SERMON XI.

[PREACHED ON TRINITY SUNDAY.]

1 TIMOTHY III. 16.

Great is the mystery of godliness.

FEW words in the New Testament have ever been more strangely misinterpreted than these; few could be found which have been equally perverted, inasmuch as they have been used to inculcate notions, the very opposite to their real meaning. They have been continually quoted, as speaking of the darkness and difficulty of some points in Christianity; whereas their real purpose is to commend the great and glorious nature of those truths which it has made known. They are understood to say, that the secrets of Christianity are wonderful, and above the understanding of men to fathom; whereas their real meaning is, that it is the revelations of Christianity which are so wonderful, that what had been hid from all the wise and prudent of the world, and what the world, by wisdom, never could have attained to, was, by the Gospel, revealed unto babes, and made so familiar, that all could know, and all might love it.

Above all, it is with reference to the great truth which the Church this day commemorates, that the supposed meaning of the text has been as mischievous as its true meaning would be beneficial. Its supposed meaning has been mischievous, because, by teaching people to regard the Trinity as an incomprehensible mystery, it has naturally made them regard it as a subject rather awful and wonderful, than full of the deepest practical benefit. Its true meaning would be beneficial, as it calls upon us to thank God for his goodness, in having manifested himself to us more than he had ever done before to Jew or Gentile; in having made all his goodness pass before us; in having taught us to love him as our Redeemer, and having vouchsafed to abide with his Church for ever, as our Comforter and Sanctifier.

"Great," indeed, "is the mystery of godliness!" great, and for ever blessed, is that secret concealed from the foundation of the world, and revealed by the Spirit of Christ to Christ's true disciples; the secret of Him who "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." Such are the words which follow directly those that I have taken for my text; and how much is there to be found in them!

It is well known that about one word in this passage there is a great uncertainty; that whereas our translation runs, "Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh," &c.; there is very high authority, and many very strong reasons, for reading, "Great is the mystery of godliness, who was

manifest in the flesh," &c.; that is to say, "Great are the truths concerning that wonderful Person, whom the Gospel has revealed to us; for he was manifest in the flesh," &c. He calls Christ the "Mystery of Godliness," or, "the great Secret revealed by the Gospel ;" inasmuch as he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and the one great subject of the Gospel revelation. I mention this, because, in preaching on a text of which any of the words are doubtful, it is right to state plainly that there is a doubt about them. But as our common reading, if not the true one in word, is a very exact and forcible expression of it in spirit, so I shall follow it on the present occasion, without pretending to enter upon any critical questions, for which this is neither the time nor the place.

The substance, then, of the Gospel revelation is, that God was manifest in the flesh, and justified in the Spirit; that he was seen of angels, and preached to the Gentiles; that he was believed on in the world, and received up into glory. Now let us attend to each of these points in order.

The first words are similar to those of St. Peter, where he says, that Christ "was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit ;" or, to those again of St. Paul himself, in the Epistle to the Romans, where he says, that Christ was "made of the seed of David according to the flesh; but declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." In all these places, and in more which might be quoted, there is a distinction drawn between the flesh and the

Spirit; between the human nature of Christ and his divine nature; between the Son of Man and the Son of God. Because we were sinners, he became man, and died; but because he was God, he was not only himself freed from death, but we also, through faith in him, shall be raised to life also.

ciled to God, by the death of his

We were recon

Son; and being

reconciled, are saved by his life, because he broke the bands of death, and liveth for evermore, through the Divine Spirit which was in him.

to men.

66 mes

Next it says, "He was seen of angels, and preached to the Gentiles." By the word "angels," or sengers," is meant, not only those spirituel beings whom we commonly call by that name, but their earthly fellow-servants also, the prophets and apostles, who have been permitted to share with them in the great work of giving glory to God, and doing good By these, says the Apostle, "God in Christ was seen.' God the Father, as he is in himself, no man hath seen, or can see; but "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." In him God has spoken to man face to face with Abraham, on the plain of Mamre; with Moses, on Mount Sinai; again with Moses and Elijah, on Mount Tabor; with his chosen apostles, for weeks and months together, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee; with Paul, the last of the apostles, as with one born out of due time, he spoke, after his ascension, from heaven. But these all saw and believed; these, his earthly messengers, as well as those heavenly ones who announced his birth to the shepherds, and his resurrection to his sorrowing disciples, these

all saw him with their eyes, and heard him, and talked with him. Of them he was seen; and by them, his witnesses, he was preached unto the Gentiles. They who sat in darkness, and who lived without him in the world, to them was his salvation made known, and his holy name declared. And, lest they might, after all, be disposed to envy the lot of his chosen messengers, who had seen him with their eyes, while to them he was only preached, they but heard of him from the reports of others, especial word has been recorded for their I had better say for our-comfort; for their case is ours. "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

his own

He

Lastly, it says, "that he was believed on in the world, and received up into glory." This comes naturally after the words that had just been used before. was preached to the Gentiles, and they believed; the kingdoms of the earth did him homage; from the rising to the going down of the sun, all nations have heard of his name, and all the world is full of his glory. Not in one little country only, or amongst one single people; but all the ends of the earth have heard the salvation of our God, and Egypt and Babylon are become united with Israel,-a blessing in the midst of the land. This is the kingdom of Christ; this is the fruit of his sufferings, and of the labours of his servants. But here it is no more "God manifest in the flesh," or seen with the outward eyes of his messengers. "He was received up into glory ;❞— He went away that the Comforter might come unto his people in his stead ;-he ceased to be manifest in