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in a fcriptural ftrain: we practically declare, by fuch a conduct, that we have no high efteem for divine revelation, and have forgot our commiffion as ambaffadors of Christ. It would be reckoned arrogant prefumption, even in the ambaffador of an earthly prince, fhould he exceed his inftructions, and betake himself to his own fagacity, in adjusting the differences of his fovereign with neighbouring ftates. And can an ambassador commiffioned by him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, be thus unfaithful, without the most daring and impious infolence ? He bids faireft to preach with fuccefs, who preaches in words, not of man's wifdom, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing fpiritual things with fpiritual. The bleffed Spirit fets his feal only to doctrines ftamped with his own authority, and which flow from that facred fountain unfullied and pure. The gospel, when mingled with human inventions, lofes much of its native luftre, and, like adulterated milk, affords but fcanty and unwholesome nourishment. An itch to say what is curious and uncommon, is a dangerous turn of mind in a teacher of Chriftianity. Common truths are like common bleffings; of moft ufe, and of trueft worth: and that is the best fermon which makes the grace of God fweet, falvation through Christ acceptable, fin ugly and hateful, and holiness amiable to the foul.

If they give juft ground of offence who add to the word of God, they do it alfo who take from it. All God's words are right. There is nothing froward or perverse in them. Every doctrine and precept is wifely fuited to promote God's glory and man's falva

tion,

tion, and was mercifully revealed for that very pur-
pofe. All fcripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor-
rection, for inftruction in righteoufnefs. Those en-
tertain too high a conceit of their own penetration,
and very mean ideas of the divine wisdom, who fancy
it dangerous to preach what the bleffed Spirit judged
it proper to reveal. If we would keep back from
our people nothing profitable, we must endeavour
to declare to them the whole counfel of God. Con-
cealing any part of that form of found words which
our commiffion directs us to publifh, is unfaithfulness
to God, and injuftice to the fouls of men.
" He,”
faith God," that hath my word, let him speak my
"word faithfully;" Jer. xxiii. 28. And again: "—all
"the words that I command thee to speak unto them,
"diminish not a word;" Jer. xxvi. 2.

As wife and faithful stewards, we must regard the
whole family, and give to every one his proper por
tion: teaching the young and ignorant, in a plain fa-
miliar manner, the first principles of the oracles of
God; and difpenfing strong meat to them of full age,
who, by reafon of ufe, have their fenfes exercised to
difcern both good and evil. The erroneous, we must
endeavour, 'by found reafoning, to convince of their
mistakes. We must unfold the ftrictness, spirituality,
and extent of God's law; and difplay the awful fanc-
tions that inforce it, to rouse from their fpiritual le-
thargy, the fecure and thoughtless, the bold and pre-
fumptuous, the proud and felf-confident: awakened
fouls we must gently allure to Chrift, by the sweet
and free invitations of the gofpel; and believers we

muft

muft exhort, by a faithful difcharge of every duty, to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things.

Perhaps it is one chief occafion of our giving offence, by not declaring the whole counsel of God, that there are certain fubjects peculiarly eafy and agreeable to us, which, on that account, we are apt to imagine the most important, and to infift upon the most frequently. Lecturing usually on large portions of fcripture might be fome remedy to this evil. Occafions would, in that way, foon prefent, of explaining every doctrine, and inculcating every duty. Both we and our hearers would grow better acquainted with the lively oracles, and learn to read them more profitably. Befides, fhort occafional hints, which naturally arise in our ordinary course of expounding a gospel or epistle, may fall with weight on our hearers ere they are aware, and force conviction. Whereas, when the subject of a fermon is directly levelled against vulgar prejudices or fashionable vices, inftantly the alarm is taken, and the mind strengthens itself against evidence. The heart is a fort more easily taken by fap than by storm.

But though we give hints of every truth, our fermons will offend the judicious, if we infift moft frequently and earneftly on fubjects of leffer importance, and more fparingly and coldly on those branches of Chriftianity which are moft frequently introduced, and have the greatest stress laid upon them, in the facred writings. Our great bufinefs is, to inftruct guilty creatures how they may be recovered from the ruins of their ароftafy, ferve God acceptably here, and enjoy him for ever hereafter. It is justly offenfive, if we content

ourfelves

ourfelves with now and then mentioning, in a flight and overly manner, those things which affect the very vitals of our common Christianity.

If Christ, and falvation through him, are rarely preached, this will be quite opposite to the apoftolic pattern. Let it not be pleaded, That thefe doctrines were more neceffary to Jews and Heathens than to profeffed Christians. A little observation may convince us, that many of our hearers are Christians only in name, and need to be taught these doctrines more perfectly, or, at leaft, to have deeper impreffions of their truth and importance. Befides, it was not barely in addreffing infidels, that the apoftles infifted on fuch fubjects. They did it also in their epistles to the faints and faithful in Jefus, who knew these things, and were established in the prefent truth. A confiderable part of many of these epiftles immediately relates to the peculiar doctrines of Christianity. And, in the practical part of them, these peculiar doctrines are often urged as motives even to focial and relative duties. For instance, they are urged to diffuade from evil-speaking, and to recommend meekness and gentlenefs, Tit. iii. 2. & feqq. and in the 8th verfe of that chapter, the apostle, after pronouncing the doctrine of justification through Christ a faithful saying, injoins Titus to affirm it conftantly, in order to excite believers to carefulness in maintaining good works. But I have a still higher pattern to plead More of our Lord's fermons are recorded by the beloved difciple than by the other evangelifts; and of these the principal fubjects are, the dangerous ftate of the unconverted, and the nature, neceffity, and bleffed confequences

B

confequences of faith in Chrift, of union with him, and of the fanctifying influences of his Spirit. The laft and longest of these sermons, though preached to the apostles only, who had long ago profeffed their dependence on him as their guide to eternal life, yet chiefly relates to the mutual love of Chrift and his people, and the fafety and comfort that flow from the exercife of faith in him. The doctrine of Chrift crucified is the inftituted mean for producing and nourishing the divine life, and fhould be the centre of our fermons, in reference to, and dependence upon which, other fubjects ought to be confidered.

The nature of true religion, as diftinguished from every counterfeit appearance, the genuine workings of it in the heart, and the fruits of it in the life, are fubjects that need to be often explained and inculcated. Scripture abounds with occafional instructions on these heads: and the 119th pfalm, our Lord's fermon on the mount, the epiftle of James, and John's first epistle, treat them defignedly, and at full length. On the one hand, we must inculcate it frequently, that however blameless mens outward conduct appear, yet if they act barely from selfish interested principles, and have not charity, love to God, to Chrift, and to their brethren of mankind, they are nothing, have not the fpirit of Chrift in them, and are none of his: "The "end of the commandment is love, out of a pure "heart, a good confcience, and faith unfeigned." In other words, The end of divine revelation is not gained upon us, till we love our duty, fee a beauty and excellency in holinefs, and esteem it our meat and drink to do the will of our heavenly Father. On the other hand,

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