continue to be fo ftill; nothing must be added to it, or taken from it. Perhaps there never was a time which required fo much steady attention to this matter as the prefent; when an itch for novelty feems to prevail, beyond any thing of the kind, that has been hitherto obferved. Every age, no doubt, has had that common failing of imagining itself to be wifer than any that preceded it. But the wisdom of this age pretends to carry the point much farther than ever was attempted before; and nothing more is neceffary now to fet afide the most venerable truths, and inftitutions of religion, than merely to fay, that they are old and obfolete, and founded on fuch antiquated notions, as are totally inconfiftent with that more juft and liberal view of things, which is the pride of this enlightened age. Thus are mankind led away by the mere force of fashion, and bullied out of their religion, out of every thing that is valuable and good, by a few bold unmeaning words, which ferve only to fhew the folly and confidence of thofe that use them. Such perfons, we may obferve, are ever on the wing of fpeculation, devifing new theories both of facred and civil government; and when any difagreeable truth ftands in their way, they have only to hold it up, as an exploded doctrine,—a remnant of that hateful thing called Prieftcraft; which immediately does the bufinefs, and faves the trouble of any farther reafoning on the subject.

Thefe

These are the errors and delufions, with which all found and fincere Chriftians have to contend, and to carry on the conteft in that earnest manner, which an apostle fo warmly recommends :* A conteft, which it was never more neceffary than at prefent, to urge with fervour, and profecute with zeal and firmness-a zeal proportionate to the danger to which the true faith of Chrift is now expofed, both from the bold attempts of avowed enemies, and the infidious aid of pretended friends, appearing outwardly to fupport, but fecretly undermining the foundation of that authority, on which refts our belief of the Christian doctrine. In defence of that doctrine, the credibility of which is fo openly attacked by infidelity on the one hand, and its purity no less endangered by enthusiasm on the other, we must therefore ftrive to arm ourselves with fuch weapons as are beft calculated for repelling the af fault made on it, and the injury done to it, by each of these powerful, but, we truft, not invincible adverfaries. From the manner in which the apoftle exhorts us to pursue this arduous contest, it is evident, that by the faith once for all delivered to the faints, we are to understand, not an inward conviction of the truth of the Chriftian doctrine, or that affurance of faith, which fome modern preachers boast of, as the peculiar privilege of their faints, but fomething that could be delivered in an outward

and

St. Jude, §.

and public manner, could be read, or heard like the "form of found words" mentioned by St. Paul, which Timothy was directed to "hold fast ;" that fo he might hand it down to the Christian church, as a model of what was to be profeffed and believed in that church, to the end of the world. Accordingly it is by fuch a fummary of the Chriftian faith, that the church to which we belong continues, and I trust, will continue, to profess her belief in the adorable THREE who fubfift, with equal power, majesty and eternity, in the unity of the Godhead, and bear record in heaven to the merciful scheme of man's falvation. By fuch a concise and well-compofed form of found words, we are taught to afcribe our creation to the Father Almighty," our redemption to "his only Son Jefus Chrift our Lord," and our fanctification to "the Holy Ghost;" adding alfo our faith in "one holy, catholic church," that mystical body, of which Chrift is the glorious Head, and in which is enjoyed "the communion "of faints," bleffed with the promise of "forgive"ness of fins" in this world, and of the "resur"rection from the dead, and everlasting life" in the world to come. This is undoubtedly the faith, which Christ established in his church, and which he authorised his apoftles to deliver from him, as a facred privilege or bleffing to his people, to be received and preferved as fuch, whole and entire, till he should come again to give a

crown of

righteousness,"

Tim. i. 13.

"righteousness," to all them, who fhall thus "have kept the faith, and love his appearing."

For the preservation therefore of such a bleffing, the fum and fubftance of all the good things which Christ has made over to his church, and in the hope of that glorious reward, which he has promised to fuch fidelity, it is furely the interest, as much as the duty of all Christians, to contend in the most earnest manner; and they cannot do so more effectually, than by holding out the end and object of their faith in the fame uniform light, in which it has ever been reprefented, as the effect of that divine immutable counsel, which admits of no change or variation, and fo makes the volume of revelation speak a clear, confiftent language from beginning to end. It begins with the creation of the world, and the formation of man, and it ends with the last judgment, and confummation of all things; and thro' the whole period defcribed in the Old Teftament, we see a regular chain and feries of well connected events, all leading on to the incarnation of the promised Redeemer, and directing the attention of God's faithful people to that great mystery of godlinefs, God manifefted in the flefh. It was to this mysterious accomplishment of the Divine counsel, that the law and the prophets looked forward; and what was fo long fhadowed out in their typical rites, and figurative language, was at last most happily exhibited in all its fubftance, under the difpenfation of the gofpel; which is therefore to be confidered

aş

as fulfilling the law. juft as the law was predicting the gospel, and both are to be viewed as confti. tuting one beautiful and confiftent scheme of falvation.

It is by adhering to this unity of defign, and placing things in their proper form and order, that the faith of a Chriftian is built on fuch a firm and folid foundation, as man cannot lay; but which was graciously laid for him in the will and counfel of his God before the world began, and gradually manifested in all the outlines of the marvellous plan, according to the wisdom of its Almighty contriver. When things are thus traced back to their proper fource, we can easily perceive the inftructive defign of thofe facred emblems, under which the knowledge of God's merciful purpose, and goodwill towards men, is fo beautifully conveyed to us: And it is in this view, that we are taught to behold: the ancient patriarchs, prophets, priests and kings, as typic characters, and their feveral offices, and the more remarkable passages of their lives, as forefhewing Him, who was to arife, as the Head of the holy family, the great Prophet, the true Prieft, the everlasting King. Thus the events which hap

pened

See this fubject admirably illuftrated in the preface to Bishop Horne's excellent Commentary on the book of Pfalms, which his biographer juftly calls the greatest work of his life, and of which the author himself gave this account, foon after it was begun. "The work delights me greatly, and seems, "fo far as I can judge of my own turn and talents, to fuit me the best of any "I can think of. May he, who hath the Key of David, profper it in my