We will see that we are God’s children, "born of God"; also, born of his spirit, and "Born again, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible seed." First Peter, i: 23. First John, iii: 9," Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he can not sin because he is born of God." Rom., viii: 17, "Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." So that saints are born of incorruptible seed. If it is incorruptible, who can corrupt it? Falling from grace involves the absurdity of corrupting that which God’s word says is incorruptible. Also, God’s word says, he can not sin. Falling from grace, says he can, and go to hell too. God’s word says he is a joint heir with Christ, and I ask, how can Christ be brought into the inheritance and those who are joint with him be cast down to hell? From the above we find who are the heirs, and find them to be incorruptible. Now let us look after the inheritance. First Peter, i: 4-5, "Who hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time."

All the expressions in this text show that, as the heirs are incorruptible, so is the inheritance. It is reserved for you, and you are kept, by the power of God. It is not simply possible that you may reach the inheritance, but God has become your keeper, and keeps you by his power; and if God’s power can keep a saint, my case is made out. And he keeps you ready, READY to be revealed in the last time. If he keeps you ready, then there is no moment in which you are not ready. It is not left to your faithfulness, nor to the vigilance of angels; but God takes an interest, and himself becomes our keeper; and secures the inheritance to us and us to the inheritance These two, the heirs and inheritance, must be brought together, despite the opposition of the world, the flesh and the devil. And in order thereto, the heirs born of an incorruptible seed; and the inheritance is also incorruptible, and can not fade away; and these heirs have an earnest of this inheritance, and are sealed with the holy spirit of promise unto the day of redemption. Our earthly estates sometimes take wings and fly away, or are consumed by thieves, or in some way we lose them. But not so with the children of God--their inheritance is kept far, far above this world, and above the most distant possibility of destruction. And the unseen hand of God is certainly conducting each heir to that inheritance.

We have found both inheritance and heirs to be incorruptible. In Gal., iv: 7, they are declared to be heirs, through Christ; not only adopted in a legal manner, but "begotten of him "; "made partakers of the divine nature." Is this proceeding in court legal? Is this will a good one that secures the estate to each heir? Is it immutable; or can it be broken? I know that lawyers do sometimes break the wills of men, and turn out penniless some of the heirs named in the will. But, be it remembered, that here Jesus himself is executor of the will, and he knows the spirit of the will, and all the heirs in the will; and it is simple slander on Christ to charge that some of the heirs will miss their inheritance, and go to hell. Disobedience of a child does not destroy its relation to its father, nor make void the legality of a will. Paul says of all the heirs of God, Col., iii: 3-4, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." "Shall ye also." Christ shall no more certainly appear in glory than that ail his heirs shall appear there. Christ’s destiny and theirs is the same.

It he shall appear in glory, so will they also appear with him. His glory as a Savior would be eclipsed without them; his glory as a captain would be dimmed if any one of his mighty army should be found missing. When the great book of life is opened and the roll called all will and must be there, if the great name of Jesus as a deliverer is preserved. But Paul assures us that he (Jesus) will say, "Here am I and the children thou hast given me." "For we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

First John, iii: 2. Again, "Because I live ye shall live also." Why? "Your life is hid with Christ in God." Then let Satan go and climb up to the throne of God, dethrone the Almighty, tear out his heart, paralyze his arm, capture and destroy Jesus Christ; for this he must do before he can get their life, for "it is HI~ with Christ in God."

I propose now to plant an argument for the final perseverance of saints on trio virtue and efficacy of the Savior’s prayer. I know it can not be refuted, and I know it can not be attacked without giving the lie to the Savior himself.

The Savior says to the Father, "I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me always." Mark the words, "I know that thou hearest me always." Again, he says, John, xvii: "I pray not for the world"; and then after praying for his disciples he adds, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word"; and again he prays that they may be with him where he is, that they "may behold his glory." Again he prays, "That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them." In Rom., viii, Paul tells us "He also maketh intercession for us." From all this, it can not, without impiety, be doubted that Jesus prays for every believer, and prays that they may be one with him and be with him; and we know this prayer can not be answered and falling from grace be true; and Christ tells us that his Father always hears him pray. The final perseverance of saints, then, is made out from this standpoint.

