plaining the whole counfel of God, in let ting forth the fincere word of Jefus Chrift, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little, in meekness instructing thofe that oppofe themfelves; in humble hope that peradventure an hour may come, when God will give unto them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth (b).

Laftly; the Chriftian Preacher is to preach not himself, but Chrift Jefus the Lord). He ferves the Lord Chrift: for Chrift he is an ambaffador: his mafter's glory, not his own, must he purfue. The pulpit he is to regard not as the throne of his exaltation, but as the place where he is to manifeft himfelf the fervant of all for the fake of Jefus (k). He is not to affume to himself confequence, as though he were lord over the heritage of God. He is not to feek to have dominion over the faith of his brethren. He is not to convert the house of God into a theatre for the difplay of his érudition, of his imagination, of his eloquence. Devoted to his mafter's honour, abforbed in folicitude for the falvation of his flock; how fhall he

(b) Ifaiah, xxviii. 10. 2 Tim. ii. 25. (i) 2 Cor. iv. 5. (4) Ibid.

make

make himself, his own reputation, his own. authority, his own fecular advantage, the end and object of his preaching? How fhall he thus hypocritically profefs himself a worker together with Chrift? How shall he thus profane the miniftry of the word of life?

II. I proceed to the duties of a Chriftian hearer.

By contemplating the devious tracks in which the carelefs and the obftinate are bewildered, we are taught to difcern and to value the path of safety. Confider then the unworthy motives and views, with which men too often present themselves as hearers of fermons.

Many perfons attend public worship, and preaching as one part of it, from cuftom, or from a regard to their character. They fee the neighbourhood flocking to the church: therefore they go thither. They perceive that orderly and refpectable perfons make a point of regular attendance: and they are not unwilling to embrace the fame method of being efteemed orderly and refpectable. A man of this description has fatisfied his wifhes by fhewing himself in the church. To be obferved as forming

one

}

one of the congregation was his object. To worship God in spirit and in truth, was not the purpose which attracted him. The service therefore engages little of his atten tion. In fome paffages perhaps he joins, yet mechanically, through form rather than devotion; but his thoughts are commonly roving among other fubjects. When he liftens to the fermon, it is without earneftnefs; and with many a fecret wish that it were at an end. He relapfes into fome worldly train of thought; until he is aroufed from a vacant reverie, or from meditation on his business or his pleasures, by hear ing the joyful found of the congregation rifing to depart.

Others frequent preaching from curiofity. Like the Athenians, they are always eager to hear fome new thing. In the language of Scripture, they have itching ears, and after their own lufts heap to themselves teachers. They wander from one place of worship to another; become diffatisfied with any minifter whom they have heard for a continuance; and speedily learn to relish no preacher, who is not extravagant in manner, and violent in declamation. The time foon arrives when, fulfilling the prophecy of St. Paul, they will

not

not endure found doctrine; but turn away from the truth, and are turned unto fables (1). They are perplexed and confounded by a multitude of inftructors. Toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, they depart from the words of truth and fobernefs; and fall a prey to the wildeft delufions.

Others liften to a fermon with a criticifing fpirit; not careful to profit by it, but watchful to fit in judgement upon it. Swoln with fpiritual pride, and deeming themfelves complete mafters of the most difficult points of doctrine, they fcrutinife every fentence which drops from the lips of the preacher; put each of his terms to the rack; examine the foundness of hist orthodoxy with inquifitorial suspicion; and if they are able to faften upon an expreffion not precifely confonant with the niceties of their own religious phrafeology, or capable of being understood in a sense fomewhat at variance with their peculiar prepoffeffions, deny their inftructor to be evangelical, pronounce him blind, and congratulate themfelves upon their own fcriptural attain ments and keen-eyed fagacity. Eager to cenfure, and impatient to decide; the fruit (1) 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4·

which they reap from the return of the Sabbath is to be flattered in prefumption and confirmed in ignorance.

Others become hearers of fermons for no better purpose than that of entertainment. Counterparts of the Jews in the days of Ezekiel, who talked one with another at the doors of their bonfes, and spoke every one to his brother, faying," Come, I pray you, and bear what is the word that cometh from the Lord;" because the preaching of the Prophet was to them as a very lovely fong of one that had a pleasant voice, and could play well upon an inftrument (m); they refort on the Sunday to the house of God with views and feelings fimilar to thofe which impelled them on the preceding evening to a fcene of mufical feftivity. They frequent particular churches for the fake of "good preaching." And by good preaching they intend not that faithful display and powerful application of evangelical truth, which awaken the confcience and probe the heart: but elegance of language, harmoniousness of voice, gracefulness of delivery, in the first place; and in the next place, fmooth precepts and unmerited encouragements, interfperfed with interefting addreffes to the (m) Exek. xxxiii. 32.

paffions,