God is the only efficient mover. Man is entirely passive. Hence it seems to follow, that he is acted upon as a machine. Yet is he "drawn with the cords of a man."1 No constraint is put upon his will.2 Salvation is offered, not forced upon him. His free agency therefore is preserved, while the whole work from first to last is the grace of God. All is of God, who works in setting us to work,4 and whose rule of procedure is "He that hath, to him shall be given." Man is addressed as a rational agent. Though paralytic, he is commanded to walk. Though dead, he is called to "rise from the dead."6 He may come to Christ. He is invited to come. He is bound to come; and it is his sin, if he does not come; while at the same time his selfish unhumbled heart chains him under a moral inability to come, and leaves him without excuse. For it cannot be supposed, that his inability cancels his obligation; or that God will compromise with carnal men, by requiring any thing less than his just and absolute claim. But thus man is urged to acts, for which he has no inherent power. He is pressed with topics, which have a moral suitableness to interest his faculties, and move his natural affections: and in this constituted order of means, the sovereignty, grace, and power of God give life to the dispensation of his word. We deal with rational beings, capable of apprehending our message, and answerable for their reception of it. Let it be therefore comprehensive, simple, connected, and unfettered ; and "the Lord will give testimony unto the word of his grace."

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We have enlarged upon this subject from the decided conviction, that a Scriptural standard of doctrine is indissolubly connected with a corresponding elevation of holiness and privilege. To accommodate our statement to the philosophy of the hman mind in the hope of conciliating regard, is to forget the native enmity of the heart to the Gospel, and the determined opposition manifested to the Ministry of the wisest and most attractive of all preachers.9 On this principle the Apostle would never have stumbled the Jew and the Greek by "the foolishness of the cross"-that is, he would never have brought "the power and wisdom of God" for their conversion to the Gospel.10 Indefinite and indecisive statements may

1 Hosea xi. 4.

2 See Psalm cx. 3.

3 Augustine well remarked-Si non sit liberum arbitrium, quomodo damnabitur mundus? Si non sit gratia, quomodo servabitur? Nearly identical was Bernard's language - Si non sit liberum arbitrium, non est quod salvetur; si non sit gratia, non est unde salvetur.' Epist. 46.

4 See Phil. ii. 12, 13.

6 Eph. v. 14. See this subject illustrated Xxxvii. 1-10.

8 John i. 5; iii. 19, 20; Rom. viii. 7. 10 1 Cor. i. 22-24.

5 Mark iv. 25.

in the parable of the dry bones. Ezek. 7 Acts xiv. 3.

9 Matt. xi. 16—19; John xii. 37--40.

quiet the enmity of the heart, and may even bring our people to a certain stage of conviction; but they will never carry them to the main point, and will be dependent upon human energy alone for their success. 'In these truths which we have ventured to present,' (as Mather reminds his Student) 'there are the articles, which the church either stands or falls withal. They will be the life of your Ministry, nor can the power of godliness be maintained without them. The loss of these truths will render a Ministry insipid and unfruitful; and procure this complaint about the shepherds" The diseased ye have not strengthened, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away." " Simplicity, and godly sincerity”—not talent or eloquence-are the principles of our agency. One short sentence describes our system-" Christ is all, and in all." He is not only exhibited in the picture, but in the foreground—as the principal figure-where every part of the picture is subordinated, to give him that prominence and effect, which attract the eye and the heart exclusively to Him.3

The striking exhortation of Bishop Reynolds will fitly conclude the subject—' Studiously and conscientiously apply yourselves to this heavenly skill of spiritual preaching. So convince of sinthe guilt, the stain, the pollution of it, the curse and malediction, whereunto the soul is exposed by it-that your hearers may be awakened, and humbled, and effectually forewarned “to flee from the wrath to come." So convince of the all-sufficient righteousness and unsearchable riches of Christ, the excellency of his knowledge, the immeasurableness of his love, the preciousness of his promises, "the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection," the beauties of his holiness, the easiness of his yoke, the sweetness of his peace, the joy of his salvation, the hope of his glory—that the hearts of your hearers may burn within them, and they may "fly, like doves unto their windows," for shelter and sanctuary into the

