24é FATTrT AVIV!' ON KNOWLEDGE. tDISe. TiI; in the xvith and xyiith chapters of thegospel of St. John. And he .reads those words of his Lord with abundant joy, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall neverperish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.: 114y Father whichgave themme, is greater than all : and .none is. able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Iand my, Father are one ; John x. 28, 29, 30. Now, says the believer, shall .I not venture my eter- nal state, in those hands where God himself has laid it? Shall I not chuse him to be myguardian in this my weak á9d helpless state,: whom the Father has appointed for this ver.y purpose, and trusted with the care ofall his chil- .dren ? Who is so fit to be my shepherd as that glorious person to whom the Father has committed the charge of all his sheep ? God. the Father knows him well, that he is equal to the great undertaking, or else he would never have entrusted him with the souls of his chosen ones; and throughhis grace have beheld such abilities, such love, and such faithfulness in him, that he is sufficient to an- swer the weighty charge ; therefore I have intrusted him with my all, . and I know whom-Ihave trusted." Besides, says the christiau, this is the person whom Godhas ordained to take care ofhis own infinite honours, as well as of the immortal concerns of men; and where can I trust my soul better than where the all-wise God has trustedall his own glory ? The government of heaven andearth, of angels and men, is laid " uponhis should- ers," and ofhis dominion there is no bound, there is no end; Is. ix..6. Thebiggest affairs of kingdoms and na- tions; all the revolutions and concerns ol the worlds of nature, grace, and glory, are committed to Christ the Mediator ;' .:" all things are delivered into his hands by the Father ; John iii. 35. And surely, saith the christian, there is none like him to take care of my soul ; since God himself; upon a survey of all; the creation, found none like him; none so, fit to be intrusted with all his own in- finite concerns, in ail the worlds which he bath made- I know therefore whom I have believed, when I believed in. Jesus,- and I ant; persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. Secondly.: After having discovered what it is that a ehristian knows of Christ that engages his belief, and
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