Transcribed from the 1842 J. Hatchard and Son edition by DavidPrice,
A SERMON,
PREACHEDAT
THE VISITATION
OFTHE
VENERABLE THE ARCHDEACON OFDERBY,
IN
ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH,
ON THE21st JUNE,1842
BY THE REV. PHILIP GELL, M.A.
MINISTER OF ST. JOHN’S, DERBY, ANDRURAL DEAN.
PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THECLERGY.
LONDON:
J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY;
AND W. BEMROSE, AND W. ROWBOTTOM,DERBY.
1842.
LONDON:
S. J. PALMER, PRINTER, SAVOY-STREET,STRAND.
p. iiiTO
THE VENERABLE
WALTER AUGUSTUS SHIRLEY, M.A.
ARCHDEACON OF DERBY,
ANDTO
THE REVEREND THE CLERGY,
ASSEMBLED ATTHE VISITATION HELD IN DERBY, A.D. 1842,
THIS SERMON
IS DEDICATED,
WITH TRUE RESPECT AND AFFECTION,
BY THEIR FAITHFUL SERVANT,
AND BROTHER IN CHRIST,
THE AUTHOR.
Derby, June 21, 1842.
2 Cor. ii. 17, and iii. 1–6.
“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak wein Christ. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Orneed we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, orletters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle,written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as yeare manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered byus; written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God;not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to Godward; not that we aresufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; butour sufficiency is of God; who hath made us able ministers of theNew Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for theletter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
To “speak the same thing,”—to “be ofone mind in the Lord,”—tobe altogether one in the Father, andin the Son, as they are one, is theproper habitude of all the members of the church, and especiallyof all ministers of the word, of God.
p. 2Because,however, of human imperfections, differences have arisen in thechurc