. Be assured, you want the Lord Jesus Christ to keep you amidst your comforts. What! would I look at them with an austere and morose eye? Thankfully may you receive them. But forget not, smooth paths are slippery paths; and while everything smiles around you, you little know how you need

perpetual keeping, that you may be preserved from that which would detach you from God, and put some poor creature in His place.

Go to Jesus amidst your daily crosses. You all have your crosses in your daily vocations; there is not one of God's people, but what has the crook in the lot. Thanks to His blessed name for it! Go to Him in everything—amidst all your temptations, your little cares, your great cares, the whole of your cares-keep nothing back from Him. It is your mercy to know, that He keepeth you, and never slumbereth nor sleepeth; but take your cross to Him, and sleep not under that truth.

Remember, beloved, the apostles needed keeping. We oftentimes think the apostles were a sort of iron men; we cannot imagine an apostle faltering at trouble, as you and I falter. I really believe that they found out, many a time, what a little thing caused them to falter. Paul " was in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." "Fear not, Paul!" Why "fear not?" Was it said to an iron man? No; it was said to a man capable of fear, and who had the beginnings of fear; and this was to encourage him not to fear. Be assured, the strongest of God's people are but as tow, compared with the might of their adversaries; and when you think yourselves the strongest, it may be that you are the weakest. Therefore go to Jesus at all times, under all circumstances. Oh! for this wisdom-(blessed Spirit, grant it to us!)—the wisdom of making use of Jesus for all things on this side of heaven.

Beware of resting in externals. A man may pray, a man may preach, a man may be a minister-that is, he may be wholly set apart for the work, and give himself entirely to it—nay, he may be an apostle, and yet be a "son of perdition." Oh! beloved, seek the substance of religion, its vitality, its reality, its positiveness; seek close walking with God, realising God's presence, rising in the morning with an aim to please Him, turning the little occasions of life into so many circumstances for glorifying God. Oh! for that holy aim, which can rise above them all, and say, 'I live for God!' This is something more than listening to a sermon, or preaching it; it is that we may just come to this truth-" For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

One word more; and remember, all I have been speaking to you

I speak as wanting myself. If you see persons abusing this glorious doctrine, (and ye shall see it, as there is not a glorious doctrine in God's Book but what shall be abused)-it ought to be your great concern to have a holy and spiritual perception of it. Remember, that perseverance in God's way is the great evidence of being chosen of God.

May the Lord grant His blessing to you and to me, for Christ's sake.

A SERMON,

BY THE REV. J. H. EVANS, M.A.

PREACHED AT JOHN STREET CHAPEL, KING'S ROAD, BEDFORD ROW, ON SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 24, 1846.

Before making a Collection in behalf of the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society.

"Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” John xvii. 12.

I HAVE endeavoured to show that there are two senses, in which men are given to Christ by the Father. That some are given to Him to be His servants, His disciples, His apostles; and that these might miscarry, might lose all perception of truth, might bring upon themselves swift destruction, might everlastingly perish. And all this was exemplified in the case of Judas, who lost what he knew of truth, miserably destroyed his own body, more miserably lost his own soul, and then "went to his own place." And a most blessed instruction ought to be derived from this: no gift, no office, nothing external can satisfy our souls in asking-Am I safe in Christ?'

But there are others, that were given to Christ as a part of God's elect family these He calls, justifies, sanctifies, saves, and glorifies in Himself, and with Himself for ever. These the Lord himself kept while He was upon this earth, even temporally. Observe, in the eighteenth chapter, and the first verse, He preserved them from loss of life. "When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus oftimes resorted thither with His disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek VOL. XIII.-No. 445.-July 9, 1846.

ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them. As soon as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He: if therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled, which He spake, Of them which Thou gavest Me have I lost none." So that these He watched over, even as regarded their temporal safety. How much more than that He did, how He commended them to the Father, and how He is their present keeper, watching over and preserving them, I have endeavoured to show; but observe, beloved, that it was all for this end, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled." And I consider this true, as much with regard to those who are lost as to those who are saved.

"That the Scripture might be fulfilled :" it is to this point I shall endeavour to confine your attention this morning. First of all, I shall endeavour to show, that the Scripture must be fulfilled; secondly, inquire why it must be fulfilled; and then show, in few words, thirdly, some of those awful, and some of those blessed and most encouraging consequences, which spring forth from the fulfilment of it.

I. First of all, the Scripture must be fulfilled.

What is Scripture? It is the Word of God, it is the mind of God, it is the voice of God-just as if we heard Him speak to us-(oh ! that we did alway so receive Scripture !) And if this be true, either the Scripture must be fulfilled, or God be charged with falsehood; for if the Scriptures be true, what they say must be accomplished, and if they are not fulfilled, they are not true. Oh! when we consider the deadly opiate which unbelief is always administering to the sinful indifference of the human heart, that Scripture shall not be fulfilled, we perceive what an evil it is.

And yet how does the Lord guard this truth in every part of that Scripture! Our blessed Saviour had not even the name of Jesus, but in fulfilment of Scripture. Observe, in the first chapter of Matthew: "She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was