The Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity, the true and only required Basis of Charity and united Christian Effort.

A

DISCOURSE,

DELIVERED AT

PHILADELPHIA, ON THE TWENTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY

OF THE

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,

MAY 17, 1846.

BY THOMAS SMYTH, D. D.

OF CHARLESTON, S. C.

PHILADELPHIA:

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,

146 CHESTNUT STREET.

At a meeting of the American Sunday-school Union, duly convened by public notice, at the Society's house, (146 Chestnut street, Philadelphia,)

AMBROSE WHITE, Esq., in the chair,

It was, on motion,

Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be presented to the Rev. Dr. SMYTH, for his sermon preached on the 17th inst., and that a copy be requested for publication.

A SERMON.

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be othewise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”—Phil. iii. 15, 16.

THIS exhortation of the apostle is addressed to christians, since he not only writes to such, but, in the very passage before us, addresses himself to "us, therefore,"—that is, "as many as be perfect." By "perfect" the apostle does not mean perfection in holiness, since he had but just before declared, that he laboured "not as though he had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

By being "perfect," therefore, the apostle means being truly christians, true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and true partakers of his blood, and of all the benefits of his righteousness, his Spirit and his interceding love. True believers are "perfect," because they have imputed to them the perfect righteousness of Christ; are perfectly justified; are under the influence of the all-perfect and sanctifying Spirit; enjoy the favour and friendship of God, "who is perfect;" and are complete and perfect in Christ, through whom they are now justified and made subjects of complete redemption.

True believers, however, that is, they who are "perfect,”— instead of considering themselves "perfect," as it regards their actual attainments, are required to cherish the same view of their deficiencies which the apostle here expresses, and to recognise their own ignorance, weakness and insufficiency. And not only so, christians are also to remember that their brethren in the Lord may be "perfect," and yet be of various minds or opinions as to many things contained in the word of God. Such differences of opinion are to be expected from the various degrees of advancement made in christian knowledge, and from the different capacity with which the truths of christianity are contemplated. They are not, therefore, to be looked upon as inconsistent with the character of a perfectly sincere believer in all the essential principles of the gospel; or of an actual partaker of all the saving benefits and blessings of that gospel. They are not to militate against the exercises of christian