Doctrines of Grace - Part 7

Okay, team, why don't we go ahead and make a start of it.

Who knows, maybe we'll be joined by others.

So thank you for taking seats, stage right, or wherever that is.

Well, in our six preceding sessions, we have held up to a focused view,

certain aspects of the saga of God's saving action toward his people.

We've examined its originating source, its fountainhead,

and God's sovereign electing love,

his ancient choice of a bride for the son who would become incarnate.

With the brief of a pathologist, we examine the condition in which we,

the objects of his electing love, are found imprisoned,

fast bound in sin and nature's night,

not only incapable of lending a hand to our rescue,

but actively opposing it.

We shined a spotlight upon that extraordinary declaration,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,

unfolding the meaning of Christ's death as representative and substitutionary.

He stood in the place of his people paying the price of their redemption.

He acted atoningly for each one and everyone united to him as their federal head.

His life for their life, their life in his life.

We put the crosshairs of our attention upon how Christ's atoning rescue was applied individually

to each elect beloved for whom it was paid.

How through the all-overcoming work of the Spirit,

a divine heart transplant was effected,

fashioning a new heart which freely and inexorably embraces the Savior

in joyful faith and heartfelt repentance.

Each beloved receiving the particularized wooing of the divine bridegroom.

Finally, we trace the scriptural testimony that this marriage between the elect beloved

and the divine bridegroom is a union that lasts forever.

For whom God has purposed forever to join together, none can thrust asunder.

Every blood-bought, Spirit-secured saint shall be impregnably preserved

from every vile vicissitude, each satanic stratagem, and all our own fickle infidelities.

For the Son shall lose none of those the Father gave him, nor can he.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you.

For the Son shall be up for you up for you.

final session we want to look back from the summit we have ascended and take in the whole

panorama. Or, changing the metaphor, bring what has been our searching focused analytic

eye settling on certain isolated colors and lines on the canvas to step back and take

in a complete picture and see how all comes together in a single harmonious balanced and

united whole. We do so through seven observations concerning God's saving action toward sinners.

First notice the covenantal character of salvation. The covenantal character of salvation.

One of the most remarkable things the scripture disclosed to us is that the almighty God,

the creator, makes promises. And that these promises are vitally important to our relationship with him.

And while God is neither capricious nor irrational, his personality, his person is unfathomably

mysterious and his purposes unimaginably deep. For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. If we are going to depend on God's future behavior,

it is only based upon his own declaration, his promises to us. And the wonderful reality

is that he has made such promises. And the scripture calls them covenants.

Covenants are at the center of God's saving purpose and execution. As Octavius Winslow writes,

all that God gives to his people, he gives in Christ and he gives it by covenant.

Nothing is bestowed at random. Nothing in disregard of the eternal compact of grace.

To reveal the significance of covenant, engage for a moment in a thought experiment with me.

Say the Logos, God's eternal son, takes on flesh, lays down his life and rises from the dead.

What is the value of that for sinners? Do these divine acts have intrinsic salvific value?

I think we would answer, well, no, or how would we know? There's nothing seemingly intrinsic to them.

No, their value and saving significance for sinful humanity would have to be determined by God.

This intra-Trinitarian determination, which laid the foundation for salvation, called the covenant of redemption,

whereby the Father appointed the Son as the representative of an elect people for whom he would take on flesh

and offer atonement for their sin by his own blood, so purchasing their redemption.

The Son freely assented to this mediatorial role for which he would receive as reward a redeemed people as his bride forever.

It was this compact that determined the efficacy, the value, and the fruit of Christ's mediation.

Quote, the covenant of redemption is the foundation of all of our comforts, writes Richard Sims.

For it is the eternal agreement in which God the Father and God the Son have provided for our salvation.

The unfolding of this fountainhead covenant involved other covenantal arrangements.

The covenant of works was established with Adam, requiring perfect heartfelt obedience,

with life promised as reward, but with death ensuing upon the least breach.

In this, Adam was constituted representative of all humanity,

such that the reward of his success would be imputed to all of his posterity,

as would the penalty of his failure.

The covenant of works set the conditions for the covenant of grace,

whereby for his elect, Christ fulfills the demands of the covenant of works.

Namely, a perfect obedience from the heart to God's law,

imputing to his own the record and with it the reward for his obedience.

