of the New Testament, concerning this doctrine. In his time the doctrine having been doubted, denied, and opposed by Cerinthus and Ebion, this last of the Apostles, whose life seems to have been continued for the very purpose, set himself to mention the doctrine in a very different manner. He no longer notes it in the easy and transient mode of his predecessors; but asserts it in peremptory terms, and dwells upon it in circumstantial language; and this, too, at the very commencement of his Gospel; in order to impress the doctrine upon the minds and spirits of his readers for ever."

Such being the time and circumstances in which St. John wrote, and such the consequent design and purport of his writings, we arrive at a more definite idea of the doctrine, which doubtless he had in his contemplation, when he expressed himself as rejoicing greatly in the prosperity of the soul of the well-beloved Gaius, on hearing that he "walked in the truth;" and declared that he had "no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in truth." In the first instance, we supposed "the truth" to indicate, as unquestionably it does, the Gospel or the Christian faith. now perceive it to indicate, as one prominent and indefeasible article of the Gospel or Christian faith, specially the doctrine of the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; comprising

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his eternal existence and essential Godhead, his assumption to Himself of the human nature, and his suffering in that nature for the sins of men.

An obvious consequence from the foregoing exposition is the remark, that, as the assurance of the well-beloved Gaius "walking in the truth" was a ground of joy and exultation to St. John, so the contrary assurance would have excited in him very different feelings, and drawn from him very different language. Put the case, that Gaius had renounced his belief in the truth, in the doctrines of the Gospel; specially in that great doctrine of the Gospel, which we have seen the Apostle so earnestly inculcate in his other writings, and the inculcating of which has appeared to be the very scope and end of his labours. Is it reasonable to suppose that he could have received the intelligence with satisfaction and approbation; that he could have heard it with other feelings than those of the most pungent sorrow, or have noticed it with other language than that of the most unqualified regret?

But, indeed, we are not left to our own supposition for the solution of such a case. For in his second epistle, having saluted the person, to whom it is addressed, in terms of congratulation similar to those which we have been considering, and on a similar occasion, he thus proceeds: "This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the

beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." And in his First Epistle he thus discriminates between the confession and the denial of the doctrine of the Saviour's incarnation, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

Thus does the beloved disciple declare his sentiments with respect to those who walked not, as well as with respect to those who did walk, in the truth; denouncing as destitute of the Spirit of God, and as opponents to the Son of God, those who should disavow the character under which

that Son is revealed to mankind. Nor is the admonition of the disciple destitute of full support and justification in the sentence of the Son of God Himself, whose promise of salvation to those, who should receive his testimony and believe his Gospel, is accompanied with the doom of condemnation to those who should believe it not. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not, shall be damned'." "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day 2"

Such being the declarations of the word of God in holy Scripture, we perceive the grounds of that article of the Catholick faith, to which I alluded in the opening of this Discourse, which the Church holds fast as an essential part of the Christian verity, and a "right belief" of which she pronounces to be "necessary to everlasting salvation." "It is necessary," she affirms, "to everlasting salvation, that he that will be saved," that is, who is willing or desires to be saved, “believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man." The subject has now been regarded

under one particular aspect, as suggested by the congratulatory address of the Apostle St. John to his well-beloved Gaius: and I trust that both the truth of the article, and the necessity of believing it, will have appeared to be no less distinctly stated in the Apostle's admonitions than in the confession of the Church.

Having thus discussed the proposed argument in a manner, I would hope, plain to your understandings, and satisfactory to your judgments, I will now, my brethren, make an application as briefly as may be of the foregoing doctrine.

Of "all the counsel of God," which it is the duty of the Christian minister to "declare" to those committed to his charge, it is in my mind the most marvellous, but withal the most characteristick and indefeasible article, that "the Word or Son of God, which was in the beginning, and which was with God, and which was God; which was in the beginning with God; by whom all things were made, and without whom there was not any thing made that was made:" to me, I say, it appears the most marvellous, but, at the same time, the most distinguishing and essential part of the Divine counsel, that this Son of God, this Word of life, this only-begotten and co-eternal Son of the eternal Father, should have been "made flesh, and have dwelt among us;" that He