my spirit.' There can be no greater joy to a minister than preaching Christ to win souls to Christ. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing, are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming? ye are our glory and joy, 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. They who, by preaching Christ, win souls to Christ, shall shine as the stars in the firmament, Dan. xii. 3. Every soul won to Christ is a glorious pearl added to a preacher's crown. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory, 1 Pet. v. 4. A crown imports perpetuity, plenty, and dignity, the height of human ambition.

It is the opinion of some, that there are three places of exaltation in heaven; the first and highest is for converting ministers, the second is for suffering martyrs, the third is for persevering Christians. Without doubt, those ministers shall be high in heaven, who make it their heaven to hold forth Christ and to win souls to Christ; who are willing to be any thing, to be nothing, that Christ may be all in all to poor souls. And thus I have given you the reasons of the point.

II. I shall now come to the second thing, which is the main, and that is to shew you how ministers are to preach Christ to the people.

Many weak and slight spirits in these days, think that it is as easy to preach as to play; and so they hop from one thing to another; and those who are not qualified, nor fit for the least and lowest employment, yet judge themselves fit enough for the greatest and the weightiest employment in the world, and one which would certainly break the backs, not only of the best and strongest men, but even of the very angels, should not God put under his everlasting arms. No labour equal to that of the mind, no travail equal to that of the soul; and those who are faithful in the Lord's vineyard find it so. Luther was

wont to say, that if he were again to choose his calling, he would dig or do any thing, rather than take upon him the office of a minister. And many other eminent lights have been of the same opinion with him.

But what are those rules that every preacher is to observe in his preaching of Christ to the people? I answer, these eleven-

1. Jesus Christ must be preached plainly, perspicuously, so that the meanest capacity may understand what they say concerning Christ. They must preach Christ for edification, and not to work admiration as too many do in these days. Paul was excellent at this kind of preaching; he had rather speak five words to edification, than ten thousand words to work admiration in ignorant people. And my speech, and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God, 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5. As if he should say, 'Such preach with little power, who come with the excellency of speech, or with the enticing words of man's wisdom.' Ah many there are (I speak it with grief and to their shame) who delight to soar aloft in obscure discourses, and to express themselves in new minted words and phrases, and to shew high strains and flashes of wit; and all to work admiration in the ignorant. Such kind of preachers are as clouds and painted glass-windows, that hinder the light from shining in upon souls, that hinder the Sun of righteousness from breaking forth in his beauty and glory upon the spirits of poor creatures. Woe unto these men in the day when snch souls shall plead against them! when they shall say, 'Lord, here are the persons whose office and work was to make dark things plain; and they have made plain things dark and obscure, that we might rather wonder at them, than any ways profit by them.' Aaron's bells were of pure gold; our whole preaching must be scripture proof, or we and our works must burn together. The profoundest prophets accommodated themselves to their hearers' capacities. Holy Moses covers his glistening face with a veil, when he is to speak to the people. Yea, it is very observable, that the evangelists spake vulgarly many times for their hearers' sake, even to a manifest incongruity. But above all, it is most observable concerning God the Father, who is the great Master of speech; that when he spake from heaven, he makes use of three several texts of scripture, in one breath; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him, Matt. xvii. 5. This is my beloved Son; that scripture you have in Psal. ii. 7. In whom

I am well pleased; this you have in Isa. xlii. 1. Hear him; this you have in Deut. xviii. 15. All which may bespeak them to blush, who through curious wiseness disdain the stately plainness of the scripture. O how unlike to God are such preachers as think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence, with their own infancy, vanity, novelty, and sophistry. Yea, Jesus Christ himself, the great Doctor of the church, teacheth this lesson. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it, Mark iv. 33. Not' as he was able to have spoken; he could have expressed himself at a higher rate than all mortals can; he could have been in the clouds; he knew how to knit such knots that they could never untie, but he would not; he delights to speak to his hearers' shallow capacities. So in John xvi. 12; I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. He who speaks not to the hearers' capacities, is as a barbarian to them, and they to him.