Christ also endures for his elect the deadly curse of the covenant of works,

which rightly is their portion as sinners.

That Christ meets the conditions of the covenant of works on behalf of his elect people

makes the arrangement to them a covenant of grace.

For it rests not upon what we do or promise to do,

but upon what Christ has done on our behalf.

In the covenant of grace, writes Thomas Boston,

God freely provides a Savior and salvation by him

to poor sinners without respect to their works.

All these covenants God freely established,

determining their stipulations and binding himself

to fulfill those conditions to their purposed fruition.

So covenant is the divine architecture of salvation.

Well does Philip Dauteridge exult,

tis mine, the covenant of his grace and every promise mine,

all sprung from everlasting love and sealed by blood divine.

On my unworthy favored head, its blessings all unite,

blessings more numerous than the stars,

more lasting and more bright.

Notice, secondly,

the harmony,

the harmony of divine action and objective in salvation.

We've traced our salvation to its fountainhead

in the intra-Trinitarian covenant of redemption,

whereby the united Godhead in its eternal counsel

purposed to save a people

and, to fulfill this purpose,

assigned roles for its accomplishment.

The Father,

in particularizing electing love,

chose out of fallen humanity

a people.

These elect were given to the Son,

who would redeem them by dying in their place,

so rescuing them from the claims and curse of the broken law

and imputing to them

his own perfect obedience.

To these blood-bought elect,

the Spirit would apply the redemption

accomplished on the cross

by the Son's substitutionary suffering,

by regenerating them,

sanctifying them,

and finally and infallibly

presenting them spotless and faultless

to the Son

as his glorified bride.

Now,

to recognize this compact within the Trinity

is surely to recognize

in this divine counsel

the unity of purpose

that it entails.

Each of the divine rules

must work harmoniously

to the same end of saving a people.

Whom the Father elects,

the Son redeems,

and the Spirit sanctifies.

All the persons of the Trinity

do act,

writes John Owen,

with the same will,

purpose,

and counsel,

and to the same end.

And notice also,

as Owen observes,

the objects of election,

redemption,

and sanctification

are one and the same.

The Father elects some,

the Son redeems the same,

and the Holy Spirit sanctifies

those very persons

and no other.

Of course,

it must be so.

How could it be conceivably otherwise?

The persons of the Trinity

would never work

at cross purposes

with one another.

It could never be the case

that notwithstanding

who the Father elected

and committed to the Son,

the Son would direct

His atonement

to a different set of people

of His own choosing.

Neither can we imagine

the Spirit also going maverick

and applying Christ's

redeeming benefits

to a differing number still

on His own whim

or independent selection.

This would be absurd

to imagine.

The subjects of election,

redemption,

and sanctification

are not,

as Thomas Goodwin writes,

at random,

each group unrelated

to the other.

No.

All the work of the Trinity

is united

and harmonious.

The election of the Father,

the redemption of the Son,

and the sanctification

of the Spirit,

writes Stephen Chalmers,

Arnach,

are all but one entire work

managed by distinct persons

but designed

for the same subjects.

Now,

this may strike you

as so obvious

that the Trinity

would act harmoniously

that you wonder

why my emphasis,

and I grant you it,

should be superfluous,

but for the fact that a common

construal of Christ's atonement

disaligns the aims and actions

of the Trinity.

if we construe Christ's atonement

as aimed at the salvation

of all,

in the sense of

every single son of Adam

and daughter of Eve,

that puts its intention

out of accord

with the Father's

discriminating election.

Do you see that?

It has the Son

laying down his life

not for those

the Father had given,

rather for a wider set.

It also has the Son

dying for those

the Spirit does not

draw and sanctify.

The whole salvific work

of the Trinity

is mismatched

and discombobulated.

Surely that is implausible

for the unity of purpose

always true of the Trinity.

This construal

of the Good Shepherd

laying down his life

for more than his sheep

also involves the

embarrassment

of rendering

Christ's atonement

unavailing

for the majority

for whom it was intended

supposedly.

If his was

a universal

saving intent,

it failed

of its purpose

to the extent

that hell is populated

by those for whom

Christ died atoningly.

They somehow

slipped through

his saving hands.

they were,

alas,

beyond the reach

of his saving arm.

Fumbling saving arm,

we might add.

