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under the gracious encouragements of the gospel; the one to convince of sin, the other to take away its condemnation; the former to furnish the rule, the latter, the grace of holy obedience. The preacher may be very clear upon the sinner's ruin, but very dark and indefinite upon the nature and means of his remedy. He may succeed in convincing one of the insufficiency of his own righteousness to make him acceptable to God; but fail grievously in showing the all-sufficiency of the righteousness by faith. So fully does he teach the holy will of God, as reaching to the thoughts and intents of the heart, that the hearer is brought to feel his entire inability through inherent corruption to do it. But at this step of preparation for all the gracious disclosures of the Gospel his light goes out. The preacher fails importunately to direct him to the grace of God in Christ, as that which "worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure." "One thing is needful"-that grand argument of the Gospel, which, after the failure of all others, has gained in all ages and places such wonderful victories over the hearts of the ungodly, the simple holding forth of "Christ crucified" in his amazing love and abounding grace—his tenderness to pity-his freeness to receive—his power to save to the uttermost; the fulness of his merits to remove the condemnation, and of his Spirit to sanctify the heart, of the chief of sinners.

Such a preacher, as I have endeavored to describe, was in a great measure exemplified in the earlier ministry of the now evangelical Chalmers. His labor was fruitless. It remained so, till (to use his words) he got impressed by the utter alienation of his heart in all its affections and desires from God; it was not till reconciliation to him, became the distinct and prominent object of his ministerial exertions; it was not till he took the scriptural way of laying the method of reconciliation before his people; it was not till the free offer of forgiveness through the blood of Christ was urged upon their acceptance, and the Holy Spirit given through the channel of Christ's Mediatorship to all who ask it, was set before them as the unceasing object of their dependence and their prayers; it was not, in one word, till the contemplation of his people was turned to thes? great and essential elements in the business of a soul providing for its interests with God, and the concerns of its eternity, that he ever heard of those changes of character and life, which before he had earnestly and zealously sought after.*

Again: A minister, in addition to the features already described, may make a great use in almost every discourse of the name of the Redeemer and occasionally his person or office may be presented with some appropriate prominence, and taught with unexceptionable distinctness; and yet it all may be only when the text, according to plain rhetoric propriety, demands this treatment that Christ is thus set forth; and the minister may not very frequently select such texts as would thus constrain him. Passing from one subject to another, their succession may bring him in course, to something involving of necessity a concentrated attention to the Saviour, in some of the great bearings of his work; and then he may be sufficiently explicit and correct; while the spiritually minded hearer, attending upon the whole train of his preaching, will look in vain for such a graceful bending of every discourse towards "the Author and Finisher of our faith;" such a skilful interweaving of all other legitimate topics with those cardinal truths that centre in the cross, as will show at once, however remote the subject from the centre of the gospel system, that it obeys the attraction and

* Address to the inhabitants of Kilmany.

shines in the light of Christ. There is no such habitual passing to and fro between the ruin of man by sin, and his remedy by the Saviour; between the covenant written on stone and working death, and the covenant of grace, written on the heart and working life, as that whatever the preacher teaches, shall have left on it the sign of the cross, and the whole tenor of his work shall proclaim that for him to preach is Christ.

Having thus endeavored to set before you some of those ways by which one's ministry may approach the characterof the preaching of Christ, without occupying decidedly and effectually that happy ground, it is time we were attending more directly to the enquiry with which we set out-what is it so to preach that it may justly be said in regard to our habitual ministry that we preach Christ crucified?"

The Gospel is a system of truth and duty; its parts all harmonious and mutually relevant and dependant. It has a centre, luminous, glorious, all controling, to which all the parts around refer for the light in which they are revealed, and the harmony of their every bearing. You can neither illustrate this system till you have shown its central power and light-nor fully describe its centre without exhibiting the various relations and dependencies of its surrounding system. The centre is Christ. All lines meet in him—all light and life come from him-all truth is dark till he is risen upon the scene. Lesser lights are only to rule the night. It is for the sun to rule the day.

Now what is the best mode of exhibiting this wonderful arrangement of grace, so that he who runs may read? Where will you begin? At the outskirts of the system, taking up first its remoter elements, and reasoning on from one relation to another till you get to Christ? To do this clearly, you must give it the time of many discourses. In some circumstances and after a more direct method has been well employed, it may be well. But supposing a people ignorant in a great measure of the first principles of the Gospel, how can you keep them waiting so long in the dark? They have come to see the King-and however important may seem to you their tardy introduction, every thing seems tothem imperti nent, till they have been admitted to His presence. You find your hearer as a benighted traveller, afraid to continue his way, lest there be a precipice at his feet. You may present him with a chart of his road, but how will it help him as long as he cannot see? He waits the sunrise. One ray from the sun will serve him better than a thousand maps to be read in the dark. Then, but not till then, will a chart of the country be important.

