necessary."* He also grants the authenticity of the anecdote given us by St. Jerome, which informs us that the church of Alexandria, mentioned above, had no regular succession from the time of St. Mark the evangelist, the first bishop of that church, to the time of Dionysius, a space of two hundred years: but the college of presbyters on the death of a bishop elected another in his stead. We are also informed from the epistle of St. Clement to the Corinthians,† written soon after the death of St. Paul-a writer whose works are next in precedence to the canon of Scripture, and probably written by immediate inspiration-that the church of Corinth was then governed by a college of presbyters. And from the epistle of St. Polycarp to the church of Philippi, written in the year of our Lord 116, we also find that the Christian Philippians were then governed only by a college of presbyters. So that the primitive Christians were so far from esteeming the regular succession as essential to the constitution of a Christian church, that in some instances episcopacy itself was wholly omitted. But of all the forms of church government, we think a moderate episcopacy the best. The executive power being lodged in the hands of one, or at least a few, vigor and activity are given to the resolves of the body, and those two essential requisities for any grand undertaking are sweetly united-calmness and wisdom in deliberating; and in the executive department, expedition and force. "But are you not schismatics by your separation from the Church?" A Christian church is a body of professors who hold the fundamentals of the Christian religion in doctrine and practice. But we are not ignorant—we cannot be ignorant, that the chief part of the clergy and members of the Church of England (so called) do either tacitly or explicitly deny the doctrine of justification by faith, the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins, and the witness of the Spirit of God points which we esteem most fundamental, yea, essentially necessary to constitute a child of God. We are not-we cannot be ignorant, that they justify as innocent many of the criminal pleasures of the world-card playing, dancing, theatrical amusements, &c.—pleasures utterly inconsistent with union and communion with God. And, though we admire their liturgy, and are determined to retain it with a few alterations, we cannot, we will not hold connection with them, till the Holy Spirit of God has made them see and feel the evil of the practices, and the importance of the doctrines mentioned above. And for this schism (if it must have the name) we are cheerfully ready to answer at the bar of God. 66 Why then did you not separate before?" It has long been the desire of the majority of the preachers and people. But they submitted to the superior judgment of Mr. Wesley, who, till the revolution, doubted the propriety of the step. "But did not your preachers constantly exhort the people to attend the service of the Church of England?" In the general they did, from a full persuasion, drawn from experience, that we had no other alternative to preserve our society, but an adherence to the Church of England, which was totally destitute of real discipline, or a formation * London edition, Oct., 1712, p. 489. Clem., Ep. i, sect. xliii, xlvii, liv, lvii, pp. 172, 174, 177, 178. of ourselves into an independent church; and some of them, perhaps did this with a degree of imprudence which I cannot defend. But I proceed to open my text. "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write." It is evident to every discerning reader that the words bishop, elder, overseer, &c., are synonymous terms throughout the writings of St. Paul. Nor do I recollect a single instance in the New Testament where any peculiar title is given to the superior officers of the church, (such as were Timothy and Titus,) except in the epistles of our Lord to the seven churches of Asia, where they are distinguished by the name of angel -the prime messengers of Christ to his churches. St. John wrote the Revelation in the isle of Patmos, near the close of his life, when the gospel had gained considerable ground in the world, and many numerous societies of Christians had been formed. Among the principal of these were the seven churches of Asia, which were evidently (what we now call) episcopal churches. For it will hardly admit of a doubt, but these capital societies had in each of them a college of presbyters. And had these been all on an equality, our Lord would never have directed these epistles respectively to a single angel. And all of them being thus addressed, we have reasonable ground to presume that the churches in general, even before the death of St. John, were of the episcopal order. And of how great importance must the office of these angels have been, when the Lord addressed himself only to them, as if the welfare of their respective churches entirely depended on them! "These things, saith he that is holy, he that is true." Who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with approbation, and delights in sincerity and truth, the everlasting fountain of truth and holiness, who therefore demands the deepest attention. "He that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." In allusion to the governor of a city, who has the full command of the gates thereof; so has the Lord Jesus, of whom David was a type, over the new Jerusalem, to open it to the faithful, and shut it against all that defile. 