"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Saved, not by any merit or deserving of of such their endurance, but for the sake of the blood of the Lamb, and through the power of his mediation.

Such is the apostle's assurance. "We have," he says, that is, as Christians, we have "boldness or liberty to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; we have him as our High Priest over the house of God"-his new house, or adopted family, the Christian church.

Having then so mighty a Redeemer and Intercessor, it is no presumption in us, but we are urged, to come unto God by him. We are invited, I say, as professed Christians, "adopted into God's family" at baptism, to "draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith," without doubt or suspicion of his goodness"having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water"-no more doubting of the value of our privileges, or of the awfulness of our responsibility, than of our baptism.

Such seems to be the force of the apostle's words. But, alas! Christians of these latter days are not disposed to reap the consolation which they might from this high and heavenly doctrine. Many, either are, or profess to be, in doubt whether Christ has died for them; for them particularly. Forgetting that the real matter of doubt which the Scriptures suggests to us, is not, whether the blood of the Lamb has been shed for us (for the Scripture tells us "he died for all"); but the question is, whether we who have been so redeemed, do indeed walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, and adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. Many again, too many, yield to a slavish fear of Almighty God; do not seek comfort in communion with him; are not ready to endure much, or anything scarcely, for his sake; and avoid, as much as possible, all serious anticipation of death, judgment, and the eternal world; in short, like their first father, after his unhappy fall, they "hide themselves from the presence of

the Lord God, among the trees of the garden," in the business or the amusements of each day as it passes by.

Now to such persons it is of the greatest importance that they should be led to different thoughts and views, to cherish a filial confidence and love for their heavenly Father, and not to stand off from him, as if he were a severe, unkind master. And so by degrees considering what he has done for their souls, they might be led to better and happier thoughts-even to a frame of mind like his, who took pleasure in afflictions, in infirmities, in distresses, for Christ's sake. And so enduring to the end, they would be doubtless in the way of salvation.

It is farther to be reflected on, what the apostle urges as a thought naturally following from the consideration of the value of our Christian privileges, with what firmness and steadiness we are bound to maintain our Christian faith and profession. This firmness and steadiness in the profession of the truth is without question a part of that" enduring unto the end," which our Lord himself has declared to be a principal mark and seal of those who are in the safe way.

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised;" such is the apostle's warning-how needful for these days, I need

not say.

For it is certain that considerable numbers of persons who would be grieved and offended at not being considered as Christians, are yet strangely indifferent about this duty of holding fast their Christian profession without wavering; and are thus far indeed from being entitled to the blessing pronounced by the Savior himself on those who "endure unto the end."

This consideration should be a warning to us, should put us in mind of the danger of being led away from the true profession of the gospel by modern popular fancies, or of embracing notions of religion unknown to the early ages of the church and in the times of the apostles.

In things concerning this world only, relating to matters of trade, commerce, and art, to the amusements and comforts of life-in all these there is room for fresh

invention, and things new may be preferable, possibly, to' what our forefathers were content with; but in religion this rule cannot hold. The truth of God, like its Author, is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. In religion (as has been well observed), whatever is certainly new, is certainly false.

In maintaining God's truth, then, each in our several stations, we have a high duty to perform-a trial to be endured unto the end-unless, indeed, we expect the time shall ever come, when the bold systematic profession of heavenly doctrines, and practice of holy duties, will be countenanced and encouraged by this present world. An expectation for which there is surely no substantial ground, either in reason, in experience, or in Scripture.

But if we would persevere and endure unto the end, fulfilling the law of Christ, we must look, not on our own things only, but on those of others-bearing one another's burdens, with a view to each other's final and everlasting good.

To this the apostle makes particular reference, when he thus proceeds in the passage referred to :

to

"Let us consider one another, to provoke and encourage one another unto love and good works," noble, kind, generous actions, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together (as the manner of some was and is), but exhorting one another," especially by the force of steady consistent example-" and so much the more as we see evil days approaching."

Here we see particularly exemplified our blessed Lord's general rule of "enduring unto the end."

For there is great danger of our becoming selfish in our religion as well as in other things; that is, if we can fancy ourselves safe, little caring whether others are in the right way or not.

This was not like St. Paul's feeling, when he said, "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish myself accursed or separated from Christ for my brethren's sake.'

But alas! too often there is danger that persons who

account themselves religious, should indulge a feeling very opposite to this-should even comfort themselves with the thought that while others are in danger, themselves are safe and reach out no helping hand to their perishing brethren.

When persons of what is called a respectable character and course of life, systematically, in some respect or other, dishonor the Lord's day, neglect his house and his authorized ministers, and have no thought or intention of preparing themselves to be guests at his holy altar (though they are well aware that he himself said, 66 Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you"): I say, when decent, respectable persons go on in this sort of way, they are thinking only of themselves; their religion (such as it is) is selfish-they forget how many souls would be benefited by their single good example, how many are really ruined by their single bad example.

But to get over this selfishness requires great resolution, and steadiness as well of principle as of practice; with an ardent love of God and zeal for his honor; to which fruits of the Spirit he, the gracious Comforter, will doubtless soon add a hearty love for our brethren, sincere and unaffected, influencing our whole behavior.

And so continuing unto the end, by God's blessing on our prayers and exertions, both we and our brethren shall be brought into the safe and narrow way,

The apostle afterward refers to the reproaches and afflictions, the losses and sufferings, which those to whom he wrote had submitted to for the truth's sake; but consoles them with high considerations of the glorious rewards that awaited them in heaven, and with the consideration that it was but a little time ere their trial would be ended.

He therefore exhorts them to retain their faith and confidence-on no account to draw back-but to stand steady in the number of those that believe, to the saving of the soul-exactly according to his, their, and our divine Master's promise: "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved,"

Nothing then remains but that we, my brethren, as many of us as in earnest desire to follow the rules and admonitions of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the apostle speaking by his spirit-that we, I say, press deeply on our hearts this solemn thought, that unless we are prepared to endure unto the end, we cannot console ourselves with the thought that we are in the safe way— the way of salvation.

Then the question is for each person's own conscience-what are we enduring, what are we bearing or submitting to, for Christ's sake?

The very notion of enduring, implies suffering in some way or other; and in a Christian sense, suffering for Christ's sake—that is, submitting to loss, pain, mortification, ridicule, discomfort-anything rather than displease him.

This is the trial and test of our sincerity; for as long as we do what we like best, whether it be in religion or in anything else, it is evident we give no proof of our sincere devotion, no proof of our having any of the spirit of true religion abiding in us.

Now this enduring is in various ways; some are tried by bodily sufferings, and some by mental, and some by both at once. Poverty, the loss of friends and relations, national disturbances, wicked or unkind neighbors, words of calumny and slander, of scorn and ridiculeall these, and numberless other trials of a similar kind, are for the most part what we are subject to, and what few (if any of us) escape, if at least we live to a moderate age, and try to be faithful members of Christ's church.

From external persecution for religion's sake, under which the first Christians underwent so much, we by God's mercy are free. Yet there is another sort of persecution, from which Christ's true church will never escape: the persecution, I mean, of worldly and carnal men, too often succeeding in their evil purpose of alarming the fearful and faint-hearted, with the prospect of danger, especially the expectation of being despised, and laughed at, and left alone.

Nevertheless he that shall endure unto the end, will,