aspiration that never can clothe themselves in the flesh of reality,
which belong to the Christian life, declare that this is but the first
stage of the structure, and point onwards to the time when the
imperfections shall be swept away, 'and for brass He will bring gold,
for iron He will bring silver,' and then the windows shall be set 'in
agates, and the gates in carbuncles, and all the borders in pleasant
stones.' Perfect salvation is obviously the only issue of the present
imperfect salvation.

That is what you are 'kept' for. That is what Christ died to bring you.
That is what God, like a patient workman bringing out the pattern in his
loom by many a throw of a sharp-pointed shuttle, and much twisting of
the threads into patterns, is trying to make of you, and that is what
Christ on the Cross has died to effect. Brethren, let us think more than
we do, not only of the partial beginnings here, but of that perfect
salvation for which Christian men are being 'kept' and guarded, and
which, if you and I will observe the conditions, is as sure to come as
that X, Y, Z follow A, B, C. That is what we are kept for.

II. Notice what we are guarded by.

'The _power_ of God,' says Peter, laying hold of the most general
expression that he can find, not caring to define ways and means, but
pointing to the one great force that is sure to do it.

Now if we were to translate with perfect literality, we should read, not
_by_ the power of God, but _in_ the power of God. And whilst it is quite
probable that what Peter meant was 'by,' I think it adds great force and
beauty to the passage, and is entirely accordant with the military
metaphor, which I have already pointed out, if we keep the simple local
sense of the word, and read, 'guarded _in_ the power of God.' And that
suggests a whole stream of Scriptural representations, both in the Old
and in the New Testament. Let me recall one or two. 'The name of the
Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe.' 'He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.' 'Israel shall dwell safely,' says one of the
old prophets, 'in unwalled villages, for I will be a wall of fire round
about her.' The psalmist said, 'The Angel of the Lord encampeth round
about them that fear Him.' And all these representations concur in this
one thought, that we are safe, enclosed in God, and that He, by His
power, compasses us about. And so no