io^^^ PRINCETON. N. J. Part of ihe ■ ^ ADDISON ALEXANDER LIBRAKT, ♦ which was presected by Messks. R. L. a^d a. Rtuabt. I JiooA-, No ' L..I uW- cAcLdAJ^u^ (yrCu^a/i^^^yr'- ^^^/ frs. ^- /ii .. > cydj. eX (/^^ >^^ LECTURES ON PASTORAL THEOLOGY. BY THE REV. JAMES SPENCER'^ANNON, D.D., LATE PROFESSOR OF PASTORAL THEOLOGY. AND ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT, IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH, NEW-BRUNSWICK, N. J. NEW-YOEK: CHARLES SCRIBNER, 145 NASSAU STREET. 1 853. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, ty ABRAHAM R. VAN NEST, Jr., AND PETER VAN ZANDT, M. D.. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York. JOHN A. ORAY, ^rfiittr, OP & 97 ClifF, cor. Frankfort Street. A BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTIIOE. ■* ' BY REV. PROF. CAMPBELL, D.D., OF NEW-BRUNSWICK, James Spencer Cannon, the author of the lectures contained in this volume, was born in the island of Curacoa, January 28, 1776. His father was a sea-captain, and of Irish extraction ; his mother was a native of New- England. Captain Cannon's home was in the city of New-York, from which port he usually sailed ; and Mrs. Cannon seems to have frequently accom- panied her husband upon his voyages. The latter fact will account for the birth of James at Curagoa, and also for the interment of Mrs. Cannon in the Friends' burying-ground in the city of Baltimore, Md. Upon the death of Mrs. C, the captain placed his three children, Joseph, William, and James Spencer, the youngest, in the academy of Peter Wilson, LL.D., at Hackensack, N. J. Here they remained three or four years, when death deprived them of their father. Captain C. had taken passage for Charleston, S. C, in a vessel commanded by Philip Freneau, the poet. Dur- ing the progress of the voyage, a violent storm arose, and Mr. Freneau, who was not a practical navigator, being unable to manage the vessel, gave up the command to Captain Cannon ; and while the gale was still raging. Cap- tain C. was knocked overboard by the jib-boom and lost. The orphans were made to feel the cruelty of the wicked ; two persons took charge of the estate of the deceased, and the lawful heirs never received A Biographical Sketch of the Author. a penny of their father's property. But the Father of the fatherless raised up a warm friend for James in the person of Henry Brevoort, Esq., of Hack- ensack, who from the time of Captain C.'s decease down to James's hcensure defrayed all the expenses of his education. James began his classical studies under that able and pious teacher, Dr. Wilson, and finished them under the Doctor's successor, the Rev. Alexander Millar. The Rev. Dr. Peter Labagh, who was a fellow-student of Dr. Can- non, declares that he was an indefatigable student, and enjoyed, in an emi- nent degree, the afiection and confidence of his teachers. In the year 1794, James, together with Dr. Labagh and the Rev. Garret Mandeville, made a profession of religion ib the Reformed Dutch church of Hackensaclv, then under the pastoral care of Rev. Dr. Solomon Freligh ; and Dr. C. then prosecuted his theological studies under the care of his pastor until the spring of 1*796, As, however, Dr. Freligh was not a Professor of Theology, and could not give the certificate which was required by the Clas- sis. Dr. C. went to Dr. Livington on Long Island, and for two months prose- cuted his studies, at the end of which time Dr. L. gave him the usual professional certificate. Hereupon he and Mr. Peter Labagh presented themselves to the Classis of Hackensack, and after a thorough and satis- factory examination, protracted through two days, they were both licensed to preach the gospel. After his lictnsure. Dr. C. received several calls from churches then vacant, but finally determined to devote himself to the care of the united churches of Millstone and Six-Mile-Run, which had recently become vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Van Harlingen. Upon the termination of the collegiate relation between these two churches. Dr. C. devoted the whole of his time to the church at Six-Mile-Run. This was his only field of labor, where for thirty years he quietly but most successfully cultivated the vine- yard of the Lord. One Avho knew him well, thus speaks of him as a minister : " His preach- ing was- characterized by a clear exhibition of divine truth, and was thought to be peculiarly adapted to the tastes and various exercises of the pious. He was a Barnabas rather than a Boanei'ges. His labors were attended with an even and gradual success, rather than by any thing of the nature of A Biograjtliical Sketch of the Author. revivals. As a member of the Cliurcli judicatures, lie was mild and judicious, and stood high in the confidence of his brethren." In 1826, he was elected Professor of Pastoral Theology and Ecclesiastical History and Government, the duties of which office he continued to fulfil with distinguished fidelity and success till the time of his death. The Church was bereaved of his services and example on Sabbath, the twenty-fifth of July, 1852. Do you wish proof of his learning ? These lectures will afford you the fullest demonstration. Do you wish to hear of his benevolence ? Go ask the poor, who never w^ent empty from his door. Do you wish to know his courtesy, his unwearied diligence in the discharge of duty, his piety? Ask your pastors, who owe so much to him ; or go to those of his old parishion- ers who still survive him ; from these you will learn that we do well to mourn the loss of our father and friend. ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS lECTURES ON PASTORAL THEOLOGY. LECTURE I. I. Pastoral Theology, as a science — defined. II. An Evangelical Pastor, tlie subject of a Divine call. IIL The Evangelical Pastor a Gospel Minister — Distinguished, First. From Patriarchs. 1. His order purely ecclesiastical. 2. Is not a sacrificing priest. 3. The dispensation under which lie acts, not typical. 4. His office not derived from the law of primogeniture. . 5. Serves a Saviour crucified, etc. Second. From the Priests and Levites under the Law. 1. His official parentage not sacerdotal. 2. Not required to offer up animal sacrifices. 