book or no book, as one of those circumstantials in the fulfilment of the ordinance, which was of secondary, or rather of no moment." However this is one of those questions that can never be decided upon paper. The conscientious Minister will consider the nature of his situation, the temper of his people, the character and suitableness of his individual talent-which mode is most adapted to subserve his own Ministerial efficiency. It will probably be well for him to use himself to both methods-to combine the freedom and vigour of extempore preaching with that clearness, regularity, and fulness of matter, which is best secured by much reflection and writing. It might be his duty to yield to a decided preference for extempore preaching among his people; though it would be wise to avail himself of the judgment of his more discerning brethren in forming his ultimate determination.

CHAPTER VI.

THE SPIRIT OF SCRIPTURAL PREACHING.

A THOUGHTFUL study of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, will afford the best illustrations of this subject. Our Lord's Ministry furnishes the perfect exemplification, of which the Apostolic Ministry exhibited a close detailed imitation; and therefore as entrusted with the same commission, opposed by the same hindrances, and sustained by the same promises with the first Ministers of the Church, an attentive consideration of their spirit must be replete with most important instruction and support. A few leading particulars will be specified, which may be filled up with advantage, even in the most contracted sphere of the Christian Ministry.

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I.-BOLDNESS-THE SPIRIT OF SCRIPTURAL PREACHING.

OUR Lord's pungent addresses to the Scribes and Pharisees2 exhibit the boldness of a Christian Ministration. The same spirit in the Apostles-unaccountable upon human calculations3—confounded their judges to theirface. Witness Paul before Felix-a prisoner

2 See Matt. xxiii.

1 Vaughan's Life, p. 234. 3 Acts ii. 13. ♦ Acts iv. 13. See the power that rested upon this spirit; 29-33: xiv. 3. St. Paul's

on his trial for life-"no man standing by him"-hated even to death by the influential body of his countrymen; yet, mean, and in peril, looking his Judge in the face, with the power of life and death in his hands; and remembering only the dignity of his office-delivering to this noble sinner and his guilty partner the most personal and offensive truths.' How did this splendid example of Ministerial boldness "magnify his office!" For what can be more degrading to our Divine commission, than that we should fear the face of men? What unmindfulness does it argue of our Master's presence and authority, and of our high responsibilities, as "set forth for the defence of the Gospel!" The independence, that disregards alike the praise and the censure of man, is indispensable for the integrity of the Christian Ministry.

Luther would have been tolerated on many truths of general application; but his bold statements of justification could not be endured. How different from Erasmus, who, though a layman, delivered his doctrines ex cathedra, yet with an unworthy carefulness to avoid inconvenient offence! But the question is not, how our people may be pleased; but how they may be warned, instructed, and saved. We would indeed strongly rebuke that modesty, which makes us ashamed of our grand message; or that tremulous timidity, which seems to imply, that we are only halfbelievers in our grand commission.3 To keep offensive doctrines out of view, or to apologize for the occasional mention of them, or to be over-cautious respecting the rudeness of disquieting the conscience with unwelcome truth; to compromise with the world; to connive at fashionable sins; or to be silent, where the cause of God demands an open confession-this is not the spirit which honours our Master, and which he "delighteth to honour."

The reproof of sin is an important part of Ministerial boldness. Even the courtesies of life never restrained our Lord from this office. The Pharisees' dinners were made the seasons of rebuke, and never used as an excuse for declining it. The Scriptural rules and exhortations in the Ministerial Epistles show, that it should be, when occasion required, public, as a warning to others—sharp,"

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deep sense of its importance. Eph. vi. 19, 20. Col. iv. 3, 4-the same spirit characterizing the Jewish prophets, 1 Kings xxi. 20; xxii. 14-25. 2 Chron. xvi. 7; xxiv. 20. Isaiah lviii. 1; lxv. 2, with Rom. x. 20. Amos vii. 10-13. Micah iii. 8. Matt. iii. 7. 1 Acts xxiv. 24, 25. 2.Phil. i. 17. 3 See Jer. xxiii. 28.

4 See some searching views, in a sermon entitled 'The Gospel Message, by Rev. Dr. Dealtry, pp. 24-26. Be afraid of nothing more'—said a holy Minister than the detestable cowardice of a selfish and unbelieving heart.' Correspondence of the late Rev. Henry Venn, p. 248. 'Lord, turn the fear of men's faces into a love of their souls'—was Mr. Walker's godly prayer.-Life, p. 356.

5 Luke vii. 36–46; xi. 37–54.

6 1 Tim. v. 20.

7 Titus i. 13.

as a means of conviction to the offender-with authority,' in our Master's name with love,2 in the hope of ultimate restoration. It should, however, be always aimed at the sin, not at the sinner. There was no need for the Apostle to make any personal allusion to Felix. Conscience told the trembling criminal-“ Thou art the

Yet it is not every kind of boldness, that commends the glory of our message, and the dignity of our office. It is not an affected faithfulness, that makes a merit of provoking hostility to the truth (a temper more closely connected with a man's own spirit than with the Gospel)-not a presumptuous rashness, that utters the holy oracles without premeditation of what is most fitting to be said, or most likely to be effective. But it is a spiritual, holy principle, combined with meekness, humility, and love, and with a deep consciousness of our own weakness and infirmities. This spirit is "a door of utterance"-a door shut, till the Lord opens it -a matter of special difficulty--and therefore a subject of special prayer, both with the Minister and with the people on his ac

count.

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This Ministerial boldness is fenced on either side by warning and encouragement. Yet many probably know, and even feel, more truth, than they have courage to preach. Want we then a further motive? Think of the despised Saviour in the judgment hall, "before Pontius Pilate, witnessing a good confession"——— an example of fidelity enough to make a coward bold!

