that come unto God by him: inasmuch as having finished the work of redemption on earth, he is gone to his Father; and is not sent back again, but is sat down at his right hand, pleading the propitiation which here he wrought. In his death, believers suffered; (2 Cor. v. 14. Rom. vi. 6) in his resurrection, they were justified; (Rom. iv. 25) and in his ascension, they have a virtual possession of heaven. (Eph. ii. 6)

3. The spirit, by the gospel, convinceth of 'judgement ;' whereby I understand debitum subjectionis' unto Christ, as a judge or prince, to whom all judgement, authority, and power is committed; (John v. 22, 27. Matth. xxviii. 18) that we, having been delivered from the wrath to come, and having received so great a gift as the righteousness of Christ, ought to be subject unto him, who died and rose again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living; (Rom. xiv. 9) having demolished the kingdom of Satan, and judicially cast out or dethroned the prince of this world, (John xii. 31) and destroyed him. (Heb. ii. 15) So that being translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of Christ, (Acts xxvi. 18. Col. i. 13) we ought to be reduced unto the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor. x. 5) and to observe and do whatsoever he commandeth: (Matth. xxviii. 20) for the doctrine. of grace and salvation is a doctrine of holiness. (Tit. ii. 11, 14)

In this method ought the gospel of salvation to be preached, that neither the discovery of sin may drive men unto despair, but cause them to fly for sanctuary unto the righteousness of Christ and free grace of God in him: and that the magnifying of free grace and the gift of Christ's righteousness, may not induce a neglect of holiness; (Rom. vi. 1, 2, 14, 15) but that the love of Christ may constrain them not henceforth to live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose again. (2 Cor. v. 14)

Now for the manner how this part of the ministry of reconciliation is to be dispensed; we are to preach the word,

1. Demonstratively, év åñodeles súμatos, so as to commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God; and they may confess, that God is in us, of a truth.

2. Sincerely; not handling the word of God deceitfully, nor complying with the lusts of men to gratify them in their

ways, as the priests of Ahab did; rather displeasing them with that doctrine which profits, than pleasing them with that which betrays their souls: as a physician doth not so much consider what will please his patient's palate, as what will cure his disease. The apostle professeth in one place, 'That if he pleased men, he should not be the servant of Christ;' (Gal. i. 10) and yet in another place he saith, 'That he pleased all men in all things :' (1 Cor. x. 33) but this was not mentiendi desiderio,' but compatientis affectu,' not out of collusion but condescension; to gain, save, edify, profit

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them.

3. Wisely; so as to fit the word to the state of those that hear us; to give every one his σToμéтgiov, (Matth. xxiv. 45) The apostle preached ως σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων, (1 Cor. iii. 10) We must not preach comforts so, as that profane persons may mistake them as theirs; nor threatenings so, as to make sad the hearts of those, whom the Lord hath not made sad.

4. Boldly; not fearing the faces of men in the work of God; (Jer. i. 8) not concealing any part of God's counsel, because haply it may be unwelcome to those that hear it; but freely and confidently, μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας; to deliver the whole counsel of God; as Micaiah to Ahab, as Amos to Jeroboam. Most wicked men are of Vitellius' mind, they love to hear nothing nisi jucunda et læsura.' But if they have the boldness to commit sin, should not we have the courage to reprove it? There is a majesty in the word, which can humble a Ahab, a Felix, a Belshazzar; which can strike an awe and reverence into the heart of a Joash towards Elisha, and of Herod towards John the Baptist. (2 Kings xiii. 14. Mark vi. 20) God hath threatened to confound us, if we be dismayed in his work. (Jer. i. 17) He hath prostand by us,

mised to be with us, (Matth. xxviii. 20) to (2 Tim. iv. 16) in the discharge of so great a trust; and will give testimony to the word of his grace. (Acts xiv. 3) His word, rightly administered, is as nails, goads, arrows, a twoedged sword, dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

5. Meekly, affectionately; with all love and tenderness to the souls of our hearers, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; (2 Tim. ii. 25) with the spirit of meekness, restoring those that are overtaken in a fault. (Gal. vi, 1)

A preacher, as a chirurgeon, should have an eagle's eye to discover the state of the soul, a lion's heart to search spiritual wounds, and a lady's hand to dress them with all tenderness and sympathy. The servant of the Lord must be gentle towards all men.

6. Plainly, without unnecessary affectation or ostentation of the enticing words of man's wisdom, or of mere human and exotic wit or learning. The apostle, though a great scholar, would not ground the faith of his hearers upon the wisdom of men, but upon the power of God; (1 Cor. ii. 4, 5) and warneth them to take heed of those, who would spoil them through philosophy and vain deceit. (Col. ii. 8)