Which,

to assert,

states John Owen,

seems to us

blasphemously injurious

to the wisdom,

power,

and perfection

of God,

as likewise

derogatory

to the worth

and value

of the death

of Christ.

Well,

might we ask

an answer

with Spurgeon,

if Jesus died

for all men alike,

then why

is not the Spirit

given to all men alike?

Shall the Father

elect in vain?

Shall the Son

bleed in vain?

And shall the Spirit

strive in vain?

Impossible!

So I,

and I hope we,

can scarcely

disagree with Spurgeon

when he affirms

there is

no discord

in the works

of God.

The Father's purpose,

the Son's atonement,

and the Spirit's work

are one salvation,

moving forward

with one design,

and crowned

with one success.

Amen.

Notice,

thirdly,

salvation is

from first to last

a work of grace.

God's saving action

had its spring

in his own

unconstrained

good pleasure.

No claim of right

could have compelled

God to relieve sinners

from their self-inflicted

ministry.

He would have done

humanity

no wrong

in leaving them

in their damnation

as eternal monuments

to God's justice.

Every mouth

would be stopped

in the judgment

for no appeal

could have had

any ground.

And yet,

it was God's

good pleasure

to show his mercy

to a multitude

of unworthy rebels

and make them

recipients

of his saving favor.

All of grace

in its inception,

God's salvation

is all of grace

in its unfolding.

It proceeds

towards us

not simply

as the

undeserving,

but as the

ill-deserving.

That telling word

in Psalm 106

makes the point.

Nevertheless,

he saved them.

What was true

of us,

the saved of God,

which calls

for this

nevertheless?

Moses raises

the veil

in the previous verse.

We understood

not

implies

we are

uncomprehending.

We remembered

not the multitude

of mercies,

pegs us

as thankless

ingrates.

Provoked him,

we provoked him,

attests we

continually provoke

God to his face.

There we are,

sisters and brothers.

Such is

our profile.

Such are we

whom free

grace saves

and who the

God of all grace

graciously

condescends

to make anew

and to take

into fellowship

eternally.

When there was

nothing to

commend us,

but every

reason for

us to be

cast away,

nevertheless.

Neither do we,

as to our salvation,

contribute a

farthing of merit

to add

of our own.

Neither could we.

For a

mere

hapenny of

merit

would

alloy

grace

and

mingle

free

gift

with

earned

wage.

As Richard

Sims writes,

we bring

nothing to

God

but sin

and misery.

He brings

mercy

and salvation.

All

is grace

from first

to last.

Christ.

So,

it is not

that our

salvation is

even especially

by grace.

It is

exclusively

by grace.

As Spurgeon

pointedly puts

it,

if there be

one stitch

in the garment

of our

righteousness

which we

have put

there ourselves,

it is

hopelessly

rent from

top to

bottom.

Grace

must be

absolute

or it is

no grace

at all.

This

vivid

truth

is

portrayed

by a

reflection

of Spurgeon

upon God's

ordinance

concerning

the stones

of his

altar

in Exodus

20.

If

thou

lift

up

thy

tool

upon

it,

thou

hast

polluted

it.

Spurgeon

writes,

God's

altar

was to

be

built

of

unhewn

stones

that

no trace

of human

skill

or labor

might be

seen

upon it.

The

proud

heart

of man

is very

anxious

to have

a hand

in the

justification

of the

soul

before

God.

Preparations

for Christ

are dreamed

of,

humblings

and repentings

are trusted

in,

good works

are cried

up,

natural

ability

is much

vaunted,

and by

all means

the attempt

is made

to lift

up human

tools

upon

the

divine

altar.

It

were

well,

he

continues,

it

were

well

if

sinners

would

remember

that

so

far

from

perfecting

the

Savior's

work,

their

carnal

confidences

only pollute

and dishonor it.

The Lord

alone

must be

exalted

in the

work of

atonement,

and not

a single

mark of

man's

chisel

or hammer

will be

endured.

There is

an inherent

blasphemy

in seeking

to add

to what

Christ

Jesus

in his

dying

moments

declared

to be

finished,

or to

improve

that

in which

the Lord

Jehovah

finds

perfect

satisfaction.

Our

salvation

commenced

by grace

and

continued

by grace

shall

also

be

completed

by grace.

He

who laid

the

foundation

stone

shall

assuredly

lay

the

final

capstone.

