him" ]
^ Phil. ii. 16.
THE christian's DUTIES.
Jude 20, 2 1 . But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the c&mifig of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ' ' ' "■'^••
IN every age there has prevailed in the Church a proneness to depart both from the principles and practice of the Gospel. St. Jude in his day, writing to the whole Christian Church respecting *' their com- mon salvation/' says, '* it was needful for him to write to them, and to exhort them all to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." At the same time he declares, that " imgodly men had crept in amongst the saints," and had not only griev- ously dishonoured the Gospel, but had " turned the very grace of God itself into lasciviijusness," and vin- dicated their licentious practices as allowed and sanc- tioned by the Gospel of Chris!'. Against the in- fluence of such pernicious examples, the Apostle was anxious to preserve all who yet maintained their in- tegrity.
* ver. 3, 4,
298 juDE, 20, 21. [1196,
tegrity. He bade them remember, that the Apostles of our Lord hadfrom the beginning taught them toexpect, that such hypocrites and apostates would arise'': and he exhorted them so to walk before God, that they might hold fast their stedfastness even to the end. The directions which he gave them were such as could not but approve themselves to their judgment, and commend themselves to their inmost souls. The same dangers to the Church are existing still ; and the same directions therefore are necessary for us, as well as for those in the Apostolic age. Permit me then to call your attention to them :
I. To the two former, as instrumental to your wel- fare—
" Build up yourselves, Brethren, on your most . holy faith" —
[It is here supposed that you have embraced the faith, and that you are standing upon the true foundation which God himself has laid in Zion. But you must not be satisfied with having believed in Christ : for St. Paul says, " As ye have re- ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving ^" Your faith is verily a " most holy faith :" in its nature, in its tendency, and in all its practical effects, it is " most holy ;" and to build up yourselves more and more upon it is your bounden duty. Seek then to advance continually in the knowledcre of it, in all its bearings, and in all its relations. View the whole mystery as planned by Infinite Wisdom, and formed into a covenant of grace ; the Father vmdertaking to accept an atonement in our behalf; the Son engaging to offer that atonement in his own sacred person ; and the Holy Spirit engaging to bring to Christ those who should be given him of the Father, and those whom he sliould purchase with his most precious blood. Eternity itself will not suffice to explore the wonders contain- ed in this mystery ; and therefore, like the holy angels, we should incessantly be searching into it, with a view to compre- hend, as far as our limited capacities can reach, the wisdom of God (lisplay(Hl in it
\Ve should seek to grow also i?i a simple reliance on the Go- spel of Christ, as of itself perfectly suited tons, and altoge- ther sufficient for the necessities of the whole world. It is impossible ever to be too jealous upon this head ; since the
mixmg " ver. 17, 18, ^ Col. ii. 6, 7.
1196.] THE christian's DUTIES. 299
mixing of any thing with this foundation will subvert it utterly, and make void all that Christ has done and suffered for Ugd _
In a realizing sense of its excellency, we should also be making higher and higher attainments. There is a rest of the mind, and a satisfaction ofthe soul, which it is our privilege to possess; and which, in its sublimer actings, approximates very nearly to the felicity of the saints above. There is no measure of this in which we should rest. We are told, that, by believing in Christ, we may be elevated to *'a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, and may already (by anticipation) receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls*" •