enriched by the fleece of my flock." To another class, "Your talents were admired, and the applause of the multitude proclaimed how much they were captivated by the preacher: but you were not careful to exhibit me as their Saviour.” To others, “Your particular creed was set up, and thousands joined with you to anathematize all who dared to differ but a single iota from you. You were their idol on you they conferred the honour which belonged only to me.” To how many will he say, "By you the warning voice was not raised-sinners were not admonished to flee from the wrath to come? It was my command; but it accorded not with your interest or with your will. See, they have perished in their iniquities; but their blood I require at your hands. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."

My brethren, we can, I trust, adopt the language of apostles, and say, "We preach not ourselves." But how much reason have we to exercise caution, lest the unhallowed principle should operatelest any degree of this guilt should attach to our ministry—lest the accursed idol, self, should find a niche, if it be not exalted on the highest pedestal in the temple, consecrated to the Son of God. But, if we "preach not ourselves," it is time to shew,

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II. What we do preach: "Christ Jesus the Lord." How wide the extreme! From an object the most contemptible which can degrade the sacred ministry, we turn to one the most dignified and exalted,—to that which confers upon our office all its excellence and all its glory. If we analyze the apostle's words, and say, that we preach him as Christ," we preach him as they did, "the Anointed of God-the Messiah promised unto the fathers." If we speak of him under the name of Jesus, we preach him as the Saviour, the almighty Saviour, of a perishing world. If we call him Lord, we preach him as the Universal Governor, as the supreme and only Head of his church.

These particulars involve in them all the doctrines connected with his mediatorial character, and with the great work of human redemption. They include the Divinity of his nature, "as the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person;" his incarnation, as "it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren;" his obedience and sufferings unto death; his resurrection, ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high; the exercise of constant and universal dominion, as the King whom God hath established upon his holy hill of Zion: and his future appearance, when he shall come again, 66 a second time, without sin unto salvation;" for he

"shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe."

It must be obvious to every one, how utterly impossible it would be to comprise in one discourse the discussion of all these subjects; nor is it necessary. But let us here confine ourselves to two things: first, inquire what will justify us in the use of the apostle's language; and, secondly, point out the absolute necessity of acting under its influence in order to attain the great ends of our ministry.

1. What will justify us in the adoption of the apostle's language; or, what is implied in preaching Christ Jesus the Lord? It involves principally two things:

(1.) That his person and work be the great and principal subject of our preaching. It is not enough that we speak of Him occasionally-that his name occupy a single line or two in a sermon

that we introduce him as if it were merely for the sake of giving him an opportunity to retire; or having just shewn him to the people, to tell them that, however it may be with them, we can do very well without him. But he must be the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. His name must be the precious ointment poured forth: it is the holy anointing oil which only can consecrate the priest and every service of the sanctuary. He must be always brought with us into the pulpit, that we may ever have the object to present, while we call upon our hearers, and bid them "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." In every science, there are first

and great general principles to which every teacher of that science constantly refers; and, though he may sometimes dilate more largely on some of its particular branches, yet its general laws must be constantly kept in view, its first and general principles must never be forgotten. It is thus in the science we have to teach, the science which is to make men wise unto salvation. These first principles are found in the great scheme of redemption by the vicarious sacrifice of the Son of God. Whatever particular branch of the Christian system, therefore, we inculcate, we must constantly and invariably refer to Him. Every doctrine must be tried by the great plan, which received its accomplishment when, on the cross, and in the agonies of death, he cried, "It is finished :" every duty must be urged by the claims of his authority, and every consolation and encouragement drawn from the faithfulness of his character, the infinity of his love, and the boundless efficacy of his grace. We are constantly to move in that circle of which He is the centre, and in which all the lines of our ministry are to find their

common and ultimate termination. For, while He must first be the subject, I remark,

(2.) That His glory must be the aim and the end of our preaching. We preach not ourselves: our own glory is to be placed quite out of the question, while his honour is our constant aim. Nor must we seek to please men: "for," saith the apostle, "if I seek to please men I should not be the servant of Christ." With regard to our fellowcreatures, our great object is their salvation. But, even while we strive to pluck these brands from the burning, it is that the glory of His grace may be displayed-that His honour may be exalted and proclaimed.