Astronomers, in teaching the doctrine of the solar system, begin with the sun. They proceed directly to tell what it is, and what it does. This in the first thing to be understood. Nothing in the science can be explained, till this is explained. Let the teacher of the gospel system imitate the example. So I perceive the Apostles began.-In their preaching, I behold no gradual, ceremonious approach from a great distance, like the parallels of a siege, to the one object of their ministry. There was one Personage whom it was the immediate business of their Apostleship to introduce to sinners-"Jesus of Nazareth, the only begotten son of God, full of grace and truth. There was one capital event in his history which it was their immediate business to make known to every crea ture-Jesus crucified as a propitiation for the sin of the whole world. To these, their ministry immediately leaped. Here they always broke ground first and set up their tower of attack. Just at the point, where their enemies, in malignant

triumph, supposed the Gospel had died, with the cross of its entombed founder for its only memorial, his disciples, in the triumph of faith, and lifting up that cross for a banner, made their beginning. Just that which laid the stumbling block to the Jew, and seemed such foolishness to the Greek, they adopted as the head and front of their preaching; advancing boldly upon both Jew and Greek, like David with his single stone against the contemptuous giant of Gath; glorying in nothing, determined to use nothing, "save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Thus saith St. Paul: "I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." As Moses lifted upthe serpent in the wilderness, did they at once lift up Christ on the cross, as an ensign to the people. They could not spare time to be rooting out prejudices, and gradually preparing the minds of the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles for the great subject of Christ's atonement. They knew no way of removing darkness so sure as that of introducing the sun; no way of subduing the enmity of the heart to the gospel so short as that of making men ac. quainted with the very essence of the gospel. Human device would have said to St. Paul, Make use of your philosophy for an introduction to your theology-call science to your aid-shew the fitness of things-impress your audience with a respectful idea of your attainments in the wisdom of the schools; aim at the nerve of Demosthenes-put on the golden robes of Cicero-speak of your Master in his manhood, in his miracles, benevolence and piety; compare his precepts with those of heathen sages; but cast a veil over his ignominious death, and the humiliating plan of salvation through faith in his suffering, till the public mind shall be somewhat inured to the less offensive features of his religion.' "No," said St. Paul, "lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." There was a declaration of the Master which an Apostle could not misunderstand; I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. In this they read the secret of their success. Lifted up on the cross by his enemies, he had been already. Lifted up in the sight of all people, he was now to be by the ministry of the word. Their principle was, "God giveth the increase," and "hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty," that no flesh-(that neither preacher nor convert) should glory in his presence," but that all may feel that it is "Christ Jesus who, of God, is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption."

cross.

Here then, my brethren, have we our lesson. Our first, as well as last and habitual duty, every where, amidst all prejndices, ignorance and enmity, is to take ground, with all confidence, at the centre of the system, and at once set up the We must exalt Christ in his death-establish its propitiatory character; publish its sufficiency for the whole world. Thus will you begin your message where a sinner begins his hopes and life. To open your negotiation any where else, is but to delay it. But having begun here, what remains? The sun is risen; now see that it remains unclouded, always in full view from the remotest Now you circle of your hearers, so that the weakest and lowest eye may see. must keep up attention to this supreme object, by telling your people all that "know Christ the scriptures tell you of Christ. Your business is that they may and be found in him." Consequently there is nothing revealed as pertaining to him that is not profitable to them, or that you have a right to keep back. are to make him known in the glory which he had with the Father before the

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world was. The love of the Father in sending His only begotten Son; and of the Son in coming to be made a curse for us, can be preached only in view of the Son in the self-existence and infinite glory of the Godhead. Ye cannot separate the cross for which he came, from the throne whence he came, without divesting his death of its atoning virtue and his love, of all its wonders. In the same vital connexion is the Incarnation of the Son of God. The mysteries of Bethlehem are closely allied to those of Calvary. To understand how he bore our sorrows, we must learn how he took our nature. You cannot teach his obedience unto the death, without his condescension to be born in the likeness of man. In setting forth the Lamb of God, in his death as a sacrifice, you must also set him forth in his life as an example "without blemish and without spot." There is too little preaching of "the mind that was in Jesus Christ.”—It was his prepartion for the sacrifice. It must be ours for all the bliss which that sacrifice has purchased. But the preaching of Christ too often terminates with the events of his crucifixion; as if when the sacrifice was finished, the whole work of redemption were finished—as if to preach him in his resurrection, and ascension, and exaltation, were not as important as to preach him in his humiliation and agony. To show the sinner that his atonement is accepted, you must show that it has been presented at the mercy seat; you must exhibit our great High Priest as having laid aside the garments of sacrifice for those of dignity and glory, and ascended into the holy place on high; "now to appear in the presence of God for us." Intercession must be preached as the crowning act in redemption. But intimately connected with this office of Christ as our interceding Priest, bearing our names upon his breastplate, is that of the great Prophet of his Church, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," and of whom every disciple must learn "the way, the truth and the life." Essential also to the right enforcement of his priestly and prophetic office, is the exhibition of Christ, "exalted to be a Prince," as well as Saviour, having all power in heaven and earth," claiming supreme dominion in the hearts of his peopleable to subdue all enemies under his feet, and make all things work together for good to them that love him. It is Christ reigning as King-"Head over all things to his Church," that sets the seal to all that is precious in his teaching as our Prophet, and all that is availing in his mediation as our Priest,-that clothes our message with authority, as well as with mercy and wisdom; and makes the tender entreaties of divine compassion, the peremptory commands of infinite sovereignty. For no purpose is a heavenly skill in the preacher more needed than to exhibit the tenderness of Christ as enforced by his authority, and his authority as commended by his tenderness-to preach him as a judge and also as an Advocate to declare not only the love, but the "wrath of the Lamb;" to exhibit his infinite freeness, fulness, and power to save the chief of sinners and yet the rigid exclusiveness of his salvation to him, "that believeth;" so as always "to speak a word in season to him that is weary," and never a word of encouragement to him that persists in his sins. The cross, like the pillar of cloud, is all light to the people of God-all darkness to such as neglect so great salvation. By these imperfect hints, I have endeavored to illustrate what I understand by preaching Christ in his person and offices, the effulgent centre of Christianity. From what has been so defectively exhibited, it appears that as in the sun there is an axis, around which the whole orb of light revolves; so in the preaching of Christ there is a centre, in which all his attributes and offices and works as the

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Saviour of sinners unite, and which, in whatever aspect we behold him must always be in view-his death.

But, in Christ Jesus, there are many cardinal truths, connected with him by various relations and dependencies, and occupying, as it were, the remoter circle of the christian system, which a preacher cannot keep out of sight without great' unfaithfulness. Be it remembered that while the cross, with its immediate neighborhood, is the metropolis of Christianity, "the city of our God;" all the region round about is the Holy Land flowing with milk and honey, "a land of brooks and fountains of water," intersected in all directions with highways to the holy place, by which the tribes go up. It is the office of the preacher to map out that land; to display its treasures-to trace those converging roads, so that whenever a sinner may desire to know how he may get to Zion, his eye may read "This is the way, walk ye in it." Then only is Christ preached in the fulness of the Gospel, when nothing is left untaught, that enters into the plan of salvation as a covenant of mercy and life, established between God and sinners, in the hand of an infinitely meritorious Mediator.

Some, under the idea of glorying only in the cross, confine their preaching almost exclusively to a few topics more immediately connected with the death of Christ—such as atonement, faith, and justifying righteousness, to the great neglect of numerous derivative or introductory truths, of absolute necessity to a just exposition of the Gospel. But the spiritual wisdom of a minister is to be exercised in giving to every part of the Gospel plan its portion in due season, assigning to all subjects their places according to their rank in importance, and exhibiting each in its relations to the other and to Christ.

Do we speak of Christ as the sinner's righteousness unto complete justification through faith? (and continually should we present him in this blessed aspect;) then must we show the sinner his absolute need of such righteousness. To do this, we must awaken his conscience. He must be so convinced of sin as to feel that he is condemned and lost without that refuge. Blessed is he whom God has taught to teach this lesson. Our text book is the law. By it is the knowledge of sin. Preached in a spiritual application to the thoughts and intents of the heart, not only as a rule of life to all, but as the condition of salvation to every one who does not accept the salvation of Christ, on the perfect keeping of which depends all his hope, and the tremendous curse of which is incurred by a single transgression--preached in view of the cross as establishing, instead of impairing its obligation; as confirming instead of diminishing the certainty of its penalty, upon every soul of man that doeth evil without repentance; it is made the instrument of the Holy Ghost to convince men of sin--to strip off their self-righteousness, and as a "schoolmaster to lead them to Christ." He that would preach justification by faith in Christ, must also preach entire condemnation by works under the law; he must lay his foundation in clear, unequivocal statements of the divine law, in all the uncompromising strictness of its demands: taking special care to show that it looks with as little favor as when first promulgated, upon imperfect, though sincere obedience; that every, the least transgression, incurs the condemnation of God, as much under the dispensation of Christ, as under that which preceded; consequently, that whosoever is not justified by faith, being shut up under this law, is condemned already." Thus to preach the law is the direct method of preparing the way of the Lord. More consciences would be awakened; more hearts would know the need and the preciousness of Christ,