Address At The Close Of The Day

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).

There is no end to a Pastor's anxieties.  Our first care is to get you into Christ; and next, to keep you from falling.  I have a good hope, dearly beloved, that a goodly number of you have this day joined yourselves to the Lord.  But now a new anxiety begins - to get you to walk in Christ, to walk after the Spirit.  Here we are to tell you of what God our Savior is able to do for you: First, To keep you from falling all the way; Second, To present you faultless at the end.

I. To keep you from falling.

1. We are not able to keep you from falling. - Those that lean on Ministers lean on a reed shaken with the wind.  When a soul has received saving good through a Minister, he often thinks that he will be kept from falling by the same means.  He thinks, "Oh, if I had this friend always beside me to warn me, to advise me!" No, Ministers are not always by, nor Godly friends.  Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?  We may soon be taken from you, and there may come a famine of the bread. And besides, our words will not always tell.  When temptation and passions are strong, you would not give heed to us.

2. You are not able to keep yourselves from falling. - At present you know little of the weakness or wickedness of your own heart. There is nothing more deceitful than your estimate of your own strength.  Oh, if you saw your soul in all its infirmity; if you saw how every sin has its fountain in your heart; if you saw what a mere reed you are, you would cry, "Lord, hold up my goings." You may be at present strong; but stop till an inviting company occur; stop till a secret opportunity.  Oh, how many have fallen then!  At present you feel strong, your feet like hinds' feet.  So did Peter at the Lord's Table.  But stop till this burst of feeling has passed away; stop till you are asked to join in some unholy game; stop till some secret opportunity of sinning all unseen; till some bitter provocation rouses your anger, and you will find that you are weak as water, and that there is no sin that you may not fall into.

3. Our Savior God is able. - Christ deals with us as you do with your children.  They cannot go alone; you hold them: so does Christ by His Spirit.  "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms" (Hos. 11:3).  Breathe this prayer: "Lord, take me by the arms." John Newton says, "When a mother is teaching her child to walk on soft carpet, she will sometimes let it go, and it will fall, to teach it its weakness, but not so on the brink of a precipice." So the Lord will sometimes let you fall, like Peter on the waters, though not to your injury. The Shepherd layeth the sheep on His shoulder, it matters not how great the distance be; it matters not how high the mountains, how rough the path: our Savior-God is an Almighty Shepherd.  Some of you have mountains in your way to Heaven; some  of you have mountains of lusts in your hearts, and some of you have mountains of opposition: it matters not, only lie on the shoulder.  He is able to keep you, even in the darkest valley He will not stumble.

II.  To present you faultless.

1. Faultless in Righteousness. - As long as you live in your mortal body, you will be faulty in yourself. It is a soul ruining error to believe anything else.  Oh, if ye would be wise, be often looking beneath the robe of the Redeemer's righteousness to see your own deformity!  It will make you keep faster hold of His robe, and keep you washing in the fountain.  Now, when Christ brings you before the throne of God, He will clothe you with His own fine linen, and present you faultless. Oh, it is sweet to me to think how soon you shall be the righteousness of God in Him.  What a glorious righteousness that can stand the light of God's face!  Sometimes a garment appears white in dim light: when you bring it into the sunshine you see the spots.  Prize then, this divine righteousness, which is your covering.

2. Faultless in holiness. My heart sometimes sickens when I think upon the defects of believers; when I think of one Christian being fond of company, another vain, another given to evil speaking.  Oh, aim to be holy Christians - bright, shining Christians.  The Heaven is more adorned by the large bright constellations than by many insignificant stars; so God may be more glorified by one bright Christian than by many indifferent ones.  Aim at being that one.

Soon we shall be faultless.  He that began will perform it.  We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  When you lay down this body, you may say, farewell, lust, forever; farewell, my hateful pride farewell, hateful selfishness; farewell strife and envying; farewell being ashamed of Christ.  Oh, this makes death sweet indeed!  Oh, long to depart and to be with Christ!

III.  To Him be glory.

1. Oh, if anything has been done for your soul, give Him the glory! Give no praise to others; give all praise to Him.

2. And give Him the dominion too.  Yield yourselves unto Him, soul and body.