And here a needful question may be proposed, How far forth a minister may make use of human wit or learning in the service of the church ?'-Learning is a noble gift of God. It was the honour of Moses, that he was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians. (Acts vii. 22) And every good gift of God may be sanctified for the use of the church, as the crown of the king of Rabbah was set upon the head of David, (2 Sam. xii. 30) and the spoils of the heathen were dedicated to the Lord. (2 Sam. viii. 11, 12) Clemens Alexandrinus calls it, προπαιδείαν εἰς πίστιν, as men lay a ground of some meaner colour, when they intend to overlay with gold. Singular Singular use did the ancient fathers, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Origen, Clemens Alexandrinus, Cyprian, Theophilus, Arnobius, Augustine, Eusebius, Minutius Felix, Theodoret, and others, make of this kind of the learning of the heathen in defence of Christian religion; as David slew Goliath with his own sword; as the apostle disputed with the philosophers of Athens from the inscription of their own altar. Acts xvii. 23, 24. (Of which inscription we read in Philostratus, Pausanias, and others, very many passages) And expressions of Holy Scripture cannot be so clearly understood without the knowledge of those usages mentioned in heathen writers, whereunto they refer; of which we meet with divers instances in the Agonistica' of Petrus Faber, and multitudes of other learned writers: to say nothing of the eminent service done in this kind to the church of Christ by Beza, Grotius, Heinsius, Scultetus, Gataker, and divers others. Thus a Moabitish woman became an Israelite, if her head were shaven and her nails pared. Thus Theodosius reserved the golden vessels of the heathen temples unto the

use of the Christian church. "Christianus Domini sui esse intelligit, ubicunque invenerit veritatem." We find the apostle himself making sometimes use of the heathen poets, and (as I may so speak) bringing those Greeks into the temple.

The

And for wit, though it be naturally a proud and unruly thing, yet it may be so sanctified with grace, and fixed by humility, as to be of great use to the church of God. Holy Scripture is full of curious elegancies and paranomasias of this kind; and some have written just volumes 'de rhetorica sacra,' of these scripture-elegancies. What higher strain of wit could be used than that, Acts v. 41? They went away rejoicing ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ἀτιμασθῆναι that they were 'honoured with dishonour' for the name of Christ? Which of the noblest orators or poets amongst the heathen can parallel that expression of the apostle touching the glory to come; Καθ' ύπερβολὴν, αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης. (2 Cor. iv. 17) It were endless to instance in these kind of particulars; and how wit may be sanctified to the use of the church, we have delicate examples in the Apologetic of Tertullian, in the Epistle of Cyprian to Donatus, in Minutius Felix' Octavius, in the orations of Gregory Nazianzen and Basil, in the sermons of Chrysostom, Bernard, Chrysologus, and multitudes of others amongst the antients. To say

nothing of the worthies in our own church, and of our own time, amongst whom I cannot but mention my most religious, and most excellent predecessor in this diocese, whose writings are like the land of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey. Now in this particular, I should advise those who have vigorous and predominant wits, of whom we may say, as Quintilian said of Seneca, "It is pity they should not do as they ought, who can do as they will;" that they would not too much indulge nor loosen the reins unto luxuriancy of fancy in so solemn and serious a work as preaching the gospel, but proportion their ballast to their sail, and temper their fancy with humility, piety, and prudence; so as they may render severe and solid truths the more amiable, and reconcile the minds of their hearers the better unto sound and saving doctrine, as physicians convey their physic in some pleasant vehiculum' to gratify the palate, and prevent the fastidium of their tender patients. After this manner must we preach the gospel, discharging faithfully towards God

and men the trust which is reposed in us: for it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Cor. iv. 2)

Now there being three ways of pastoral feeding, as Bernard hath observed, "Ore, Mente, Opere," by preaching, praying, and living; it is necessary to add these two latter unto that, which we have already handled.

1. To be the Lord's remembrancers, and to give ourselves continually to prayer. (Acts vi. 4) If we consider the great importance of our ministry in dispensing the unsearchable riches of Christ; the great difficulty of the work, for which, without divine assistance, none can be sufficient; the divine efficacy and co-operation required unto the success of it; the infinite preciousness of the souls of men, and great concernments of the church of God over which we have an inspection; we cannot but grow unto holy Cyprian's resolution, who thus saith of himself in his book, De Bono Pudicitiæ,' "Non solum proferimus verba, quæ de Scripturarum sacris fontibus veniunt, sed cum ipsis verbis preces ad Dominum et vota sociamus."

2. We must give testimony unto our doctrine by a godly example, as Paul requireth Timothy and Titus, (1 Tim. iv. 12. Tit. ii. 7) and Peter, all elders; (1 Pet. v. 3) as John was both a shining and a burning lamp. (John v. 35) The star which led the Wise men unto Christ, the pillar of fire which led the children unto Canaan, did not only shine, but go before them. (Matth. ii. 9. Exod. xiii. 21) The voice of Jacob will do little good, if the hands be the hands of Esau. In the law, no person who had any blemish, was to offer the oblations of the Lord; (Levit. xxi. 17—20) the Lord thereby teaching us what graces ought to be in his ministers. The priest was to have in his robes bells and pomegranates; the one, a figure of sound doctrine; and the other, of a fruitful life. (Exod. xxviii. 33, 34) The Lord will be sanctified in all those that draw near unto him; (Isa. lii. 11) for the sins of the priests make the people abhor the offering of the Lord; (1 Sam. ii. 17) their wicked lives do shame their doctrines. "Passionem Christi annunciant profitendo, male agendo exhonorant," as St. Austin speaks; with their doctrine they build, and with their lives they destroy. The minister who will win his people, must not only "Doctorem virtutis se præbere, sed ducem," as Lactantius; "ut, si præ