1 Mather's Student and Pastor, p. 185.

2 Col. iii. 11.

3 Bowles gives some cogent reasons for this full exhibition of Christ in our Ministry.— 1. Because in him is our only hope of salvation, Acts iv. 12; John xiv. 6. 2. Because he is the scope of the whole Scripture, the whole range of truth being employed-either (like the Mosaic œconomy,) "to bring us to him"-or to describe him as if before our eyes-or to lead us to communion with him by the outward and inward means-or lastly, that we might walk worthy of him. 3. Because all the first Ministers of the Gospel unite in giving him the pre-eminence in their Ministrations-John the Baptist, (John i. 29.) Philip, (Acts viii. 5.) Paul, (Acts ix. 20. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Eph. iii. 8.) 4. Because all our works except they be grafted on him, are no better than splendid sins. (John xv. 4, 5.) Lib. ii. c. 8. Again, 1. From the dignity of his person, (Col. ii. 3, 9. ` Cant. v. 9-16.) fitting him, as God and man, to be our Redeemer and the ground of our faith. 2. From his office as Mediator between God and man on our account. 3. From the inestimable blessings that flow from him. c. 13. Christum illi soli annunciant vere, et uti oportet, qui in illo solo docent omnem spem salutis humanæ repositam, qui per illum solum agnoscunt divitias gratiæ Divinæ ad nos derivari.' Dav. in Col. i. 28.

arms of such a Redeemer, who "is able" and willing" to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him"--that they may with all ready obedience, and by the constraining power of the love of Christ, yield up themselves to the government of this Prince of Peace, by whom "the Prince of this world is judged and cast out," his "works destroyed," and we for this end "bought with a price," that we should "not be our own," but his that bought us; nor "live any longer unto ourselves," but unto him that “loved us, and died for us, and rose again.”

“Preach Christ Jesus the Lord." "Determine to know nothing among your people, but Christ crucified." Let his name and grace, his spirit and love, triumph in the midst of all your sermons. Let your great end be, to glorify him in the heart, to render him amiable and precious in the eyes of his people, to lead them to him, as a sanctuary to protect them, a propitiation to reconcile them, a treasure to enrich them, a physician to heal them, an advocate to present them and their services to God, as wisdom to counsel them, as righteousness to justify, as sanctification to renew, as redemption to save. Let Christ be the diamond to shine in the bosom of all your sermons.1

'PERHAPS the theory of the Gospel was never better understood since the Apostles' day, than it is at present. But many, who preach it, or who profess it, seem to lay too much stress upon a systematical scheme of sentiments, and too little upon that life and power, that vital, experimental, and practical influence, which forms the character, and regulates the conduct, of an established Christian. Our statements may be full and simple, connected and unfettered; but without an application of the didactic system to the sympathies of the heart, they will impart only a cold and uninfluential knowledge. We would not indeed be always dealing with certain trains of spiritual exercises; but to enter with minuteness into the varied feelings, difficulties, conflicts, and privileges, belonging to what Scougal aptly calls 'the life of God in the soul of man,' is most important.

1 Works, pp. 1039, 1040. An uniform edition of his works has been lately presented to the public, dedicated to the present Bishop of London. The Christian Remembrancer justly ranks Bishop Reynolds as 'one of the most eminent among the Divines of the seventeenth century;' and marks this edition of his works, as 'forming a most valuable accession to our stores of sound and masculine theology.' November, 1826.

2 Newton's Life of Grimshaw, p. 65.

The connection of this section with the preceding is obvious. Christian experience is the influence of doctrinal truth upon the affections. Except therefore we exhibit the principles of the truths of God, we cannot excite those exercises which connect the heart with him. That preaching, however, which is merely descriptive of Christian feelings, irrespective of their connection with Scriptural doctrine, is unsubstantial and defective; whereas an intelligent statement of truth from the preacher's heart, naturally flows with experimental sympathy to the hearts of his people.

