67

PREACHING.

It has been said of some, who were unskilful in the art of commendation, that they could never praise one person without at the same time underrating another; and this is a mistake from which we are not free even in our estimate of religious matters. Prayer is good; it must be supremely so, when our God "delighteth" in it; and it is good in every form, private, domestic, public: no term can be extravagant, which would speak its transcendent qualities in our highest or warmest admiration, even if we call it the very breath of our spiritual being, or the life-blood of the soul. But its chief obligation upon us is, that it is an ordinance of the Almighty: and be it remembered, that Preaching is the same; and to uphold and defend every divine appointment is as much our honourable duty, as to slight it is perilous. Nothing in God's kingdoms, either of nature or of grace, is abstract; all things are relative to each other, and to general good; and it is the beautiful compactness and fitness, with which all are harmonized, that tends to raise the works of God so infinitely above the operations of man: "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." To say, therefore, that the human hand is less useful, because "what would the body be without the feet?" or, in the same way to urge, that Preaching is to be disregarded, since what is preaching without prayer?

68

is a

vague and inconsequential mode of reasoning, like his, who, to lessen the beauty of a country, cried, "Take away the woods and the water, and what is it !"

Prayer is good; whoever neglects to pray, neglects his soul: but, whatever else the minister of Christ does, let him stand up equally for Preaching, since that too is the Lord's! Preaching I mean, not the unscriptural rashness of an indiscreet fancy, not the icy tongue of mere Scholastic congruity, not that Laodicean indifference, " neither cold nor hot," which is worse than either, and which has drawn forth from Christ himself a rebuke, that will not easily be forgotten-but a deliberate and comprehensive, a mild yet uncompromising exposition of Holy Writ,-a drawing forth of heavenly stores for the famishing soul, a sincere delivery of the mighty message for eternity, a persuasive search for sinners, which in words "sweet as honey," and ❝blest as balmy dews that Hermon cheer," "beseeches them by the mercies of God." Preaching is not religion itself, nor is the hearing of sermons religion itself: a man may hear sermons all his life, and only increase his condemnation. Preaching is the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Repent." Preaching is the call, the message, the good news, the invitation to the "Come, for all things are now ready."

marriage supper, "He that hath my What is the chaff

word, let him speak my word faithfully. to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word like as fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer, that breaketh the rod in pieces?" (Jer. xxiii. 28.) These are the preachings, which Christ has engaged to bless with his perpetual presence, and which alone, being the power of God and the wisdom of God, come within the circle of the promise, "So shall my word be, that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that, which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Far be it from any of us "to speak evil of a dig

nity" like this! While Public Worship is urged, and advances deservedly and profitably around us, (chiefly however it must be, if not entirely, as an Ordinance of the Church with reference to its forms and modes and all matters of detail; for although its original divine authority is fixed and undoubted, and certain principles are given by implication, yet little or nothing is laid down of it directly in the New Testament:) while Liturgies are extolled as they deserve to be, and Rubrics are contended for with. quite sufficient and even microscopic exactness,-shall Preaching be treated slightingly? "Shall we set at nought God's counsel, and have none of his reproof?" For whence is it derived?

The Preacher is "an ambassador for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." An Ambassador represents the person, urges the cause, and consults the glory of his Sovereign and in order to do this faithfully and effectually, he must himself fully know that cause; and he must love it: and he must be acquainted with the message in all its bearings; and acting not in his own, but his master's name, he must seek not his own, but his master's glory, or he is no fit and worthy representative. And such is, or should be, the Christian Preacher: "We preach not ourselves." Preaching is coeval with religion: it arises out of the infirmities of our very nature. Prayer is the discharge of duty: Preaching is the means of bringing men to a sense of duty : and the one must precede the other, as the voice the echo. "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved: How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent ?"

Preaching has existed for this purpose under every dis

pensation. Enoch and Noah were preachers of righteousness before the flood: and thenceforth has the stream of instruction flowed onward, through hill and vale, through darkness and light, until the present hour. It was not even invariably confined to the regular ministry: kings, priests, prophets, all spoke, by authority, of the glad tidings: "I was no prophet," said Amos, "neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; and the Lord took me, as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to the people of Israel.'"

And preaching was not merely reading God's word, as some would have it: in one sense that may be preaching or a telling it forth, but not so, in the full and true spirit of the term. Preaching is the unfolding, discoursing upon, establishing, enforcing the Scriptures, as containing "good tidings;" (evayyeλλıČovтes.)" And Ezra the Scribe stood (ευαγγελλίζοντες.) up upon a pulpit of wood; and he opened the Book in the sight of all the people, for he was above the people :" and he and his Levites caused the people to understand the law" So they read in the Book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense; and caused them to understand the reading. And the people's hearts were melted at the preaching; and they thought of their sins and wept." (Nehemiah viii. 8.) We see in this, not only the preaching of the word, but the powerfully increased effects of it, when thus brought home, upon the awakened heart. But Scripture is the rock on which we must build: if Scripture be not the basis of all exhortation, it is not God's preaching.

Let us go to our Leader. We find the Lord of life committing Baptism to others, (John iv. 2,) but himself preaching opening the Scriptures to the people, "whose hearts bore him witness, while they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth :" "And the people pressed upon him, to hear the word of God;" as

they always will do, when they can hear it. We hear him telling his disciples, to pray in their closets, but to "preach upon the housetops;" "fearing not them, who can only kill the body:" and in his final directions, ordering, first to teach," and then to "baptize:" and to go on, teaching and baptizing, the one as much as the other, though the teaching first, to the end of the world.

Let us go to the Apostles: and we discover them, "everywhere and at every time, preaching Christ crucified;" Peter in the morning-watch, and Paul at midnight; repudiating the idea, that Sacraments alone were a Minister's exclusive duty," For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel !" "Yea, woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel."

66

Now if it be yet asked, what was this preaching? how was it exhibited? we will travel into the desert with the Christian Deacon, who was sent expressly to preach; and witness how he preached to the minister of Candace and his company. This African was a religious and inquiring man, and he read the Bible, but he did not understand it; as how should he, except some one guide him? and so, Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." And he did this on purpose to instruct and to convert this stranger, by God's own special appointment, who could have converted him by other modes, but he appointed preaching as the means; and the man heard; and faith followed preaching, and Baptism faith; and the Ethiopian nobleman" went on his way rejoicing in a Saviour." Nay, we find even irregular, or, at all events, a preaching from unworthy motives, compensated by the fact, that "notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and therein do I rejoice, yea and will rejoice:" and the commission to Timothy, young as he was, is perhaps one of the most solemn, that words could give: "I charge thee