3. Not directed by the Ceremonial Law, etc. 4. Is subordinate to no earthly high priest. Third. From apostles, projihets, workers of miracles, etc. Lastly. From "Licentiates " — Their functions defined — Limits of, etc. rV". Tlie Pastoral Office involved in the gospel ministry — Their commission to preach, administer sacraments, "feed the flock," govern, etc. — Their office the same, whether local or itinerant. Ordained as foreign missionaries. V. Tlie great end of, the glory of God and the salvation of men — Effects of, etc. VI. Special qualifications, the first branch of the science of Pastoral Tlieology. PART L QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTOEAL OFFICE. These qualifications are. First. A special call of God 1 Analytical Table of Contents. L Under the New Testament Dispensation, this call is, 1. Immediate, from Christ himself, and hence extraordinary — Apostles, prophets, etc., necessity of, at the opening of the New Dispensation — Has ceased to exist. 2. Ifedlate, through ordinary means, by the Church. n. This mediate call of God to the pastoral office is Partly internal, which comprehends, First, True conversion — Second, A fervent desire for the salvation of souls — Third, Due qualifications — not affected by variations in circumstances and events of — Partly external. III. The external instrument is, the Church of God. Proofs: 1. God commands it — 2. The agents, episcopal presbyters, with the mem- bers of the Church — This the primitive and ancient custom — Cyprian quoted — Also, "Waddington. IV. This power of the Church, not a sovereign or despotic, but a minis- terial and limited power. Scripture proofs: Heb. xiii. 7; 2 Tim. ii. 1 ; Acts xx. Proper suboi'dination of the congregation to the gospel ministry. Their consent, either tacit or expressed, etc. — This ministry to be maintained and perpetuated — Patronage un- scriptural and unlawful. V. A regular call by tlie Chiirch, followed by Ordination. Various uses of — Observed by the apostles — Not now essential — May be pri- vate, but ordinarilj^ public, and on the Sabbath — Reordination — Deposition, for impiety, heresy, etc. VI. The power of ordination, in whom vested — The gospel ministry — Acts xiv. 2.3 examined — Terms used by the apostles to denote it. Further proofs — Dr. Owen quoted — Also Calamy — Hypothetical cases, how answered. VII. Ordination, sine titulo. Practical reflections : " Count the cost" — The ministry not be sought as a mere pro- fession— A special call of God to the work indispensable — Let each one ask, Have I received it? — Exhortation to such — These have "no confidence in the flesh," etc. — Obstacles unavailing with such — Their trials — Their encouragements. LECTURE II. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTOEAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. Second. A second qualification, suitable intellectual endowments. I. Required by the Word of God. Proofs : \. Their name — 2. Design or end of their ministry — 3. From the subjects of their preaching — 4. From the power of infidel opponents — 5. From their position in civil society. II. Objection. " The apostles were unlearned men," etc. Ans. 1. Inspiration in them supplied the place of learning. Analytical Table of Contents. iii 2. "With tlu-m necessary — No such necessity now exists. 3. Human erudition — In what sense necessarj' — relatively and ordinarily — Robert Hall quoted. HI. The measure of knowledge — Cannot have too much — How revealed. 1. Not by oral traditions, but by writing — Importance of a know- ledge of Greek and Hebrew, etc. 2. Necessity of, from the infinite variety of matter in the Sacred Scriptures — Julian and Pope Paul IT. quoted — Answer to fanatical objections — The true question stated. rV. A mind well stored with a knowledge of Bible theology indispensa- ble— To be attained only by searching the Scriptures — Ignorance of, its injurious effects — Rowland Hill quoted — Duty to study the Scriptures further enforced — John Newton and Luther quoted — Value of theological schools — May be abused — Rowland Hill on — No objection to. Y. Motives to urge the evangelical pastor to increase his intellectual stores of knowledge. TnmD. A third qualification, A development of the graces of the divine life. 1. Heaven! y-m'mdedness — 2. HumUity — Pi-actical observations: 1. Uses to be made of the various knowledge attained — 2. Also of the above-named Christian graces. LECTURE III. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. To heavenly-mindedness and humility are added, 3. Harmlessness or inofFensiveness. 4. Prudence. 5. Oxavity — The Evangelical Pastor cautioned against, (1.) Contracting of heavy debts — (2.) Acceptance of invitations to social pai'ties and feasts — Jerome quoted — (3.) Must shun the company of open enemies of his religion, such as atheists, deists, and scoffers — (4.) Must avoid the habit of disputation — (5.) Also all exhibitions of violent anger, weakness of mind arising from fear, etc. 6. Zeal. Tlie term defined — Its object, the salvation of men — Christ, the great pattern of — The apostle-s — Tlie Reformers — Its necessity — Must comport witli the other graces — A false zeal to be guarded against. •7. Fortitude — E.\plained — Its source, faith in God's Word — Tests of— Fi-om worldly prosperity, the influence of the press, lukcwarnuiess, prevail- ing errors, etc. FoUKTii. A fourth qualification of the evangelical pastor. "An aptness to teach" — Murks of a want of — The possession of, how known. Practical reflections : The various duties and trials of the gospel ministry, inferred from the graces required as a qualific.'ition of that oflice— The duty of, to abound in prayer— In self-examination— Further cautions and exhortations to. iv Analytical Table of Contents. LECTURE IV. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS PRAYER. Necessary gifts or endowments of those who are " apt to teach." These are two: the gift of pra3^er, and the gift of preaching the Word. FIRST. The Gift of Prayer. I. Prayer an es^tential part of the public worship of God — In what it consists — The first act of worship under the New Dispensation — Necessity of, on the part of Christian pastors — The act of public pastoral prayer defined — Hence, 1. The Christian minister "is the representative of those who believe with the heart." — Vitringa. 2. To whom to be addressed — Gentilism — the theology and ritual worship of the Church of Rome mostly borrowed from Pagan temples — Divided into Latreia and Douleia — Error of— Praj'er to be addressed, not to the Virgin Mary and to saints, but to God alone. 