purify us to a meetness for that kingdom of glory, to which our Redeemer is ascended, and where, with the Father, and with thee, O Holy Ghost! he is worthy to receive glory and honour, dominion and praise, now, henceforth, and forever.

VOL. II.-7

SERMON X.

ON TRINITY SUNDAY.

Jude, 3.

"That ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints."

THIS epistle of Jude is written to all "them that are sancti

fied by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." To us it has come, and in it we have an interest, and may find instruction. The assertion it contains of the divinity of our Lord; the striking description it gives of corrupters of the faith, and separatists from the Church; the solemn admonitions it contains to purity and constancy in our principles and practice, and its affecting allusions to past dispensations of God, as illustrative of his government towards his Church, render it a very impressive part of holy writ. But chiefly must we admire the solicitude of Jude, about the genuine doctrines of the gospel, as they were delivered by Jesus Christ. For the preservation of these, in their original purity, and the exclusion of errors and innovations from the Church, he was filled with holy anxiety. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and to exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints; for there are certain men crept in unawares, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Let us take this exhortation

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for the guide of our present meditations. It will furnish us with some hints worthy of notice and remembrance.

In the first place, we may remark, that the faith of the Church is immutable. It is the same in every age. The ingenuity of men may form new theories and divers schemes of salvation. In the proud exercise of their reason, they may think to change principles and rectify revelation. Or, in ages of lukewarmness, they may suffer fashion to become an arbitress of opinions, and subject to her capricious influence religious truth. But the counsels and declarations of God are unchangeable. They "are the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." What was the only true faith in the first ages of Christianity, is the only true faith now. Human reason cannot have added anything to the revelations of God. Whenever it attempts to mend the work of the Almighty, it can only manifest its own presumption and feebleness, and must leave those whom it undertakes to guide, in the dangerous state of perplexity and disputation. In forming our religious opinions, with regard to doctrinal points, or to the constitution or discipline of the Church, or to the application of practical rules, we should have recourse to the sacred volume. Here we may drink at the source of truth; may derive instruction from the fountain-head of knowledge. If doubts arise respecting the coincidence, or interpretation of any parts of Scripture, they should be discussed by the light which the primitive Church affords. It should be a recommendation of a religious opinion, that it wants novelty; that it is not the offspring of modern discovery; for we may be assured that there is but one scheme of salvation, but one gospel of truth, and that this scheme was fully received, that this gospel was correctly understood, by those inspired men to whom the establishment and care of the Church was first committed. Venerable antiquity is, therefore, a characteristic of religious truth. In every case, the oldest opinion in the Christian Church is the best. Had this principle been adhered to, the existence of the Holy Trinity, the interest of all men in the mediation of Christ, the divine origin and distinct

orders of the Christian priesthood, and the final administration of a retribution to every man, according to his deeds, would never have been called in question. But the human mind is never at rest. It has been prone from the beginning to leave the ways and word of God, and "to seek out" for itself "many inventions." "Be not" ye, brethren, "carried about with divers and strange doctrines." "Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein." Recur for your opinions to the sacred writings, and to the interpretations and practice of the primitive Church. These means, together with the aid of the Holy Spirit, are the only sure means of coming at "the faith once delivered to the saints."

Again. For those truths of religion, which were received by the apostles and primitive disciples of our Lord, we are to "contend;" and to contend "earnestly." But, what! is St. Jude a preacher of strife and contention, of bigotry and persecution? No; by no means. It is the duty of every man to love the truth, and that which a man loves he will cherish with ardor and protect with resolution. It is also the duty of every man to set his face against error, especially against those errors by which the revelations of God, the blessed words of eternal life, may be endangered or corrupted. This he owes to his Lord, whose cause he is bound, by the highest considerations, to protect in its purity and dignity; and he owes it to his neighbour, whom he cannot, consistently with the regard which is due to him, see estranged from the paths of truth and soberness, without feeling the most lively concern. But, in doing this, it is not necessary that he should be filled with animosity, or neglect any dictate of candor or charity towards his fellow men. The same right of judging, which he asserts for himself, he will be careful, when there are not obvious reasons for restraining it, to allow his neighbour to use for himself; and will never permit a discordance of opinion to divert the streams of his benevolence from his brother, but, on the contrary, will manifest his love, by the meekness of his wisdom and the dis

interestedness of his prayers. But, though he contends for truth and meekness, he will contend firmly. Though he opposes error with candor and charity, he will oppose it "earnestly;" not with any view to personal triumph, or to the exaltation of the party to which he belongs, but with a single eye to the glory of God and salvation of men, which the predominance of truth alone can accomplish.

There are some persons who hear all doctrines, and are satisfied with almost all they hear. In a state of easy indifference, they care not to perplex themselves with laborious inquiries about the doctrines of the gospel, wishing only that the current of opinions may pass on smoothly, and that they may pass on quietly with it. This lukewarmness is peculiarly incompatible with the spirit of the text. It proceeds from indolence, or spiritual insensibility. Every man is obligated to attend to what his Maker reveals. "The faith once delivered to the saints," must be clear and definite; for we could not otherwise be exhorted to "contend" for it. It must be sublime and interesting; for it relates to the nature of God, and our own salvation. It must be of unspeakable importance, for the Son of God came down from heaven to bring it to us, and the Holy Ghost waits to confirm it in our hearts. Every Christian, therefore, who is awakened by the power of the Gospel, will apply himself sedulously to understand what the will and the revelation. of the Lord is. Those fundamental principles of his religion which were received by "the saints" and have been maintained by the Church in all ages, will be dear to his heart. He will cherish them with such zeal and affection as he would feel for their adorable Author were he upon the earth. Delusive and dangerous is the sentiment, that it matters not what are a man's principles, provided his life be good. It is "for the faith" we are charged by the voice of inspiration to "contend." Indeed, hardly will his life be good whose principles are bad. Though a sound faith may not always render a man what he should be, yet without a sound faith it is impossible to please God. For he who cometh unto God, unless he would affront the majesty