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affecting to consider Him, who being in the form of God, and not thinking it robbery to be equal with God; making himself of no reputation; taking on him the form of a servant; and being found in fashion as a man, humbling himself, not only to perform the kindest offices for the poorest among the children of men; even washing his disciples' feet; but becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross! Phil. ii. 7, 8.

Nor will his merciful temper and conduct be overlooked, by any of his faithful preachers. Boundless mercy and love brought him from heaven to earth, on the design of saving lost sinners of mankind. Mercy led him about, in the painful and laborious work of instructing them in the things of God, and the concerns of their souls. Mercy appeared in almost all the miracles which he performed. They were the removal of some kind of misery and distress-in healing the sick-comforting the sorrowfulcuring the lame-opening the eyes of the blind-feeding the hungry-and cleansing lepers. But his love was great beyond all expression, and passes knowledge, in laying down his life to ransom guilty creatures, from everlasting destruction.

His heavenly mindedness-the ardors of his devotion-the elevation of his soul above this world, and all its most flattering enjoyments, claim a frequent place in the discourses of a Christian preacher. His conversation was in heaven, while he abode upon earth. He kept up a daily converse with his Father, and abounded in the exercises of piety. Holiness and heaven, as it were, breathed through his whole life.

These, and some other branches of his temper and conduct, which I have not time particularly to mention, should be illustrated and explained by his ministers, and recommended to the imitation of all Christians.

Examples are generally moving and influential, beyond bare precepts. No example is absolutely perfect, but that of the Son of God, in our nature. None can be pressed on Christians with so much propriety and energy. Christ calls us to "learn of him." Matt. xi. 29. He makes it essential to our discipleship, that we "follow him." It should therefore often be the matter of a minister's exhortation to his hearers, that they endeavor that the same mind be in them, which was in Christ, and that they walk as he walked.

Nor can he put them upon examining into their spiritual state, by a surer rule, than their conformity to Christ. The apostle expressly declares, "if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The degrees of this conformity to him, and the proficiency they have made in copying after him, are a just standard, by which to determine their attainments in grace, and their progress in the divine life. For such great and important

purposes, they who preach Christ, must discourse on his example. It is no inconsiderable part of their work.

3. To preach Christ, is to insist on the same doctrines which he did. He sustained the character of a preacher, and supported it with unparalleled dignity. His doctrine was heavenly: It partook of the excellency of his temper. His example in this, is in the highest degree worthy of the imitation of his ministers.

It is so, as to the manner of his teaching. The plainness and familiarity which he used, calling in the help of easy metaphors, and affecting parables, is excellently suited to instruct and edify; a happy method of conveying truths to the mind. Hereby the attention is engaged-the memory strengthened—and the power of discernment assisted.

But it is the matter of Christ's doctrine, which I here principally intend. The truths which he taught, were the most weighty and interesting. Those whom he calls to the work of instructing mankind, should teach the same. Several of the doctrines which he taught, I have already mentioned, when considering the duty of ministers, to unfold and explain, so far as they can, his nature, person, and mediatorial offices. I shall now endeavor to point out some others, on which his ministers, in imitation of him, must frequently insist.

1. He evidently taught the fallen, ruined state of mankind. He said he came to seek and save those that were lost, Matt. xviii. 11, in which condition he considered all men. He represented the moral disorders, which sin hath brought on them, by sickness; and said, they needed a physician, Matt. ix. 12-needed help from above, to restore them to a state of spiritual health and soundness. His ministers should preach the same doctrine. They should instruct their people, in their original apostasy from Godlead them to consider themselves in a lost and ruined conditionguilty, polluted, depraved and impotent-odious to God's holiness, and obnoxious to his wrath and justice: And under a necessity of perishing for ever, unless divine power and grace interpose for them.

2. Christ taught the necessity of regeneration; and said many things descriptive of that great change. This, you are sensible, was the principal subject of his discourse with Nicodemus. John iii. 3. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Gospel ministers should often discourse on the same interesting subject. They should point out the necessity of that change, in order to partake of the happiness of heaven; which necessity appears, not only from the word of God, which declares it, but also from the nature of the thing. An unholy soul cannot see and enjoy God. His presence, could he be admitted into it-his service, could he be employed in it, would be far from promoting his happiness.

They should insist on the necessity of the influences of God's Spirit, in the production of this change; and give a scriptural account of his operation. They should also point out the means to be attended on, in order to become the subjects of it; and exhort sinners to use them. Like our Saviour, they should direct them to "ask, and seek, and knock," animating them hereto by the encouragement given them in the gospel, that they shall succeed. Matt. vii. 7. They should excite them to "strive to enter in at the strait gate;" Luke xiii. 24; and not tell them as some have done, that they are in as fair a way to be regenerated in the neglect, as in the use of these means of grace, as we usually call them, though very improperly, if there is no kind of connection between them and the thing sought after, in the use of them, as some have asserted; and if sinners by attending them, in the most serious, in the best manner they can, while unregenerate; set themselves at a greater distance from the favor of God, and become more offensive to him; than while secure in the free practice of sin; than while "casting off fear, and restraining prayer before him." Nothing like this, certainly, is to be found in the doctrines of Christ.

