ME, 2iir. Ceilros'S Sown, joy. Labour to make confcienceof putting there Legacies intoprat. ctice, of fucking at thefe breafis, which will he ofufe to us, till we flail be gathered up into the fruition of God, were we fhaIl need no moreOrdinances, no more preaching or praying. ...sm. 0. Mr. Coli ins's Ser Jude 5. 3. Contend earnefilyfor the Faitkezc. Here words contain two parts: LADuty exhorted. zipThe mannerof the management ofthat Duty. The Duty exhorted to, is To retain the faith delivered to the Saints : The manner of its management, is, That we fliould earneftly contend tokeep it. I opened the termes, What's meant by faith ? It was not fo much the graceof faith, but the Dothine of Faith ; not fpecial faith wherebywe apprehend fpecial mercy up ,it a promife made to the Elea, but the Fides quacredittsr , the whole fubflance of theDodrine of Chrift as to things that are tobe believed, and duties thatare to bepraetifed. But why is it laid, The faith that was once delivered ? ( that is ) invariable, irrevocably, once for all? Delivered, refpeets t he privi- ledg the Saints of God had in the faith that God had left : 'tis the faith of the gofpel, committed as a Treafure : And the Church is called a Candlettick, not only tohold out the light, but to hold the light :whence the Church is called the Pillar,or the ground of truth : not that they are to make Doctrines, but to hold forth the Domes of Chrift, even as Tables and Pillars , upon which Proclamati- ons are lung and held forth to be made publique : fo is the Church of Chrift, 'cis that in which the Truths of the Lord Jefus are kept, and will be kept from one age to another. But what's the import of the word E Earncflly contend? Its a a word ufed onlyonce in the New Teflament in the Compofition The word in the root is frequently ufed, and imports afiruglingwith might and main, as thole that ufe to ran at games. It's ufed for 7efus Chrift in his fufferings, He was in an Agony ' . the fame word from whence this word is compounded. ' The Apoftle would imply fuch acontention; fuch a arugling to keep the faith of the gofpel, as one word in the Engliith is not able to expreffe it, and Interpreters very R r.2 much
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