66 "I know thy works." I am acquainted with all thy gracious tempers, thy fervent zeal, thine abundant labors, for the welfare of my church and the glory of my name. "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." I have indulged thy fervent spirit, have enlarged thy circle of action, and will so clothe thee with my strength, that no power upon earth shall be able to restrain thee in thy glorious course. "For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Thou hast a little measure of the divine power within thee, and hast been a faithful steward of it. Thou hast confessed my name before this wicked generation, and borne a faithful testimony to the word of my truth. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." Those who despise thee, who pretend to be of the true circumcision, but are the greatest enemies of the real circumcision of the heart, I will bring them to thy feet, and compel them to acknowledge that thou art my beloved, and that I have honored thee. How high was this excellent man in the esteem of his Lord! And how ought the recollection of this to kindle every spark of holy ambition in the faithful superintendents of his church! "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Because thou hast been faithful, and hast endured hardship, and followed me, I will hide thee under the covert of my wings from all the judgments and calamities which I will inflict on mankind, to try them, and sift them, and separate the faithful from the wicked. "Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." I shall soon appear to bestow on thee thy glorious reward-that peculiar crown which I have reserved for my beloved servant, who, through my grace, has been so faithful a coworker with me in my great plan of general happiness. Therefore hold fast thy love, thy zeal, thine important activity, that no man step into thy place before the work I have given thee to do be finished, and take thy crown-the exceeding weight of glory which I have kept for thee in store. Having just touched on the general character of this amiable bishop* of the church of Philadelphia, as displayed in my text, which, had it been the will of God, we could wish to have seen at fuller length, I proceed to consider the grand characteristics of a Christian bishop. 1. His humility. This is the preservatrix virtutum, the guard of every other grace. As some one beautifully observes, other graces, without humility, are like a fine powder in the wind without a cover. Let a man be ever so zealous, ever so laborious, yet if he wants humility, he will be only like Penelope with her web in the ancient fable, undoing at one time what he does at another. There is something interwoven with human nature which immediately recoils at the very appearance of pride. But this man is clothed with humility. When no other grace shines forth, still we discern this beautiful veil. We give him credit for every thing. And when, in spite of all his caution, some hidden gem peeps out, it sparkles with redoubled lustre. But, above all, he is a vessel fit for his Master's use. His eye is single, he moves directly on; his only desire is to glorify God and benefit mankind, yea, he lives for no other end. He is "in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ," and at the same time a fervent desire to be a blessing to his fellow-creatures. "He is crucified to the world, and the world to him." And his soul, disentangled from every selfish view, and emptied of every selfish desire, is a fit receptacle of all the divine gifts which God is willing to bestow. He continually lies at the feet of his Lord, and the language of his heart is, "Not unto me, not unto me, but unto thy name, O Jehovah, be all the praise !" "Flow back the rivers to the sea, * I here use the word bishop in its present sense, as signifying an officer of the church superior to the presbyters. There is no impediment in his soul to the divine operations. He is as the clay in the hand of the potter, as the pen in the hand of the ready writer. His humble spirit simply inquires into the will of its God, and when that is discovered, confers no longer with flesh and blood, but fulfils it with the most entire resignation and great delight. 2. His meekness. This is a passive grace. It is the sacred ballast of the soul-that evenness, that divine serenity of spirit which “is not provoked," which nothing can move to wrath-that moderation spoken of by St. Paul, which harmonizes all the passions, and holds every power of the heart in sweet subjection-it ties them all to the horns of the altar. In this the Christian bishop eminently shines. Amid all the contradictions of sinners, and the provoking of tongues, he still retains his gracious temper, and discovers no emotion but that of pity and compassion-all is softness, all is love. This is the quiet spirit, whose price is great in the sight of God. 1 Pet. iii, 4. It is the Spirit of the Lamb, whose voice was not heard in the streets; who was oppressed and afflicted, yea, was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. O how contrary to the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus is the turbulence and violence of many who call themselves the ministers of Christ! "But the sheep will flee from such, for they know not their voice." 