our duty and high privilege to combat and subdue every unholy disposition. Therefore, my beloved, if you are sufferers, seek diligently that heavenly aid which enables the sinner to possess his soul in patience, and imparts to all who seek aright a meek and humble spirit. If you are sufferers, seek this transforming grace without delay; and let not the sun go down upon your wrath, leaving you to lay dark schemes of hatred and revenge. "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him" (Matt. v. 25). You may possess Christian graces, fair and promising; your zeal may be fervent ; your services may be frequent; you may have eaten and drunk in God's presence, and have had much and close communion with Him; and yet, if there be that within you which makes you envious, harsh, and unforgiving, under any circumstances whatsoever, you have that which, like the worm in the opening bud, will bring a canker on the blossom, and blight your fondly-cherished hopes of future bliss. Be assured, with pride and hatred and revenge lurking in your breasts you could not be admitted into the courts of heaven, nor join the choir of angels around the throne. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. xviii. 3.) Then, cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." (Ezek. xviii. 31, 32.) May the fearful doom of the unforgiving servant bring shame and alarm to every resentful heart! May humility, such as Jesus manifested, spread and increase amongst you! May you daily more and more perceive your own unworthiness! for thus only can you perceive the wonderful love of Christ. And may that most excellent gift, the gift of charity, which is "the bond of perfectness" and of all virtues, be poured into your souls for the sake of Jesus, through whom alone you can hope for mercy, and expect the forgiveness of your innumerable sins! "How precious is the Book divine, Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, "It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts Life, light, and joy it still imparts, "This lamp, through all the tedious night THE ATHANASIAN CREED. MARK XVI. 16. "He that believeth not shall be damned." THIS, my brethren, is most undoubtedly an alarming declaration; and yet it is as true and as certain in its issue as it is fearful and unwelcome to every hearer who is not sound in his belief; for, remember, the words which I have quoted are to be found among the latest communications of our blessed Saviour, made immediately before His resumption of that heavenly glory which He, as one of the three Persons of the Godhead, had, previously to His human sufferings, enjoyed from all eternity. Frequently had He declared, that whosoever believed in Him-whosoever acknowledged implicitly His twofold nature, His offices, and His deedsshould have everlasting life, obtaining peace and pardon through Him as man's Redeemer. But, knowing at the same time our corrupted nature,— perceiving, too, that mere promises of good would not suffice to gain sinners to His service, and that the fear of evil consequences always acts as a powerful stimulant on hard and impenitent hearts, which love and kindness cannot affect, He added this terrific denunciation :- "He that believeth not shall be damned." Our Church, with that piety, wisdom, and fidelity which distinguish all her offices, has tenderly introduced not only the cheering promises of the Gospel, but also its firm and angry threatenings tenderly, I say; for would it not be as foolish, as cruel, as dangerous, and as false, to conceal from you, her members, the imminent peril of unbelief, and the inevitable consequences of sin, as it would be mistaken kindness in anxious relatives or physicians to flatter a dying patient with hopes of returning health? Now, when I stated that our Liturgy (so happily and impartially described by a well-known writer,* as "only not inspired ") faithfully and affectionately brings forward the promises of the Gospel, it surely was unnecessary to point to any particular portion or service, since, in fact, all her offices begin, continue, and end with sweet and encouraging exhortations to every offender. And, when I added that the threats, the unpalatable denunciations contained in the Bible are not withheld or kept out of hearing, but are honestly and humanely set forth, you probably perceived that I alluded especially to that valuable portion, the Athanasian Creed, which is directed to be used upon stated days in public *Robert Hall. worship. However, I cannot suppose that all are either so well instructed in the nature and uses of this ancient form of Christian faith, or so correctly acquainted with the nature of real Christian charity, as to hear without some degree of dissatisfaction the harsh assertions which have there been made. I can fancy some persons regretting its introduction and use: I can fancy others even objecting altogether to its sentiments, imagining that by repeating it we express that odious and unholy tenet of the Church of Rome, which declares all, who do not belong to the one particular system of religion, to be excluded from the pale of salvation. Thus, when the " damnatory" clauses are recited, some amongst you are perhaps inclined to say:-" These opinions are so severe, so uncharitable, so unchristian, and therefore so displeasing to my feelings, that I would wish the Creed to be laid aside." Have I expressed in these words the feelings of any of my friends? If so, I hope, before I conclude, to remove every ill-grounded objection; heartily agreeing with the great Martin Luther,* that this form of belief is the bulwark or defence of that which we all acknowledge, and which, though not written by any one of them, nor by all of them together, has been invariably termed "The Apostles' Creed." With this object in view, I shall first briefly set before you the history, and then explain the general purpose and meaning of "this confession of our Christian faith, commonly called the Creed of St. Athana * Luther de Trib. Symbolis, Oper. tom. vii. p. 138. |