THE SURE ANCHOR; OR, SALVATION INSEPARABLE FROM REGENERATION. BY GEORGE ALBERT ROGERS, M.A., Perpetual Curate of Penkridge, and Domestic Chaplain to the LONDON: J. H. JACKSON, ISLINGTON GREEN; SEELEY, BURNSIDE, AND SEELEY, FLEET STREET; HATCHARD AND SON, PICCADILLY. MDCCCXLV. "The utmost care should be taken, especially in a declining and dead state of the church, or when corruptions of doctrine are rife, or fundamental controversies on the sacraments agitated, and when there is an imminent danger of the abuse of sacramental expressions, to use with more caution the ECCLESIASTICAL AND WIDER MEANING in our popular addresses, and to dwell more on their SIMPLE AND ABSTRACT, AND DIRECTLY SPIRITUAL AND SAVING IMPORT. Bishop of Calcutta's Exposition of the Colossians. INTRODUCTION. "BRETHREN, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." Such are the emphatic words addressed by the apostle Peter to the church. We learn from them three great truths. First, THAT ASSURANCE OF SALVATION ATTAINABLE IN THIS LIFE; otherwise the exhortation would be useless. IS Secondly, THAT ASSURANCE OF SALVATION IS IMPORTANT; otherwise the exhortation would not be given at all. And thirdly, THAT BELIEVERS MAY ATTAIN ASSURANCE OF SALVATION BY DILIGENCE. The command to "give diligence," implies the certainty of attaining it upon diligence being given. And yet, how few professing Christians have given any diligence at all to attain this assurance ! How painfully just is the remark of an old divine, who says, "Go through a congrega B |