He is the best preacher,' says Luther, who preaches vulgarly, who preaches most plainly.' He is not the best preacher who tickles the ear, or who works upon the fancy; but he who breaks the heart, and awakens the conscience. It is sad to consider how many preachers in these days are like Heraclitus, who was called The dark doctor,' because he affected dark speeches. O how do many in these days affect sublime notions, uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard! They darken counsel by words without knowledge. But how unlike to Christ, the prophets, and apostles, these dark doctors are, I will leave you to judge; nor would I have their accounts to make up for all the world; I will leave them to stand or fall to their own Master. God loves, owns, and crowns plain preaching; though some account it foolishness, yet to them that are saved, it is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. I have stayed the longer upon this first direction, because of its great usefulness in these deluding days.

2. As they must preach Christ plainly, so they must preach Christ faithfully. Ministers are stewards, and, you know, it is the duty of a steward to be faithful in his stewardship; to give to every man the portion that is

due to him; cheering up those hearts that God would. have cheered, and weakening those wicked hands that God would have weakened, and strengthening those feeble knees that God would have strengthened. Ministers are ambassadors, and, you know, it is the great concernment of ambassadors to be very faithful in their master's messages. God looks more, and is affected and taken more with a minister's faithfulness, than with any thing else. A great voice, an affected tone, studied notions, and silken expressions, may affect and take poor weak souls, but it is only the faithfulness of a minister in his ministerial work, that takes God, that wins upon God. Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord; a joy too big to enter into thee, and therefore thou must enter into it. This was Paul's glory, that he had not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God; neither fear nor favour swayed him one way or another, but he was faithful in his Master's work. And usually God crowns him and his labours most, and sends most fish into his net, who is most faithful, though he be less skilful; who has more of the heart in the work, though he have less of the brain.

6

The maid in Plutarch, being to be sold in the market, when a chapman asked her, Wilt thou be faithful if Í buy thee?' Aye,' said she, that I will, though you do not buy me.' So ministers must be faithful, though God should not buy them, though he should not thus and thus encourage them in their work, Their very feet are beautiful, who are faithful, and their message most comfortable to those who sigh and mourn, who labour and languish under the sense of sin and fear of wrath.

3. They must preach Christ humbly, as well as faithfully. We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake, 2 Cor. iv. 5. Paul does not compliment as the men of the world do; Your servant, sir;' but he spake as he was; for there are no greater servants, than those that are servants to the souls of men for Jesus' sake. So John was very humble in the exercise of his ministry, John iii. 30, 31.

Luther used to say, that a minister must take heed of bringing three dogs into the pulpit, pride, covetousness,

and envy. The friends of the bridegroom must not woo and sue for themselves, but for the bridegroom. Dispensers of the gospel are the bridegroom's friends, and they must not speak one word for the bridegroom, and two for themselves, as has been the trade of many weak and worthless men. It is the greatest glory of a minister in this world, to be high in spiritual work, and humble in heart. Vain-glory is a pleasant thief; it is the sweet spoiler of spiritual excellencies. Paul was very humble in the exercise of his ministry; none so high in worth as he, and none so low and humble in heart as he; though he was the greatest among the apostles, yet he accounts himself less than the least of all saints; yea, he counted it not only his duty, but his glory, to be a servant to the weakest saints; To the weak became I as weak. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?

4. As they are to preach the Lord Jesus Christ humbly, so they are to preach him wisely. He that winneth souls is wise; and indeed the greatest wisdom in the world is requisite to the winning of souls to Christ. He that winneth souls, or he that catcheth souls, as the fowler does birds, › as the Hebrew word imports, or fisherman fishes, he is wise. There is a holy and a heavenly craft required in the winning of souls to Christ. Nevertheless being crafty, says the apostle, I caught you with guile. He speaks of a holy and heavenly craft. It is written of the fox, that when he is very hungry after prey and can find none, he lies down and feigns himself dead; and so the fowls light upon him, and then he catches them. Paul, hungering after the welfare of the Corinthians' souls, makes use of his heavenly craft to catch them. There is a great deal of wisdom required to hold out Christ unto the people, not only as a good, but as the greatest good, as the choicest good, as the chiefest good, as the most suitable good, as an immutable good, as an independent good, as a total good, and as an eternal good. Christ must thus be held forth to draw souls to fall in love with him, and to work their hearts to run out after him. There is wisdom required to answer all cavils and objections that keep Christ and poor souls asunder. There is wisdom required to take souls off from