The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-27
EIGHTEENTH STREET METHODIST EPIsCO
PAL CHURCH.
Bishop Wiley ON the Divinity and Power
of the GOSPEL.

Bishop Wiley ON the Divinity and Power
of the Gospel.
Rev. Isaac W. Wiley, who was recently elected
Bishop by the Methodist Conference, delivered a
discourse In the above named church yesterday
morning. The church was comfortably filed. The
speaker took his text from the first chapter of ST.
Paul's First Epistle to the Observation-Disclosures our
gospel hath not been to you in word only, but in
power also and in the Holy Ghost and In much as
surance; for you know what manner OF men we
have been among for your sakes.n st. Paul. said
the preacher, had travelled through Asia Minor and
was about to go farther to the East when man
appeared to him in a vision and commanded him to
go to Macedonia. lie had not been long here when
he was bound and put In the stocks. sometimes
PAUL MIGHT HAVE REASONED
and doubted, as we are accustomed to reason and
doubt, whether the vision had not been an Illusion
But no such misgtvings entered his mind. 1t turned
out TO be the opening OF the door for the introduce
ton OF Christianity into Europe, and the fame
went abroad OF the wonderful men that were turn
Ing the world upside down. Paul at length stole
away 70 Ihessalonica. A mob was there to meet
h and oppose him. yet he erected there one Of
doubts and strfes and difficult questions arose. and
ne wrote to them. He did SO In peculiar manner.
mat the Gospel Is divine. No; he appeals to them
WHAT THE GOSPEL HAS DONE.
He says to them, you remember the contentious
lhat arose when the Gospel came IL came with
power accompanied by the Holy Ghost. This Is his
method OF proving to doubtful minds the divinity
OF Chrsts Gospel. There Is no better method. TO
aoubting persons l would say "Come; take this
1ospel let II enter into your hearts and you will
Dnd out what II ISL There are three elements In IL
when carry conviction Of its divinity TO the mind
w, ts power the Influence of the Holy Ghost and
tne Insurance ~ brings to the heart In our day
terc u iaxty OF belief regarding the form OF this
Gospel we hear 1t said that 1t matters little what
Is man iath provided that his life Is right You
might as wen say that 1t matters little what kind of
body man has as long as - :
HIS SOUL Is ALL RIGHT
You might as well say that IL makes no matter
what klnd OF snip man sails In IL he reaches
Liverpool safely. IL matters Immensely me
chances are against the life being right II the faith
be wrong. He that chooses 10 cast away thar
part OF the Gospel which appeals TO mans fear
takes away SO much OF its motive power. He who
takes away what appeals to the heart robs 1t of so
much OF its riches. 1t needs ALL II St. Paul couId
eXclam in his day, "ths Is the Gospel; see its
power" how much more can we not exclaim the
same, since Its career from that time to our own
has been one OF continued conquests There was a
time when man stood against the world. IL Is
needless to say how soon the world was overcome
by the truth That fell from His lips Old systems,
old PHILOSOPHERS, 80
THE WHOLE WORLD FELL 1910
peloret, us power lies In its truth. Nothing has
been so sciutinized. Kings have arrayed their
power against IL, and IL stands. Eighteen centu-
fles hunting Tor an error In IL without finding
demonstrates IL to be true
Another element Of Its power Is In Its authority.