only to a traitoress, but also himself to be her husband, and in and with him a pardon, a kingdom and a crown. Thus salvation is most free in its application, as it was in its rise. There was nothing in us to move or excite the love of God. "He loved us freely," Hos. xiv. 4. and hence he purposed our salvation. And as little is there in us to merit the application of the purposed and the purchased salvation. From first to last, from its rise in God's own breast, till it bring us to the vi sion of his face, it is all, all of grace. It is so free that we have nothing to do, but to take; so universal in offer, that whosoever will, may have it. Hence it is called, the "common salvation, Jude 3."

4thly. It is an everlasting salvation: so it is expressly called, Isaiah xlv. 17. As it was from eternity, in its rise; it shall be to eternity in duration. It is no temporary deliverance, to be succeeded with a heart breaking loss. No; it is a salvation for evermore. As union with the Saviour can never be dissolved, so his salvation can never be lost. His righteousness imputed to the believer is an "everlasting righteousness," Dan. ix. 24. The pardon given is irrevocable, Jer. 1. 20. The handwriting is torn and taken out of the way, so that it cannot be pieced-together again, Col. ii. 14. The saved being made sons, abide in their Father's house for ever, John viii. 35. Inherent grace shall be in the heart" a well of water springing up into everlasting life," John iv. 14. "He that believeth, hath everlasting life," chap. iii.ult. "He has got the blessing, even life for evermore," Psalm cxxxiii. ult. And now if the mystical union cannot be dissolved; if the robe of imputed righteousness cannot be rent, nor wax old; if the Spirit will never depart; if the seed of God, inherent grace, shall still remain; if the believer's title to heaven cannot be invalidated; if his meetness for it shall never be totally lost; from all these it follows, that his possession shall be sure. And if once admitted to possess, shall he ever lose it? No, no: there is no possibility of that. Being a pillar, a monumental pillar in the temple of his God, he shall go no more out, Rev. iii. 12. No

more out to the field of temptation, no more out from temple-light, no more out from temple-service, no more out from temple-enjoyments. Soon as a sinner is helped to believe in Christ, he is brought into a state of salvation, from which he can no more fall, than the saints of heaven from their seats. Though fallible with respect to his actions, he is no more so as to his state. That fountain of life is bubbled up, that shall never dry; that day dawned, which shall never end; that seed sown, which can never rot; that earnest given, which shall never be recalled; that knot tied which shall never be unloosed: God is able, and therefore he can preserve believers: faithful, and therefore he will. The arms, the everlasting arms of his power and his promise shall still be underneath them. When going astray, through the remainder of indwelling sin, he will not cast them off. So far from that, he will take up his paternal rod, and in mercy chastise them to their duty, Psalm lxxxix, 30-36. By his power they shall be kept through faith unto complete salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5. That love which brought them into Christ, will not leave them to fall away. It will perfect what concerneth them.

5thly and Lastly. The salvation promised to believers, is gradual as to its application. It is not conveyed all at once, but by such steps or degrees as hath seemed good to the divine wisdom. Believers are not instantaneously carried to the heights of Zion. By the hewings of providence, and the influences of grace, they are gradually prepared for the glory of another state. By faith they pass from the slavish to the childish state; and being children, grow up to the stature of perfect men in Christ Jesus. During this life they are in a state of minority, and being minors, they are not admitted to the full possession of the inheritance. Nevertheless they have so much as their wise and merciful Father sees proper. The salvation is given them at three great periods: more at the second than at the first, and more at the third, than at either. These are so

many eras, which I doubt not they will remember to eternity.

