which after being "militant on earth," resisting the host of adversaries here, shall be triumphant in Heaven. "Built on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Christ himself is the chief Corner-stone: in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a Holy Temple in the Lord."* That Church must be" Holy," for "Christ gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it:"† and it is "Catholic," for he gave his Apostles commission to "teach all nations," and its members are "redeemed to God, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." But to call any particular Church, "Catholic," that is universal, or "infallible," when every successive member of it is fallible-is an inconsistency, not to be found in the Church of England's faith.

Saints are holy persons: the term by some of the Epistles might seem to belong to those baptized into the Church. By such fellowship as becometh "Saints," all Christians are to uphold the Church of Christ. Possessing the same spiritual blessings, heirs of the same promises, our Communion is to be of love and charity; "not forsaking the assembling together," but "giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light."¶ Ha

* Ephes. ii. 20. ↑ Ephes. v. 25-26.

Matthew xxviii. 19.

Rev. v. 9. § Heb. x. 25.

Col. i. 12.

tred, strife, envy, variance, wrath, with these "the unfruitful works of darkness, Christians are to have no fellowship.' ""* Those persons cannot understand this article of their faith who, from slight differences on points of no vital importance, are anxious to break the unity of the Church, or who on any presumed incompetency in its local or temporary administration, estrange themselves from its public worship. Hear the language of Apostolic zeal in St. Paul's address to his Corinthian Converts, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind. and in the same judgment."†

The blessings conferred by our Lord on his Holy Church, on the members of its union in charity and love, our Creed concludes by reciting. These are the forgiveness of our sins on earth, and the admission into our Lord's Kingdom in Heaven. Sinners from the corruption of our nature, sinners from our actual and personal transgression of God's commands, God sent his Son on earth to release us from the penalty denounced and deserved. "Christ his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree:" and "he is the propitiation for our sins."|| But, can any hope to be forgiven the * Eph. v. 11. † 1 Cor. i. 10. ‡ 1 Peter ii. 24. || 1 John ii. 2.

sins for which he is not sorry? Can any expect to be saved, while he disbelieves the means appointed for his Salvation? No, my Christian brethren, the whole Gospel teaches that without repentance and without faith, there is no share in Christ's atonement, there is no forgiveness for the sinner. To believe this article of your faith then, is to repent in Godly sorrow for your sins, and to receive into your hearts the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.

"Risen from the dead, our Lord became the first fruits of them that slept."* In his crucified body, as is evident from his conviction of the incredulous Apostle, he rose from the dead. Even so early as the time of the Patriarch, that the Redeemer lived, and that in his flesh, after worms should destroy his body, Job should yet see God, was at least his individual belief. In what manner the two elements of which man consists are united together, or how the scattered particles after dispersion and dissolution are to be reunited we know not. But in that most interesting Chapter of St. Paul's address to the Corinthians, which our Church has transferred into the burial service, we have a full confirmation of the Creed of the Church, when he "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."† Immortal-subject to no other death-unchangeable-without end-that this is the * 1 Corinthians xv. 20. † 1 Corinthians xv. 53.

says

property of the life which is to come after this life, every passage in the Scriptures which speaks of the final destination of man, decidedly pronounces. Indeed to the idea of Christian reward and punishment, this seems essential for to be in continued expectation of an end to our happiness, would be a state of misery, while to know that our torments would have an end, would be to change them into trials-into expiations-into means to procure, or ways to arrive at happiness. Figurative in some respects the Scriptural descriptions of a future state may be, but words in a literal sense cannot more strongly speak their eternity. Our Lord in his account of the awful day of general retribution-the resurrection of the just and of the unjust says, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."* With this most important object of a Christian's belief, with this awful state of the whole rational world for all eternity, your Creed concludes. Be it yours, my Christian brethren, to place your reliance on the merits and the mediation of your Redeemer, your hope in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, that "being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you may have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life."†

NOTE. For observations on the Nicene and Athanasian Creed, vide Sermon the Eleventh.

* Matthew xxv. 46. † Romans vi. 22.

SERMON IX.

ON THE LITANY.

1 TIMOTHY II. 1.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

WE are now arrived at that office called in your Prayer books the Litany, or as that word by its derivation means the General Supplication. It is an office of peculiar solemnity and calls for a distinct discourse, to illustrate its objects, to explain its arrangement, and to enable the congregation to join with understanding and with fervour in its petitions. It is also called the General Supplication, for though the sentences in it are addresses to God from the Minister, the congregation immediately make each their own, either by repeating it, or by some form of appropriate words which they recite after him. The drift of the whole is, a supplication that God would