method adopted by our church for public reading. Read some portion of the Bible every day, both the Old Testament and New; read it regularly through as one great whole; read it in a spirit of prayer, and accompanying it with prayer and thanksgiving; make it your chief object to discover how the Prophets and servants of God under the Old Testament, and the Evangelists and Apostles under the New, all unite to testify of Christ as the Son of God. Search the Scriptures, then, diligently, for in them, be assured, ye have everlasting life.

To conclude, in the words of those venerable and holy men, whom I have just referred to: "It remaineth that we commend you to God, and to the Spirit of his grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or think. He removeth the scales from our eyes, the veil from our hearts, opening our understandings, that we may understand his word, enlarging our hearts, yea correcting our affections, that we may love it unto the end. O receive not so great things in vain; O despise not so great salvation. Be not like swine to tread under foot so precious things, neither yet like dogs to tear and abuse holy things. Say not to our Saviour with the Gergesites, Depart out of our coasts;' neither yet with Esau sell your birthright for a mess of pottage. If light be come into the world, love not darkness more than light; if food, if clothing, be offered, go not naked, starve not yourselves.

Remember the admonition and menacing: they that despise God's will inviting them, shall feel God's will taking vengeance of them. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessedness in the end, when God speaketh unto us to hearken; when He setteth his word before us, to read it; when He stretcheth forth his hand, and calleth, to answer, here am I, here we are, to do Thy will, O God. The Lord work a care and conscience in us to know him and serve him, that we may be acknowledged of him at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Holy Ghost be all praise and thanksgiving."

103

SERMON VII.

LITURGY. -CONFESSION OF FAITH.

ROMANS, X. 9, 10.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

FAITH in Jesus Christ is repeatedly inculcated and enforced as the fundamental principle of the Gospel, beating down the overweening self-righteousness of the Jew, and the proud philosophy of the Gentile.

"The

Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Therein is manifested the righteousness of God, i. e. the mode appointed by God for justifying sinful man" which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” Righteousness shall be imputed to us, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our

offences, and was raised again for our justification." A true faith in God, and in Jesus Christ, and more particularly in those primary articles, the death and resurrection of Christ, is required of every one who would obtain pardon, justification, salvation, at the hands of an offended God.

But in the text the apostle requires an open confession of faith. Faith is an act of the heart and mind; but it is not to rest there; it is to be avowed and acknowledged. It is to show itself (as we are elsewhere taught) by active obedience, more especially by love; it is likewise to be declared by the speech. The term employed by the apostle is expressive and instructive. "If thou shalt confess with the mouth," "confession is made.” The same phrase is used by our Lord in that awful declaration, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven.”* Whosoever shall openly acknowledge me as his Lord and Saviour in this world" in this adulterous and wicked generation," him will I openly and publicly acknowledge as my disciple in the last great day. It is employed very remarkably in one instance, where it is applied to our Lord himself, as having "witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate." Hence came, in after ages, the term Confessors, signifying such as boldly +1 Tim. vi. 13.

*Matt. x. 32.

asserted the truth in the face of the most

violent opposition. The word has been changed sometimes for another not much unlike it, viz. professing the faith. Thus we have in the office for Baptism mention of the "solemn vow, promise, and profession," which the child has made by its sureties, or which those of riper years have made for themselves. And this term has perhaps grown into more common use. The original word, however, well deserves to be retained; especially as, perhaps, without being strained or forced, it may be understood to imply an united acknowledgment or declaration made by several persons; its primary meaning being consent or agreement. And this brings us to that which I propose to make the immediate subject of the present discourse - the forms of confession of faith, or creeds, used in our church services.

The introduction of these was probably of very ancient date, and had its origin in that which was always required of candidates for baptism. It is manifest that in this instance there must have been some declaration of faith. from the very first; some renouncing of objects of false worship, and acknowledgment of the true God, and more especially of his Son Jesus Christ. Under particular circumstances, as in times of persecution, and under the prevalence of any error, this might possibly be adopted in the regular service of the church, the form being varied from time to time, as might be.