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to preach ourselves, I would shew what in myview it is to preach Christ. 1. This includes the whole of the doctrines of the Gospel, relating to man's salvation by Jesus Christ, through his blood and Spirit: -the fall of man, and his consequent guilt and misery; the original purposes of God's love and grace issuing in the gift of his dear Son; the glory of Christ's person; his mysterious incarnation; his holy life; his cruel death; his resurrection, ascension, and perpetual intercession; the complete atonement he hath made; the everlasting righteousness he hath brought in; the various offices he hath sustained, both in his state of humiliation and exaltation; the methods of Divine operation; the nature and use of faith; the blessings consequent upon it,as justification,adoption, sanctification, perfection of holiness at death, and the complete happiness of soul and body in the enjoyment of God to all eternity. Christ is to be exhibited as the Messiah, the Anointed of God, the Mediator; the Saviour of men, who saves his people from their sins-from the guilt, the power, and the punishment of them; the Lord, the Head and King of his church, to whom all power is given, and to whom all obedience is due, and to whom is committed the grand and final judgment. Christ is to be preached, not only as the giver of a law, who is to be obeyed; but as having fulfilled the law, and who, therefore, is to be believed in, and relied on, for pardon, righ teousness, and eternal life. He is to be held forth to sinners as a surety who has undertaken to pay their debt, to atone for their guilt, and to work out for them a perfect righteousness. However honourably we may speak of him as a ruler to be obeyed, and a pattern to be imitated, yet if we exhibit him not in this view, we do not properly preach Christ. The ground of all our hopes is, that Christ hath suffered for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; that he not only died for our good,

but that he died in our room and stead, and "was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." To preach Christ, is to display the fulness and freeness of his grace, his power is save, and his willingness to save; to shew that in him is to be found every thing that a poor, guilty, helpless, condemned sinner, can want, and that all the blessings e his purchase are freely offered with out money and without price. He must also be made the centre of every subject. The nature and perfections of the Deity, must be consi dered as they appear" in the face of Jesus Christ." The strictness and spirituality of the Divine law must lead to Christ, the end of the law for righteousness. The threat enings of the law must be en ployed to bring men to Christ, that they may be justified by faith. The promises and blessings of the Gospel must be held forth as the purchase of Christ's blood and the gift of his grace. Of faith, Christ must be viewed as the author and the object. Repentance must be treated of as his gift. Obe dience must be considered as the fruit of faith in him and union to him, springing from love to Christ, and performed in his strength and grace. In a word, Christ must be regarded as the fountain from which all is derived, the centre in which all must terminate, as the beginning and the end, as the "all in all."

2. Men, however, may preach much about Christ, and yet preach themselves, and not Christ. In order to do this effectually, they must make his honour and interest the central mark on which they fix their eye in all their ministerial conduct. Their business is to win men to Christ, and not to themselves. They must, therefore, choose such methods of preaching, as will tend to pierce the obdurate heart, and to rouse the stupid conscience of sinners, by making them feel their ruined condition,

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If ministers are thus not to preach themselves, or to seek themselves, in executing their sacred of fice, how fearful is the state of those who enter into the ministry with selfish views, seeking their own things, and not the things which are Christ's! For even, which is hardly to be expected, if such as these should be useful in their ministry, yet their undertaking is awfully hazardous; for when they have preached to others, they themselves may be finally cast away. On the other hand, how honourable and dignified is their office who really preach Christ! They are his ambassadors; they act in his name: and of such he himself says, "he that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me and Him that sent me."

Ministers, therefore, will do well to examine, as in the sight of God, whether they have not within them too much of this selfish principle, and too little singleness of heart for God and Jesus Christ; whether they are not led to consider how they shall please, rather than how they shall profit; whether they are not more solicitous about mere outward appearances, than about the spiritual frame of their hearts in the sight of God; whether they are never tempted to play the hypocrite, making a greater shew of zeal, and fervour, and devotion, than corresponds to the inward state of their minds; whether their depression of spirits at any time does not arise more from having made an indifferent figure in the eyes of man

