1. An implicit trust in the finished work of Christ as forming a solid groundwork of the soul's safety. When our Saviour entered the list against man's foes, He announced "I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." When in His own person He suffered death for all men, He conquered him who had the power of death, even the devil. Divesting himself of His grave-clothes, and arising in victory on the morning of the third day, He trampled that power under His feet, and robbed death of his terrors to all His faithful followers. Trusting in what He accomplished, and exercising unmoving faith in the truth of His promises, the Christian faces death without alarm, knowing that he has only to face a vanquished foe. "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

2. A hopeful consciousness of pardoned sin gives this confidence. "The sting of death is sin." It is sin that arms death with its terrors-it is sin that drops the bitter ingredient into the cup; when the sin is removed, death is harmless. Forgiveness of sin casts a ray of bright sunshine into the gloom of the valley. You step on sure ground; God's promises support you. The Spirit's assurance gives you a hope full of immortality; and you enter into the passages rejoicing in the God of your salvation. This assurance gives vigour to the soul, so that every Christian enters eternity with the feeling of the holy martyr who exclaimed at the stake, "welcome the cross of Christ, welcome eternal life." "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

3. A prospect of a glorious resurrection at the last day fully establishes the confidence. The grave is a gloomy cell. The body being a companion of worms, and being reduced to dust, after being the vehicle of animation and beauty in this world, strikes a thrill of bitter grief into the heart, but looking beyond the grave to the time when "the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible"-anticipating the reformation of the body in greater beauty and glory than it ever possessed upon earth,-feeling that our vile body

to avoid, but

shall be changed and fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body, then we are reconciled to the degradation, we anticipate death with joy, and look into the grave with a degee of happiness, for "Surely (now) the bitterness of death is past." Brethren, what is your prospect in death? We all shrink from it as an enemy which we should be glad do what we may, come it will sooner or later. Are you prepared for it? Have you reason to hope that its sting has been removed from you? Then it will be a cause for joy, and not for sorrow, as it will be the release of a prisoner from his jail, and the introduction of an heir to his throne.

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The Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

EVENING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: Phil. i.

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

PHILIPPI was the first city in which the Gospel was preached in Europe. The place was impressed on the mind of St. Paul both by the success which he obtained, and by the sufferings which he endured in the discharge of his ministry there. The first trophy of the Gospel there was Lydia, the purple seller from Thyatira, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she might attend unto the things which were spoken of Paul." Next to her came the "damsel possessed with the spirit of divination," upon which occasion Paul and Silas were ill-used by the magistracy and infuriated mob. They were cruelly beaten, and thrust into prison; this led to the conversion of the jailer and his family, and consequently many others in the city. The Apostles having departed, the principles which they preached continued to flourish until a numerous church was planted in the colony. The seed was sown in the storms of winter; those storms tended to foster, rather than to destroy it; spring and summer succeeded, and an abundant harvest was produced. The devil often makes mistakes in his tactics: he intended that persecution should destroy the seed in the germ, but on the contrary it irrigated the soil and forced the growth.

A mutual attachment was established between Paul and the Philippian Christians, which neither distance of place, nor length of time, nor reversion of circumstances could obliterate. Time after time had they administered to his temporal wants, whilst he reciprocated their kindness with spiritual instruc

tion and consolation. He being now a prisoner at Rome, they sent Epaphroditus, their bishop, to him with a liberal contribution for his use, on the return of whom he sends this affectionate letter to them, partly to testify his thankfulness for the relief received from them, but principally to confirm them in the faith, to encourage them to walk worthy of their holy vocation, to warn them against seducers and judaizing teachers, and to incite them to various Christian duties.

In the text he expresses his confidence of their final perseverance in the graces of the Gospel, feeling assured that He who had begun in them the good work would also perfect the same. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints is one fully established in the Holy Scriptures: indeed there seems to be so much importance attached to it that both Christ and His Apostles insist upon it in the most posi

tive terms.

In bringing the subject before you this evening as represented in the text, we shall first notice the character of Divine grace in the soul; secondly, the confidence of St. Paul in the continuation of this grace; and thirdly, the time when it shall be perfected.

I. The character of Divine grace in the soul. It is called "a good work."

The work of regenerating grace in the soul is a good work, not only because it is the work of God, the author of all good, but also because it is the great source and vital principle, whence all good works proceed and flow. It is the root of the tree of righteousness, on which grows the fruit of holiness adorning the Christian character in all the positions of life. This good work is produced by the operations of God's Spirit quickening and converting the soul, eradicating from it every tendency to evil, and implanting in it the principle of light, of repentance, of faith, of love, of godly fear, of obedience, of patience, and of all that may "adorn the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is "a good work, as it releases the man from the power of sin and Satan, so that he is no

longer taken captive by the devil at his will; from henceforth sin has no power over him to lead him to commit iniquity with a willing mind. It is "a good work," as it induces man to answer the end of his creation in glorifying God by his life and conversation. It is "a good work," as it teaches man to perform the practical duties of life in accordance with the will of God. It makes him a good parent, a dutiful son, a kind husband, a loyal subject, a faithful friend, a helping neighbour, a useful member of society in all respects. It makes him diligent, honest, truthful, sober, chaste, persevering, and obliging, "Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."

But our object at present is to establish the final perseverance of those in whom this good work is begun; therefore, we come to notice

II. The confidence of Paul in the continuation of the work of Divine grace in the soul,-" Being confident in this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perfect it." God never works by halves. He never commences a work without completing it. It is not His practice in nature, neither is it His practice in grace. His very nature, without any further argument, would be a sufficient guarantee for the safety and final perseverance of all His true people.

Truly there are some passages of holy writ, if taken disjointedly, that tend to favour the notion of a possibility of falling into perdition after partaking of the operations of Divine grace; but it is not all gold that glitters. All are not Israel who are of Israel. There are counterfeits as well as sovereigns; there are fictitious as well as genuine principles; there is chaff on the threshing floor, as well as corn; there are tares in the field as well as wheat. The reputation and appearance of Christianity do not constitute a subject of saving grace. It is not ours to draw the line of demarcation, the distinguishing power lies in God alone. He sees not as man sees: we look at the outward appearance, and are often