3. Pastoral praj'er must be audible and in a known tovgue — Dif- ference between silent or secret and audible prayer — Be- longs to the pastor alone — The practice of the Church of Rome in ofi'ering prayers in an unknown tongue, opposed by the practice of the Hebrews under the Law, and by Christ and the primitive and ancient Christians. 4. Pastoral prayer must be diversified in matter — Intellectual — Consistent with and based upon God's promises. II. For the performance of this duty, the pastor must be well quali- fied by, 1. The Grace of prayer. The talent and spirit of prayer ex plained — The grace of prayer defined. 2. The gift of prayer, what? — Excludes written forms — Other- wise the gift of prayer unnecessary — Liturgical forms, how far allowable. III. No Divine Law to enjoin written forms of prayer alone, either public or jn-ivate — Proofs that the Lord's Prayer furnishes no authority for: 1. It was designed by Christ as a model. 2. If not, as no other form was given, no other can be used — Dilemma of our adversaries. 3. Was not used by the apostles, etc., as the basis of written forms — Palmer quoted — No proof in history of the exist- ence and use of apostolical liturgies. 4. Public priiyers not to be restricted to the Lord's Prayer — Jt was given before the crucifixion, and hence contains no direction to pray in the name of Christ, etc. — Vain repetitions practised by the heathen and imitated by the Church of Rome — Cautions against — How regarded by primitive believers. Analytical Table of Contents. y 5. It furnishes no authority to bind the consciences of any by written forms. rV. The argument for exclusive written forms, as drawn from the alleged practice of Christ — Synagogue worship — Ground of concessions of their utility by the evangelical churches, etc. Arguments against the above : 1. The synagogue liturgies not prescribed by the Spirit of God — Were of human origin. 2. No authority to be derived therefor from Christ's ministra- tions while on earth — Dean Prideaux quoted. 3. Christ not a regular minister of any synagogue. 4. The synagogue form of worship not copied by the apostles — Ephes. vi. 6. Final argument against written forms, as drawn from the synagogue prayers, etc. V. The plea of expediency, in the use of written forms, considered— If expedient only, then the "Book of Common Prayer" cannot, as some pretend, be of divine authority — Alleged early origin of liturgies — That of Matthew, of Peter, of James, of Mark, etc. — Fallacy of — True sources of, pointed out — Began first to be en- forced in the early part of the fifth century — Not complete even in the seventh century — The yift of public prayer therefore not to be restrained by the alleged antiquity of liturgies — Argument of uniformity — Fallacj' of VI. Alleged objection against prayer without written forms, that they are made up of "crude and undigested thoughts," considered. 1. The allegation not proved. 2. The Church cautioned against inedifying pastoral prayer. 3. This evil not found in any well-governed churches. 4. Not true of able and faithful pastors, whose business is prayer. YII. Another objection against extemporaneous prayers is, that we are not prepared to say "Amen" to the petitions offered — Fallacy of. YIIL Arguments in support of extemporaneous prayer. 1. Proof from the book of Psalms — The apostles and primitive Christians used no written forms — The early Fathers re- ferred to and quoted. 2. Extemporaneous prayer better adapted to the spirit of devo- tion— Dr. Watts and Bishop Wilkins quoted. 3. It gives scope to the improvement of the gift, and to the operation of the grace, of prayer — Opposite tendency of the use of written forms — This evil felt by the most ardent friends of the "Book of Common Prayer" — Archbishop Seeker and Mr. Talbot. 4. It is best adapted to the diversified circumstances in the natural and spiritual life of his flock — Episcopalians, dilemma of. IX. The gift of prayer a talent which the Evangelical Pastor is bound to e.xercise— Also to improve — 1. Fanaticism rebuked — 2. Inspira- Vi Analytical Table of Contents. tion not promised, nor to be expected — The gift of prayer to be improved — (1.) By renewed communications of the Holy Spirit — (2.) By familiarity with the devotional parts of Scripture — (3.) By mental improvements — (4.) By exercising the gift of prayer. ' (5.) By cultivating the graces of the Spirit. Practical reflections: Difference between saying prayers and praying — Review past experience in prayer — Consider its present exercise — Prayers of the hypocrite, the formalist, and the true Christian, compared — Necessity of the grace of prayer — How acquired — The only source of growth in grace — ^A graceless minister described — Exhortation to steadfastaess. LECTURE V. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. MATTER, ORDER, AND MANNER OF PASTORAL PRAYER. The Westminster Directory, regarding the "Book of Common Prayer." The fore- r^oing arguments against, seasonable. The Evangelical Pastor must regard the three things following in his public prayers, namely: the matter, the order, and the manner of. I. The matter. Directions: 1. The pastor must study the various states of his own heart. 2. Must read and etudy, especially, the devotional parts of Scripture. 3. Must strive to know the state of his flock. 4. Must engage in secret' prayer — Examjjles ; Luther, John Knox, Welsh, Leighton. 5. Must carry with him the various wants of all. 6. Must depend upon and supplicate the aid of the Holy Spirit II. The order of prayer — Necessity thereof for edification. 1. Gives expression to the nature of public worship. 2. The only way to avoid omissions, repetitions, etc. 3. Also to promote devotion. 1st. Rules for preserving this order in prayer: 1. Habitual thinking on all important subjects. 2. Must distinguish generals from particulars. 3. Connect things of the same kind. 4. Pressing evils and special mercies should occupy much thought in prayer. 2d. Various general methods of prayer — Some divide the matter into ten parts, others into eight, others five, and others again, two — I recommend the five following parts, namely : 1. Invocation. Its nature and object explained — Should vary in length. 2. Confession. Its nature and importance — Comprehends two things, a sense of guilt and contrition — A form of, in the Analytical Tahle of Contents. vu liturgy of the Reformed Church — To be accompanied with short professions of faith. 