243 T.AITH BUILT ON XNOWLEDGE. [DISC. IY, danger our happiness, if he that is one with God, and almighty, undertake to save us ? To him therefore we commit this great undertaking. 2. He has inconceivable treasures of knowledge, and wisdom unsearchable. He takes notice of the most se- cretand distant dangers to whichs favourites can be exposed : Hell is naked before him, and the dark coun- sels of destruction have no covering: He confounds all the policies of. darkness, and knows how to infatuate Satan, the most subtile spirit, when he contrives mis- chief against the saints. And when our own hearts, for want of foresight, run giddily, and wander into snares, he can surround us with divine light for the recovery of our wanderings, and guide us in a safe path homewards. The hidden workings of sin in the inmost chambers of the soul are open to his eyes ; Heb. iv. 12, 13. And he knows how to prevent it from bringing forth fruit unto death. But on the other hand, his own counsels are laid un- searchably deep; nor can all hell fathom or undermine them. He is supposed to be represented under the cha- racter of wisdom, _ spewing her power ; Prow. viii. 14. Counsel is mine, and soundwisdom ; I am understand- ing; I have strength. He knows how to deliver ,the godly out of every temptation, and to preserve them to his own kingdom. This glorious person is fit to he trusted with the infinite concerns of weak and ignorant creatu res. 3. His love, and compassion, and willingness to take the charge of souls, is equal to his wisdom and power. Though this be not expressed in the text, yet it is neces- sarily included ; for how could the apostle say with joy, I know whom 1 have trusted, if he knew only that he was able to save, without believing him willing? Or why should St. Paul trust hirn with so valuable a thing as his eternal welfare, ifhe did not knowhirn compassionate as well as mighty ? But his willingness is abundantly evi- dent by all that he did, and all that he suffered; to pro- cure salvation for us, for he tells us it was the very design of his coming, to seek and save that which was lost; Luke xix. 10. And he must be willing to keep that which he undertakes to seek and to save. It was his love and willingness to take care of sinners,
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