From sin’s tremendous curse and shame.”

And now we have not yet come to a full conviction of Salvation. The Silken Legion are gone; their banners are still flying in the gale, and their trumpets of promise are still making the air glad with melody. What cometh next? Now come those that are the actual attendants upon Salvation-or rather, that march in the rank immediately before it. There are four of these, called Repentance, Humility, Prayer, and a tender Conscience. Just before the full assurance of Salvation there marches Humility. She is of a downcast look; she is not sad, but she hath no high looks; she scarcely dares to lift her eye to the place where God’s honor dwelleth. She is often looking downwards, remembering her past estate; thinking of all the bitterness and the guilt of her previous life. She never boasts of what God has done for her, she looks to the hole of the pit and the miry clay from whence she was digged. She knows she has been washed in the blood of the Saviour, but she remembers how black she was before she was washed; and oh, she laments the past although she rejoices in the present. She feels her own weakness; she dares not stand alone; she leans on the arm of her Beloved; for she knows that she should fall to the ground unless he should constantly maintain her. Side by side with her, is her sister called Repentance, watering the ground with tears to lay the dust before the King. Wherever she goes she weeps, and if you ask her why, she will tell you she does not weep because of a fear of hell-that is all gone. The Silken Legion yonder, she tells you, have wiped all her fears away; but she weeps because she smote the Lord that loved her so well she beats her breast, and cries-

“ ’Twas you, my sins, my cruel sins,

His chief tormentors were;

Each of my crimes became a nail,

And unbelief the spear.”

The more you tell her of her Salvation, the more she weeps to think she could have rebelled against such a Saviour. She is confident that her sins are blotted out; she knows her Master has forgiven her; but she never will forgive herself. Then side by side with Repentance is one called Prayer. He is a priest, and he waves in his hand a censer full of odoriferous incense, that the way for the King may be prepared; that wherever he marches there may be a sweet perfume. Prayer riseth by midnight to call upon God; its waking eyes salute the rising sun, that it may lift up its heart to Jehovah; and when the sun is setting, Prayer will not let his wheel be hidden beneath the horizon, until in his chariot he hath carried supplication. Then in this company is the fourth of those immediately attending upon Salvation, a tender Conscience. This tender Conscience is afraid to put one foot before the other, lest it should put its foot in the wrong place. Poor tender Conscience; some despise him; but he is dear to the King’s heart. I would to God, my brethren, you and I knew more about him. I used to know a conscience so tender, that I would wish to feel it again. Then we questioned the lawfulness of every act before we committed it; and then, though it was lawful, we would stop to see if it were expedient; and if we thought it expedient, even then we would not do it, except we felt it would be abundantly honorable to the Lord our God. Every doctrine we used to scruple at, lest we should believe a lie; every ordinance we examined, lest we should commit idolatry; happy were the days when tender Conscience went with us. And now, my hearers, do you know anything about these four? Has Humility ever come to you? Has she ever abased your pride, and taught you to lie in the dust before God? Has Repentance ever watered the floor of your hearts with tears? Have you ever been led to weep in secret for your sins, and to bewail your iniquities? Has Prayer ever entered your spirit? Remember, a prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Have you learned to pray, not with the parrot’s cry, but with the heart’s ever fresh expression. Have you ever learned to pray? And lastly are you tender of Conscience, for unless your conscience is made tender, salvation has not met you, for these are the immediate attendants upon it.

And now comes Salvation in all its fulness. The “things that accompany Salvation” make a glorious march in the forefront of it-from Election down to these precious opening buds of virtue in the sinner’s heart. What a goodly array! Sure the angels do sometimes fly along in admiration, and see this long array that heralds Salvation to the heart. And now comes the precious casket set with gems and jewels. It is of God-like workmanship; no hammer was ever lifted on it; it was smitten out and fashioned upon the anvil of Eternal Might, and cast in the mould of Everlasting Wisdom; but no human hand hath ever defiled it, and it is set with jewels so unutterably precious, that if heaven and earth were sold they could never buy another Salvation! And who are those that are close around it? There are three sweet sisters that always have the custody of the treasure-you know them; their names are common in Scripture-Faith, Hope, and Love, the three divine sisters; these have Salvation in their bowels and do carry it about with them in their loins. Faith, who layeth hold on Christ, and trusteth all in him; that ventureth everything upon his blood and sacrifice, and hath no other trust. Hope, that with beaming eye looks up to Jesus Christ in glory, and expects him soon to come: looks downward, and when she sees grim Death in her way, expects that she shall pass through with victory. And thou sweet Love, the sweetest of the three; she whose words are music and whose eyes are stars; Love, also looks to Christ and is enamoured of him; loves him in all his offices, adores his presence, reverences his words; and is prepared to bind her body to the stake and die for him, who bound his body to the cross to die for her. Sweet Love, God hath well chosen to commit to thee the custody of the sacred work. Faith, Hope, and Love-say sinner, hast thou these three? Dost thou believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Dost thou hope that through the efficacy of his merits thou shalt see thy Maker’s face with joy? Dost thou love him? Say, couldst thou repeat after me,

“Jesus! I love thy charming name,

’Tis music to my ear;

Fain would I sound it out so loud

That earth and heaven might hear.