3. Petition. Should occupy a large place in prayer — Subjects of, numerous. 4. Thanksgivincf. This duty, obvious — Subjects of, numerous. 5. Intercession. In belialf of others — It is either, (I.) General. for all classes and conditions of men; or, (2.). Particular, for individuals — Manner of concluding prayers. III. Manner of prayer. This embraces three things : 1. Gesture. Tlie posture must express reverence — Different foi-ms of — standing, kneeling, bowing the head — The first to be preferred^The gestures should be few — Eyes should be closed. 2. Pronunciation, or tone of voice. Must be distinct — Kot dic- tatorial— Neither too low nor too elevated. 3. Style, or language. General directions for. Practical reflections : Must distinguisli between, 1. The extraordinary and the ordi- nary gifts of the Spirit; and especiall}^, 2. Between the gifts and the graces of the Spirit. (1.) Prophecy, an extraordinary gift; (2.) Miracles, another; (3.) Doctrinal knowledge, an ordinary gift; (4.) Utterance, an- other; (5.) The talent of performing audible prayer, another — Fui'ther directions and cautions — Conclusion. LECTURE VL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED, GIFTS THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. SECOND. The Gift of Preaching the Word. Introduction — Design of, to be "teachers" — Distinction between the gift of prayer and that of preaching — The latter the most important — The redemption of sinners, the great end of all God's works — Difficul- ties to encountei' — Not to be overcome by perpetual miracles, but by a special ministry — The wisdom of God in this arrangement — Unlike the orations of the heathen, which were limited to one nation, the publication of the gospel is universal — Hence the superiority of the divine ordinance of "preaching," as a means of salvation — the primi- tive number large — Wonderful effects of, prove its divine origin — Preaching, not ritualism, the great work of the gospel ministry — Its awful responsibilities — Hence, the "gift of preaching" an essential qualification of the Evangelical Pastor. I. The term preaching defined — It signifies to convey a message — Is descriptive of the Christian ministry as an office — Its design or end. L Preaching is both a gift and a dnt;i. Consider it as a ...ut. The terra defined — Is susceptible of improvement — Is viii Analytical Table of Contents. imperiously demanded by the nature of the service — ^This is evident, (1.) from Paul's instructions to Timothy and Titus; and, (2.) from the nature of the duty of preaching. 2. Directions for the improvement of this gift : (1.) The renewing grace of God in the heart — Examples : Luther, Knox, Brainard. (2.) By ihe improvement of the mental powers. (3.) By frequent conversation with pious and experienced Chris- tians. • - (4.) By the outpourings of the Spirit of God upon the people. (5.) By selecting useful matter, and studying the manner of preaching. II. Preaching comprehends two things, namely: 1. The sermon itself as a piece of composition ; and, 2. The delivery of it. 1st. The seemon as a composition. This includes five things: First. The proper subjects for — The Scriptures the only source of — Departures from, in the early ages, by substituting the teachings of Aristotle for those of Christ — In Wiekliffe's time — The Romish Church — Many Pro- testants labor to suppress the preaching of the gospel, by substituting systems of human device — ^Socinianism — Deism — The subjects of preach- ing various — Those suitable for ordinary discourses are : (1.) The fall and depravity of human nature. (2.) Tiie evil of sin, and destruction of the impenitent. (.S.) The perfection of the moral law — Its penalties, etc, (4.) The Saviour, in his person, offices, and states. (5.) The constitution of tlie covenant of grace. (6.) Tiie operations of the Holy Spirit. (7.) Tiie privileges of God's people, etc. But tlie preacher is not confined to these. He must preach historical, prophetic, and typical discourses — Difficult passages — Directions in treating them — A caution — Topics not to be dwelt on, such as ancient heresies, Millerism, temperance, the divine decrees, etc. 2d. Directions for the selection of proper subjects. 1. The preacher must keep in view the end of his mission, to preach " Clirist crucified." 2. He must preach to those who hear Mm, not to the absent. 3. He must watch the various changes in the religious states of his flock — Move with caution among tlicm — Consult the judicious among liis church officers — Guard against gossips — Not be too much in the streets. 4. Also the leading exercises of his own mind — He must not only combat error, but, especially, feed his flock. Practical reflections: The gift of preaching acquires its value from its connection with the ministry of Chrit's gospel — Is a preaching and teaching min- istry— Its power during the apostolic age — Opposed by prelacy and ritualism, wiiich aim to supplant preaching by the introduction of ceremonials — Confirmed by historic facts — Must be defended acfainst these assaults — Address to those about to enter the harvest- Analytical Table of Contents. IX field — The exalted honor of the office — ^The original command, "Go, preach," etc., is unrepealed — Calls into exercise all the facul- ties of body and soul — Counsel and encouragement to such Curran. LECTURE VII. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. On the Composition of Sermons. On this subject, in the preceding lecture, I have treated of the subjects of preach- ing. Your attention is now directed : Second. To the thoughts or sentiments in a sermon. The proper character of ser- mons depends upon the ideas and arguments expressed. To this end: 1. They must be pregnant with, and illustrative of, divine truth — Free from metaphysical subtleties ; also from light and frothy sentiments — Must be sound and practical, rather than popular. 2. The thoughts and sentiments must be pertinent, as opposed to unnecessary amplification. 