1st. Salvation is given them immediately on their believing in Christ. Being thereby united to him, they are justified; having all their trespasses forgiven them, and as heirs entitled to the kingdom of glory. The bar of the legal curse being thus removed, they are also sanctified more and more. United to the great Vine, his vital influences flow in copiously upon them. Being sons, they walk no more in the rags of their natural state. Though some of these are still upon them, they are not their garments. No, they are clothed in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, Psalm cx. 3. Soon as the day of grace dawns, soon as they are born again, they are adorned with garments of glory and of beauty. Being the children of a king, they are not left to sit as on a dunghill. They are allowed access to their Father, such as the world cannot know. And thus they are trained up for still greater things to be given them at the second period, viz. death. Though during this life, their relative state was perfect, yet not their real. Though perfectly justified, they were not perfectly sanctified. But at their death, their souls are made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory. Now they get more of the great salvation than ever. Formerly they had their spots, but now they have none. Though clean, yet they still needed to wash their feet, John xiii. 10. But now they are perfect, being the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. xii. 23. The childish state being done, they henceforth act in a manly manner. They run no more after toys, are no more ready to deviate from the path of duty, but keep their appointed course, as the sun does his. No more do they experience the frowns of an angry Father, or smart under the lashes of his rod. Perfect holiness, immediate and uninterrupted vision are their bliss. But still there is one part of the man lying in a low inactive state, viz. the body in the grave. For its partnership in their bliss they cannot

but be ardent: not being happy in their whole man, till it be re-united to the soul, be also a partaker of glory. And this last part of the great salvation is gi ven at the third period, viz. the resurrection. During all that happiness to which the soul was admitted in the intermediate state, the body was in the low, the lonely and the loathsome grave. The ark, so to speak, was in the land of the Philistines, in the enemy's territories. But in the morning of the resurrection it is brought back with glory and triumph. Then the body so lately the prey of worms, or the sport of warring winds, shall be made partaker of the salvation which is in Jesus Christ, with eternal glory, 2 Tim, ii. 10. As at death every moral infirmity was removed from the soul, so at the resurrection shall every natural infirmity be from the body. And now the believer in his whole man shall obtain all the promised salvation: all that salvation for which he trusted in Christ, and to which he had been brought by such remarkable steps.

These three periods are the most memorable to the saints. They are the three notable days mentioned in scripture. The day of power, the day of death, and the day of judgment. In the first, Christ enters the soul by his Holy Spirit; in the second, he receives it unto himself; and in the third, he brings the whole man into a state of consummate glory. The first is the day of espousals; the second, the private homebringing of the bride by friendly angels; and the third, her public reception by the bridegroom himself. In some the space between the first and second period is shorter, in others longer, as seems good to the God of all grace. And the space betwixt the second and the third period is shortening daily. Grace does that in a few hours with some, to which it takes many years in others. So in the case of the thief on the cross, the day of power, and the day of death wonderfully coincided. That day he believed, he also entered into glory. Amazing speed! He was in the three different states of nature, grace and glory, in one day. At

morn he knew not Christ, at noon he clave to him on the cross, and ere night he was with him in paradise, Luke xxiii. 43. We who now die in Christ have a short lodging in the grave, compared with the Old Testament saints. Believers at Christ's second coming shall not die at all. They shall not know a gloomy grave. And supposing the last elect vessel to believe at the last day only, and not before, how soon shall he obtain perfect salvation! Having received Christ into his heart, he shall anon be raised in his whole man to a seat at his right hand. His iniquity shall be removed, and his salvation perfected, in one day. So much for the properties of the salvation promised to believers.

Let us next take a view of its various parts. And in the

1st Place, Such as believe in Christ are saved from the law as a covenant of works. He "was made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law," Gal. iv. 4, 5. And soon as sinners are helped to believe in him, they obtain that part of salvation. As he is now no more under the law in its federal form, neither are such as believe in him. He and they are but one mystical body. Therefore if the Head be free, so must the members. Though it does not follow, if he be on the throne, so are they in their own person. Neither does it follow, that, if upon his being delivered from the law, believers are also delivered from it; therefore when he was under it, they were personally under it too. The surety may be incarcerate, while the principal debtor is not. But the former being liberated in consequence of the full payment, the latter cannot be confined, especially as he pleads that payment. It is therefore certain, as Christ is risen, that such as believe in him are delivered from the law as a covenant of works. They are delivered from its commanding, its condemning, and its irritating power.

1st, From its commanding power. It has no au