As it

was said

of

Zerubbabel,

the architect

of the

temple,

so it

shall be

with the

true

Zerubbabel,

the Lord

Christ,

the builder

and maker

of the

temple

of his

redeemed

people.

Zechariah

4,

7 says,

and he

shall

bring forth

the top

stone

amidst

shouts

of grace,

grace to

it.

God's

salvation

of his

people

from

first

to

last,

from

foundation

stone

to

capstone

is

all

of

grace.

And

notice

fourthly,

salvation

is as

sure

and

secure

as

God's

almighty

purpose.

That

God is

the

author

and

architect

of our

salvation

is

its

security.

And

what

God

begins

with

purpose

to

complete,

he

invariably

carries

to

completion.

Faithful

is he

who has

called

you.

He

shall

bring

it

to

pass.

1 Thessalonians

524.

If salvation

be in

any sense

a work

of man,

it is

insecure,

hopelessly

so.

For

that which

man does,

man

may

undo.

As

Spurgeon

puts it,

he who

converts

himself

one day

may

unconvert

himself

the next.

he

that

tie

a knot

with

his

own

fingers

can

surely

loosen

that

knot.

But

thankfully,

as Jonah

reminds us

from the

deep,

salvation

belongs

to the

Lord.

Jonah

2.9

How is

this so?

Well,

salvation

is parsed

out within

the Trinity

in the

covenant

of redemption.

And let's

consider the

security of

each part

each one

takes in

hand.

The

Father's

choice,

his choice

of his

own,

will

stand

as his

calling

is

irrevocable.

Romans

11.29

As

Thomas

Watson

writes,

God's

decree

of election

is

unchangeable.

He

will not

blot out

the names

written in

the book

of life.

John

Owen makes

the point

citing the

apostle to

the Romans.

Whom

God

calls,

he

justifies.

Whom

he

justifies,

he

glorifies.

There

is no

such

thing

as a

call

that

does

not

issue

in

glory.

As

Thomas

Goodwin

pithily

states it,

the

perseverance

of the

saints

is

nothing

else

but the

immutability

of God's

decree

taking

effect

in time.

We

really need

to go

no further

to establish

the sure

security

of the

elect,

but let's

move now

from the

Father and

the

immutability

of the

decree,

which secures

our salvation,

to the

Son,

and the

effectiveness

of his

atonement,

which also

secures

salvation.

The

Son,

in his

atonement,

suffers the

wrath imposed

by the

Father as

judgment for

the sins

of his

people,

so

satisfying

the

ransom

to set

them

free.

His

righteous

record is

imputed

to the

elect,

such

that they

are

accepted

in him,

the

beloved.

That

verdict,

spoken over

the Son

in his

baptism,

is thus

ours.

There

remains,

therefore,

no condemnation

for those

who are in

Christ Jesus.

Romans 8.

The

elect,

for whom

Christ bled

as substitute,

are by

his atoning

death,

released

and remitted

from all

their sin.

And in

Christ's

vicarious

righteousness,

imputed

to their

account,

what

possible

charge

could

impugn

their

record

or subvert

their

security.

Here,

we cannot

but lapse

into Pauline

language.

Who

shall bring

a charge

against

God's

elect?

It is

God

who

justifies.

Who

is there

to

condemn?

Romans 8.

33.

Where we

tend to

go wrong

and skew

the biblical

witness

is that

seeking to

magnify the

saving grace

of God

and the

saving power

of Christ,

we declare

that God's

redeeming love

extends to

every person

and assert

that Christ

has died

to save

every last

one.

We propose

that this

is the

magnifying

measure

of God's

saving

grandeur.

But then,

to avoid

universalism,

that is,

God saves

all,

well,

then we

have to

dilute the

efficacy

of the

cross

and depreciate

the effectiveness

of God's

saving

purpose.

For we

must say

that,

after all,

nothing God

has purposed

or nothing

Christ has

done

can save

us unless

we add

something

ourselves.

The decisive

factor,

the ultimate

pivot in the

matter,

is our

self-generated

repentance

and faith.

But,

surely,

this is to

say that

Christ saves

us with

our help.

Or,

in fact,

somewhat

discordantly,

but no

less truly,

we save

ourselves

with Christ's

help.

For,

ultimately,

the issue

would hang

upon us.

The irony

is,

in a

misguided

effort to

magnify God's

saving work,

we've

diminished it.