3. They must also be profound — The term explained — An illus- tration given from "Behold the Lamb of God," etc. 4. They should also be select — Must avoid diffusiveness; also irrelevant matter. The method to be observed in acquiring matter for discourses: (1.) Reading the Scriptures, and other standard writings on the subject; and, (2.) Reflection — Directions in the selection of proper works — Cannot extend his researches too far — Must dige.;t what he reads — Avoid borrowing from otlicrs — Take time for study and reflection. (3.) Importance of prayer — Bradford. The next thing to be considered is, Third. Style ; the manner of expressing thoughts to others : 1. Language the instrument — "English undeSled" the source — Use small words — Pope and Milton — Importance of. 2. Style is various — Should be adapted to the particular subject of the discourse. 3. The rules of composition in general use prescribed: (1.) Perspicuity, as opposed to obscurity. (2.) Great importance of — Hearers comjjosed as well of the ill.terate as the educated. (3.) It must be grammatically correct. (4.) Use plain words — Obsolete and scholastic words, and coining terms, etc., to be avoided — Evils of — Consub- stantiation — Luther — Justincation — Wesley — Feel- ing, etc. — Words sanctioned by long usage to be the fctandard — A caution. (5.) Connection of the thoughts essential to pcrs{)icuity — Analytical Table of Contents. Avoid the use of language either vulgar or unintel- ligible— Robert Walker — Bishop Porteus. 4. Chastity and dignity form another attribute of style. The terms defined — Violations of — Dr. South — The Friends — Use of pert, quaint, witty expressions — George Whitefield — Rowland Hill — By expressions indicative of anger and malignity — Is opposed to all gaudy and glittering orna- ments of speech. To this is added : 5. The nervous style; the result of strength of mind, strong conceptions, happy selection of words, etc. ; and, 6. The pathetic style. To what part of the discourse it belongs — How to be used — Is called "unction" by the French. Practical reflections : 1. To preach well, is a talent of a superior order, etc. 2. The nobleness of the service should excite to strenuous exer- tions. 3. Should keep in view the great end to which the gift of preaching the Word is to be consecrated — Christ the great pattern — Archbishop Usher. LECTURE VIII. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. Texts — Plan or Arrang&ment of Sermons. Fourth. Texts. The terra explained — Embraces the luhole Word of God — Use of particular parts as a text. 1st. Apocryphal books, uninspired — Evils arising from the use of — The Word of God alone taken as the text, two great questions arise : First. Mayan edifying sermon be composed and spoken with- out a text ? — Not used by our Lord or his apostles — Reasons therefor — The use of texts naturally results from the divine command to " preach the Word" — Its utility evident. Second. May one or more passages be used as a text, as lead- ing to a subject, without referring to every fact or circumstance which the words of such a text express? Yes ; if the text contain the subject, which must be distinctly stated — Illustrations given — Analysis — When to be used — Tillotson — Bourdalou. The utility of the use of texts depends much upon their proper selection: (1.) An illustration given. (2.) The text must form a distinct proposition, which shall express the meaning of the sacred writer — Its relation to the context. (3.) Should guard against the selection of too many passages — When to use a copious text — Directions for the selection of suitable texts. Analytical Table of Contents. XI Firm. The plan, or arrangement of a sermon. Importance of logical order or method in the arrangement of a sermon — Evils of an unmethodical dis- « course — A written analysis recommended. The proper method to be pursued in the composition of sermons — The attention directed, I. To the constituent parts of a sermon. These are two: First, the explication or discussion of the subject; second, the application or improvement of it. But I shall consider the following : 1. Tlie introduction, or exordium — This not an essential part of, though ordinarily to be used. (1.) The introduction should be short; (2.) Also marked and 'pertinent; (3.) Also clear ; and, (4.) ilodest — A caution. 2. The nexus, or connection — Not always necessary to show the context — Generally necessary — Three rules given. Practical reflections: 1. The gospel ministry divinely instituted to secure two great ends — Claims of the subjects already treated upon the serious attention of such — Eminence in knowledge, and the gift of preaching, require study and pains-taking — "Covet earnestly. the best gifts." 2. Directions to the pastor in the walks of private and social life — In language be perspicuous — Avoid pedantry — Use a chaste and dignified style in conversation — Be kind and affectionate. LECTURE IX. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. Texts — Plan or Arrangement of Sermons. 3. The third constituent part of a sermon is, its division. Necessary — Analysis: (1.) No one invariable rule can bo prescribed — The subject illustrated by various examples; (2.) The division should comprehend the whole subject; (3.) The general division must consist of as few heads as possible ; (4.) Not necessary to announce them all at the opening of the discourse. 4. The foui-th constituent part, the discussion or exposition. This, though the most important, yet not the most difficult part, is made up of two parts, namely: First, explication of the text — ^The process explained— Rules to discuss a text well : 1. Must understand the meaning of your text ; 2. Enter not deeply into metaphj'sieal discussion ; 3. Motives to a godly life must be drawn from gospel considerations ; 4. Let the discussion be animated — Various modes of discus- sion—Distinguished by Claude into four, namely: i. By explication. Tlie pro- cess explained— Examples— Difficulties of, how overcome— Must be compared with otlier jiassagcs— Is of two kinds, simple and compound— Explained— Par- ticulars not to be overlooked— Lecturing, a most useful mode of preaching xu Analytical Table of Contents. ii. By observation. Different mode of treating historical facts and scriptural characters — Hunter's Sacred Biography — Must be directly pertinent — Illustra- tion— Four observations — Improvement of the subject in four particulars; iii. By contimied application. Advantages of — George Whitefield — Avoid efforts to imitate ; iv. By a distinct proposition. Mode of. 5. The fifth constituent part of a sermon is its application, or improvement. This a most difficult and important part of a sermon — Vitringa — Improvement of ser- mons is of two kinds: (1.) By inferences. Subjects best suited for, historical, proverbs, and parables — Are of two kinds, doctiinal and practical; (2.) By direct application. Cautions — A good application must have the following properties; First, it nuist be directly drawn from the subject; second, it must be pointed; third, faithful — In what true faithfulness consists; fourth, ani- mated. J/anner in which a surmon is to be concluded: Recapitulation — Conclusion should not be abrupt — Clo.