The deficiency of this spirit lowers us in the estimation of our people, as time-servers, whose moral and religious integrity are alike suspected. Many who love the 'smooth things' we should 'prophesy,' would despise us in their hearts for this accommodation to their sinful indulgences; whilst Christian boldness awes the haters of our message, and secures the confidence of the true flock of Christ, and the approbation of our conscience in the sight of God.

II.—WISDOM-THE SPIRIT OF SCRIPTURAL PREACHING.

"WISDOM"-observes the wise king of Jerusalem, who had known its value in public instruction-" is profitable to direct."

1 Titus ii. 15, with 1 Cor. v. 4.

3 Acts xxiv. 25.

4 See 1 Cor. ii. 3.

2 1 Tim. v. 1. 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.
5 See Eph. vi. 19, 20.

6 Comp. Jer. i. 17-19. Ezek. ii. 6-8. 2 Tim. iv. 16. This thought seems to have been the last prop of Jeremiah's sinking spirit, chap. xx. 9—11.

7 1 Tim. vi. 13.

8 Eccl. x. 10, with xii. 10.

We may be useful without learning, but not without wisdom. This was a part of our Master's furniture for his work; to which the multitude, and even his enemies, bore ample testimony. His sermons were fraught with solemn, weighty, unmingled truth, judicious appeals to Scripture, an intimate acquaintance with the heart, and a suitable adaptation of incidental occurrences to the great end of his mission; so that in every view it was the manifestation of the "wisdom of God." In the same spirit his Apostle bore testimony to his own labours; "teaching every man in all wisdom, that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."4

The wisdom of our public Ministration includes the character of our compositions-that they should be such, that the lowest may understand, and the intelligent may have no cause to complain; that the weak may not be offended, nor the captious gratified. There must be unity of subject, that the minds of our hearers may not be distracted; perspicuity of arrangement, that they may enter into every part of the subject; and simplicity of diction, that no part of it may be concealed by artificial language. The precise view of the mind of the Spirit in the text itself will naturally give unity of subject. Discernment of its distinct character will facilitate arrangement. The infusion of its spirit (whether of an energetic or tender kind) will of itself lead to suitable "plainness of speech.

Thus the judgment arrives at a clear perception of the subjectthe will has a ready ground of assent-the affections an intelligent and practical excitement-the memory a stronger habit of retention -the conscience an awakened exercise. And though we would not ascribe innate efficacy to the best disposition of our great subject, yet we must deal with rational man through a rational medium. On the other hand-when the unity is disturbed by the intermixture of different points, and the dissociation of the several parts—when the arrangement is filled up with general matter, without the explication of the main heads of the discussionwhen there is but little moulding of the mind into the spirit of the subject—want of clearness, sympathy, and power of application is the result. Yet mechanical uniformity-treating all subjects in the same precise method-greatly fails in effect. Sound wisdom

1 Isaiah xi. 2, 3; 1. 4.

2 Luke iv. 22. xxi. 40, with John vii. 46. 3 This particular of the Ministry of Christ, is admirably illustrated by the Bishop of Winchester.-Minister. Char. of Christ, ch. vi. 4 Col. i. 28.

5 The Writer begs particularly to refer to Mr. Simeon's short but admirable rules for tomposition in his edition of Claude's Essay, 12mo. pp. 30–34.

will make use of the best rules, and the settled principles of composition; at the same time taking care that their influence does not crush the powers of imagination, or weaken the force of free and natural address to the conscience.

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Preaching Christ in wisdom" implies a just and connected view of truth. "A wise master builder" not only lays a right foundation, but "takes heed how he builds thereupon." He marks the different qualities of his materials;1 placing the doctrine at the foundation, and building duties upon it, as a superstructure of lively stones, growing up into a holy edifice." He will guard equally against confounding what God has distinguished, and putting asunder "what God hath joined together;" not halting on the verge of truth in scrupulous timidity, nor yet presumptuously overleaping the sacred barrier. He may often see reason to insist upon some points with more detail than others; but he will carefully bring every part into its Scriptural prominence and connexion; instead of rashly assaulting one part with another (the fruitful source of heresy)—improving the whole "for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.”3

This wise exhibition of the Gospel is of the highest moment. Many will patiently listen to its practical enforcements, who cannot endure its doctrinal statements-such as the sovereignty of God— his free election of his people-justification by the righteousness of Christ—the utter insufficiency of works as the ground of trust— the helplessness of man in the act of turning to God—and the indispensable need of heavenly influence to incline his heart. Many on the other hand gladly receive the more mysterious doctrines of the Gospel; while they revolt from its invitations, and stigmatize as legal, inculcations of the law as the rule of life, or of evangelical repentance and holiness. Now both these extremes proceed from the same principle—a proud determination to receive a part only of the counsel of God. Both need the same corrective-a full, well-proportioned, and connected display of truth-opposing the notions of self-sufficiency, without weakening the obligations to duty; enforcing these obligations, without entrenching upon the Sovereignty or the freeness of Divine grace; cutting down self-righteousness by the perfection of the work of Christ, and Antinomianism by the glory of his example.

1 1 Cor. iii. 10—15.

2 Mark the statement of justification in the Epistle to the Galatians. The Apostle did not (as some appear to think) conceive that the view of its simplicity (ch. i.—iv.) was in any wise obscured by the exhibition of its fruitfulness (ch. v. vi.) The tree is known by its fruits, while it is distinguished from them. 3 2 Tim. iii. 16.