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withstanding on each day and especially on Sundays the Church celebrates the praises of the Trinity in her doxologies, hymns, creeds, &c.; yet the wisdom of the Church thought it meet that such a mystery as this, though part of the meditation of each day, should be the chief object of one, and this to be the day. For no sooner had our Lord ascended into Heaven, and God's Holy Spirit descended upon the Church, than there ensued the notice of the glorious and incomprehensible Trinity which before that time was not so clearly known. The Church therefore, having solemnized in an excellent order all the high feasts of our Lord, and after that of the descent of God's Spirit upon the Apostles, thought it a thing most seasonable to conclude these great solemnities with a festival of full, special, and express service to the Holy and blessed Trinity.'

The importance of this periodical observance increases in value now, when all that is beyond the measure of human intellect is questioned or deemed incredible, even among those who still call themselves Christians; and the spirit of this prayer is full of meaning especially applicable to the present time. We take our stand upon an undoubted truth; we give to God the glory of having revealed it to us and of having taught us to believe it; and we ask God to keep us steadfast in this belief: there is no hesitation here; no uncertain sound as to the doctrine taught; no

readiness to be convinced that what we hold today as eternal truth may to-morrow prove an error; no doubt whether those who deny it, those who differ from us concerning it, may be more right than ourselves. No; with the firm grasp of a living faith we lay hold upon what God has revealed, and beseech Him never to let us lose our hold.

There is no attempt to explain the mystery of the Eternal Trinity, or to bring it by illustration down to our capacity; woe be to the man whose belief is limited by his comprehension, or whose hope can extend no farther than eye hath seen or ear heard; is it not obvious that such a faith, like such a hope, can be no larger than the mind that conceives it? it must be bounded by human experience, and cannot reach to the things which God hath revealed by His Spirit.

'Truth will always seem deeper, broader, higher, the nearer we approach it; the more we converse with the Eternal, the less we shall dream of comprehending it. But does not our unrest come from this a desire to hold in the hollow of our hand that which holds us?'1

In the portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle of this day, the mind is placed in a position of holy wonder; a scene is opened to our gaze which we dare not presume to bring down to our own level, or to say we fully understand: like the Apostle, we should fall as dead in the Revelation, iv.

1 Maurice.

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presence of such glory, instead of discussing its veracity in our presumptuous scepticism, or propping it up, Uzzah like, by our presumptuous praise. We catch glimpses of a glory awful and unspeakable, in which a threefold glory is expressed; and we adore in silence. But the holy Gospel comes down to us, and shews us that side of the mystery which is turned earthward and lighted up for our instruction; not revealing the incommunicable glory of the Eternal Trinity, but their threefold and united offices in regard to man; for 'by Him' (the Eternal Son) 'we have access by One Spirit unto the Father.' In simplest form of speech, 'Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

O God, the Strength of all them that put their trust in Thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace, that in keeping of Thy commandments we may please Thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THERE is no character in which the Church more frequently claims and worships God than that of 1 St. John, iii.

the Strength of His people. O Lord, my Strength and my Salvation.' 'The Lord is my Strength.'

Why do we so cling to Him in this character? Because of the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Him; and it is only in proportion as we try to do 'good things' that we are conscious of this weakness; for then we are in a state of antagonism or conflict with the evil tendencies within and around us, which puts our power to the test; it is 'when I would do good that I find evil is present with me.' As long as we float along the current of our own inclination and the world's opinion we may see external obstacles, but we shall never be conscious of the difficulty or the deficiency within; it is when the battle begins in earnest, when as Christ's faithful soldiers we manfully fight under His banner against sin, the world, and the devil, that we learn to cry with King Jehoshaphat, 'We have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.'1

There are several Hebrew words translated by the one word 'strength;' though with many shades of difference, they group themselves under two ideas—that of power as an outward defence, and that of power imparted or infused. In the first, we find shelter in Him, as a Rock, a fortress, a mighty Hand; 'the Name of the Lord is a

1 2 Chronicles, xx. 12.

strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and is safe:' in the second, we receive of His fullness, and are ourselves made 'strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,' through the strength imparted from the Vine to the branch, the strength which He infuses, and which is made perfect in weakness.' 'The Lord will be the place of repairs,' or 'harbour of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.' Will He plead against me with His great power?' saith Job; 'Nay, but He would put strength in me.'3 But He is not thus the strength of all His creatures; it is truly as this Collect says, of all those who put their trust in Him; it is by trust or faith we enter into the hiding place of His power, instead of standing outside as rebels against it; it is by the same trust or faith that we are made partakers of His holy strength. We are not weak to do evil, because evil is natural to us, and evil is small and limited; but we are very weak to do good, because good is contrary to our fallen nature, and good is infinite; and the faintest ray of real good is of God; even as the beam broken in the rill is yet part of the glorious sun. It is in keeping His commandments both in will and deed we are to please Him; the Epistle for the day (1 St. John, iv. 7.) shows us the state of the will when the heart is filled with His love; while the story in the Gospel (St. Luke, xvi. 19.) reminds us that our love must not be only in word 'Proverbs, xviii. 10. Joel, iii. 16. (margin.) Job, xxiii. 6.

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