«e by invitation, rather than denunciation. A question: Should a sermon always be committed to writing before it is spoken? Answer: Is not absolutely necessary — Depends much on the extent of knowledge, and the gift of utterance — Robert Hall — Such men few in num- ber— Writing strongly recommended — Advantages of — Evils of its neglect — Advantages of long practice. Practical reflections : In view of the preceding, it may be asked: "Who is sufficient for these things?" A word of encouragement — Caution against imitating empty de- claimers: 1. "Give thyself to reading;" 2. Be not satisfied with small attain- ments; 3. Study the system of divine truth as a whole; 4. Aim to be qualified for permanent usefulness — The neglect of this, the cause of frequent changes from place to place. LECTURE X. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. QiFXg THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD, On the Delivery of Sermons. The gift of preaching most displayed. Sixth. In the delivery of a sermon. A defective delivery destroys the efi"ect of the best composition, and vice versa. I. The n-reat organ of delivery, the human voice — When properly culti- vated, requires few gestures — George Whitefield — Deliver}', a talent which may be greatly cultivated — Demosthenes — An error corrected — Delivery should be diligently improved — Ordinary rules of, equally ayiplicable to the pulpit, etc. — Practice neces- sary— Directions and cautions — The j>roperties of a good delivery in a pasti>r are: 1. Solemnity of countenance and of manner — "Tlie place whereon such stand is holy ground" — Directions — Such solemnity is opposed to gloom, sourness, indifference, and a smirking and smiling countenance; also to quaintness and wit, etc. Analytical Table of Contents. •riT^ 2. Distinctness of pronunciation. 3. Animated speaking — To be kept within due bounds — Flow on gradually — Directions — George Whitefield — Voice and action — A mistake corrected. 4. Must be affectionate and pathetic — Need not shed tears Avoid denunciation — Irritabil ty — Directions: (1.) Mark the most important passages; (2.) Avoid bodily exhaus- tion; (3.) Seek to obtain a composed and solemn frame of mind; (4.) Feel deeply that he is to preach the gospel of the blessed God; (o.) Attend to his voice and gestures. II. Actio7i: 1. Must correspond with the A'oioe; 2. With the sentiments delivered ; 3. With ihe sacredness of the place ; 4. For the gos- pel's sake, strive to be a good speaker — Be not discouraged by detraction. Question: Should sermons be read, or delivered memoriter? Great diversity prevails on this subject — Most ministers read — Most people prefer delivery from memory — Dr. Campbell — Dr. Blair — Arguments in favor of reading: (1.) Good readers are more numerous than good speakers — This fact denied ; (2 ) Read- ing saves time and labor — Wherein admissible ; (3.) Reading secures order and accuracy of expression — How far correct — Advantages of one who speaks from memory over one who reads — Arguments in favor of preaching without reading: (1.) It was adopted by the apostles and Christian Fathers — Also by the Re- formers; (2) Committing and speaking a sermon strengthens the power of the memory — Two evils; (3.) Pi-oduees familiarity with the Scriptures — This the strongest argument; (4.) It has the gen- eral sentiment in its favor — Historical remarks on the two cus- toms; (5.) Is more efficient as a means of reproof, admonition, and affectionate expostulation ; (6.) It opens the way for many useful and pertinent thoughts, etc. — It better comports with the nature of his calling, duties, interruptions, etc. Remarks : i. Candidates for the gospel ministry should be educated for both reading and speaking their sermons. ii. Natural gifts and endowments vary — No one way can be prescribed, iii. The conclusion is, that students of theology should aim both to read and speak well. Practical reflections: The composition and delivery of sermons is entitled to serious consideration — The age and genius of the people require it — Should labor to be " able ministers of the New Testament" — Heed not denunciation. xiv Analytical Table of Contents. LECTURE XI. PART II. PASTORAL DUTIES. ' The Duty of Prayer. Duties. The term defined — Pastoral, the highest — Relate to public action — Must be pastors, as well as her.alds and preachers — May be itinerant or local — Respon- sibilities great — All comprehended under the name of pastoral instruction, b}^ teach- ing and example — Particular public duties are, I. Offering up prayer ix social worship. 11. Preaching the Word. III. Administering the holy sacraments. IV. Catechizing the young. V. Visiting, especially the sick. VI. Governing the flock — Discipline. VII. Cooperating with other ministers, etc. — Promised reward to the faithful— The first duty : I. Pastoral prayer in social worship. On prayer as a pastoral gift, see Lecture IV. and V. — Is now treated as a duty — Is private, domestic, public — Is to be ofiered, 1. For all saints — Wherefore? Answer: (L) From their relation to ont.' another and to Christ — Socimis — Answer to; (2.) From their relation to the earth as the salt of — Theu* covenant safety does not exclude the duty of prayer — Must pray especially for his own flock — Directions and cautions. 2. For the conversion of sinners — Naming persons in, not commended. 