than from having done poorly for God; whether their elation is not occasioned rather by self complacency, than by a feeling of gratitude to God for having enabled them to be faithful; whether their great anxiety respecting the effect of their sermons be, that sinners should be awakened and won to Christ, or that they themselves should be highly esteemed: in short, to examine and ascertain what the principle is on which they have undertaken the ministry, and what is the end for which they study, preach, live, and labour. If, on this inquiry, selfishness should be found to influence them, they ought bitterly to bewail it before God, with the greatest humiliation. How inconsistent is such selfishness with that lesson of self-denial which they are obliged to preach to others, and which Jesus Christ hath taught both by precept and example! They tell the drunkard, the swearer, the sensualist, that, except he be converted, he cannot be saved. But can they be Christ's true disciples except they deny themselves? Selfishness, if it reigns in the heart, seems a greater sin than drunkenness or sensuality. These, indeed, dishonour God by breaking his law; but this strikes at the very relation of sovereign and subject. It is one thing to break a law of the prince, and another to set up a rival to him. The first is transgression; the other, treason and rebellion. Indeed, whatever we do in religion, and how good soever it be as to its substance, if self be the reigning principle, it tarnishes, corrupts, and debases all. As it is the very essence of holiness to live to God, and to act entirely for him; so is it the very essence of sin to live to ourselves, and to act ultimately for our own glory. If, then, they find this principle at work within them, let them be humbled before God, and repair by faith to Him who once died "that they which live should not live to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again."

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And let them be watchful against this enemy of God and their souls, and suppress its first risings; ever remembering, that they are not their own, but His who has redeemed them, and to whose service, by their ordination vows, they have solemnly devoted themselves.

Let the minister of Christ guard also against the fear of man; for if his an be to please men, he cannot be the faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Such are the perverse tempers of many, that a minister must offend either God or them. Poor, guilty mortals love to be soothed and flattered, but not to be plainly dealt with. But whose displeasure should he most regard? Will those whose corrupt humours he consults, defend him from the displeasure of the Almighty? No! He has one Master to please, who must be obeyed, whether men like it or not. His message is on life and death, and ought to engage all the powers of his soul. Sinners are not in a state to be soothed, and flattered, and trifled with. What they want is, such plain dealing as may make them feel their wretched state, and their need of deliverance. The business of a minister is to preach Christ Jesus the Lord as the Saviour of sinners; to urge them to come to him, that they may have life; and on their refusal, to denounce against them the terrors of eternal death. And let him remember, the time is short, and the night of death will soon come, when no man can work. He is a dying man, commissioned to speak to dying men. Are, then, heaven and hell realities? Are sinners despising the one, and sleeping on the brink of the other? And is the minister of Christ sent from God to. awaken them, to shew them their danger, to offer them a Saviour, and to invite them to flee from the wrath to come to his atoning blood? Oh! why do not these awful realities swallow up his whole attention? Why does he not strive more ear. nestly to pluck sinners, as brands,

from the everlasting burning? W does he not pray more fervently, preach more zealously, and lay ou his whole life and soul and strength in this great work? What! are the interests and happiness of immoru souls worth no more pains? Can more be done for the honour a Christ? Shall the men of this world be more unwearied in seeking! themselves, than the minister of the Gospel in seeking the glory of bis Master, Jesus, and the salvation of souls? God forbid! He is on a be siness of life and death: he prays preaches, and labours for eternity. It becomes him to do it with all bu might.

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One word more. If the dominion of selfishness be inconsistent with} the character of a minister, it is ¦ equally so with that of a Christian That man who loves himself su premely, and seeks self as his ul mate object, is in the direct way to lose himself, and God, and salvation. For what can be more pro voking to God, than for worms the earth to claim a preference t him; to insist on being their own lord and master; and to pursue their own will, instead of the will of God? It was the grand design of the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, to recover men from the ruins of their first apostacy, and consequently to save them from themselves, and the dominion of a selfish dispo sition. No one, therefore, ought to rest until this purpose is fully an swered; until he is recovered from his self-love, self-seeking, self-righteousness, and self-depend ence, to the supreme love of God, and to an entire reliance on the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If it be the grand business of ministers to preach Christ Jesus the Lord, it is the bu siness of hearers to receive him into their hearts by faith; and on this depends their everlasting weal of woe. Without this, the great end of the Christian ministry is lost; and they had better never have bees

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born. Soon must they appear before the bar of God. Life is wasting, death is fast approaching; and a soul once lost can never be retrieved. Let them, then, make haste to flee from the wrath to come, and receive Christ, as he is offered to them in the Gospel, as the Lord their righteousness, and the Lord their ruler; as their Prince, as well as their Saviour; and, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of the living God, they shall be washed, sanctified, and finally saved.

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AMONG all the creatures that God made in the beginning of the world, wonderful and excellent as they all were, there was none, as the Scripture testifies, to be compared to man; who, as well in his body as his soul, excelled all the rest, as the sun exceeds in brightness every star in the firmament. He was made in the image and likeness of God. He was endued with all kind of heavenly gifts: he had no spot of uncleanness in him: he was sound and perfect in all his parts: his reason was uncorrupt: his understanding was pure and good: his will was obedient and godly. He was made altogether like unto God, in righteousness and holiness, in wisdom and truth; in short, in all kind of perfection.

