It would be interesting to consider the strange rise and spread of ignorance which in course of time made the GOD, Who had been seen and heard and walked with in Eden, and had never left Himself without witness, wholly unknown to the creatures of His hand, and the objects of His providential care; to contemplate the idolatry of ignorant heathen man, not seeing GOD in all His works, not able to find Him even when looking for Him and desiring to worship Him, believing in every god but the true One, sometimes even offering sacrifices to devils; to discuss, too, how it is the world by wisdom knows not, and never has known GOD, that intellect cannot search Him out, that intellect has even blinded many to whom the unknown GOD was plainly exhibited; to ask how much of this is natural, how much unnatural, how much judicial—the punishment of pride, the reward of loving darkness rather than light, because of evil deeds. But interesting as would be the consideration of “GOD unknown in the world,” there is a more important theme suggested by the text for us to dwell on, namely, “GOD unknown in the Church.” “There standeth one among you Whom ye know not.” Let me speak to you on this, brethren. Whatever may be the state and disposition of the people whom the clergyman has to deal with in his various daily ministrations and his intercourse with the world, once a week, at least, he addresses an assembly in some sense given to religion. As he stands in the pulpit on the Lord’s Day he may adopt almost the words of St. Paul on the Areopagus: “I perceive that you (and such as you) are more than the rest of mankind GOD-fearing, taking an interest in religion, listening to its teaching, partaking of its ordinances, supplicating, praising, serving GOD.”