Believers in Jesus! you who have obtained a personal interest in the Redeemer and all his saving benefits let me exhort you, 66 my brethren, blessing to the choice and merciful will of God, his heavenly Father. But the prominent figure in our representations of Christianity, must be Christ himself, in all his attributes, his offices, and grace. A revived Christianity is a revived exhibition of the glorious person of Christ. Our ministry must, in all its parts, be the Bible expounded, amplified, applied. The greatest success of the pastor is uniformly found where there is most of God and least of man." "The resolution of the apostle is a necessary one, for all who have to speak to perishing sinners to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. There is no theme throughout the whole of existence, where Christ, the Creator of all worlds, and the Redeemer of our lost race, may not, with propriety, hold a conspicuous place."-Cecil's Works, v. ii. p. 494.-Bishop of Calcutta's Introductory Essay to Baxter's "Reformed Pastor." p. 47, 48.-Douglas' Errors regarding Religion, p.297. 66 6 I shall conclude by subjoining two more extracts, which tend admirably to illustrate this subject, and press it home to the hearts of all ministers. The first is from the Bishop of Chester's Sermons on the Christian Ministry, which were delivered on several occasions before the Clergy. Had you preached, my brethren, unconnected with the doctrines of the Gospel, the beauty, the excellence, of morality; its agreement with the true dignity of our nature; its usefulness in promoting our temporal welfare; its accordance with the will of God:-you would have preached eternal truths, which no man can gainsay: but certainly you would have been disappointed in the result. You would have wondered that the wicked man did not forsake his way, though it led him to ruin; that the unrighteous man did not abandon his thoughts, though they lowered him to the rank of the beasts that perish.' But when you have spoken of redemption, of pardon, of grace; have you not found that the love of Christ, who gave himself for us, that ' he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,' has effected more, I will not say only than all human reasoning, but even than the terrors of the divine law alone could accomplish? It may seem a wonder —a paradox; but he who keeps his eye on Scripture, will judge more truly of it; he will see in it a proof that the great Captain of our salvation is performing his promise, ' I am with you alway, even unto 'the end of the world;' and in spite of alleged improbability, and seeming inconsistency, and anticipated danger, is enlarging, upholding, and establishing the spiritual temple, which he founded by his death, and cemented "dearly beloved, and longed for, my joy and 66 crown, (to) stand fast in the Lord; my dearly "beloved."7 Never suffer yourselves to be by his precious blood, and is still adorning by his grace, and ́ against ' which the gates of hell shall not prevail.' And having this confidence from fact and experience, let us declare, with all plainness and boldness, the words of the Revelation committed to us; knowing that it will bear us out in going all lengths with it. Being sure of the foundation of what we preach, let us stand upon it as on the everlasting hills; and from thence, as those who bear the message of Heaven;' confidently call upon all to examine themselves whether they be in the faith, to prove their ownselves.'-Bishop of Chester's Sermons on the Christian Ministry, 8vo. p. 42-44. The second extract is from the Bishop of Winchester's late Charge to the Clergy of his Diocese. It forms the concluding exhortation of that admirable Address, and claims our most serious consideration. "I advert lastly, and very briefly, to that which, after all, is the crowning point in the history of ministerial usefulness, that FAITHFUL PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH SETS FORTH AND MAGNIFIES CHRIST THE LORD. 'I, if I be lifted up, (said our Lord,) will draw all men unto me.' 'Necessity * is laid upon me, (echoed the Apostle,) yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.' In fact, all pastoral experience tends to prove the utter inefficiency of a ministry, which is not faithful in exhibiting the vital truths of the gospel. The experiment has been tried it has been tried upon individuals—it has been tried upon parishes-it has been tried upon whole countries, and many a conscientious pen has been constrained to write the record of its utter failure. How indeed could it be otherwise? There can be no efficacy in what has been made palatable only by adulteration. God will not honour what is not his own. He will not set his seal to a message which gives no adequate representation of his revealed will, no convincing statements of man's necessities, or of divine love. It is on the word that goes forth out of the pastor's mouth, pure and sincere, as out of the mouth of God himself, that the promised blessing rests—' It * shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, * and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it.' Isa. lv. 11. "The preacher, therefore, must not be wise at the expense of his faithfulness. Essential and fundamental doctrine must not be sacrificed, to 7 Phil. iv. 1. "moved away from the hope of the Gospel." Consider more and more your heavenly interest, and let that bear you up under "all your troubles and adversities whensoever they oppress you."Let accommodate the taste, or indulge the prejudices of our people. Imperfect or clouded views of truth must not be put forth under the pretence of ministerial discretion. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, it will not effectually warn the wicked, arouse the careless, or instruct the ignorant. Scripture must be preached scripturally. The gospel is a mighty engine, but only mighty when God has the working of it.' The affecting details of our Lord's matchless condescension and grace, must be represented to the heart in all their necessary relations to the salvation of man, before the soul will be melted into repentance, or quickened into love. It is only in proportion as the true word of the Lord is prophesied upon the dry bones, that a noise and a shaking' are heard among them. God, in his providence, seems to make but little account of the measures and contrivances of men, in accomplishing his designs.' All our best arguments are good for nothing, unless they are founded upon the distinguishing doctrines of the cross, and honour the Saviour by a faithful exhibition of his grace and love. But when Christ is exalted, and the gospel preached in its integrity and simplicity, in the spirit of a sound mind, Satan falls like ' lightning from heaven,' and is dethroned effectually from his empire in man's heart. "Let me commend these suggestions, my reverend brethren, to your thoughtful consideration. Examine them in the balance of your own experience; and give them such weight as may fairly seem to be their due. And may Almighty God, who has built his church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,' pour down upon you his heavenly blessing, that you may be clothed with righteousness, and that the word spoken by your mouths may have such success that it may never be spoken in vain.' And may he inspire continually the universal church, with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord, that we may be made an holy temple, acceptable unto him, through Jesus Christ our Lord."-A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Winchester, in October, 1833, by Charles Richard Sumner, D. D. Bishop of Winchester. 8vo. p. 39-42. 4 1 not the fear of man deter you from confessing "Jesus Christ, and him crucified," amidst the clamours of an ungodly world. Never be induced so to belie your profession, as to conform to the unhallowed customs of " the enemies of the cross "of Christ:" "remember how (you have) re"ceived and heard, and hold fast." Cleave stedfastly unto the Lord, in "the prayer of faith," and he will give you strength to overcome the opposition of the world, and the temptations of Satan. He "will not suffer you to be tempted above what you "are able; but will, with the temptation also, "make a way to escape, that ye may be able to "bear it." But, remember, you have an enemy within -you have still a deceitful heart, ever ready to betray you. "Watch," therefore, against its evil suggestions; and " pray," that it may be cleansed more and more from the remnants of its indwelling corruption. "Be strong in the Lord "and in the power of his might.' "6" Let the "word of Christ dwell in you richly."-Implore, continually, the grace of the Holy Spirit, that your "inward man (may be) renewed day by day;"—that you may "walk (more) worthy of "the vocation wherewith ye are called;"—that your hearts may be more sanctified;—and that your lives and "conversation " conversation" may be more con 66 formable to the example of "God your Saviour;" -so that you may "adorn (his) doctrine in all 66 things." "Thus will you prove yourselves indeed to be "the children of light," and heirs of the kingdom of heaven :-thus will you manifest the power of the Gospel; and prove, by an evidence irresistible, the efficacy of FREE GRACE: so that "men, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven." 3 66 Oh, would that I could leave you with this exhortation! would that all my hearers were of one description, and needed not any further appeal! But I must also address those who have not yet been brought off from the service of sin and Satan, "to the kingdom of (God's) dear Son ;" and those, too, whose false views of divine truth have led them to reject "that form of doctrine which 66 (has been) delivered to (them)." Brethren, my address to you must, necessarily, be brief. For I have no new arguments to persuade you—all has been told you :-the promise and the condemnation -the love and "the terror of the Lord;"-all that is winning, and all that is alarming, have been set before you! Let me, then, adjure you, " by the "mercies of God," to consider these things. The time may arrive when you will bitterly lament your neglect of the doctrines you have 8 |