When man had been thus created, God, in token of his great love to him, placed him in Paradise, where he lived in all peace and enjoyment, abounding in every good thing, and wanting nothing which he could justly desire to have; for "God made him to have dominion over the work of his hand, and put all things under bis feet." Was not this a full, perfect, and blessed condition? Could any thing be well added to it, or greater happiness de

sired in this world? But as it is the common nature of man, in the time of prosperity, to forget both himself and God; even so did Adam; who having received but one commandment at God's hand, namely, that he should not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, did, nevertheless, most unmindfully, or rather wilfully, break it; forgetting the strict charge of his Maker, and giving ear to the crafty suggestions of that wicked serpent the devil. Thus it came to pass, that as before he was blessed, so now he was accursed; as before he was beloved, so now he was abhorred; as before he was precious in the sight of the Lord, so now he was most vile and wretched. Instead of the image of God, he now bore the image of the devil. Instead of a citizen of heaven, he was now become the slave of hell, retaining no part of his former purity, but being altogether defiled; so that he now seemed to be only a mass of sin; and therefore, by the just judgment of God, was condemned to everlasting death.

This miserable change not only affected Adam, but his posterity for ever: so that all who are descended from him, experience the same fall, and are subject to the same punishment which he by his offence had deserved. St. Paul, in the fifth chapter of the Romans, instructs us that "by the offence of one (namely, Adam), judgment came upon all men to condemnation ;" that as in Adam all have sinned, so in Adam have all men received the reward of sin, that is to say, have become mortal, and subject to death, having in themselves nothing but everlasting damnation both of body and soul. "They became,

They became," as David says, "corrupt and abominable; they were all gone out of the way; there was none that did good, no, not one." What a wretched state was this to which man was now reduced; destroyed and condemned by sin, so that he had nothing to look forward to but death and hell! It would

have been no wonder had he been driven into utter despair by this fall front life to death, from salvation to destruction, from heaven to hell. But behold the great goodness and tender mercy of God in man's behalf! Though the wickedness of man was such that it deserved not to be forgiven, yet, that he might not be without hope and comfort, God ordained a new covenant, promising to send a Mediator into the world, who should make intercession for man, who should appease the wrath and indignation of God against him on account of sin, and deliver man from the misery into which he had fallen by disobeying the commandment of his only Lord and Master. This promise was first made to Adam himself, immediately after his fall, when God said to the serpent, " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The same covenant was afterwards more amply and plainly renewed to Abraham, when God promised that in bis seed "all the nations of the earth should be blessed." It was again confirmed to Isaac in the same words. And that mankind might not despair, but live in hope, God never ceased to publish and repeat it by his prophets, who foretold even the time, the place, and the manner of his birth; the afflictions of his life, the nature of his death, the glory of his resurrection, the establishment of his kingdom, and the deliverance of his people, with all their circumstances. And all this was done that the promise and covenant of God, made unto Abraham and his posterity, concerning the redemption of the world, might be fully believed.

Now, when the fulness of time was come, God, according to his covenant and promise, sent a Messiah or Mediator into the world: not such an one as Moses, or Joshua, or David; but such an one as should deliver mankind from the bitter

curse of the law, and make perfect satisfaction by his death for the sins of all people. He sent his dear and only Son, Jesus Christ, "born of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law, and make them the sons of God by adoption." Wa not this a wonderful display of love towards us, who were his open ene mies; towards us, who by nature were children of wrath and firebrands of hell?" In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we,' who were his enemies, "might live through him. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the pro pitiation for our sins.” " When we were yet without strength,Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for s righteous man will one die; yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die: but God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for

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." Such expressions as these do the apostles employ to set forth and magnify the tender mercy and great goodness of God towards mankind, in sending down to them a Saviour from heaven, even Christ the Lord;a blessing so great, that not only can no tongue well express it, but no heart can even rightly conceive it.

The Jews, indeed, deny that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world so long promised; and they look and wait for another. They expect that the Messiah shall come, not as Christ did, like a poor pilgrim, meek and lowly; but like a valiant and mighty king, with great power and dignity. They expect him, not attended, as Christ was, by a few fishermen, and men of no worldly estimation; but by conquering armies, and by a train of the great and noble, the princes and mighty men of the earth. They do not think that Messiah shall suffer an unjust and ignominious death, as Christ did; but that he shall subdue all his ene

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