and happy may she be to suffer with the Captain of her salvation here on earth, that she may be "glorified together with Him," as His Church, hereafter in heaven.

But

In the spirit of that charity which is the union of faith and hope, she proclaims the glad tidings of salvation to all men. with this proclamation of "glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards men," she holds in her right hand the terms of peace, the conditions of salvation. She authorizes no principle of charity which is independent of repentance, faith, and obedience. She is diligent to affirm this faithful saying, " that they who believe in God, be careful to maintain good works." Acting upon the same spirit of true charity, while she pronounces the promise of the Gospel covenant to be eternal life to all that repent and believe; she warns us of the inevitable truth, that they who neither repent nor believe, shall, "without doubt, perish everlastingly ;" shall " depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

She "cannot go beyond the word of the Lord her God, to do less or more."

She

dare not "take away, nor add unto the words of the Book of Life, which God hath delivered to her." She deceives not her children with vain hopes; but points out to them "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus :" instructing them not only to " receive the Lord Jesus Christ," but also, "to walk with Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the Faith;" " being thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things."

SECTION III.

And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance.

That the doctrine of the Trinity is a Scripture doctrine, and therefore of Divine origin, is evident from this; That the Word of God is the only source whence it is derived. It becomes Christians, there

fore, to approach this great "mystery of Faith," with humility and godly fear. With the patriarch we must confess, that "surely the Lord is in this place," and we are standing upon "holy ground." Who by searching can find out God unto perfection? "It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know? Such knowledge is too wonderful for us." Whatever we know of the Almighty, hath been revealed by Himself. With this we must be satisfied. To His revelation we must submit our finite capacities, our feeble powers of understanding; remembering, that all the faculties of our souls are the gift of God: and as we owe their existence to Him, so ought we to keep them entirely subservient to His will.

To believe that which we cannot understand, upon the authority of the Word of God, is the strongest exercise of Faith, of which the human soul is capable: it is an implicit reliance upon Him, as "the God

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of all truth." In this sense, may the words of Christ, to his doubting disciple, be used-" blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

Let us, then, apply to the testimony of the Word of God, of Him, who is the faithful and true Witness, in confirmation of the doctrine expressed in the words of the Creed now before us. Our Saviour's words to His disciples when He sent them forth to preach the Gospel, were these.

"Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you."-Matt. xxviii. 19.

What a sanctity is shed over the Sacrament of Baptism, by the wonderful manifestation of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, at the baptism of Jesus Christ.

When we contemplate the Saviour of mankind, fervent in prayer after being baptized in the waters of Jordan; the Holy Spirit descending upon Him, “in a

my

bodily shape like a dove:" and the voice of God from heaven, saying, " this is beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." We cannot but regard this miraculous event, as a symbol of the covenant of Grace; by which Christ engaged, "through the Eternal Spirit, to offer Himself to God;" and through whom we have access by One Spirit unto the Father."

The solemn benediction of the Apostle St. Paul to the Corinthians, is an additional testimony of the Three Persons united in the Holy Trinity.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, be with all."-2 Cor. xiii. 14.

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The remarkable passage in the prophet Isaiah, also bears witness.

"Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am He: I am the first: I am the last: mine hand hath laid the foundation of the earth; and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord