indeed, they went forth with boldness, boasting and glorying in that very thing which the world thought a badge of shame and infamy.

And now, methinks, this determination of the most famous preacher and apostle of the Gentiles furnishes us with a lesson very suitable to the occasion of our meeting here this day, namely, “That the doctrine of Christ crucified, is that which ministers of the gospel should chiefly study to know and to make known among the people."

In discoursing further on this subject, we propose, through divine assistance, first, to consider what is that knowledge of Christ crucified which ministers of the gospel ought to have. Secondly, to show how ministers of the gospel should make Christ known among the people. Thirdly, to point out, in some particulars, the excellency of the knowledge of Christ crucified above all other knowledge whatsoever.

I. As to the first thing proposed, viz. what is that knowledge of Christ crucified, which ministers of the gospel ought to have? we say,

1. All Christians, but especially ministers of the gospel, ought to have the speculative knowledge of Christ crucified, as by their office they are bound to make him known unto others. They should be "scribes well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, and able to bring forth out of their treasure things new and old." They should know and understand the evidences of the Christian religion, and likewise the particular doctrines and duties thereof; that so they may be able not only to instruct the weak and ignorant, but also to defend Christianity against the attacks of deists and infidels, and all other enemies of the truth, as it is in Jesus.

Now, as he who would be master of any art or science, will choose to read the best book written thereon; so those who desire to make proficiency in the knowledge of Christ, would by all means study the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments;—these, my brethren, are the grand charter of our salvation, and they are sealed by the blood

of our Saviour.-This same Jesus is, as it were, the running-title of the whole Bible. All the prophets spoke of him; all the priests in their sacred services were types of him, and pointed towards him.-Judaism was Christianity under a veil, as Christianity is Judaism unveiled. Therefore the Old Testament ought to be carefully studied by ministers of the gospel, as well as the New; forasmuch as Christ is the scope and substance thereof. And for the better understanding of both Testaments, it is quite necessary they should be acquainted with the original languages in which they were written. The strength and beauty of many passages in the Old Testament, and even the true sense of some of them, cannot be discerned by such as are utterly unacquainted with the Hebrew language. And I cannot but take notice of it, as what deserves to be regretted, that the study of that language has gone so much into desuetude in this nation, and even among the clergy, whose office it is to explain the Scriptures unto the people, and who ought therefore to be furnished with every thing necessary for their own understanding of them. But we have some ground to hope, that this error may, in process of time, be rectified, as there appears a greater inclination for that study, both in this and in the neighbouring nation, than heretofore.

Ministers of the gospel ought, like Apollos, to be mighty in the Scriptures. Bonus theologus, bonus textuarius, was the saying of old. They should read them regularly, frequently, and with great attention, and thereby they will be furnished with a better fund for preaching Christianity, than by reading any other book, or all other books whatsoever that have been written on the subject, though these also are very useful in their proper place.

2. They ought also to have the experimental and practical knowledge of Christ crucified; lest, while they preach him to others, they may themselves be cast-aways, as the apostle's phrase is. The most precious truths fluctuating in the head, but not descending into the heart, or sanctifying it, prove no better than the manna of old, which when

kept over night, stank and bred worms: however distinctly we apprehend evangelical truths, yet if they are unmixed with faith, and undigested by practice, they will breed the noxious humours and crudities of pride, selfconceit, hypocrisy, and profaneness.

Real religion, my brethren, does by no means consist in the merely speculative knowledge of its truths; otherwise, the devils themselves would have more religion than the best of us: for albeit they have lost their purity and holiness, we have no ground to think they have lost their knowledge and sagacity. The Scripture saith, "They believe and tremble," James ii. 19., which implies their knowledge. As for carnal unregenerated men, whatever be their abilities, natural or acquired, they know Christianity only in a book; whereas real Christians have felt the exceeding greatness of its power: they have such ideas and such impressions of spiritual things made upon their minds by the Holy Ghost, as the natural man knows not at all.

Suppose the picture of a man drawn as lively, and as near to the original as possible, yet they who have seen the man himself, and conversed with him, will have another sort of idea of him than those possibly can have, who never saw him but in the picture. A man who has read geography, may describe the complexion, religion, laws, customs, commodities, and curiosities of different countries which he never dwelt in, nor travelled through: but the man who has lived in those countries, and seen all these things with his eyes, and often conversed with the inhabitants, must have an idea and impression of them, which the man, who has only read or heard of them, knows nothing about.

How necessary then is the experimental knowledge of Christ to ministers of the gospel! Let them have the richest cargo of gifts and learning you can suppose, yet, without this, they are but very poorly furnished for their office, and the discharge of it is more likely to be the drudgery of their lives, than the delight of their souls.

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A preacher of Christ, yet not a believer in Christ! a minister of Christ, yet a servant of sin! what monstrous connections are these? Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" Rom. ii. 21. In short, those who preach Christianity, without real and saving impressions of it upon their own hearts, are no better than actors upon a stage where a villain often personates the most virtuous character, and where all is mere fiction. But,

II. I proceed to the second thing in our method, viz. to show how ministers of the gospel should make Christ crucified known among the people.

1. They should make him known by preaching. To this purpose the revered apostle of the Gentiles tells us, "After that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not. God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 21-23. And in another place, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord," &c.; 2 Cor. iv. 5. True it is, we are not apostles; thís high title belongs not to those who are now ministers of the gospel: for they have neither the call, nor the qualifications, nor the charge of apostles. Neither had the apostles any successors in their office properly so called. At the same time, Jesus Christ certainly designed there should be a set of men successively, whose office it would be to teach and preach his religion to the end of time. And as such an institution seems founded on common sense and reason, and upon the universal practice of mankind in reference to religion, so it seems to be very plainly intimated by our Saviour himself before his ascension, when he says to his disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,-teaching them to observe all things what

soever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. We all know these good men lived but a short while in the world: however, the promise originally made to them, extends to faithful ministers of the gospel in their several generations, to the end of time. Therefore, whatever be pretended, it appears to me a very unfriendly office to Jesus Christ and his religion, to depreciate a public ministry. It is an attempt to blast what the Lord has most certainly blessed in all ages to the conversion of souls.

But then, ministers of Christ must be preachers of Christ; they should make him known among the people, by preaching his doctrines, his institutions, and his laws and commandments. Under these three, I conceive, what is called preaching of Christ may be comprehended.

Ministers should lay before their people the evidences of the truth of Christianity in a way suited unto their capacities, that so they may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them, and be fortified against the attacks of deists and infidels, who abound every where in this degenerate age. However, they ought not to insist always upon these, but to open up the particular doctrines of Christianity, such as concern the person, natures, offices, and grace of the Lord Jesus. They should endeavour to convince sinners of their lost state by nature, their absolute inability to recover themselves, and the indispensable necessity of coming to Jesus Christ as the one and only Mediator betwixt God and man. And, in order to obtain this good end, the law must be preached, its threatenings and curses must be sounded loud in the ears of sinners ;-they must be alarmed with the thunder and fire from Mount Sinai: "for the law is our schoolmaster to bring us in to Christ." They should open up that grand transaction betwixt God the Father and God the Son, in behalf of mankind sinners, called the covenant of grace, with all the blessings and benefits contained therein, as effectual calling, justification, adoption, regeneration, sanctification, the in