SEARCH has been made in vain in the latest German publications, even of the "Conversations Lexicon," for biographical facts as to Dr. Stier, and our own correspondence has failed; so that but few particulars respecting this distinguished divine can be given. He is best known in Germany and other countries, from his "Words of Jesus," which were published some seventeen years since, and have been incorporated into the issues of "Clarke's Foreign Theological Library." They have taken their place as standard works; evincing minute analysis, and keen investigation into the secret thread and real meaning of the words which fell from the Master's lips.

His method, which is a combination of the critical and the practical, is something unusual among the Germans, but has been received, on the whole, with great favor. To his extensive learning and more than ordinary originality of mind, Dr. Stier adds, also, an entire faith in the inspiration of the Scriptures.

One great excellence of his commentaries, is their unwearied protest against Rationalism. Besides this great work, Dr. Stier has gained a considerable reputation by the publication of a "Commentary on the Psalms," and his "Epistel Predigten," a large quarto volume of more than a thousand pages, printed at Halle, in 1837, and made up of discourses, etc., on a great variety of topics.

The sermon here given is translated from the above volume, and is a favorable specimen of his discourses. As will be seen, his style is peculiar; and the matter of his sermons is oftentimes little more than a skillful dovetailing together of Scripture texts, which bear upon the special theme; though the remark is not so true of that here furnished. He has been heard to observe, that it is useless to preach polemics against theoretical Rationalism, because it does not exist among the country people generally; and he would bring himself down in preaching, on a level with the common mind. Dr. Stier was for some years pastor in Frankleben. In 1851 he resided at Berlin; but is now Doctor of Theology, chief pastor, and superintendent of Schkeuditz.

THE THREE PILLARS OF OUR FAITH.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures; and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."-1 Cor., XV. 1-10.

THE Apostle Paul here most earnestly reminds the Christians at Corinth, of that gospel which he had preached unto them. They had at that time "received" it from him, and for the most part still "stood fast" and hoped one day to be saved "thereby." But, upon the one hand, there was no lack of erroneous doctrines among them; so that the apostle was obliged to add: "if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you," while, upon the other, on account of their sensual disposition, he had cause still more sharply to say, "unless ye have believed in vain.” Therefore, as at another time he upbraids the faithless Galatians with apostolical zeal, and declares there is no other gospel, and that not even an angel from heaven could preach another, than that preached by him -that he had "not received or learned it from any man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ;" so here he reminds the Corinthians with great emphasis of the firm and certain foundations of the doctrine in which they had been instructed. He places once more clearly before them the great central feature of Christian faith; that it is faith in Christ-in Christ as him who for us hath died and risen again. He had delivered unto them "first of all," not merely the history of Christ's death and burial, but that which he "had received" for his own personal comfort and vivification, that which is the first and highest of the cardinal doctrines-the kernel and center of the gospel, "that Christ died for our sins!" Only from the reconciling death of Christ comes our salvation and the glad tidings of salvation-"the word of reconciliation," and "the preaching of the cross." But that Christ has died for our sins, is only made sure and certain by his resurrection, by which God hath vindicated him as his Son, and given testimony that his offering for the world hath been accepted. This, Paul sets forth in the verses following our text, and rightly maintains, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain-ye are yet in your sins." While here at the commencement of the chapter he shows the firm and

certain ground of his preaching, from the fact that it not only agrees with Scripture, but rests also upon indubitable history, he likewise brings forth with special prominence, the fact that the really accomplished resurrection is beyond a doubt. For this there was especial need, inasmuch as the erroneous teachers of Corinth were inclined to attack, and wished to overthrow the doctrine of the resurrection; but it is also true in general that in the words, "the Lord is risen indeed," lies the peculiar proof of the whole gospel, and only on that account holds the apostle so fast to it.

We, also, Christian friends, need to be often reminded of that gospel which is yet preached unto us, for the most part, according to the doctrine of the same apostle. It is even as he says in the eleventh verse, "Whether it were I or they, so we preached, and so ye believed." All apostles preach harmoniously, and all the preachers of Christendom should teach, all Christians believe, nothing otherwise. It is, and abides the same gospel of Christ, who for us hath died and risen again. But even among us also is there an abundance of erroneous doctrines, which would fain overthrow one thing or another, and thereby the whole gospel. Even among us, apart from this, is there abundant danger that many "believe in vain," and fail of salvation through the grace of Christ, because the precious word of grace is to them "in word only," and not "in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." Let us, therefore, for the awakening and strengthening of our living and earnest faith, proceed to consider the firmness of the foundations, on which rests our belief in the gospel of Christ. There are three firm grounds. here specified in our text: viz., the account of Christ which is in perfect agreement with the wonderful, divinely-given Scriptures; the history of this Christ, who came, according to prophecy, which is most fully confirmed by eye-witnesses; and thirdly, the power of grace, which was promised unto believers, and has most gloriously shown itself from the beginning in its effects. SCRIPTURE HISTORY, and the EFFECTS OF GRACE, therefore, unite in testimony for the gospel; let us consider them both. I preached unto you "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures," and that he rose again the third day "according to the Scriptures." Thus Paul here appeals to the ancient written word with which that newly preached agreed; and thus among Jews or heathen did he ever preach, according to the Scriptures. With the Jews at Thessa lonica, as we are told, at one time "he reasoned three Sabbath-days out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom (said he) I preached unto you is the Christ," of whom such things stand written. Before king Agrippa he joyfully vindicated himself, saying, I speak "none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that he should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and show light unto the people and

unto the Gentiles." Yea, he refers even the heathen to the same Scriptures, which hitherto had been intrusted only to the Jews, but which now with the gospel, should come unto all people, as we have seen in the case of the Corinthians, who were formerly, for the most part, heathen idolaters. And did the other apostles, among whom Paul reckoned himself only the least, otherwise? We know that the Holy Ghost, as soon as poured out at the beginning, cried out by the mouth of Peter, "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel." So "speaketh David" of the resurrection and ascension, which he " saw before." We know that Peter further testified that "all the prophets from Samuel, and those that followed after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days;" that Moses had referred to him as the "greatest prophet;" that God promised him unto Abraham. Had not the Risen himself shown to his apostles "all things which were written concerning him in the law of Moses and in the Psalms?" He said unto them, "Thus is it written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and," according to these Scriptures, "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." In like manner, through the Holy Ghost, did he teach his apostle Paul; for it was the will of God that among all people, Christ should be preached" according to the Scriptures." God "had promised afore by his prophets in the holy Scriptures," the gospel of Jesus Christ "who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." Supreme wisdom hath wisely ordered, that the glad tidings of salvation should not be proclaimed upon the earth as something wholly new and incredible, and, on this account, as on many others, preparations and prophecies long preceded it. And thus was there pointed out for Israel, a stronger ground for faith at the time of fulfillment. It is all only a fulfillment of your Scriptures-only the completion of the revelations already made to you-only that to which all God's dealings with you have aimed from the beginning. So was it also, even for the heathen, a stronger ground for faith, that the messengers of Christ brought, not a mere novel, oral word, but had at the same time in their hands the ancient Scriptures of Israel, a people whom they well knew; and said, Behold we announce to you precisely what was promised from the beginning. How wonderful is the agreement! Not only do the prophets speak of a future Messiah in general, and of his kingdom; not only does the whole of the Old Testament seem the commencement thereof, without which aim it is wholly purposeless; not only are the great facts of Christ's death and resurrection distinctly foretold, but also many an individual circumstance in the whole history -How the Lord should be rejected, betrayed, sold-how they should "cast lots for his garments," that he should be BURIED with the rich, although it was otherwise determined for him with the wicked*—that he * Isaiah, liii. 9, correctly translated.-AUTHOR.

would rise upon THE THIRD DAY;-to which Paul also here calls attention-and many other things. Whoever considers the Old Testament with an honest heart and an open understanding, and compares with it the contents of the New, must be convinced that here is a connection -here is ONE Covenant of God with men prepared of old time, and now completed and established by Jesus of Nazareth-as the promised Messiah.

We have these Scriptures upon whose words, first of all, our faith in Christ rests. We have, moreover, other Scriptures with them-the New Testament-because the account and doctrine of the fulfillment has been written out by the Holy Ghost for our good, that we may bring the two together and compare them. When our preachers appeal thereto, as they all should, when they say, "we preach unto you according to the Scriptures," they mean thereby the word of "the apostle? and prophets," on whose "foundation" we are built." Not according to reason is the gospel preached unto us-not according to our reason, nor that of the preacher, nor that of any man, for, truly, high above all human thought, soars that, "without controversy, great mystery-God manifest in the flesh"-that boundless wonder, if one regards it rightly, where the Lord suffers himself to be martyred for his servant-where the true God gives himself even unto death for us lost men. As a new psalmist, of one faith with the old, sings,

"Th' eternal counsel to redeem,

To expiate the guilt of man,

Surpassed my thought; nor did I dream

E'en in thy word lay such a plan!"

But it is God's word which reveals unto us his counsel. What is written, that it is which has been determined; and all is one vast, wonderful plan of divine wisdom. The Scriptures harmonize inimitably in all the books which make up the holy book. Though written by wholly different men, in a period of one and a half millennia, it is nevertheless one whole, as if from one, and the first chapter of Moses finds its conclusion only in the last of John's revelation. Search, my beloved, in these Scriptures, that you may strengthen your faith; "the Scripture can not be broken,” saith the Lord; for, as Luther says, it is a ring, which, if it break in one place, were never more whole. Know only, that these Scriptures which, in two testaments, testify of Christ, have maintained themselves, for almost two thousand years, against all the wisdom of this world. The unbelief of a modern time, which has now partly past by, is yielding to the new faith of many-it is not for a moment to be thought that all the cunning or learning of men shall overcome the word of God.

Let us then proceed to the second rock-foundation on which, as we have said, our gospel stands. In those Scriptures which most nearly