Much wisdom is required, to adopt this style of preaching with advantage. It includes the various degrees of religious impression; the power of conviction; the danger of stifling it; and the best method of cherishing, deepening, and directing its influence. The power of Satan also-" taking" the multitude "captive at his will," and his active and too successful influence over the servants of God-the incessant working of native principles of corruption, combining with, and aiding, the grand designs of the enemy-all need to be most correctly delineated. Some important rules for the assurance of sincerity, and for a Scriptural "trial of the spirits, whether they be of God," will be appended to these discussions. The different offices of the Holy Spirit-" helping infirmities" `in prayer; convincing, enlightening, consoling, strengthening every part of the soul; imprinting the Divine image, and bearing witness to his own work-these also will form full and interesting subjects for detailed exposition. The connexion of his work with the love and offices of Christ, and the mutual interest and communion subsisting between Him and his church, in every part and in every member; will present the grand subject of the atonement in its vivid application, and in all its experimental consolations. This view of the scheme of the Gospel widely differs from the dry and abstract doctrinal statement. Its life consists not in the exposition, but in the application of the doctrine to the heart for the sanctification and comfort of the sincere Christian. Subjects of this character may occasionally form entire subjects of our pulpit discourses; though perhaps it is better, that they should give a general tone and character to our Ministry. Scriptural exhortations, however, to caution and watchfulness, must be judiciously introduced, in order to obviate the just imputation of enthusiasm in ourselves, and the real danger of it in our people.

We need scarcely remark, that this interesting style of preaching presupposes a personal acquaintance with these exercises, and an

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individual interest in their privileges. It is experience alone that qualifies the Minister for usefulness, by enabling him to touch the tender strings of the heart, and to suit his instruction to the different cases, trials, and circumstances of his people. When he has,' (as Witsius beautifully observes) 'not only heard something; but seen, and handled, and tasted of the word of life, and has been taught, not by mere speculation, but by actual experience, what he has thus found out; he safely inculcates, from the assured persuasions of his mind, and applies to every case, from his own knowledge of what is suitable to each." He must therefore expect his full portion of painful exercises; not only for his own humiliation, (a most needful preparation for his success); but also--like his Divine Master-to "give him the tongue of the learned, that he may know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." His taste of the innumerable trials, fears, complaints, and temptations of private Christians, will alone enable him to prescribe the specific remedy for each varying complaint, and to exercise the sympathy of membership with them all.

The Apostle in his letters to the churches, introduces occasional reference to his own experience with considerable effect. And when we can tell our people-'We have passed with you through the same tribulations, conflicted with the same difficulties, fallen into the same snares, and overcome the same temptations'—this excites a reciprocity of interest; and in the midst of present distress they "thank God" for us, "and take courage" for themselves. Addresses of this character flow directly to the heart with a warmth and impressiveness, like the enlivening glow of the sun, as contrasted with the cold clearness of moon-light. The way-post directs the traveller, but itself remains unmoved: but the living guide becomes a companion to sympathize with, enliven, and uphold his fellow. The frequency and suitableness, however, of these references must be cautiously regulated; lest we "preach ourselves" instead of "Christ Jesus the Lord," and set up our own experience as a standard for our people-thus putting the servant in the Master's place a worm in the place of God.

Our Pastoral Ministry will here supply much valuable assistance. In commenting upon the Epistle to the Galatians, we might present a faithful portraiture of the sin and danger of self

1 'Any little knowledge of my own heart, and of the Lord's dealings with my own soul, hath helped me much in my sermons; and I have observed, that I have been apt to deliver that which I had experienced, in a more feeling and earnest manner, than other matters.' Brown's Life and Remains.

2 De Vero Theologo.

3 Isaiah 1. 4.

5 Rom. vii. Phil. iii. 1 Tim. i. 12-15. et alia.

4 2 Cor. i. 3-7.