Yes, thou art precious to my soul,

My transport and my trust;

Jewels to thee are gaudy toys,

And gold is sordid dust.”

Have you these three graces? If so, you have Salvation. Having that, you are rich to all intents of bliss; for God in the Covenant is yours. Cast your eye forward; remember Election is yours, Predestination and Sovereign Decree are both yours; remember, the terrors of the law are past; the broken heart is mourning; the comforts of religion you have already received; the spiritual graces are already in the bud; you are an heir of immortality, and for you there is a glorious future. These are the “things that accompany Salvation.”

Now you must have patience with me for just a few more minutes; I must bring up the rear guard. It is impossible that with such a van guard, grace should be unattended from behind. Now see those that follow Salvation. As there were fair bright cherubs that walked in front of it-you remember still their names-Humility, Repentance, Prayer, and a tender Conscience-there are four that follow it, and march in solemn pomp into the sinner’s heart. The first of these is Gratitude-always singing, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.” And then Gratitude lays hold upon its son’s hand; the name of that son is Obedience. “O my master,” saith the heart, “thou hast done so much for me; I will obey thee”-

“Help me to run in thy commands,

’Tis a delightful road;

Nor let my heart, nor hands, nor feet,

Offend against my God.”

In company with this fair grace is one called Consecration-a pure white spirit that hath no earthliness; from its head to its foot it is all God’s, and all gold. Hear it speak-

“All that I am and all I have

Shall be for ever thine;

Whate’er my duty bids me give,

My cheerful hands resign.

And if I might make some reserve,

And duty did not call,

I love my God with zeal so great,

That I would give him all.”

Linked to this bright one, is one with a face serene and solemn, called Knowledge. “Then shall ye know when ye follow on to know the Lord.” Those that are saved understand mysteries, they know the love of Christ; they “know him, whom to know is life eternal.”

Now, have you these four? They are rather the successors of Salvation than the heralds of it. “Oh yes,” the believer can say, “I trust I have Gratitude, Obedience, Consecration, and Knowledge.” I will not weary you, but there are three shining ones that follow after these four, and I must not forget them, for they are the flower of them all. There is Zeal with eyes of fire, and heart of flame, a tongue that burneth, a hand that never wearies, and limbs that never tire; Zeal, that flies round the world with wings swifter than the lightning’s flash, and finds even then her wings too tardy for her wish. Zeal, ever ready to obey, resigning up itself for Christ, jealously affected always in a good thing. This Zeal always dwells near one that is called Communion. This, sure, is the goodliest of all the train; an angel spiritualised, an angel purified and made yet more angelic, is Communion. Communion calls in secret on its God; its God in secret sees. It is conformed to the image of Jesus; walks according to his footsteps, and lays its head perpetually on his bosom. And as a necessary consequence, on the other side of Communion-which with one hand lays hold of Zeal, is Joy-joy in the Spirit. Joy, that hath an eye more flashing than the world’s merriment ever gave to mortal beauty, with light foot trips over hills of sorrow, singing in the roughest ways, of faithfulness and love. Joy, like the nightingale, sings in the dark, and can praise God in the tempest and shout his high praises in the storm. This is indeed a fitting cherub to be in the rear of Salvation. Do not forget these other three; they are after works of the Spirit, they are high attainments-Zeal, Communion, and Joy.

Now I have almost done. Just in the rear is Perseverance, final, certain and sure. Then there follows complete Sanctification, whereby the soul is purged from every sin, and made as white and pure as God himself. Now we have come to the very rear of the army; but remember as there was an advance guard so far ahead that we could not see them, so there is a rear guard so far behind that we cannot behold them now. Let us just try to see them with the eye of faith. We have seen the army; we have traced it from the Thundering Legion, guided by the Holy Spirit, till we have finished it by complete Sanctification. Hark, I hear the silver trumpet sound; there is a glorious array behind. A guard, far, far back are coming following the steps of the conquering heroes, that have already swept our sins away. Do you not see in the fore part there is one, whom men paint a skeleton. Look at him; he is not the King’s terrors. I know thee, Death, I know thee. Miserably men have belied thee. Thou art no spectre; thine hand bears no dart; thou art not gaunt and frightful. I know thee, thou bright cherub: thou hast not in thy hand a dart, but a golden key that unlocks the gates of Paradise. Thou art fair to look upon, thy wings are like the wings of doves, covered with silver and like yellow gold. Behold this angel Death, and his successor Resurrection. I see three bright things coming; one is called Confidence, see it! it looks at Death; no fear is in its eye, no palor on its brow. See holy Confidence marches with steady steps; the cold chill stream of Death doth not freeze its blood. See behind it its brother Victory; hear him, as he cries, “O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave where is thy victory?” The last word, “victory,” is drowned amidst the shouts of angels. These bring up the rear. Angels bear the spirits of the redeemed into the bosom of the Saviour-

“Far from a world of grief and sin,

With God eternally shut in,

They are for ever blest.”

And now follow everlasting songs-“Praise him, praise him, King of kings and Lord of lords; he hath gotten him the victory. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, world without end! Hallelujah, yet again!” Let the echoes of eternity perpetually cry, “Hallelujah! for”

“things that accompany your salvation.”