It cannot

finally and

assuredly save.

The security

of divine

election and

atonement

is dissolved

into human

contingency

with the

frailty and

fragility of

a butterfly's

wing and

the evanescence

of a red

horizon at

sundown.

Ah,

but thankfully,

such is not

our precarious

position in

God's saving

hands.

No,

the Father

has entrusted

the elect

to Christ

to redeem

by laying

down his

life in

ransom for

them.

And as

Jesus assures

us,

in John

6,

37-39,

all that

the Father

gives me

will come

to me,

and whoever

comes to

me,

I will

never cast

out.

For I

have come

down from

heaven,

not to do

my own

will,

but the

will of

him who

sent me,

the Father.

And this

is the

will of

him who

sent me,

the Father,

that I

should lose

nothing of

all that

he has

given me,

but raise

it up on

the last

day.

These

are the

hands our

salvation

is in.

No one,

no one,

says Jesus,

will snatch

them out of

my hand.

my Father

who has

given them

to me

is greater

than all,

and no

one is

able to

snatch

them out

of the

Father's

hand.

John 10,

28-29.

This

promise of

Jesus is

fulfilled by

one final

divine

handoff

for the

closing play

of salvation,

where the

Spirit

closes us

with Christ,

as the

Puritans

love to

put it,

uniting

us to

the Savior,

in whom

are all

the blood-bought

benefits of

his vicarious

life and

death.

That sweet

exchange of

our sinfulness

for his

righteousness.

New

spiritual life

imparted and

effectually

nurtured till

it is

consummated in

glory.

glory.

As we

have said,

if God

lays the

first

foundation

stone,

he shall

assuredly

lay the

crowning

capstone.

As

William

Cooper penned,

dear dying

lamb,

thy precious

blood shall

never lose

its power

till all

the ransomed

church of

God be

saved to

sin no

more.

Or as

Francis Ridley

Havergal

reassures,

if any

doubt could

conceivably

remain,

O sorrowing

sinner,

well he

knew,

ere time

began what

he would

do.

Then rest

thy hope

within the

veil.

His

covenant

mercies

shall not

fail.

O doubting

one,

eternal

three are

pledged in

faithfulness

for thee.

Claim

every promise

sweet and

sure by

covenant

oath of

God

secure.

And

notice

fifthly,

our

salvation,

in our

salvation,

all glory

goes to

God.

Who

made us?

God.

Who

remade

us?

God.

Why?

To what

purpose did

he make

and remake

us?

Well,

the well

catechized

will rightly

answer,

for his

own glory.

Psalm 106

expresses the

grand end

of our

salvation this

way.

He saved

them for

his

namesake.

Psalm 106,

8.

What does

that mean?

It means

he saved

us to

show his

name.

That is,

give a

revelation of

what he is

like,

his nature,

and his

attributes.

He saves

us to

display his

glory and

excellency.

And while

God shows

us something

of himself

in his

creation,

the sun,

moon,

and stars,

and scattered

flowers over

the green and

laughing earth,

he shows

himself most

excellently

on the

platform of

salvation.

The phrase is

Spurgeon's,

who continues,

it was,

so to speak,

the balcony

on which God

stepped to

show himself.

The balcony

of salvation.

Here,

he manifests

himself by

saving souls.

Here it is

seen in

sparkling

luminescence,

his love,

justice,

power,

faithfulness,

in a word,

glory.

As Burroughs,

Jeremiah Burroughs

observes,

the Lord takes

delight in

no work like

this work.

This is

the masterpiece

of God

and his

glory.

And the

reason why

salvation can

not simply

be an

excellent

display of

his glory,

but also

an exclusive

display of

his glory,

is because,

as John

Owen puts

it,

the whole

work of

our redemption

in its

contrivance,

constitution,

and accomplishment

is of God

and not of

ourselves,

and therefore

all the

glory of

it belong

solely unto

him.

Stephen

Charnock

echoes

this truth.

God

is the

author

of all

the good

in salvation,

and man

is only

the subject

of it.

He finds

us dead

and gives

us life,

finds us

enemies

and makes

us friends.

All is

from God,

nothing

from ourselves.

Tavius

Winslow

heartily

resonates.

Christ

is all

in the

great work

of salvation.

He began

it,

he carries

it on,

and he

will

complete it.

Not a

particle

of the

glory

belongs

to the

sinner.