3. His gentleness. This is an active grace, which flows out in the converse and the carriage. It is Christian courtesy. This also the Christian bishop possesses in a high degree. "Grace is poured into his lips," for "out of the fulness of his Lord he receiveth grace for grace." Nothing that is grating drops from his mouth. His very reproofs are dipt in oil. How insinuating is all his language, while the hearer hangs upon his tongue! His words "drop like the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath." His looks, and every gesture, and every feature, beam forth love. This is a key to open hearts with. What an amazing field of action does this engaging temper, accompanied by the blessing of God, gradually open to his zealous soul! He makes religion appear amiable even in the judgment of the world itself. And excepting when employed in the severer duties of his function, he knows nothing of the pain of giving pain. 4. His patience. This is the grace that "endures all things"-that flows out in sufferings and trials, and bears up the soul under every difficulty-sub pondere crescit. The more it is exercised, the stronger it grows. Let us view the Christian bishop in this respect. Behold, with what a steady pace he moves! Equally unshaken by the smiles or frowns of men, he gently moves along, like a mighty river, that bears down all before it, and yet waters every fertile meadow on its sides. His great Zerubbabel proceeds before him, and every mountain drops into a plain. His soul "looks to Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame," and earnestly endeavors "To trace his example, the world to disdain, He smiles at persecution, and thanks his God for the opportunity of displaying an example to the world of the religion he proclaims. Thus does he go on, till he has finished the work which God has given him to do. And when the organs of his body have been weakened and enervated by the diseases which sooner or later assault the mortal frame, he still puts forth his little strength for the glorious cause in which he has been so long engaged, till having "fought the good fight, and finished his course," he drops asleep in the arms of his God. 5. His fortitude. His soul is far above the fear of temporal dan. gers. He possesses this cardinal virtue in all its strength and vigor. He "adds to his faith, courage," 2 Pet. i, 5. And though it is so divinely tempered by all the softer passions, as to be hid to all but the discerning eye, when not drawn out to action; yet there it ever resides, even in his inmost soul, like an iron pillar strong. But when the church, which he fosters in his anxious bosom, is in danger, he always steps out the foremost. He stands in the front of the battle, and endeavors to receive himself all the fire of the enemy. Like a faithful shepherd he steps between the wolf and the sheep, and is perfectly willing to lay down his life for their sake. If you touch the church of God, you touch the apple of his eye. And though he is not entirely ignorant of the value of his life and labors, yet when the cause of Zion calls him forth, "he mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the sword:" he beholds his once suffering, but now exalted Saviour. He looks up to the noble army of martyrs, "the cloud of witnesses," and follows their glorious track, 6. His impartiality. This is the rarest of all the virtues, and yet one of the most important for a ruler of the church. There is nothing more intolerable to mankind than partiality in him that governs; and it always springs in part from a meanness and baseness of mind. It meets with such immediate and effectual resistance, that all the reins of discipline are dropped, and the vineyard of the Lord thrown open to every beast of prey. But the Christian bishop is "without partiality and without hypocrisy." He moves by equal rules. He seeks not the praise of men, but serveth the Lord Christ. He meets with the constant and effectual support of those whom only he esteems-the upright and the good. And when the welfare of the church demands the separation of a rotten member, however rich, however honorable, however powerful, he clothes himself with the dignity of his office, and executes the will of God. 7. His zeal. In this he is eminent indeed. For though it is softened and corrected by the other graces, yet it wraps up his heart in the interests of Zion, and "the zeal of the Lord's house eats him up." He pants for the conversion of the whole world, and cries out with the souls under the altar, "How long, O Lord ?". How far does his rapid spirit rise above the honors, the riches, and the pleasures of the world! He leaves them at a distance behind. His whole attention is swallowed up by greater things than these. While the men of the world are variously employed in the pursuit of earthly objects, he endeavors, in the Spirit of his Lord, to extract honey out of every flower, good out of every evil. He watches the opportunity, runs through every open door, and "spends, and is spent," for the good of mankind. |