3. For an enlai-gement of the visible Church — Important considerations and directions — In the larger prayer, three defects: (L) Didactic style; (2.) Censuring in prayer ; (3.) Praying too long — ^The closing praj'er — Directions — Other prayers — Sacramental — Private — Domestic — With the sick — On other suitable occasions — Canons for the regulation of; i. Know the state of his own flock ; ii. Seek the aids of the Spirit : iii. Accommodate himself to their circumstances, etc. ; iv. Avoid pro- lixity in — An inquiry : How shall I know that I have the special grace of God in prayer? — Answei'ed — Encouragements to pastoral prayer — Praj' ing societies, etc. Practical reflections : The pastor will need large measures of grace — Guard against form- ality, pride, empty display, etc. — Weapons not carnal — Discourage- ments— Directions —Dilapidated churches — Encouragements — Value of praying societies — Are under the special care of the pastor and his elders — Difference between a faithful and unfaithful pastor. Analytical Table of Contents. xv LECTURE XII. PASTORAL DUTIES, CONTINUED. THE DUTY OF PREACHING THE WORD. The next duty of a pastor is, II. That of PREACHING THE WoED. 1. The dispensation of God's "Word by a pastor is public, and as such is usually called ''preaching." (See Lectures VI., VII., VIIL, etc.) (L) "When and hoAV often to be performed — Restrictions imposed — George Whitefield — Revivals — Dangers of, to the pastor — Cau- tions— Infirm state of health — Yoiing ministers must not preach too frequently — With these limitations in view, the preaching of the Word cannot be too frequent: i. The Sabbath; ii. Other weekdays; iii. On funeral occasions — Directions; iv. Occasions for social prayer and catechizing. (2.) In preaching the Word, great diligence is required : i. God has com- manded it; ii. It is the divinely ordained instrument for the salvation of sinners; iii. Rewards promised to the faithful; iv. Urged by the condition and wants of his flock ; v. By the example of his Master. (3.) Results of a faithful preaching of the Word. (4.) Further suggestions as to the proper occasions of preaching, etc. 2. The manner of dispensing God's Word. This must be done, (1.) By declaring the whole counsel of God — An illustration given in four particulars — Fearlessly, but, (2.) In wisdom — This necessar}^ from the variety of the subjects, etc. (3.) With faithfulness ; but, (4.) Must avoid pei'sonalities. (5.) And in the spirit of compassion, etc. Thus much regarding the public administration of the Word. Consider next. The more private and limited dispensation of it : First, week-days, on siiitable occasions; second, but not to the neg- lect of suitable preparations — Difference between the ministry of the apostles and that of this day — Still, third, the spirit of the duty to preach from house to house must be maintained. 3. In what consists the difference between a public and private dispensation of the Word. Practical reflections : Cautions against, 1. A love of criticism; 2. Against the love of praise; 3. Be humble. LECTURE XIII. PASTORAL DUTIES, CONTINUED. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS. These are four in number. Two under the Ancient Dispens.wion, Circumcision AND THE Passover. Two under the New DispExs.\TioN, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. XVI Analytical Table of Contents. Ou what constitutes the doctrine of the Sacraments in general : 1. The Ordinances 80 called; 2. The word " Sacrament" not used in Scripture — Derivation of — By whom and how used — ^True history of. (1.) In what sense the term Sacrament may be retained. (2.) Scriptural terms used to denote the sacraments are "Sign" and "Seal" — Erro- neous comment of Tiringius, a Roman Catholic, on Gen. xvii. 4, exposed — Another by a Mennonist Baptist — Erroneous comments on Rom. iv. 11, in three particulars, exposed. The next duty of the Christian Pastor is, IIL The Administratiox of the sacraments. To sacraments belong five things ; namely, First. A Divine Institution : 1. Sacraments were instituted by God himself — Proofs: (1.) Are founded on the will of God; (2.) Are religious ordinances; (3.) Things con- tained in the promises can only be given of God; (4.) Evident from the nature of the Church as an organized body; (5.) Proofs that they were instituted by God himself 2. This is true, i. Of Circumcision; ii. Of the Passover; iii. Of Baptism; iv. Of the Lord's Supper — Socinian views of, refutation of — Volckelius — True nature and design of Circumcision. To sacra- ments belong, Second. A visible sign in a Sacrament : In what it consists, shown in four particulars — Proofs that it is essential — Three arguments — Objection — Mode of development of — How visible signs in sacraments are to be distinguished from others, etc. — Proof that the visible signs or elements alone do not constitute the saci'aments. Thied. Pass from the visible sign to the thing signified: The doctrine of visible signs further elucidated under the Old Dispensation. (1.) Were designed as memorials — This true of Circumcision — Of the Passover — Both were of a mixed character — Errors of Baptists and others — Baptism and the Lord's Supper spiritual in their nature, and designed for universal application ; (2.) Privileges of, various; (3.) The Church as founded on the Abrahamic Covenant constituted of a two-fold seed, etc. — An important inference — Wlierein the visible sign and the thing signified are to be distinguished, shown in four particulars. LECTURE XIV. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS. OBSERVATIONS ON THE SACRAMENTS, CONTINUED. FOCETH. On the union of the external sign with the thing signified by it. 1. This union — What called — The "Forma" of the sacraments — Deriva- tion of — " The matter" of — In what it consists. 2. Errors regarding this union: (1.) Romish views of; (2.) Lutheran views of— True doctrine of: i. Negatively; ii. Positively: iii. This Anahjlical Table of Contents. xvii union, how formed; (3.) Another Romish view reo-ardin"' the doctrine of Intention — Fallacy of in three particulars. 