: tion to hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end':'-to resist the Adversary,' stedfast in the Faith".' Yet, let us be well assured that the danger exists still, although it has changed its form. It is the very nature of Sin to assume different aspects at different times to be different things to different men. Thus, not to mention the open and palpable fall of which they are guilty who forsake the Church and disregard her ordinances the conduct of those who secede, (by a strange infatuation of the father of Lies!) into the ranks of Romish dissent; or (which seems to be a kindred sin,) into the ranks of Infidelity; or, (which is a far more common form of wickedness,) into the ranks of Protestant Schism:-all of them things at which the finger may be pointed, and the voice raised:-there are more secret trials, from which we may all well pray to be delivered. Such are, unstable views of holy things; shifting opinions, like the sand, on which nothing may be safely built; and whereon whatever has ever been built in times past, seems to have become insecure. Such also are those darkenings of the Faith which are said sometimes to come over the soul: b Heb. iii. 6. 1 St. Peter v. 9. those wrong notions about GOD which grow up like weeds in the heart, or in the mind; or rather, in both together. Then, the Faith having become impaired, and the Judgment perverted, there comes an assault of the Evil One,—a fiery assault; and the soul well nigh falls away from GOD. This, if it comes not in Life, is said to come sometimes in the hour of Death; a very fearful hour, when the strings are being loosened, and the soul, (like a bird that has grown used to its cage,) is half unwillingly set free. And this, perhaps, is the reason of that strong and passionate prayer in the Burial Service,—Spare us, LORD most holy, O GOD most mighty, O holy and merciful SAVIOUR, Thou most worthy Judge Eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from Thee !'-words which seem to take up the thought with which the mourners left the Church: for the last words there spoken are,- My beloved Brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD!' GOD Almighty preserve us from the danger there spoken of: keep us in the stedfastness here described. Yea, may He who hath instructed. His Holy Church with the heavenly Doctrine of His Evangelist St. Mark, give us grace, that, being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the Truth of His Holy Gospel,'-in Life and in Death, through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. St. Philip and St. James's Day. CHRIST, THE WAY. ST. JOHN xiv. 5, 6. Thomas saith unto Him, LORD, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? ? JESUS saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the FATHER, but by Me. THIS is the former of the two Saints' Days which are beautified with the names of two holy men; the other being the Festival of St. Simon and St. Jude. Concerning St. James, we do indeed know wondrous little; or rather, it is not certain that we know any thing at all. For it is not certain whether this James' is the same with him who stood in the relation of first cousin to our LORD, and was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and wrote an Epistle. The James thus indicated, was the brother of Jude, and son of Clopas. But the Apostle whose Festival we a Compare St. Mark xv. 40 with St. John xix. 25,—taking notice that Cleophas' ought to be printed 'Clopas.' H.D. 6 97 celebrate to-day, was the son of Alphaus". Learned men, indeed, assure us that 'Clopas,' and Alphæus' are one and the same name. It may be so; but it is not certain. Hence we say that it is not certain whether any thing whatever is known concerning the Apostle James the Less. How remarkably do some of GOD's chiefest Saints thus hide themselves from human observation! How indifferent do they seem to Fame! How completely are the lives of many of them ' hid with CHRIST in GOD!' About St. Philip, however, our information is rather more particular. We know the place of his birth; namely, that he was a fellow townsman of Andrew and Peter. We also learn something about his call to Apostleship; and, from the same chapter of St. John's Gospel, we discover that it was his high privilege to bring another Apostle to CHRIST. The Greeks who desired to see JESUS' are found to have addressed themselves in the first instance to Philip". Our SAVIOUR also, on a certain occasion, asked him a remarkable question,-namely, whence they should buy bread' to feed the five thousand in the wilderness. b St. Mark iii. 18. d St. John xii. 21. Now this, (we read,) St. John i. 44: xii. 21. |