And how

could it

be otherwise?

What

possible

rightful

glory could

be siphoned

off to

us

sinners?

As Watson

rightly

reminds us,

we bring

nothing to

our salvation

but the

sin that

made it

necessary.

No.

We are

on solid,

and should

we say

hallowed

ground,

in affirming

the crown

of glory

and salvation

fits no

other brow

than God's

alone.

He

alone,

to him

alone,

belongs

all

adoration

and all

acclaim.

And does

this not

express

the impulse

of your

redeemed

heart

to say

with the

psalmist,

not to

us,

not to

us,

but to

your name

be glory.

Psalm 115.

1.

And notice

finally,

or sixthly,

God is

all

sovereign

in salvation.

This is

simply a

specific

application

of God's

sovereignty

in all

things.

The

amplified

assertion

of our

first study.

God works

all things

after the

counsel of

his will,

Ephesians

1.

And our

salvation

is no

exception.

God is

the source,

the means,

and the

end of

everything

that is,

both in

nature and

in grace.

For

from him

and through

him and

to him

are all

things,

affirms the

apostle in

Romans 11.

36.

The

sovereignty

of God,

writes

Samuel

Rutherford,

layeth the

key of

salvation

upon

Christ's

shoulder

and leaves

no share

of it

to the

creature.

I should

have read

that softly

because that's

from his

letters.

And Samuel

Rutherford's

letters are

so gentle.

Winslow,

Octavius

Winslow,

is of the

same conviction.

The

sovereign

grace of

God lies

at the

foundation of

our salvation.

From his

own free

and eternal

love it

sprang,

and by

that same

love it

is carried

on.

Denial

of God's

sovereignty,

apart from

being a

hopeless

cross-current

to the

whole stream

of Scripture,

miscasts

the Almighty

in relation

to the

sinner

and

misconstrues

Christ's

gracious

gospel

invitations.

within this

throng

framework,

Christ's

appeals

take on

the character

quote,

not as

expressions

of the

tender

patience

of a

mighty

sovereign,

writes

Packer,

but as

the pathetic

pleadings of

impotent

desire.

And so

the

enthroned

Lord is

suddenly

metamorphosed

into a

weak,

futile

figure

tapping

forlornly

at the

door of

the human

heart,

which he

is powerless

to open.

This is from

the introduction

to John

Owens,

the death

of death

and death

of Christ.

If you

ever want

to read

anything

that is

unbelievably

clarifying

about

salvation

other than

Scripture,

that is

the essay

to read.

J.I.

Packer's

introduction

to John

Owens,

the death

of death

and the

death

of Christ.

Yeah.

It's

difficult

to suppress

the suspicion

that this

common

denial

of God's

sovereignty

has its

inveterate

appeal

in part

because it

reinforces

the supposition

of our

sinful

hearts

which are

flattered

to entertain

and loathed

to abandon.

The presupposition

that we

are the

masters of

our destiny,

that in

our own

hand lies

the scepter

of our

fate.

Simply to

state this

boldly is,

I trust,

sufficient

for its

dismissal.

It is

a conviction

not

seaworthy

and wrecked

on the

Gibraltar

of the

Lord

Christ

as the

author

and

completer

of our

faith.

Hebrews

12.

2.

In our

sober

moments of

insight and

self-knowledge,

do we not

resonate

with the

testimony of

Spurgeon?

I believe

the doctrine

of election

because I

am quite

sure that

if God

had not

chosen me,

I should

never have

chosen him.

And I

am sure

he chose

me before

I was

born,

or else

he would

never have

chosen me

afterwards.

And if

this seems

undeniably

true to

you,

be of

good cheer,

for it

is solid

testimony

that his

sovereign

grace has

been savingly

at work

in you.

But let

us conclude

and with

this

epitome

as to

the doctrines

of grace,

I called

it seven,

finally.

Very

simple

summary,

the whole

time together.

God

saves

sinners.

And I

want in

conclusion

to accent

that middle

term,

saves,

with the

claim that

God

actually

saves

sinners,

for he

is,

as Isaiah

exalts,

mighty to

save.

Isaiah

63,

1.

God

does not

cast up

some

construction

for the

possibility

of salvation.

Christ

carries

each

of his

elect

fully

across

the river

of judgment,

safely

onto the

shores

of salvation.

He