His own glory is the great end which God has in view in all his works. It is impossible, in the nature of things, it should be otherwise. The glory of his name, as it involves in it a clear manifestation of his natural and moral perfections, is the highest possible end which can be obtained, even by the arrangements of Infinite Wisdom, and the operations of Almighty Power. That He, who is the Highest and the First, should aim at the attainment of anything below himself, is contrary to the tendencies of his nature, and involves in it the grossest of all absurdities, an imperfection in Him who is necessarily and essentially perfect. What is the great end of all the works of creation? "For thy glory they were and are created." What is His great object in the government of the world? That He may direct every thing to the grand consummation of that day, in which the whole scheme of his moral government shall be accomplished; and there shall be heard through the wide universe the chorus of universal song : "Great and marvellous are thy works, just and true are thy ways, O thou King of saints." But what is the glory of creation, and providence, compared with that which shines in the great work of redemption? It is the morning star, which ushers in the light of day, and then is lost amidst the refulgent blaze of the solar orb. Hence,

2. The absolute necessity of thus preaching Christ, in order to attain the great object of our ministry. And,

(1.) It is the only object for which it has been appointed. It is committed to us for this express purpose. Every thing else is

subservient to, or absorbed in, this. To refer again to the state of the people in the wilderness: suppose the pole had been set up in the camp, and no brasen serpent erected; or, suppose, that with it Moses had elevated a figure of himself, so large as to have covered it, the wounded and the dying would have looked, and looked in vain and not many only, but all the people, would have perished. And what is the pulpit, and what is the preacher, and what the

ministry itself, without Christ, but a useless pole, a mere stick set up in the desert?

(2.) Its peculiar adaptation to all the purposes of our ministry proves the necessity of adopting it as our unvaried maxim, to preach Christ Jesus the Lord. Do we attempt to awaken the sinner, to arouse the careless? What is most likely to arrest his attention and to affect his heart? By what means shall we seek to convince him of his danger, to allure him from the forbidden paths of iniquity? Shall we have recourse to moral suasion? Shall we exhibit the enormities of vice, and expatiate on the beauties of virtue? Shall we attempt to rouse him by proclaiming the punishment due to the one, and displaying the rewards promised to the other? Alas! the moral history of the world is but a uniform record of the inefficacy of these efforts to produce any extensive reformation in the manners of mankind, much less to effect a real change of character; nor can they so much as touch the hidden springs of the heart. But he who is insensible to every other attraction, and resists every other impression, is often affected by an exhibition of the cross; and his heart melts in penitential sorrow beneath the tale of a Saviour's dying love. Do we wish to meet the circumstances of the guilty? By what means shall we administer consolation to the wounded spirit? Palliatives may be easily found; they grow in nature's fields in wild and luxuriant plenty; and the use of them, alas! is but too frequent. Hence the complaint, for which, too, there is still ample cause, "They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly." But has the arrow of conviction pierced the conscience, and produced a deep and lasting wound? Is the heart, wrung with anguish, daily increased by the pollutions of depravity flowing from it through every avenue? What can purify it but the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanseth from all sin? What can effect a cure but the balm in Gilead, applied by the hand of the Physician there?

We pray
of the word, "make
But all these objects

Do we seek to promote the edification, the holiness, the comfort of believers? These are objects dear to our hearts and " we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying." "that the God of all grace" may, through the ministry you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." will be attained only as we preach to you "Christ Jesus the Lord." That knowledge, which is unto salvation, is the knowledge of Him, in his person, offices, and work. "This is eternal life, that they should know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Your holiness consists in conformity to his image,—is attained in the knowledge and in the fellowship of Christ: for He "is of God, made unto us sanctification." And we all, "beholding as in a

glass the glory of the Lord (Christ), are changed into the same image." Being edified and sanctified, we desire also that you may be comforted. It is the command of God," Comfort ye, comfort ye my people." But how shall we do this? It can be effected only by preaching to you Him, who is styled the consolation of Israel. It is only as you look to Him amidst all the anxieties which arise from the sorrows of life,-from the infirmities of humanity, from the defects of your character,-from the apprehensions in declension, that your spirit can be sustained; and that you can participate in that "peace which passeth understanding," and of that "joy which is unspeakable and full of glory." Every thing, brethren, in Christian character and experience, advances towards perfection, just as it approximates to Him who "is the way, the truth, and the life." It is, therefore, essential that we preach Him, to attain the great end of our ministry. It is

necessary,

(3.) To secure the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, without which, our ministry must be altogether ineffectual. Success depends upon His influence ;-the efficacy we have ascribed to preaching Christ, is attributable to His mighty agency, in arresting the attention, and affecting the heart.

It is thus the broad seal of Heaven is put on the ministry of the word, and the gospel becomes the power of God unto salvation. The special design of the Holy Spirit, in all his operations, is to honour the Saviour. So Christ himself states it. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, he says, "He shall glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." This being the design of the part which he sustains in the great economy of redemption, his promised aid can be expected only to bless that ministry, which makes Christ its prominent, nay, its only object: from every other it must be withheld. There would, otherwise, be a want of harmony in the Divine operations, and the sanction of His blessing would seem to rest on means at variance with His revealed design. This is, however, impossible, and in vain does any man expect that sanction to crown his ministry, who preaches anything but Christ Jesus the Lord,

We are taught from this subject,

1. By what standard to judge of the professedly Christian ministry. Its intrinsic value is to be estimated by the degree of attention it pays to the Redeemer, and the place which it assigns to Him, in the discharge of its public functions. If it be what is required with respect to Him, everything else is, comparatively, of inferior moment. Elevated rank, superior intellectual endowment,