CONTENTS OF VOL. II. IV. The scriptural preaching of the Gospel, SECT. I. Doctrinal preaching of the Gospel, 11 II. Experimental preaching of the Gospel, 27 III. Practical preaching of the Gospel, VI. Decided preaching of the Gospel, V. The mode of scriptural preaching, SECT. I. Topical and expository preaching, II. Extempore and written Sermons, PART IV. PUBLIC WORK OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. CHAPTER IV. THE SCRIPTURAL PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. THIS subject opens to us the master-spring of the effectiveness of the Ministry. The Writer trusts, that he is in some measure aware of the great consideration required to conduct the discussion in a useful and edifying manner; and to touch upon points of difference, with due exercise of Christian forbearance. The Scriptural rule for preaching of the Gospel is—“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ;"* forming all our discourses according to the Scriptural model, as "Moses was ordered to make all things according to the pattern showed him in the mount." Witsius well remarks, of the mode of preaching, 'that the things of God cannot be more fitly explained than in the words of God. The man greatly mistakes, who * 1 Pet. iv. 11. Beza's note on Tim. ii. 15, is an excellent exposition of this rule-ogorousra-id est, qui primum omnium, quod ad doctrinam ipsam attinet, nihil prætermittat, quod dicendum sit; nihil etiam adjiciat de suo, nihil mutilet, discerpat, torqueat, deinde spectat diligenter, quid ferat auditorum captus, quicquid denique ad ædificationem conducit.' † Heb. viii. 5. VOL. II. 2 presumes that he can explain the mysteries of Divinity more accurately, or more clearly, or more powerfully, or with greater aptitude of instruction, than in the tract and phrases, which, after the example of the Prophets, the Apostles used, as being dictated by Him, who formed the mouth and tongue of man, who "fashioneth the hearts of each," and therefore best of all knows the method of instructing and touching the heart."* Mr. Brown of Haddington, though a man of considerable theological learning, said of himself-God hath made me generally to preach, as if I had never read another book but the Bible: I have essayed to preach scriptural trnths in scriptural language:'† We must all be conscious of the extreme difficulty of that scriptural preaching of the Gospel, which gives to every point in the evangelical system its just weight and proportion. Every man takes his own view of the component parts of Christian truth. Individual constitution and circumstances give a bias to his views to an extent, of which he is probably unconscious; and under this influence he is in imminent danger of preaching either a defective or disproportioned Gospel. In the subject matter however of our discourses, the rule just laid down will frame itself in the determination of the Apostle-"not to know any thing among our people, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." It must never be forgotten, that there is but one mode of preaching that God has promised to bless when 'all our sermons, (according to the admirable recommendation of Herman, Archbishop of Cologne) are made to set forth and magnify Christ the Lord.'§ The Missionary Eliot endeavoured to improve his treatment * Wits. De Vero Theologo. Brown's Life and Remains, p. 20. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Religious Consultation for a Christian Reformation. Herman, Archbishop of Cologne and Prince Elector, *1548. 3 of every subject, to draw sinners to the Saviour. He would often 'Let say to Ministers, young there be much of Christ in your Ministry.'*—— Cotton Mather gives the same advice to his Student and Pastor Exhibit as much as you can of a glorious Christ; yea, let the motto upon your whole Ministry be-Christ is all.'† The late Mr. Romaine also once observed to a friend of the Writer- Persons wonder that we are always preaching Christ; but the truth is, that we have little else to preach about.' This uniformity of sentiment upon the cardinal point of the Christian Ministry, the Writer ventures to assert, may be seen in the standard, character, and fruitfulness of spiritual Ministrations, in every successive age of the Church; and a deficiency in this particular, as he will presently take occasion more fully to illustrate, is attended invariably with a corresponding deterioration of Ministerial effectiveness. We are not however advocating the necessity of chiming upon the name of Christ, as if it would operate with the magic of a charm. Some men,'-as Mr. Cecil observes think that they preach Christ gloriously because they name him every ten minutes in their sermons. But this is not preaching Christ'-that is -not necessarily so. There is also a fastidious spirit in some congregations, that would mark every sermon, that has not Christ for its immediate subject, to be defective preaching. But it is by no means necessary, or indeed legitimate, to force in his sacred name upon all occasions, and to allegorize Holy Writ for the purpose of its introduction. As all the principles and duties of the Gospel bear a relation more or less direct to him, the enforcement of the obligations and detail of * Mather's Life of Eliot. Mather's Student and. Pastor, p. 180. Cecil's Remains. |