We will now invite you to Mat. xx: 20, "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, and desiring a certain thing of him, and he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, grant that these, my two sons, may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on thy left in thy kingdom." This kingdom is endless, for in Luke i: 33 he says, "Of his kingdom there shall be no end." Again Jesus said, "To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." To whom shall it be given? To them for whom it is prepared. See also Mark x: 37, "They said unto him, grant unto us that we may sit the one on thy right hand and one on thy left hand in thy glory"; verse 40, "But to sit the one on my right hand and the other on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared."

When was this kingdom prepared for these persons? The Savior tells us, Matthew, xxv: 84, "Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, come thou blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Cosmos.) This kingdom can not mean the church, and can not be given on account of works or character, but must be given to them for whom it is prepared, and for whom it was prepared before the foundation of the world. (Cosmos.) Falling from grace melts away before these passages like snow before the hot sun of mid-summer. Again, the Savior says, John x: 14, "I know my sheep." Again, "I know whom I bare chosen." John, xiii:18. Again, Timothy, ii:19, "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure; having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his." This is true today; he knows all his sheep and all that have this seal, and all that he hath chosen. But, in the last day, he will say to the wicked, Matthew, vii: 23, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity; I never knew you."

Now, if these two sayings of our Savior are true, to wit: 1,"I know my sheep and I know whom I have chosen, and the Lord knoweth them that are his"; and, 2, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity; I never knew you"; I say, if these are true, then, among those who are finally lost and turned into hell, there will not be one who ever was a sheep, or chosen, or sealed with this holy spirit (unto the day of redemption).

Consequently, if any do fall from grace, they are not among those who are finally lost; but by reference to Hebrews, v 4, it is seen that, if it were possible for one to fall, he could not be renewed. Pat all these together, and it is manifest that falling from grace is impossible.

Reader, can you think that there will be some there, in the last day, who have lost their grace, that could turn upon Christ, and say, You did know me once, for I was once your sheep. I was once a believer, and you said of such, they shall never die. I ate the flesh, and drank the blood of Christ, and it was said I should live forever. I was once sealed with the holy spirit of promise (unto the day of redemption). I was once an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, and it was said I was kept by the power of God to salvation; the kingdom was prepared for me before the foundation of the world, I was once born of an incorruptible seed, even of the word of God which liveth and abideth forever; I was born of God, and it was said of me, he can not sin, for he is born of God; I was also once one of Christ’s people and Gabriel said he shall save his people from their sins, and now I must sink down to hell.

Notwithstanding all this "Fall from grace" of one of God’s children makes all this list of falsehoods true. I propose now to introduce a few plain passages on this subject. God’s word is a stubborn truth that cannot be gainsaid. Where we have a plain thus saith the Lord, reason and philosophy must give way. Mark, xiii: 22, "For false Christs and false prophets shall arise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Doubtless all believers are the elect. And this text affirms it to be impossible to deceive the elect: Job, xvii: 9, "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."

Here is ultimate salvation, unquestionably. Rom., viii: 33, Paul asks the question, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?" Why not God’s elect be charged? Answer--" It is God that justifieth (them), that is, his elect, exclusive of ail others." Who is he that condemneth (them) that is God’s elect? It is Christ that died (for them); that is, for God’s elect, exclusive of all others. The plain reasoning here is, that those whom God justifies and for Whom Christ died (justification and redemption being exactly equal in extent) can not be condemned. The eternal justice of God forbids it, and these blessings and privileges are here by the Apostle confined to the believer. In the same connection it is asked, "He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us (the elect) all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?" Here we learn that all spiritual blessings, faith, repentance, sanctification and salvation, are involved in the gift of Christ and bestowed freely for his sake. If God has delivered up his son for them, much more will he bestow all things else necessary to their eternal salvation. The gift of Christ for us (the elect) is a certain pledge that all things also will be given to us for whom Christ was given.

Again, it is said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out." They were given to Christ before they came to him, and God said of them, "They shall come to me." The end and object of giving was, that they should come. All who are thus given to Christ by the Father shall come to him, or believe upon him; these phrases are constantly used interchangeably. See verse 39-40. Those who thus come he will in nowise cast out; they will then all be saved, for he adds, "I come down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me; and this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day." The whole doctrine of this passage is, that God, in the covenant before mentioned, did give the people of his choice to Christ and it is the will of God that not one thus given shall be lost, but that all of them (the elect) should be raised up at the last any. The great Savior came into the world to carry out that will of God, and all thus given him shall come to him, believe on him and attain eternal life.

With this view, the Savior in the 17th of John prays, "As thou hast given him (Jesus) power over all flesh that he (Jesus) should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him," no more, no less.

