A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the…

3. Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand: No doubt by the Hand of Christ, is meant his Power, his Protection; the Lord's Hand is not shortened that it cannot save; he is able to save, it is in his Power to save.

3. Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand: No doubt by the Hand of Christ, is meant his Power, his Protection; the Lord's Hand is not shortned that it cannot save; he is able to save, it is in his Power to save.

They were delivered into Christ's Hand by that Holy Covenant or Compact made with the Father before the World began. And when they believe, (or by that Grace which he infuses into them) he then takes actual and fast hold of them; and there he will keep them, and never let his hold go.

They come therefore into Christ's Hand, upon the same Considerations by which they came to be his Sheep; which (as I have already opened) was seven manner of ways, viz. 1. By Election. 2. By that holy Covenant or Compact made between the Father and the Son. 3. By the Father's free Donation they were given into his Hand, delivered to him by the Father. 4. By Purchase he bought them, and so they came into his Hand. 5. By Regeneration or Transformation he hath wrought his Image upon them, and so brought them into his Hand. 6. By Conquest, he fought for them, and conquered their Enemies, and subdued their own filthy and rebellious Hearts, and so they came into his Hand. 7. They by a holy Resignation of themselves, (as being overcome by his Divine Grace) yielded themselves up into his Hands. So that he hath a sevenfold hold of them.