part, I cannot conceive a more blessed handmaid of the truth and a greater means of good to a country than our Church, if only administered on the lines of her Articles and her Book of Common Prayer, and if her ministers be imbued with the spirit that breathes in them.

But let me here add a word or two of caution. Whilst you love your Church, do not unchurch any who hold the great fundamentals of the faith as given in the Apostles' Creed. We are to value Episcopacy as most in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. But, with Hooker and many of our most eminent divines, we believe it to be for the benefit of the Church, but not essential to its existence.

Beware also of making too much of the Church as a visible institution. Just as it is the office of the Holy Spirit to bear witness not to Himself but to Christ, so is it with His Church. She is to witness not to herself but to Him. The golden candlestick is nothing but as it holds up the light.

So the glory of the Church is not to exalt herself, and cry "The Church! the Church!" but to point away from herself to Christ, in all His variety of office and fulness of grace. Let Christ be her glorying, and God will honour the Church for His sake.

But we must never forget the difference between the Church as seen by the eye of man and by the eye of God.

"The Church, as seen by man, is the mixed mass

of the true and the false, good coin and base, the genuine and counterfeit people of God.

"The Church, as seen by God, is the unmixed company of those whose hearts are right before Him. It is the flock who hear the Shepherd's voice, and follow in His footsteps. It is those who are cleansed in His blood from guilt, and renewed in the inner man by the working of His good Spirit."

In the passage at the head of this chapter we have three distinct marks of such. The Apostle is describing those who are to be reckoned as God's people. The Jew gloried in circumcision, and accounted the Church of God to be limited to such as had received this rite. But Paul goes deeper. Those who have but the outward circumcision may be very far from God. But the true circumcision, the circumcision of the Spirit-this marks the Church of the saved. Then he names three points. And if you would know whether you are a member of the mystical body of Christ, the Church of the living God, whose names are written in heaven, try yourself by these three marks.

"Which worship God in the Spirit." Or, as in the Revised Version, "Who worship by the Spirit of God." Is this your worship? Are your prayers and praises offered by the aid of the Holy Ghost? Do you guard well your thoughts in devotion? Do you hate wandering thoughts, and watch against them? Do you come to God as a child to a tender Father? Do your hearty desires go with the words you utter? Do you thoroughly believe that the ear of God is

open to your petition, and do you look for an answer in His own time and way?

"And rejoice in Christ Jesus." Or, as in the Revised Version, " And glory in Christ Jesus.” Is this your rejoicing and glorying? Do you glory in Christ as your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? Do you glory in Him as being the Rock, the Resting-place, the Refuge of your soul? Do you glory in Him as being your great High Priest, your Shepherd, your King, your Redeemer? Do you glory in His changeless love, in His unshaken fidelity, in His Almighty power to help and save? Do you glory in Him as the source and spring of your happiness as well as your salvation and your hope?

"And have no confidence in the flesh." Is this the case with yourself? Have you cast aside all confidence in all that is merely external? Have you learnt to put away all confidence in ordinances, duties, association with fellow-Christians, and all that is merely on the surface? Have you refused to rely in the least degree on your zeal, or good feelings, or works, or gifts, or self-improvement, or prayers, that to you Christ alone may be all in all ?

Here was Paul's ground of rejoicing is it yours? Are you a member of that Church of God's true saints whose marks are such as these? God grant that you may be; for then you abide in the favour of God, and will hear at last the word of welcome,

XXXII.

ON RECEIVING CHRIST.

"As many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name." -John i. 12 (Revised Version).

A HEAVENLY Visitor has come into our world. He came as the Son of man that we might become sons of God. He came despised and rejected that we might gain glory and honour. He came willing even to die a death of shame and suffering that we might have life everlasting.

But how does man gain the blessing? How may you individually become a partaker of the benefits Christ has purchased for you?

Looking at it on the Divine side it is the work of the Holy Ghost. You need the Spirit from above to awaken you, to convince you of sin, to give you a desire for Christ and His salvation. And the same mighty Spirit comes to reveal Christ, to show you the preciousness of His blood to cleanse you, the sureness of His promises, and the prevailing power of His mediation at God's right hand.

32nd Sunday.]

But on man's side the connecting link is faith. The sacraments are the seal of faith, and openly testify of the union of the soul with Christ. But faith itself, true heart-faith, is the real tie that knits you to Christ. But what is this faith? Many views are given of it in Scripture, but none are clearer than that given in the passage above. It is "receiving" Christ. The two things, "believing on Him" and "receiving Him," are spoken as parallel one to the other. The one clearly defines the other. You remember how the Shunamite prepared a little room for Elisha, and then received him under her roof. You remember how Martha "received" Christ into her house, and how Zaccheus came down from the sycamore-tree in haste and joyfully received Him.

Though now unseen by us, Christ is nigh, and is willing to make His abode with sinners, with you or with me, if we be willing to receive Him.

How do you treat Him? He comes to your door in mercy and loving-kindness, but what is your response?

There are many ways of treating a visitor. You may shut the door in his face and refuse to let him pass the threshold. You may be courteous and polite, and yet too much occupied to give your friend a cordial welcome. Or you may give your hand with apparent warmth, and yet there is something behind, and your heart is not with him. Or you may receive your visitor with hearty goodwill,