The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-06-12
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN UPLIFTING AND ELOQUENT DIS.
COURSE ENTITLED FAITH"
Tho Rev. Eoderlolg Terry Shows tho Nsoss-
atty OF Eatablishlng "a True Spiritual
Life on 4ropsr Foundation--WhyW We
Have Hope Unto an Eternal Life.

NEW ! OEN IfrN.-De. KOdcrick Terry
restor OF the South Reformed Church,
Madison avenue, preached Sunday morn
/ ing on Faith" His text was chosen
from Jude 20 and 3l: but We. beloved,
| building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying IN the Hoy Ghost, keep
/ yourselves in the love Of Cod looking for
the mercy Of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal lIie.' DR.. Terry said
7 We have no information concerning this
short Epistle Of Jude beyond that which is
/ contained in the verses Themselves. We
know not who be was, nor wherd he lived,
nor to whom he wrote, nor the circum-
/ stances calling for the writing OF the Eps-
/ tle further than the information we gain
/ regarding some Of these facts from its con-
! tents. And inasmuch as this, as we'll as
/ the whole OF the revelation, though written
/ originally for certain people at certain
1 time, was intended to be universal in its
scope, and was applicable to people of all
times, 1t is not OF so much Importance 20
us TO know precisely for whom the words
were first intended, as to ascertain their
applicability 10 the different periods OF the
| churchs history, and especially 70 the time
IN which we live. Il Ia written, az Jude
sage, as q warning to Christians; that they
should earnestly contend for the faith
! which was once delivered unto the Saints"
These words imply first, the Importance OF
! guarding this faith once delivered to the
Saints. and in the second place. that there
were dangers lest this faith might be lost
In regard to the first Of these, however
necdful at that time, or at any succeeding
time in the church's history such a warn.
ing may have been, il can never have como
with greater force than it should come tn
Christ's people to-day. The necessity Of
contending for the faith, delivered once
for all to the Saints" is, in the present
state Of religious opinion. something which
needs TO be repeatedly insisted upon. By
faith is meant here, not that quality or
grace which the Christian possesses which
typlfes 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 writer's as synonymous with the
teaching which God gives concerning Him.
self. This faith" save Jude, was once
for all delivered unto the Saints" and he
exhorts Christians that they should ear
nestiy contend for it. When this faith
was delivered unto the saints, and under
what circumstances, we are well aware; it
included the revelation which God made OF
Himself through all history. and His rela.
ton with His chosen people; it included
the life and tho work Of the Master, and
cipies; it 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 q child of God
should contend for this faith rs thus by
revelation and miracle once for all deliv.
cred unto the Saints.
The writer of the epistle makes no secret
Of the reason why he found it necessary to
AI1 6 -
ing the faith as given to Us by God. for the
dangers which menaced it were two fold:
in the first place they sprang from the nat
ural tendency of men to seek Ia reason out
for themselves all matters of faith or be.
lief as they would reason out questions OF
history OF CT science. These men, puffed
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 ac-
cording TO their own judgment. but oven
replaced them with ideas Of their own.
The writer has little to say to these 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 in the church then as they
are to-day. There is nothing harder TO,
the natural man than to acknowledge and
live up to the acknowledgment OF his IL
norance; there is no subject Of thought OF
Observation-Disclosures connected with tho
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 rnen are ALWAYS jealous when
the Bible declares that there are some
things which they cannot understand, bul
that in regard to those very things they
must have faith so that TIE first class Of
dangers to the maintenaOce Of its true 90
sition on the part Of faith in human intel
lectual life, springs from mental cohreit
from the tnwilhngness OF men to believe
that which seems inconsistent with, OF
above their own reasoning.
When this epistle was written this elias,
Of enemies to the faith in that contention
against it which is always being waged
were not very conspicuous nor Influential
in the church, but to-day there Is more
danger to the purity and the SIMPLICITY o.
the Christian faith from them than from
any other of it7 enemies, and it become.
; the adherPnts Of the callse Of Christ tn ht
strong and unyielding in their opposition
to the modern tendency; to elevate human
individual opinion % over against the re
vealed will Of God When God says: "Tht
: soul that sinneth. it shall die" and somt
man rises in opposition and declares tina
: ''all good and bad shall finally inherit ever
lasting lite, IT IS time for the servant o
God to take 2 firm position in support of tn
revealed will Of the Lord and to contend
for the faith once delivered to the Saints
When men declare that this very Bible
which contains Gods revelation to men, j
a somewhat uncertain guide to belief, nj
unreliable anchor to hope. and proceed Il
tear it to pieces and to rob it OF its su
preme strength in its hold upon the con
sciences and minds Of men. it is time fo
!, the servant Of Christ to announce witt
emphasis his belief that it is the revea e,
viii Of God, and that Of all His reve,atio,
there shall fail not one iot ~ little. arr
2 that a curse shall come mon him who tai;
eth away from or addoth unto tho word
which God hath ciyen for orr comfort ant
our guidance Surrey there is need to-day
; more Lhan nLnr I'm the not LhaE I'm rnnar y.