All these passages look to one object, to-wit, the certain and infallible salvation of all the elect of God. And now as God is omnipotent, there can be no failure in this matter. Once more, John, x: 14, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and I lay down my life for the sheep (ante, in the room of), but ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep; my sheep hear my voice and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish" (not ever). If this text is true, failing from grace is absolutely false; Heb., ix:11, "But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in, once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Will eternal redemption save a sinner? Certainly; if not, what kind of redemption will? I would be willing to rest the whole argument here on this one text, for I feel sure that a redemption that is eternal, is long enough to save to the last extent. Do not forget this point.

Again, Rom., v: 7, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Much more then being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. If we have been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath. We have God’s word plainly for this, and let God be true and every man a liar that denies it. We will now call your attention to Acts, xiii:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad, and glorified God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." In this case, no more nor no less than were ordained to eternal life believed. This is a passage that can not be tortured to sustain any human system; there is only one way for the advocate of apostasy to get along with it, and that is just to say it is false. He can not say it is translated wrong, and hence just one way to escape, that is, to deny God’s word; but we have seen numbers of places where scripture, just as plainly as language can be, affirms the salvation of every one who is ever born of God.

I will close this chapter, by an extract from Wm. Gadsby: "Does salvation depend upon the unspeakable gift of Christ Jesus? For, ‘ herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ First John, iv: 10. And if it depends on the unspeakable gift of grace, upon what part of this gift does it depend? Does it depend upon the work of Christ, or upon the character he bears, or the offices he fills, or the fullness that in him dwells, or the union and relationship that subsists between him and his church? Does salvation depend upon these things jointly, or separately; or may not a sinner be interested in the whole of this grace, and be lost at last? But to make the matter as clear as possible, I ask, may not a sinner be interested in the work of Christ, that is, in his active and passive obedience on earth, and his intercession in heaven; and may he not build upon Christ, as a foundation; shelter in him, as a hiding place from the wind; rest upon him, as a resting place; bathe in him, as the fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and uncleanliness; enter into the sheep fold, by him, as the door and straight gate; trust in him, as the Lord, his rock, and fortress, and deliverer, and strength, and buckler, and as the horn of his salvation, and his high tower; may he not receive him as a prophet, priest, and king; as the captain of his salvation, his days man, his surety, advocate and mediator; may not a sinner live upon him, as the bread of heaven, the water of life, and the wine of the kingdom; may he not be interested in him, as the everlasting father and the elder brother--yea, a friend that sticketh closer than a brother; and may he not be united to him as a husband and a living head; may not his life be hid with Christ in God, and he be life of his life, body of his body, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh; in a word, may not a sinner receive Christ, as the Lord, his righteousness and strength, his portion and his all; be blessed with repentance unto life, and have Christ in him the hope of glory; be born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, blessed with the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance--and, after all this, be brought into condemnation? And, if a poor sinner be interested in all this grace, and be lost at last, then, for the Lord and truth’s sake, and for the sake of poor perishing sinners, inform us upon what salvation does absolutely depend.

"I presume it is impossible to propose to you, or any other person, a subject of greater importance; and therefore hope you will use all diligence to make the matter as clear as possible; and if, on due consideration, you conclude that no sinner can be interested in the whole of this grace, and be damned, at last, you will then, without the least reserve, inform us, what part of it a sinner may be interested in, and miss of heaven; that we may be able to form some just views of our real state, and be left no longer at an uncertainty about the grounds upon which salvation depends.

"We also earnestly wish you to inform us whether the will of man became completely perverse by the introduction of sin, or whether it was slightly injured, or whether it was injured at all; and if the former, what you and your brethren mean by ‘Free agency’ and ‘Free will,’ and if the latter, and salvation depends upon the free will, what you mean by praying that God will have mercy upon all men, and save them with an everlasting salvation, and then telling the congregation that God has done all he can to save them and the matter now rests with them, whether they will be saved or not. Surely such vain jangling can never be acceptable to God, however much it may feed the carnal mind of man; for if God has done all he can, why pray him to do more? And if he has not done all that he can, why tell the people he has? Strange as such contradictions may seem to a sensible mind, they are frequently produced in the course of one hour, by an Armenian preacher. Now, sir, depend upon it, the credit of your favorite system depends much upon these things being made to appear clear; nor can an experimental child of God be satisfied with a shuffling put off."

For the want of time and space, I will copy no more from this interesting work.