power of the Holy Ghost, was adding to his faith this abundance of graces, the Lord would add to his privilege an abundant entrance into his kingdom: a plerophoria, an entrance "at full sail" into the haven of eternal rest.

assurance.

This diligence in love, or in the fruits of faith, is recommended as well by St. Paul as St. Peter, as a necessary step to preserving It is his advice to the Hebrews. "But, beloved," he says, "we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have showed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope, unto the end."

This, my beloved friends, is the mode the Holy Spirit has directed us to use to obtain the blessing,-knowledge, faith, and practical holiness. There are other modes that men have invented, for promoting presumptuous confidence, and a temporary soothing of the conscience, whilst living in sin; but these do not merit the name of a "good hope." This, generally speaking, can only be obtained by the agency of the Holy Spirit, by a scriptural acquaintance with the gospel, by laying hold of the Saviour, and by giving all diligence that faith and its fruits may abound.

And this is the grace which having made ready for the Saviour, I particularly recommend you to seek, as confirming and completing your readiness. Not knowing what is before us in these days, it will tend much to our repose of mind, and to the enabling us with cheerfulness to meet every want, that we have made our calling and election sure. We shall view the coming of our Saviour, and the intermediate occurrences, with far different eyes, if blessed with this assurance of hope. Without it, trials will alarm, death will terrify, and the thought of the near approach of the Lord produce inexpressible dismay; but this confidence will cast a bright beam upon every circumstance. Strange events happen: What are they? Hope welcomes them as the precursors of the Saviour. Death approaches: Hope says, "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." The trumpet sounds, and proclaims the coming of the Lord: Hope echoes the signal, and with gladness shouts, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for hirn, and

he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."-Let me, then, once more recommend you to "make your calling and election sure."

How do you stand, my friends at this moment? What does hope say? There are different degrees of this grace. There is a hope mixed with many fears; like a weak faith clouded by much. unbelief; as when the father of the child said, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." There is a "good hope through grace." There is the "rejoicing of hope;" and, finally, its "full assurance." Which of these do you possess?

Probably we are speaking to some who have no hope at all, or, worse than none, a false hope. Is this your case? Oh, think of your danger: for, assuredly, if you have no hope now, you will have none at the coming of the Lord. And what will be the result? You will be cast into that place where hope never enters, but where pain and sorrow, and black despair, forever dwell.

I may be speaking to others, who have only a weak hope.My beloved friends, bless God for this. He will not bruise the broken reed, nor quench the smoking flax, till he has brought forth judgment unto victory." But rest not satisfied with it.— Whatever the Lord disapproves, we should disapprove; and whatever he esteems, we should esteem. Doubts he frequently reproves, but strong confidence in him he continually commends. Wherefore, then, do you doubt? Do you not see the fulness, the freedom, the security of his gospel? Why, then, do you not embrace it? The Lord Jesus is set before you as able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him; and his cross shows his willingness: you need not therefore doubt Him. But is it yourself you doubt? If you are living in any allowed sin, these doubts are very reasonable, for fears are preservatives from greater sins. There is no such thing as a person living in a way his conscience condemns, and yet having a bright hope; for, "if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." But if this be not the case, and your weak hope is occasioned, as it sometimes is, by mistaken views of the truth, or from "writing bitter things against yourself," or from natural timidity of spirit, come nearer to your Saviour. This is the way to have your doubts removed and your hopes enlivened, to attend to his word: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." He is

"our Hope;" and the more simply you embrace him, the more lively will your hope be.

Finally, I may be addressing those who by divine grace have made their calling and election sure. My friends, bless God for such a privilege: it is one which comparatively few in these days enjoy. Reckon your hope like a precious jewel, of which the great enemy will ever strive to rob you; or like the snowy whiteness of fresh-bleached linen, which a touch of impurity will tarnish. Keep it, therefore, as a hidden treasure; a treasure to be highly prized, but easily lost. Keep it also, as steel is kept polished, by continued brightening. Suppose not that it will remain in the same state without exertion. But reflect upon the characters to whom this epistle was addressed: men who had "obtained like precious faith" with the Apostle, who were "partakers of the divine nature," and who had "escaped the corruptions of the world." These are the characters whom he first desires to give all diligence to add to their faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, &c.; and whom he again directs to give diligence to make their calling and election sure; and to whom he once more says, "Be diligent, that you may be found of him, without spot and blameless." Do you then, my beloved friends, in entire dependence upon the grace of Christ, in this diligent spirit keep your hope bright; that thus an abundant entrance may be ministered to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

SERMON XV.

THE CHURCH, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE

TRUTH.

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

PART I.

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.

“WALK about Zion, and go round about her; tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following." Such was the language in which Zion of old was celebrated. But what is the glory intimated in these words, compared with that of the New Testament Church, which can number her Spiritual palaces, which counts her Everlasting towers; whose bulwarks are "Salvation, and her gates Praise"?

It is of this church that the Apostle treats in the sublime passage before us. His design is to urge on the several orders of ministers the obligation of conducting themselves aright in the discharge of their office, from a consideration both of the nature of the Christian church, and of the mystery which is committed to its care.

*Preached before the Prayer Book and Homily Society of London.

THE CHURCH, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH. 151

Such a subject will be admitted, I think, to be appropriate to an occasion like the present; and if I could hope to discuss the various topics which it involves, in a manner at all corresponding with its importance and grandeur, I might proceed without despondency. But the passage is of acknowledged difficulty. For, while the general sentiments which it conveys are perspicuous, and sublime, its construction and language, as well as some of its allusions, and doctrines, appear to be, in many respects, intricate and perplexing.

To that Divine Saviour, therefore, of whose glory I am to attempt to speak, let our supplications be addressed, that He may vouchsafe to preserve us, by the grace of His Holy Spirit, from all material error; whilst we consider, the COMMENDATION here bestowed on the Christian Church; the MAGNITUDE of the truth entrusted to its care; the INFERENCES which may be drawn from both these topics, as to our conduct individually in the present period of time: keeping in mind throughout, the design for which the whole passage is introduced, that of impressing us with a etrating sense of our consequent duties.

I. THE COMMENDATION BESTOWED ON THE CHURCH, forms the first division of our subject; "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 the ground of the truth." What, then, is the Church? What its dignity? What its of fice? These are the questions which we must here endeavor to resolve.

1. "The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered, according to God's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same."* This definition may be adapted to the universal body of Christ, and to each subdivision of it. These are to be distinguished from what is called the Invisible Church, which is known certainly to God only, and consists of persons truly justified and sanctified, the elect, as they are styled in Scripture, whose spiritual union with their Divine Lord falls not under the observation of man. Whereas, when we speak generally of the church, we mean a company of persons, confessing the faith of Christ crucified, and visible in

*Art. xix.