him that bringeth" these "good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God,"-manifested indeed in the flesh, but justified in the Spirit-Thy God reigneth!

Nor was this promulgation of the Gospel made in vain. The Son of God, thus justified and proclaimed, waS BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD. This is added still further to illustrate his glory. The preaching of him was so efficacious, and came with so sure a demonstration to the conscience, that he was received, admitted, adored by the world as the King of glory. The Apostles went forth, not "with persuasive words of man's wisdom, but with demonstration of the Spirit, and with power-casting down imaginations, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Now, if our Lord had not really been what he professed, he neither could, nor ought, to have been believed on in the world: but being fully proved to be the Son of God, the Apostles proclaimed him as risen from the dead, and scated on the right hand of the Father: the grace of God attended their word, and he was received in the world with faith, love, subjection, and adoration. Notwithstanding the weakness of the Apos tles in themselves, and the malice, corruption, and hostility of mankind; notwithstanding the holy and humiliating nature of the doctrine of the cross; notwithstanding the long established superstitions, supported by human learning, authority and power, which were opposed to it; the faith of Christ was welcomed by thousands in every part of the known earth, and men of every nation "turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered them from the wrath to come."

The

Such is the mystery of "God believed on in the world." The Apostle adds, in the last place, RECEIVED UP INTO Glory. This circumstance was proper to shut up so stupendous a scene. Apostle began with the humility, he ends with the exaltation, of the Son of God. He had described God manifest, abased in the meanness of the flesh, but fully vindicated in the Spirit; and he had celebrated his acknowledgement as such by heaven and earth: now he concludes his rapid but sublime enumeration by assuring us that our Saviour-after he had risen from the dead and given commission and authority to his Apostles to proclaim

him, as his heralds, to the Gentiles, and thus laid the foundations of the faith of mankind was received up again into glory.

the Apostle had followed the exact order of time, this event might perhaps have been introduced earlier. But it is not in his manner to adhere always to a systematic arrangement. And therefore having said that God was manifested in the flesh, but justified in the Spirit; he adds, at once, all that regards this declaration of his Deity, that he was seen as such by angels, preached as such to the Gentiles, and believed on in the world. Having thus finished this part of his subject, he resumes what he had left incomplete, and concludes the whole by saying-received up into glory.

It was necessary to display this wonderful change in the person of our Lord, lest it should be conceived that he remained always in that lowliness of the human nature, in which he had manifested himself. To remove this suspicion, and to assure us of the fact of his exaltation, and that all that is done here below in the conversion of the world, is only an effect of his Divine power and authority; the Apostle adds to his abasement and justification his re-assumption to the "glory which he had with the Father before the world was." This corresponds with the depths of his preceding humiliation, with the justice and truth of the Father now fully satisfied, with the verity of our Lord's own promises, with the hope which the Church reposes in him, and with the accomplishment of the further designs of redemption. This is the end and crown of his Incarnation. Now in possession of his mediatorial throne, He contemplates his mighty sufferings achieved, receives the adoration of men and angels, governs all worlds, and waits till, his enemies having been made his footstool, and all the purposes of grace having been consummated, he shall "deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may

be all in all.”

O, incomprehensible "riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Well may our Apostle say, "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness!" Yes, my brethren, I presume not, by what I have advanced, to give you any reasons for all the wonders presented to you; but only to lay before you these wonders themselves. I pretend not to measure the greatness of this mystery, but to show you that this greatness is infinite. I do not venture, with unhallowed gaze to pry into this ark, or dare to describe

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THE CHURCH, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH. the mode of these prodigious facts; for they are revealed, not so much to be comprehended, as to be believed and adored. Let, then, this great mystery be "without controversy." Let this remain, as it has ever done, the characteristic of the Christian Church, the glory and the trust of sinners. Men object to the stupendous nature of this manifestation; and it is this very grandeur which is the nourishment of our faith. Men object, that the infinity of the Divine nature cannot unite itself with the human; and it is this very infinity which makes it possible. Men object, that no precise and adequate ideas are attached to the terms employed on this subject; and we reply, "Without controversy, great Is "—and will ever remain, even after the revelation of the fact of it "the MYSTERY of godliness."

Let only the practical effect of godliness be produced by our faith in it, and its incomprehensible glory will conduct us to heaven. For, while men dispute against God, the fruits of genuine piety may be looked for in vain; but when, in prostrate humility, they first acknowledge their own ignorance and their guilt, and then bow to an abased but exalted Saviour, "and believe on him with the heart unto righteousness," the blessings of pardon and acceptance will fill the mind, and the communications of the Spirit sanctify the whole character. The power of godliness will then begin to appear, the impress of grace, the seal of adoption, the joy of communion, the anticipation and foretaste of heaven.

SERMON XVI.

THE CHURCH, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE

TRUTH.

By the Rt. Rev. DANIEL WILSON, D.D.,
Bishop of Calcutta.

PART II.

1 TIMOTHY, iii. 14-16.

These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And, without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

UNDER these words, we have directed your attention, already, to the commendation which is bestowed in them on the Church, which led us to consider the nature of the Church; its dignity, as "the church of the Living God;" and its office, as "the pillar and ground of the truth." We thence proceeded to the magnitude of the truth which is entrusted to the custody of the Church-"the great mystery of godliness;" "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

If such then be the magnitude of the truth of which the church is constituted the pillar and ground, and which, forms the distin

The division of this Discourse into two parts by the compiler of this volume, made it necessary, that some lines be written by way of a beginning to Part 2d. As far, therefore, as the asterisk, is not in the sermon of Bishop Wil

son.

guishing glory of the House of God; then the way is now prepared for a consideration,

III. Of the inferences which may be drawn from both these topics, as to our conduct, individually, in the present period of the Church.

1. In the first place, then, the sincere Christian, whose mind has imbibed, and been filled with, the spirit of my text, will learn to form a just estimate of the design and importance of the Christian Church. It is impossible to rise from the consideration. of the great mystery of the Son of God, without perceiving that it not only casts into the shade every topic of mere ceremony, but reduces it to comparative insignificance. If we consider only the wonders of the Divine manifestation, we might be disposed never to descend from the mount, but utterly to disregard the perplexities of form and detail, which lie at its base. But on the other hand, when we revert to the feeble state of man, and the appointed office of instruction, in subservience to Holy Scripture, which God has deposited with his ministers, we shall learn, not the less to adore, and magnify the wonders of Redemption, but so unite with this a due regard to that church which is the pillar and stay of it, in a corrupt and fluctuating world. The language, in which the Apostle speaks of the dignity and office of it, is calculated to impress us with a sense of its necessary but subordinate importance.

2. The passage before us furnishes us, I think, in the next place, with the test of a true Church.-So far is it from countenancing the arrogant claims of the Bishop of Rome, that it in fact subverts them. It teaches us to ask, concerning every religious community, is it built on the great mystery of godliness? For if the church is to be the "pillar and ground of the Truth;" and if that Truth be the " Mystery of God manifest in the flesh;" then it necessarily follows from these premises, that that is the true church, and that only, which maintains the Deity, the manifestation, the kingdom of the Son of God; which inculcates those doctrines on the people, which defends them against error, and encircles them with those simple ordinances, and that right administration of the sacraments, which Christ hath prescribed in his word. On the other hand, in proportion as a church is infected with false doctrines, corrupt traditions, superstition, idolatry, and the usurpation of secular dominion and power over the conscience, it