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his ministers a flame of fire." You know that a heated iron, though blunt, will pierce its way, even where a much sharper instrument, if it be cold, cannot penetrate. So if only our ministers be filled with the Spirit, who is like fire, they will pierce into the hardest hearts, where the sharpest wits cannot find their way. It was thus with Whitfield; that great man lived so near to God, he was so full of heavenly joy and of the Spirit of God, that souls were melted under him like snow in thaw-time. John Newton mentions it as a fact that, in a single week, Whitfield received no fewer than a thousand letters from persons distressed in conscience under his preaching. Oh pray that we may not be "clouds without water," which indeed have all the appearance of clouds, but have no rain in them. Pray that we may come to you as Paul came to the Corinthians, "in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling; and that our speech and our preaching may not be with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power;" 1 Cor. ii. 2—4.

II. The subject matter of all faithful preaching.

1. A faithful minister preaches good tidings to all distressed consciences. This was one great object of Christ's ministry. "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek," &c. Jesus came to be a Saviour to the meek-not the naturally gentle and sweet tempered, but those who are concerned about their souls. Men naturally say, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" therefore they are proud, and their tongue walketh through the earth. But when God begins a work of grace in their heart, he convinces of sin, he humbles them to the dust, and makes them feel "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Jesus always offered himself as a Saviour to such. One poor leper said, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;" Jesus said, "I will, be thou clean." Nay, he left an invitation which will be precious to burdened souls, even to the end of the world, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" Matt. xi. 28.

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Jesus came "to bind up the broken-hearted." There is many a wounded heart that is not broken. The broken hearted are those who have lost all hope of saving themselves by their own righteousness. As long as a person has hope, the heart remains whole and unbroken. As long as a sailor's wife has hope that her husband's vessel may outride the storm, her heart is calm within her; but when the fatal news comes-when an eye-witness tells that he saw the lifeless body sinking in the waves-the thread of hope is cut asunder, her heart dies within her, she droops, she sits down broken-hearted. As long as an awakened sinner has hope of saving himself as long as he thinks that self-reformation, weeping over past sins, and resolving against future ones, will

clear him before God-so long his heart is calm; but when the fatal news comes, that all he does is done out of a sinful heart, that even "his righteousnesses are as filthy rags," that "by the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified"-then does the heart of the sinner die within him; he says, "It is done now, it is all done now, I never can do anything to justify myself." Is this the state of your soul? This is a case for Christ. He justifieth the ungodly; he imputes righteousness without works; his blood and righteousness are ready for poor broken-hearted sinners. They are the very souls that answer him; he is the very Saviour that answers them. Once a broken-hearted woman, who had spent her all upon physicians, and was nothing better, but rather worse came behind Jesus, and touched the hem of his garment. Did he show himself the Saviour of the broken-hearted? Yes; he said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole."

Jesus came "to proclaim liberty to the captives." All natural men are slaves. Some are bound, and know it not, like the slaves in the West Indies, who could not comprehend what liberty meant. They are corded by their sins, yet say, I am free. Some are bound and know it. They are awakened to feel the galling chains of lust; they feel their feet sinking in miry clay. Some of you know what it is to sin and weep, and sin and weep again. "The way of transgressors is hard.” Jesus came to be a Saviour to such. He came not only to be our righteousness, but to be a fountain of life. "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength." Once there was a man possessed by a legion of devils, exceeding fierce, who wore no clothes, and dwelt among the tombs. But Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to go out of him, and " he sat down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind."

One great object of our ministry among you has been to bring good tidings to distressed consciences. Blessed be God, there have always been some distressed consciences among you from the first day until now. In almost all our parishes, in these remarkable times, there are many souls under conviction of sin. There are always some who feel uneasy under the Word-who feel that their heart is not right with God, that they are slaves of sin, and who go on from day to day carrying a heavy burden. I have always tried to speak to such souls. I have shown you plainly that you are not safe because you are anxious-that you need to be in Christ Jesus-that these convictions may die away. I have tried to let down the Gospel cord within your reach. I have showed you that Christ offers himself in a peculiar manner to such as you. "The whole have no need of a physician, but they who are sick." How often Brainerd records it in his journal, that a heavy laden soul was brought to true and solid comfort in Christ this day. Why have I so seldom to record the same thing of weary souls among you? For years I have gone among you preaching the only foundation of a sinner's peace. Yet how few

have had a lively and soul-refreshing view of Christ? How few can say, "What things were gain to me these I count loss for Christ?" Ah! my friends, the fault lies with you or with me, for God has no pleasure in a burdened soul. "Oh that ye had hearkened to my commandments, for then had your peace been like river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

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2. A faithful pastor comforts mourners in Zion. This was another great object of Christ's ministry-"to comfort all that mourn," &c. There are many things to bring a cloud over the brow of a Christian. There are outward troubles. 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous." Persecutions will come; "a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Temptations will come; they are common to man. Sloth and want of watchfulness often bring into darkness. Song v. 2-8. The body of sin often makes us cry, "Oh, wretched man.” But the Lord Jesus has the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season to them that are weary. The religion of Jesus is eminently the religion of joy. He does not love to see his church sitting in ashes, mourning, and heavy with sorrow. He loves to see her putting on his beautiful righteousness, filled with the holy spirit of joy, and clothed with the garment of praise, waving like green trees of righteousness to his glory.