Ministers indeed should diligently caution their hearers against trusting to means and instrumental duties, as if by them they merited any thing at the hand of God, so as on account hereof, to claim pardon and grace. They may, with the strictest truth and propriety, assert that a sinner's salvation is not the less of free grace, because obtained in the use of certain instituted means— that all the success of his endeavors, depends on the influences of God's Spirit-and therefore, that while he seeks "to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, his dependence must be on God, to work in him both to will and to do." Phil. ii. 12, 13.

3. The freedom and riches of God's grace to sinners, through Christ, had no small place in his instructions. This appears, in his many gracious invitations to them, to come to him that they may have life. This appears in several of his parables, particularly that relating to the prodigal son. Luke xv. 20. Similar subjects should be frequently insisted upon by his ministers. They should endeavor, in a clear and affecting manner, to display the riches of divine grace to sinners-to the chief of sinners, and warmly address to them the kind invitations of the gospel; "praying them, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God." 2 Cor. v. 20.

4. Faith and repentance were capital doctrines which Christ preached; the necessity of which, in order to partake of the blessings of the gospel covenant, he frequently declared. He began his public ministry by saying, "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt. iii. 2. He represented himself as the object of Christian faith, and asserted, that "he that believeth on

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the Son, hath life, but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." John iii. 36. Gospel ministers, by preaching faith and repentance, preach Christ. They should explain the nature, and properties of these graces, distinguishing a true and living faith, from a false and dead one-and evangelical repentance, from that which is only legal. They should show them to be terms or conditions of the new covenant. They should assist their people, in examining whether they are become sincere penitents, and true believers, or not. They should direct them to attend those means, in the use of which, persons are generally brought to exercise that "godly sorrow, which worketh repentance to life, not to be repented of;" and to "believe to the saving of their souls;" such as prayer-reading and hearing God's word. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. x. 17. The great apostle Paul, who knew how to preach Christ to greatest advantage, speaks of his instructions, as consisting much in "testifying repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts xx. 21.

5. Moral duties were a principal subject of Christ's preaching. As he explained the moral law, and inculcated obedience to it, he might be called a legal preacher. He said he came not to destroy the law-not to vacate our obligations to obey it; but to point out its unchangeable nature and perpetual authority over us. A great part of his instructions were of a moral kind. Witness his Sermon on the Mount, as it is usually called, and many other of his discourses. He declared the character of all those to be bad; their state dangerous; and their hope built on the sand, who were not formed to a love of God's law, and a disposition to obey it. Matt. vii. ult. His ministers should preach it, as a faithful saying and worthy to be constantly affirmed, that they who have believed in Christ should be careful to maintain good works. Titus iii. 8. That the law is not made void through faith, but established; and that the grace of God in the gospel, contains additional motives to yield obedience to it. They should open, explain and enforce the various duties of morality, which relate to God, our neighbors and ourselves; and show them to be "good and profitable to men." In doing this, they do not neglect to preach Christ. They are not to be blamed as entertaining their hearers unprofitably. They who censure them on this account, do well to consider, that their censure doth not terminate on them, it extends to the infallible Teacher who came from God, whose example they imitate.

6. Our blessed Saviour preached an approaching day of universal judgment, and a succeeding state of everlasting rewards and punishments, according to the deeds done in the body. This was the subject of his discourse recorded in the 25th of Matthew, and in several other parts of the evangelical history. His min

isters must often entertain their hearers with the same solemn and important truths. They must teach them, that they are subjects of God's moral government-that they have certain talents committed to them-and that the day approacheth, when they must give account how they have improved them. They must represent Christ as the supreme and final judge, and show the certainty and solemnity of his second appearing-that we must all be convened before his enlightened tribunal-and all be treated according to our real character. Saints will be placed on his right handsinners on his left-and the everlasting condition of both determined, by an irreversible sentence from his sacred lips. "Then shall the Judge say to those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world.-And to those on his left, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal."

The ministers of the gospel should often call the attention of their hearers to the solemn process of "this great and terrible day of the Lord"-urge them to consider their own concern in itand to prepare for it, that they may "give up their account with joy." They must address, to their hopes and fears, those two great springs of action in the human mind, by the joys of heaven and the miseries of hell; that they may be excited to fly from the wrath to come, and lay hold on the hope set before them." In doing this, they preach Christ, as they evidently pattern after him, who was a perfect, unerring instructor.-It seems to be more than time, that I proceed, in the third place:

III. To take notice of the general character, in which Christ's ministers are to consider themselves, and in which they are to act; as their people's "servants for Jesus' sake." Acting in this character, doth not imply, that they must be of a servile, abject spirit ; disposing them timidly to yield to the humors and lusts of their people, in order to please them. This would be sinking vastly below the dignity of it. This would be, basely to betray the cause, which they are bound to support. To pretend to do this, "for Jesus' sake," would be strange indeed; since the apostle declares, if he "thus seek to please men, he is not the servant of Christ." Gal. i. 10. They must be careful to "magnify their office," and support the dignity of it, by a becoming boldness and fortitude, in reproving the vices, and opposing the evil dispositions of their people. There is a sense, in which they are rulers in the church. So they are called in 1 Tim. v. 17. People are directed to "submit to, and obey them." Heb. xiii. 17. They are to lead in the exercises of public worship-in supporting a

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