s Holy Name.' It is Self
which, once His most treacherous foe, is now, by full and glad surrender,
His own soldier--coming over from the rebel camp into the royal army. It
is not some one else, some temporarily possessing spirit, which says
within us, 'Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee,' but our true and very
self, only changed and renewed by the power of the Holy Ghost. And when
we do that we would not, we know that 'it is no more _I_ that do it, but
sin that dwelleth in me.' Our true self is the new self, taken and won by
the love of God, and kept by the power of God.

Yes, '_kept!_' There is the promise on which we ground our prayer; or,
rather, one of the promises. For, search and look for your own
strengthening and comfort, and you will find it repeated in every part of
the Bible, from 'I am with thee, and will keep thee,' in Genesis, to 'I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,' in Revelation.

And kept _for Him!_ Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you,
when it is only the fulfilling of His own eternal purpose in creating us?
'This people have I formed _for Myself._' Not ultimately only, but
presently and continually; for He says, 'Thou shalt abide _for Me;_' and,
'He that remaineth, even he shall be _for our God_.' Are you one of His
people by faith in Jesus Christ? Then see what you are to Him. You,
personally and individually, are part of the Lord's portion (Deut. xxxii.
9) and of His inheritance (1 Kings viii. 53, and Eph. i. 18). His portion
and inheritance would not be complete without you; you are His peculiar
treasure (Ex. xix. 5); 'a _special_ people' (how warm, and loving, and
natural that expression is!) '_unto Himself_' (Deut. vii. 6). Would you
call it 'keeping,' if you had a 'special' treasure, a darling little
child, for instance, and let it run wild into all sorts of dangers all
day long, sometimes at your side, and sometimes out in the street, with
only the intention of fetching it safe home at night? If ye then, being
evil, would know better, and do better, than that, how much more shall
our Lord's keeping be true, and tender, and continual, and effectual,
when He declares us to be His peculiar treasure, purchased (See 1 Pet.
ii. 9, margin) for Himself at such unknown cost!

He will keep what thus He sought,
Safely guard the dearly bought;
Cherish that which He did choose,
Always love and never lose.

I know what some of us are thinking. 'Yes; I see i