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CHAPTER XIX.

THE CREED, TEN COMMANDMENTS, AND LORD'S PRAYER.

1. Meditations on the Apostles' Creed.-2. Meditations on the Ten Commandments.-3. The Lord's Prayer, with Practical Remarks.

I. MEDITATIONS ON THE APOSTLES' CREED.

Mark ix. 23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.

THE CREED.

I. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. II. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. III. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary. IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, he descended into hell. V. The third day he rose again from the dead. VI. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the

Father Almighty. VII. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. VIII. I believe in the Holy Ghost. IX. The holy Catholic church, the communion of saints. X. The forgiveness of sins. XI. The resurrection of the body. XII. And the life everlasting. Amen.

Creed is derived from a Latin word, meaning belief. The Apostles' Creed has its name from its containing the doctrine of the apostles, rather than because it was formed by them. There is not at least sufficient evidence of its being composed by them to be satisfactory, though there is much reason to think that Christians had a general confession of faith, very similar to this, under apostolic sanction. As our Lord required baptism to be administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; so the Ethiopian Eunuch, before his baptism, confessed, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and hence before baptism, there was generally a confession of faith from the baptized. Several of the articles of this Creed are stated together by St. Paul. 1 Cor. xv. 1-4, &c.

There were several similar early creeds somewhat varying from this, as we see in early Christian writings; but about the fourth century, what we call the Apostles' Creed became generally adopted in the Christian church, as a most scriptural and comprehensive summary of the great facts of Christianity, on which all its doctrines are founded, and by which the soul may be led to the most profitable meditations.

It is sometimes wrongly used by the poor, as if it were a daily prayer. But as a daily help to meditation, the great reformer Luther, and many others,

have used it, and found excellent assistance through it, for the contemplation of all the great mysteries of the gospel.

I BELIEVE.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. xi. Faith is not therefore needed to discern and apprehend what is seen or felt by the outward senses, though all outward things may help us to know and discover the invisible God. Nor is it anything that a superior natural understanding may discover in science that is the proper exercise of faith.

Faith has to do with what God designs us to learn as the real and holy lesson of all creation and all Providence, that God is, and is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; that he is kind to the evil and to the good, as well as righteous in all his doings, designing by this goodness to lead them to seek after him. And more especially, faith regards all that God has said in his word as altogether true. The Bible itself is manifested to the believer as really his word by its own holy light and purifying and comforting power, as well as by the way in which it was revealed and confirmed, and has been handed down to us, as the word of the living God.

O Lord, give me this faith. Thy word is the sure ground of my belief, and I am in my heart fully persuaded on the testimony of that word of the things contained in this Creed, which I now confess with my mouth. May my faith ever be such as to make them a reality in my mind and heart; and a constant spring of holy and heavenly thoughts, affections, and actions, through my whole life.

I BELIEVE IN GOD

That there is one living and true God, who is a Spirit, ever righteous and gracious, the source and beginner of all other beings, and on whom they all depend; so that I am not left desolate in the world without an infinitely wise, haly, mighty, ever present, and most merciful Being, who governs, provides for, and orders everything for good to them that trust in him and love him. O Lord, ever help me to have child-like confidence in thee, and to love, delight in, and magnify thee, as my own God and portion, for

ever.

THE FATHER.

I believe God to be not only the Father of all things by creation, but also the Father of his onlybegotten Son from eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is his Son in such a peculiar sense as to be equal with God. John i. 18; v. 18.

Through Jesus Christ I also believe God to be my Father, not only as creating me, but also as begetting me anew by his own Spirit, and adopting me into his family, making me a partaker of the divine nature, and giving me the privilege to be his son, and being full of fatherly love and pity to me. Glory for ever be to this Father for his love to me and all creation, and especially for that surpassing love by which he calls me to be his son.

ALMIGHTY.

He is able to do everything according to his own good and holy will, so that nothing is impossible with God. He has all power to turn away evil and to give good. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. O Lord, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders, weak in myself, I would lean on thy Almighty arm; may I love thee, trust in thee, and rejoice in thee, my allsufficient Sun and shield, now and evermore,

MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.

The heavens above are thy work, O my God; whether I regard the clouds or the air where the fowls fly in the midst of heaven; or the sun, moon, and stars of the higher heavens; or the highest and third heavens, where Cherubim and Seraphim, and all the heavenly host magnify thy name; and thy Son is seated at thy right hand, on thine own throne, and there reigns with thee-all were made by thee. How glorious then art thou! Who can be against us if God is for us? Who can help us if God be against us? Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, and thou preservest them all. Neh. ix. 6. Of thee, through thee, and to thee, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Rom. xi. 36. All that thou hast made is good, yes, altogether good. O may I have perfect confidence in thy power and wisdom, and righteousness, and

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