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him, as the infinite and divine lover of a criminal race. We preach him, as confirming his mission by miraculous displays of divine power, attested by the voice from heaven, and confirmed by the testimonies of men. We preach him, in the benevolence of his kind invitations, as the great depositary of all the treasures of divine grace, and the liberal almoner of his heavenly Father's bounty. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord, as having offered a divine sacrifice for sin, of more real value than the treasures of the whole universe. We preach him, as having completed a divine righteousness, to be conferred on all that believe in his name, which is indeed the perfection of beauty and glory. We preach him, as the source of all divine consolation, and the fountain of all acceptable obedience; as the life of christian experience and the object of christian love; as the substance of all divine promises, and the end of every divine precept; as the beginner and finisher of faith, and the reality of that eternal weight of glory prepared on high for every one of his real and sincere followers.

And, in addition to such an exhibition of Christ

Jesus the Lord, we preach him as the glorious theme of never-ending study, and the great object of eternal thanksgiving, in the mansions of the heavenly glory. "After this, I beheld," says the inspired writer," and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb."*

*The moment an individual is prevailed on, by any means, to think lightly or degradingly of any evangelical truth; that instant his right eye is darkened, and his right arm is withered, so that he becomes, to a certain extent, both morally blind and powerless. May not discourses be so composed on afflictions,―temptations, the millennium,-gifts, &c.; yea, even on the sufferings of Christ, if unconnected with their atoning design, without containing a word of what is essential to the gospel of Christ? Who can declaim more eloquently and pathetically on the corporeal sufferings of Christ than Roman Catholic sophists and heretics? But were they to point out the leading design of Christ's sufferings, as forming the one only perfect offering for sin, and the source of complete justification to all that believe, they would supplant their own accursed system, and effectually promote the fall of the spiritual Babylon.

Now if our accustomed discourses, as the professed ministers of Christ, do not really corres→ pond with the spirit of the apostolic motto, is there not some reason to fear that we still continue to preach ourselves, at least to a certain extent, by following the course of our own selfinvented methods, rather than the heavenly directory and the inspired guide?

We have, even in our times of spiritual declension, eloquent preachers, learned preachers, serious preachers, fervid preachers, persuasive preachers, and useful preachers; but do they all strive with an holy emulation to preach Christ fully, in every sermon, in every address, on every occasion, studiously, under the influence of heavenly wisdom, power, and love, aiming to render every subject tributary to Christ's glory and the exhibition of his infinite love?

Many individuals have evinced, in our times, a laudable anxiety, in regard to a revival of Christianity. It was judiciously said, by an old divine, "A revived Christianity is nothing but a revived exhibition of the person of Christ." This is a grand and scriptural idea-a sentiment every way

worthy of the best and purest ages of the church of Christ.

It is indeed in vain that we expect any very copious or abundant shower of divine influence, any enlarged outpouring of the Holy Spirit, any remarkable and refreshing revival of the power of Christianity, until the love of Christ shall effectually constrain men to preach him more constantly, more powerfully, and more fully.

Let it, therefore, at once be the undeviating, the conscientious, and serious aim of every servant of Christ, to glorify that Jesus, in every public and stated service, and on every other occasion, whom the Holy Spirit is promised to glorify: otherwise our preaching will be like the sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal, making a great noise, but producing no evangelical and transforming effect on the souls of men.

When philosophers describe their imperfect systems, they usually refer to the leading or most material point in them, or to what may be regarded as the essence of such systems.

Now when the apostle of the Gentiles describes the nature of the christian ministry, he unhesi

tatingly points to "the Lamb that was slain," as constituting its essence and life. "For I determined to know nothing among you," saith he, "but Christ, and him crucified."

In the church of Corinth, Christ, and him crucified, was obviously amid the inspired preacher's permanent and most useful labours, his habitual, and, to say the least, his leading object. Whichever way, indeed, the apostle steered his course, this glorious object, Christ, and him crucified, was always regarded as the Polar star!

Did the inspired apostle preach repentance unto life? He did not fail to shew its connexion with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Did he insist on the necessity, and dilate on the nature, of the spiritual regeneration? He speaks of the new creature in Christ Jesus.

Did the apostle preach that grand article of the christian faith,-justification in the sight of God? "We are," saith he, "justified by his blood."

Did he forcibly dwell on the rich theme of eternal redemption ?* It is, he exclaims,

*Much has been recently said with regard to the extent of redemption.

The

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