On what does the present and eternal safety of the believer in Jesus Christ rest?

On the word and promise of Jehovah.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son or man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?— Num. xxiii. 19.

I am the Lord, I change not.-Mal. iii. 6.

My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure : . . . I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.-Isa. xlvi. 10, 11.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.-Ps. lxxxix. 34.

Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.—Matt. xxviii. 18. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.-John xiv. 1.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.-Matt. xxiv. 35.

Fear not, little Fock; for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.-Luke xii. 32.

There shall not an hair of your head perish.—Luke xxi. 18.

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.-2 Thess. iii. 3.

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutuability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong con

solation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor or the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.-Heb. vi. 17-20.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. -2 Cor. i. 20.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).-Heb. x. 23. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.-1 Cor. i. 9.

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.-Titus i. 2.

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.-Ps. lvii. 2.

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.—Ps. cxxxviii. 8.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.-Phil. i. 6.

For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever.-Ps. xxxvii. 28.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.-Ps. cxxi. 4.

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations.-Ps. cxix. 89, 90.

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.-2 Tim. ii. 13.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.-Ps. c. 5.

There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.— Joshua xxi. 45.

I once knew God's will, but I have been a backslider, I feel too wicked to expect my prayer to be heard?

Fear not! God is ever merciful to the penitent backslider. Return to him; He waits to be gracious to you.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God. . . . . Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.-Jer. iii. 12, 13, 22.

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O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: . . . I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. ... Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him.-Hosea xiv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin.-2 Chron. vii. 14.

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return

every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.-Jer. xxxvi. 3.

If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.—Jer. xviii. 8.

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.-Jonah iii. 10.

He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.—Job xxxvi. 10.

I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

A certain man

had two sons: . . . And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. . . . . And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

...

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.-Luke xv. 10-14, 20-24, 7.

PART X.

AFFLICTIONS-THEIR ORIGIN AND PURPOSE, AND THEIR CONSOLATIONS.

Who sends affliction?

God, the holy and just one, afflicts, or permits others to afflict, when it is right in His eyes.

See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.-Deut. xxxii. 39.

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. .. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!—Isa. xlv. 7, 9.

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?-Amos iii. 6.

He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou ?-Dan. iv. 35. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?—Gen. xviii. 25.

Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. -Dan. ix. 14.

I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and