fering for sin, he soon after triumphed over death, and him that had the power of death, by rising from the grave, and ascending to his Father's right hand, where he now sitteth as a priest upon his throne, interceding for his people, and dispensing those gifts which he purchased with his blood; from whence he shall come again in the character of judge, taking vengeance upon them that obey not his gospel, “to be glorified and admired in those that believe,” and to complete the consolation and joy of his saints. These important truths ought to be fully explained and repeatedly insisted upon: “For this is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.” The natures and offices of our Redeemer, the glory of bis Godhead, the merit of his blood, and the efficacy of bis Spirit; the constitution of that government whereof he is Mediator, with all the promises thereof, which are exceeding great and precious; and especially the way or manner in which guilty, polluted creatures are vitally united to this all. sufficient Saviour, who, “ of God, is made upto them wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and re. demption :" These, and doctrines connected with them, are as necessary to the souls of men, nay infinitely more so, than food is to their bodies. Other things are perhaps desirable to be known; but these must be known, or people are undone for ever: and therefore none can be said to preach Christ who overlook these important, these essential truths, or treat them in a careless, superficial

manner.

2dly. To preach Christ Jesus the Lord, is to handle every other subject of discourse in such a way as to keep Christ continually in the eye of our hearers. We must acknowledge him as the author of the truths we deliver, and improve them so as to lead men to him. It is not

sufficient that we publish the laws of Christ, unless we publish them as bis laws, and press obedience to them by those motives and arguments which are peculiar to his gospel. In recommending the great duties of morality, we should represent them as the genuine effects and proper evitlences of faith in Christ, and love to God; directing our hearers at the same time to the Spirit of Christ for assistance, and to his merit for the acceptance of all their services; and, after all, we should remind them, that as they are at best “unprofitable servants," instead of depending upon any thing done by them, as the ground of their justification, in whole or in part, they must renounce all confidence in the flesh, and seek to be found in Christ alone; “ not having their own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God by faith."

These are not trivial circumstances, as some represent them to be: on the contrary, they are essential to the right preaching of Christ; and, if they be omitted, I can easily conceive it possible for a minister to preach all his life long upon the moral precepts of Christianity, without any other effect, than to lead his people away from the Saviour, and to carry them bood-winked into everlasting perdition. The apostles of our Lord, and they surely are the best and most approved patterns of our imitation, introduced, upon all occasions, the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, both into their discourses and epistles; and never failed to press the duties they enjoined by those regards which are due to Christ himself. Thus, humility and self-denial are recommended by the lowliness and patience of Christ : Chastity is enforced by this consideration, “ that our bodies are the members of Christ, and the temples of his Spirit.” We are exborted to abound in alms-deeds, “ because Christ for our sakes became poor,” and in testimony of our tbank fulness to God “for his unspeakable gift.” Husbands are charged to love their wives, “ as Christ loved his church:” and servants are commanded to be faithful and diligent, “ that they may adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour.” In short, Christ is so deeply engraved upon every moral precept in the New Testament writings, that we must read his name upon every duty; nay, we cannot efface his name, without debasing, or rather vitiating, the duty itself, and casting away the most powerful inducement to the practice of it. I therefore said, that to preach Christ, is not only to publish what the Scriptures say concerning him, but likewise to handlo every other subject of discourse in such a manner, as to keep Christ continually in the eye of our hearers; and they whose schemes of religion do not admit of this, may be assured, without any further examination, that their schemes differ widely from the gospel of Christ.

3dly. To preach Christ Jesus the Lord, is to make the advancement of bis kingdom, and the salvation of men, the sole aim of our preaching. We must not seek our own glory, but the glory of him who sent us. If we serve ourselves, we must reward ourselves as we can. Such only can look for the approbation of Christ, who make the honour of his name, and the happiness of mankind, the ultimate end of all their ministrations. They that usurp the sacred office from interested views, or merely to gain a subsistence in a present world, will find in the issue, that they have turned the best and most salutary employment into a very bad trade, and only entitled themselves to more and heavier stripes when the chief Shepherd shall appear. 6 We are ambassadors for Christ,” saith our Apostle, at the 20th verse of the following chapter, “ as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in God's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” This is our proper business, the errand upon which we are sent. The glory of God, and the salvation of men, are the great and good ends of the pastoral office; and he who loseth sight of these, or proposeth any end that is different from them, may acquire the reputation of a learned, an ingenious, or an eloquent orator, but cannot be styled a preacher of Christ.--This will further appear from the

Second thing proposed : which was to show, That preaching Christ is the proper business, and the distinguishing characteristic, of a gospel-minister.

Can any thing be more reasonable, than that they who profess to derive their authority from Christ, should make bim the principal subject of their sermons, and recommend him to the esteem and love of their bearers? And, on the other hand, can any thing be more unreasonable, can any thing be more unjust, than to assume the character of his messengers, while they seldom or never mention his name; or speak of bim in such a way, as rather tends to breed contempt of him, than to render him precious to the souls of men ? But what I would chiefly observe is, that preaching Christ Jesus the Lord, is the great means which God hath appointed for the conversion and final salvation of sinners : and therefore it is not only highly reasonable, but absolutely necessary; and they are cruel to men, as well as unfaithful to God, who do not make conscience of this inportant duty. Lectures upon morality may be of use to restrain men from scandalous sins, but it is the gospel alone that can save a sinner. A preacher, by discoursing well upon the duties that belong to self-government, and righteousness, may correct many outward disorders in the life, and produce such a change in the heart siself, as to convert those into men, who formerly were depraved to such a degree, that they differed very little from the brutes that perish. But after they become men, the greatest change doth still remain; those men must be converted into saints; they must be changed into the divine image; their very nature must be renewed, before they can be meet for the enjoyment of God: “ Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;" and it is the gospel alone which the Spirit renders powerful for producing this effect. Morality grows out of faith in Christ, as the branches grow from the stock. This, and this only, is the principle of that holiness, without which no man shall see God. Whosoever, therefore, would preach morality with any hope of success, must begin here, and lay the foundation of it in that faith which purifieth the heart, and worketh by love; otherwise his sermons may supply fuel to pride and vain-glory, but shall never be the means of saving one soul. In vain do we attempt to improve the froit till the tree be made good. Let sinners be first ingrafted into Christ, and then works of righteousness will follow in course; as our blessed Lord hath taught us (John xv. 4, 5.) “ Abide in me, and I in

you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me (or separated from me) ye can do nothing.” Accordingly we find, that the preaching Christ, or the peculiar doctrines of the gospel, hath in every age been the means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation; and in the same proportion that this hath been neglected, the power of godli.

VOL. I.

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