The Ministry of our Lord illustrates the importance of this institution. It was the work for which he was anointed 1—in which he was constantly employed 2— and for which he ordained his Apostles 3-first with a limited, afterwards with an universal 5 commission.

In conformity to this commission and to their Master's example-" daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ; ”6 and in enlarging the field of their labours among the Gentiles, they contemplated nothing short of the accomplishment of their Master's design, in the preaching of the Gospel "unto every creature which is under heaven."7

The purpose of God has constituted this ordinance the main instrument in the work of salvation.8 That is said of preaching, which is said of no other department of the work. Neither the administration of the sacraments-nor the private reading of the Scriptures-nor the habit of secret prayer have the same stamp of Divine efficiency. In the ordinary course of means it is of supreme necessity-“ How shall they hear ". -so as to believe-call upon the Lord-and be saved-" without a preacher? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 9

gratiæ divinitus institutum, quo res regni Dei publice et explicantur et applicantur populo ad salutem et ædificationem.' Bowles' Pastor Evangelicus. 1655. Lib. ii. c. i.—a scarce work of the highest value, as giving a serious, important, and detailed exposition of the Christian Ministry.

9 Rom. x. 14—17. Archbishop Grindal in his celebrated remonstrance to Queen Elizabeth, upon her restraint upon his preaching exercises, well points out the supremacy of preaching

This view of the importance of preaching as the grand ordinance of God is confirmed by an able writer of the present day- Of all methods for diffusing religion, preaching is the most efficient. All other methods are indirect and preparatory; but the simple proclaiming of the Gospel has in all ages been attended with the most transforming efficacy; elevating the few, who have cordially accepted it, into a higher and happier state of being; and even raising the many who have rejected it into a better system of moral opinion. It is to preaching that Christianity owes its origin, its continuance, and its progress; and it is to itinerating preaching (however the ignorant may undervalue it) that we owe the conversion of the Roman world from Paganism to primitive Christianity; our own freedom from the thraldom of Popery, in the success of the Reformation; and the revival of Christianity at the present day from the depression, which it had undergone, owing to the prevalence of infidelity and of indifference. Books, however excellent, require at least some previous interest on the part of the person, who is to open and to peruse them. But the preacher arrests that attention, which the written record only invites; and the living voice, and the listening numbers heighten the impression by the sympathy and enthusiasm which they excite; the reality, which the truths spoken in the Christian Ministry-' Public and continual preaching of God's word is the ordinary means and instrument of the salvation of mankind. St. Paul calls it "the Ministry of reconciliation" of man unto God. By preaching of God's word, the glory of God is enlarged, faith is nourished, and charity is increased. By it the ignorant is instructed, the negligent exhorted and incited, the stubborn rebuked, the weak conscience comforted, and to all those that sin of malicious wickedness, the wrath of God is threatened.' The whole of this letter is most admirable. It may be seen in Fuller's Church History, Book ix. and in Strype's Life of Grindal.

possess in the mind of the speaker, is communicated to the feelings of the hearers; and they end in sharing the same views, at least for the moment, and in augmenting each other's convictions.' 1

2

The judgment of the fathers of the church was in strict consonance with this view of our subject. Gregory Nazianzen insists upon preaching, as the principal thing that belongs to us Ministers of the Gospel.' St. Augustine marks it as the proper office of a bishop to preach. No congregation in the primitive church separated, without being fed' (as Tertullian expresses it) with holy sermons.' Bishop Stillingfleet proves the conviction of the importance of preaching even in the dark ages of Popery, by an edict of the reign of Henry III, at a provincial synod, enjoining all parish priests to instruct the people committed to their charge, and to feed them with the food of God's word;' the synod styling them, in the event of their neglecting this duty, 'dumb dogs.' 4 Erasmus, in making a comparison between the several offices of the Ministry, gives the pre-eminence to preaching-speaking of the Minister-as then in the very height of his dignity, when from the pulpit he feeds the Lord's flock with sacred doctrine.' 5 Mr. Thorndike (a writer of some authority on ecclesiastical matters) justly remarks that preaching in respect

6

1 Douglas's Advancement of Society in Knowledge and Religion. A yet more excursive view is thus forcibly given by an anonymous writer-'The Pulpit, whether we view it with the eye of a Legislator, watching for the welfare of the state; of the Learned, jealous for public science and taste; of the Moral Philosopher, anxious for the virtue of the community; or of the devout Christian, weighing every thing in the balance of eternity-the Pulpit must, in every light, appear an object of vast importance.' Eclectic Review. 2 πρωτον των ημετέρων. Orat. I. 3 De Offic. 1. c. 1. 4 Duties and Rights of the Parochial Clergy, p. 15. 5 Erasm. Eccles. Lib. i.

1

It

of personal performance, is the most excellent work bishops and presbyters are able to do in the service of God.' Hooker gives his judgment to the same purport-So worthy a part of Divine service we should greatly wrong, if we did not esteem preaching as the blessed ordinance of God-sermons as keys to the kingdom of heaven, as wings to the soul, as spurs to the good affections of man, unto the sound and healthy as food, as physic unto diseased minds.' was remarked of Mr. Robinson of Leicester-that to preaching he always assigned the throne in the various and distinct offices of his Ministry. "Preach the word "this he considered as the main article of his commission, which the nearest of the rest followed at a long interval. It is well' (he would say) to visit; it is well to show kindness; to make friendly; to instruct at home; to instruct at their own houses; to educate the children; to clothe the naked. But the pulpit is the seat of usefulness; souls are to be converted and built up there; exertion must be allowed, which may have the effect of habitually deteriorating this-whatever else is done should be with the design and hope of making this more effective.' 3

6

no

The historical review of this ordinance is interesting from its connexion with national prosperity, and the extension of scriptural knowledge and holiness. A sa was reminded by his prophet, that the destitution of "a teaching priest was marked by a time of national distress and "vexation."4 In the subsequent reign of Jehoshaphat, we find the mission of Levites and Priests throughout all the cities, combined with the overflowing

1 See his Due Way of composing Differences.

2 Book v. 22.

3 Vaughan's Life of Robinson, p. 297.

4

2 Chron. xv, 3, 5.

prosperity and establishment of the kingdom.' The comparative disuse of preaching was a concomitant mark of the dark ages of Popery, while its revival was coeval with the dawn and progress of the Reformation. The object of the Reformers in completing the Book of Homilies, was to remove the obstruction to preaching, from the ignorance of the Clergy. Erasmus (as we have seen) appears to have been sensible of the importance of preaching. Bishop Stillingfleet notices his observation in his Ecclesiastes, that the sense of religion grows very cold without preaching; and that the Countess of Richmond (King Henry the Seventh's mother) had such a sense of the necessity of that office in those times, that she maintained many preachers at her own charges, and employed Bishop Fisher to find out the best qualified for it.' The Council of Trent also designates this office with considerable emphasis, as the chief part of the Bishop's work. 3

There appears therefore just ground for George Herbert's beautiful definition of his Country Parson's pulpit as his joy and his throne.' It is, indeed, invested with a dignity, solemnity, and efficiency peculiar to itself.

CHAPTER II.

PREPARATION FOR THE PULPIT.

How honourable was the spirit of " the man after God's own heart," who could not endure the thought

12 Chron, xvii. 5-12.

Prædicatio Evangelii.. munus. Sess. v. Caput. 2.

....

Stillingfleet, ut supra, p. 206. est præcipuum Episcoporum

4 Country Parson, ch. vii.