Once "Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he saw the wind boisterous he began to sink, and cried, Lord, save

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Christ has an almighty arm for sinking disciples to cling to. Once two disciples were walking towards a village north of Jerusalem. They talked earnestly together to beguile the way, and they were sad. A stranger drew near, and went with them. And as he went he expounded to them, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Jesus; in breaking of bread he was revealed to them, and left them exclaiming, " Did not our hearts burn within us!" So Jesus reveals himself to his own to this day, and makes the sad bosom burn with holy joy.

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This has been one of the chief objects of my ministry among you. That Scripture has been for some time deeply engraved upon my memory and heart, "He gave some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. iv. 11, 12;) and, accordingly, it has been my endeavor to lead mourners in Zion to a meeting with Christ, who alone can restore comfort to them. What has been our success? I fear there are not many of you as happy as you might be. Are not most like Peter sinking; or sad, like the two going to Emmaus? Are not most in all our parishes rather seeking than finding rest? How little is there among you of the "beauty-the oil of joy, the garment of praise." How few can truly sing the 103d Psalm-how few

feel their sins removed, as far as east is from the west-how few keep themselves in the love of God-how few have Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith-how few are filled with all the fulness of God, and rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory!

How often Brainerd mentions in his journal-"numbers wept affectionately, and to appearance unfeignedly, so that the Spirit of God seemed to be moving on the face of the assembly ;" and again, "they seemed willing to have their ears bored to the door posts of God's house, and to be his servants for ever!" How little is there of this divine presence and holy impression in our assemblies! How many a meeting for prayer has lost the fervency which once it had! Ah! surely the fault lies with you or with me. Immanuel is still in the midst of us. He is still "full of grace and truth;" he is "the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." Oh that the little flock in this place were, covered with his beauty, filled with his holy joy, and clothed with his garment of praise!

3. A faithful watchman preaches a free Saviour to all the world. This was the great object of Christ's ministry-" To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." "Unto you, O men, I call," was the very motto of his life. On the year of jubilee the silver trumpet was made to sound throughout the whole land. Every man might return to his possession; every slave might go free. Christ felt that the trumpet of the true jubilee was committed to him; and therefore his feet were beautiful upon the mountains, and he went about continually publishing glad tidings of peace. Once he stood among a crowd of unbelieving Jews. His word was, "Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out;" and again, to a similar crowd he said, "I am the door, by me if any man enter in he shall be saved." When he died upon the cross, the priests scoffed at him, the people wagged their heads at him, the soldiers cast lots for his garment: but "the vail of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom;" this signifying that the way into the holiest was now made manifest, that any sinner might enter in and be saved. When he arose from the dead there were but five hundred brethren who believed on his name: the whole world was lying in the wicked one; every creature under the frown of an angry God. "Go ye (said he) into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' When Laodicea became a dead and luke-warm Church, fit only to be spued out of Christ's mouth, you would have expected a message of judgment. No, he sends one of free, boundless, glorious grace. "If any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him."

This has been the great object of our ministry. In all our parishes, at the present day, the great mass of the people are living without Christ, and without God, and without hope in the world. The most, even of church-going people, it is to be feared, are 'dead in trespasses and sins." Ever since coming amo ng you,

REASONS WHY CHILDREN SHOULD FLY TO CHRIST.

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our great object has been to awaken such. We have proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God. We have told you that Christ is freely offered to you in your present condition, whatever that may be; that though you have lived in sin, and are now living in sin, and God is angry with you every day, still Christ is free to you every day. We have told you that though you do not care for your soul, still Christ cares for it; though you are lost, still Christ is seeking the lost; though you are loving your simplicity, delighting in scorning, and hating knowledge, still Christ is crying after you; that before you repent, and before you believe, Christ is freely offered unto you; "All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people."

What has been our success? Blessed be God, there are some of you who have fled for refuge to the hope set before you; but the most sleep on. Six acceptable years have passed over you. A year of gospel preaching is an acceptable year; a year of revival, when many have been pressing into the kingdom of God, is still more an acceptable year; both these have passed over you. The door has stood open all this time, and any sinner among you might have entered in. Bibles, ministers, providence. the Spirit striving all have been pressing you to enter in. But you are still without; Christless, unpardoned, unborn again, unsaved. What can you look for but "the day of vengeance?" A year of mercy is past, a day of vengeance is coming. God pleads long, but judgment will be the work of a day. How many among you will never see such another season of grace as that which lately passed over you? You will probably never again have such an opportunity to be saved." "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and you are not saved." Many of you will one day wish you had never heard of the acceptable year; many of you will wish that you had never heard the preached gospel-that you had perished before the glorious work of God began. "Oh, that ye were wise, that ye understood this: that ye would consider your latter end."

ST. PETER'S, Dundee, Nov. 27, 1842.

REASONS WHY CHILDREN SHOULD FLY TO
CHRIST WITHOUT DELAY.

"O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." PSALM XC. 14.

The late Countess of Huntingdon was not only rich in this world, but rich in faith, and an heir of the kingdom. When she was about nine years of age she saw the dead body of a little child of her own age carried to the grave. She followed the funeral; and it was there that the Holy Spirit first opened her

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