Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-09
PATH"
y Discourse BY the Rev. Roderick
Terry.
the Necessity Of Establishing s True
iual Life on : Proper Foundation-
Why We Have Hops Unto an
internal Lie.

internal Lie.
wv YORK CITY.-Dr Roderick Terry,
pr of the South Reformed Church,
ison avenue. preached Sunday morn
on Faith His text was chosen
Jude 20 and II: But We, beloved.
ling up yourselves on your most holy
:, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep
rselves in the love of God, looking Tor
mercy OF our Lord Jesus Christ unto
nal life" DIR. Terry said:
fe have no information concerning tins
TT Epistle of Jude beyond that which IS
tanned in the verses themselves. we
wv not who he was. nor where he lived,
TO whom he wrote, nor the clrcum-
noes calling for the writing OF the Epis-
further than the information we gam
.arding some of these facts from its con-
ats. And inasmuch as this. as well as
.wnole OF the revelation. though written
.ginally for certain people at certain
ne, was intended to be universal IN lts
ope, and was applicable to people OF all
mes il is not of so much importance TO
to know precisely for whom the words
ere first intended, - to ascertain their
,plicability to the different periods OF the
iurch's history and especially to the time
which we live. 1t Is written, as Jude
iys. as a warning to Christians: that they
mould earnestly contend for the faith
-hich was once delivered unto the Saints.
hose words Imply first. the Importance OF
harding this faith once delivered to the
saints. and in the second place, that there
we're dangers lest this faith might be lost.
In regard to the first OF these, however
needful at that time or at any succeeding
time in the church's history such warn.
ing may have been. it can never have come
with greater force than it should come to
Christ's people to-day. The necessity OF
contending for the faith. delivered once
Tor all TO the Saints" is, in the present
state of religious opinion. something which
needs TO he repeatedly insisted upon. BY
faith is meant here. not that quality OF
grace which the Christian possesses which
typifes his feeling toward God: it has ref
erence rather TO that which is believed in;
which st. Paul calls The Faith OF the
Gospel" "The faith which is in Christ
Jesus" and which is used universally by
the sacred writers a synonymous with the
teaching which God gives concerning Him.
for all delivered unto the Saints and he
exhorts Christians that they should ear
nest,y contend for it. When this faith
was delivered unto the saints, and under
what circumstances. we are well aware: il
included the revelation which God made OF
Himself through all history; and His rela;
ton with His chosen people: it included
the life and the work of the Master. and
the influence which He shed upon His dis.
ciples; il included the work and the teach.
ings of His followers: it was. in fact. the
revelation OF God recorded through all the
Scriptures. Jude insists upon the neces.
sity that every one who is child of God
should contend for this faith as thus by
revelation and miracle once for all de,iv
cred unto the Saints.
The writer of the epistle makes no secret
of the reason why he found it necessary tc
insist upon the Importance of thus guard.
ing the faith as given TO us by God. for the
r-htr stt-a fall
in the first place they sprang from the nat.
ural tendency of men 10 seek to reason out
for themselves all matters OF faith or be-
lief. as they would reason out questions OF
history or of science. These men. puffej
up with their own supposed knowledge.
were unwilling TO abide by the clear and
simple words of Scripture which came from
God. and not only. interpreted them &c.
cording to their own judgment, but even
replaced them with ideas OF their own.
The writer has little TO say to thee men,
whom he describes as those whose mouths
speak swelling words" as though The
words came not from any deep thought,
but he shows conclusively that they were
as conspicuous III the church then as they
are to-day. There is nothing harder for
the natural man than TO acknowledge and
live up to the acknowledgment of his ig
norance; there IL no subject of thought or
Observation-Disclosures connected with the
life in this world or in the world TO come
which men will not seek to handle with
the tools of their own mental equipment,
and therefore men are ALWAYS jealous when
the Bible declares that there are some
things which they cannot understand. hut
that in regard to those very things they
must have faith; so that the first class OF
dangers to the maintenance of its true TO
sition on the part of faith in human intel
lectual life, springs from mental conceit,
from the unwillingness of men to he.ieve
hat arbs nh aeAn ,s.sst
above their own reasoning.
When this eplstle was written this ciass
of enemies to the faith. in that contention
against it which is always being waged,
were not verv conspicuous nor influential
in the church, but to-day there is more
danger to the purity and the simplicity OF
the Christian faith from item than from
any other OF its enemies, and it becomes
the adherents of the cause of Christ to be
strong and uayieiding m their opposition
to the modern tendency; TO elevate human
individual opinion as over against the re-
soul that sinneth. it shall die" and some
man rises in opposition and declares that
'all good and bad shall finally inherit ever.
lasting life" it is time for the servant oil
God to take firm position in support of the
revealed will OF the Lord and 70 contend
for the faith once delivered to the Saints"
When men declare that this very Bible.
which contains Gods revelation to men, is
a somewhat uncertain guide To belief an
unreliable anchor 10 hope. and proceed to
tear it to pieces and To rob il OF its su.
preme strength in its hold uDoR the con.
sciences and minds OF men. it is time for
the servant OF Christ To ann"unoe with
emphasis his belief that il Is the revealed
will OF God and that of all His revelation
there shall fail not one jot or little. and
that curse shall corn" upon him who tax.
eth away from or addeth unto the words
which God hath given for our comfort and
our guidance. Surely there is need to-day.
more than cve- in the past. that in regard
to all of Gods teachings, in regard TO the
word OF Gods revelation. in regard to the
plan of salvation. in regard TO our hope OF
heaven. even to our belief upon God Him.
self. the Christian should stand firm. and
should contend. with courage and with
zeal. in his own h:art and in the world for
the faith as il is in Jesus.
For that faith Is also in danger of being
undermined by the human characteristics
universally found among men which make
them unwilling 20 accept of and 10 live mp
to its moral and ethical teachings. The
standard of morality in the world heing
much lower than that taught in the Scrip.
lures. all men are apt to suffer their ideas
to drift lower and lower in sympathy with
: the ideas of the world. In the first place
this result occurs TODAY. rs in the time oil
the writing of the eDstlc. from the creep
ing into the church OF certain men who are
themselves ungodly filthy dreamers. de.
filing the flesh. desnising dominion. speak