gation in a situation never contemplated by the Apostle, so as to render his language unappropriate to the present condition of Christianity as the national religion. For, even if it should be argued on the other side, that the brethren who were 66 walking disorderly," or had "turned "aside after Satan," at the date of the Epistle, were either sure of final recovery, as Peter, or had really never been elected by God, as Simon Magus this would make no practical difference. The worst of those whom a minister addresses, may become subjects of grace, and finally recover; the best may swerve from the faith. "After we have received the Holy "Ghost, we may depart from grace given; 66 and by the grace of God we may arise again, "and amend our lives."* These are the grounds on which I consider a modern congregation and an apostolical church sufficiently similar in circumstances, to render not only the doctrines, which must be the same to the end of the world, but the tone, * Art. XVI. language, and arguments, by which the Apostles enforce them, suited to the instruction and imitation of every minister in every age: and that the preacher has a warrant, nay, is even bound by an obligation, to address his flock as persons who have been called to an inestimable benefit, which it lies with themselves to make their own; as persons who have taken upon themselves a covenant, and received a promise of the grace necessary to enable them to perform its conditions. Cases indeed may occur, in which it may rather be a minister's business to convert, than to enlighten and improve: where he is called upon to take the part of a missionary, to declare a revelation, instead of that of a guide, to lead in the right way of truth those who are already in the road. To those, for instance, who, with the name of Christians, have hitherto passed their lives without any religion whatever, the doctrine of conversion must be preached plainly and directly. "They are no more Christians, as to any actual benefit of Christianity to their souls, than the most hardened Jew or the most profligate Gentile was in the age of the Gospel."* The preacher must himself judge of the proportion which these may bear to the rest of the congregation; and of the necessity of either dwelling most frequently on entire repentance and conversion, or on "improvement, proficiency, and continued endeavours after holiness." The Scriptures furnish examples suited to every condition. The main fact, however, with which I am at present concerned, must in all cases remain the same, that a modern congregation and an ancient church are alike among "those whom the Lord our God hath called." For this reason, what was said to the early converts in their separate congregations at Rome, or Corinth, or Thessalonica, or Ephesus, is, in fact, said to all Christians and whatever changes may have taken place in external and temporal circumstances, the spiritual condition in which Christians are placed is still essentially the same. Even the * Paley's Sermons. Serm. VII. obvious fact, that some Epistles were written for specific purposes and to refute particular errors, only renders them the more fit for the general imitation of preachers, as well as for the edification of Christian assemblies. Every minister will, no doubt, find certain points on which his own congregation may require peculiar correction; every age of Christianity has its "besetting sins," which must be recurred to as frequently as the Judaizing propensity is assailed by St. Paul, or the Antinomian heresy by St. James. But whatever doctrinal subject a preacher may find occasion to insist upon, St. Paul furnishes him with a pattern of the method in which it may be inculcated most effectually, and most suitably to the general character of the religion which he teaches: so that each Epistle may be considered in the light of a set of discourses, containing the groundwork of all ministerial instruction.* * Πόθεν οὐ παρ' ἡμὶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ και πάρα Ιουδαιοις, και Ελλησι, μάλιστα πάντων θαυμαζεται ὁ μακάριος οὗτος; (ὁ Παῦλος) Ουκ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἀρετῆς; Δὶ ἧς οὐ τούς τότε μόνον πιστοὺς, αλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐκεινου μέχρι τῆς σήμερον γινομένους, και τοὺς μέλλοντας δὲ ἔσεσθαι μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης In this point of view I shall proceed to examine the mode in which St. Paul enforces and discusses the principal articles of the Gospel dispensation. If the Christian minister boasts of deriving his commission to preach the Gospel by an uninterrupted succession from the hands of the Apostles; consistency requires that he should apply to the same Apostles for the doctrine which he is to deliver. The Apostles were, in fact, themselves preachers: and the writings which they have left to us, are examples of the manner in which they executed their commission. It is true, the germ of all the doctrines which they teach is to be found in the history of our Saviour as recorded by the four Evangelists. The atonement is explicitly declared in the address by which Christ's first appearance was hailed by his prophetic messenger, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας, ὠφέλησέ τε και ὠφελήσει και οὐ παύσεται τοῦτο ποιῶν, εῶν ἄν τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαμένη γένος. Chrysost. de Sacerdotio, lib. iv. D |