3. Remarkable phraseology of the inspired writers in relation to the sacraments : 1st. To the sign, in some passages, is given the nmne of the thing signified — Four examples — Examination of each seriatim — Romish errors respecting them refuted — Tirin- gius on baptismal regeneration — Refuted in three argu- ments. But, further: 2d. The thing signijied bears the name of the sign — Bellarmine's and Crellius's comments on 1 Cor, v. 7 — Answers to. 3d. To the sign is sometimes ascribed the power and efficacy of the thing signified — Acts xxii. 16, Bellarmine on — Answer to — The Baptists on — Answer to. Again, 4th. To the thing signified is sometimes ascribed the ccrcmomi in relation to the sign. 5th. The names of the Old Testament sacraments used to desig- nate the members of the Church under the New — This is a most important fact, in two particulars, regarding the Bap- tists and others — Conclusion: (1.) The Sacraments and the Word, wherein they agree ' and differ : First. They have the following things in common : i. Both proceed from God ; ii. Both address the mind through the external senses; iii. Both to be dispensed solely by ministers of the Word — Proofs, in four particulars — This doctrine violently opposed by Romanists — De- fense of, in three particulars. The sacraments and the Word means by which the Holy Spirit operates — Both exhibit and express the grace of the gospel. On the Romish errors regarding their efficacj-. (2.) On the difference between the Word and sacra ments — This shown in eight particulars. (3.) Wherein the Christian sacrifices are distinguish- able from the sacraments, shown in two particu lars. (4.) Wherein the sacraments under both Testaments agree and differ : i. Wherein they agree, shown in two particulars — Errors of Baptists and Romanists exposed; ii. Wherein they differ, shown in four particulars. LECTURE XV. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, CONTINUED. THE DESIGN OR END OF THE SACRAMENTS. To sacraments belong, Fifth, The Design or End for which they were established. 2 xviii Analytical Table of Contents. I. The glory of God the grand end. II. Subordinately, various other important ends ; as, 1. To signify spiritual things — ^All admit this, Socinians excej^ted — Transubstantiation. 2. Are seals of the privileges and blessings of the evci'lasting cove- nant— Denied by Socinians, Papists, and Mennonists — Argu- ment to prove that they are seals — Various arguments of oppos- ing sects considered — Those drawn from cirmmcision answered — The Passover — Baptism — The Lord's Supper — Objection by the Papists — Answered in three particulars — Objection by Anti- pa;doba2:)tists — Answered in three particulars — Direct argument in proof of — Objection of the Baptists answered — Direct argo- ment. 3. A third subordinate end, to distinguish the visible Church of God from the unbelieving world — Proved in three particulars. 4. Another end of the sacraments — To enable believers to testify their union and communion in the enjoyment of the same covenant blessings — An objection of Socinus — Answered in four particu- lars. 5. Another end — It binds believers to the practice of all the duties of the covenant. 6. Sacramental signs and seals are not promises made to any individ- ual, but to the whole visible Church. in. The number of the sacraments. 1. Under the Ancient Dispensation they were two, and no more — Errors of the Papists and the Baptists respecting Circumcision and the Passover. 2. Under the New Dispensation also two, and no more — Further remarks on the word "Sacraments" — The Papists add^ys others — "We must know what they are. (1.) Confirm'ation — What — Proof that it is not a divine ordi- nance. (2.) Penitence — What — Fallacy of in two particulars. (3.) Extreme Unction — AVhat — Fallacy of in two particulars. (4.) Marriage — What — In four particulars — The Papal theory of, as founded on Ephes. vi. 31, 32 — Answer, in five par- ticulars. (6.) Ministerial Order — Proof that it is not a sacrament, in two particulars. LECTURE XVI. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, CONTINUED. CIRCUMCISION ITS ADMINISTRATION. A fe-w additional points of doctrine, in relation to the ancient sacraments. FIRST. Circumcision — Importance of an understanding of this ancient seal of the covenant. 1. The original terras, what : (1.) When instituted. Anahjtical Table of Contents. tcW (2.) l>y whom iustiluted — God. (3.) With whom instituted — Abraham. (•t.) When iastituted with him. 2. Circumcision, as an external or visible sign — What — Its institution shown in three particulars — Reasons for — Three assigned — The instrument employed. 3. The thing signified — Shown in four particulars. 4. Circumcision a seal — The end accomplished thereby — Rom. iv. 11, explained in four particulars — Forms the basis, first, of the doc- trine of justification by faith without works ; Second, that cir- cumcision was not only a sign but a seal of the righteousness of faith — Objections of opjionents : First. Socinians — Answered in two particulars ; Second. Do. answered in three particulars ; Third. Objections to circumcision as a seul : 1. By Socinians — Answered in two particulars ; 2. By do. answered in three particulars ; 3. By Episcopius, the leader of tlie Armiuians — Answered, in two particulars : 5. Union or agreement of the sign with the thing signified. 6. To whom administered. (I.) To adults: i. To Abraham's household; ii. To strangers; iii. Proved by the practice of the patriarchs. (2.) To infants: First. Circumcised by Abraham on the eighth day — By the ancient Church, down to the introduction of the New Testament Dispensation — In Egj^pt ; Second. This fact not denied ; Third. The time for the circumcision of adults not determined by the Divine Law ; Fourth. Proves the exist- ence in the visible Church of infant church membership — Two important results follow : 1. It removes the objections of Antipffidobaptists ; 2. Proves that the right of infont church membership remains, so long as the covenant, of which it is a law, continues in force — Proof, that neither the change in the dispensation, nor the abrogation of tlie right of circumcision, repeals the right of infant church membership, in three particulars ; First. The Abraharaic Covenant has still its visible sign in another sacrament ; Second. The adaptation of this sacrament to infants ; Third. That sacrament is Baptism — Shown in two particulars- Objections : 1. If this be so, the baptized are bound to keep the Ceremonial Law — Answer, in four particulars ; 2. That spiritual circumcision has come in the place of external circumcision. Col. ii., 11, 12, 13 — Answered, in two particu- lars ; Fourth. Direct Proofs. See following lecture. LECTURE XVII. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, CONTINUED. PEllPETUITY OF THE A13RAI1AMIC COVENANT INFANT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP — CIRCUMCISION BAPTISM. Recapitulation of the preceding lecture— Direct proofs of the perpetuity of the Abrahamic Covenant. XX Analytical Table of Contents. I. The visible Church organized on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant of circumcision — Janeway's Letters and Mason's Essays on. II. The Abrahamic Covenant not abrogated under the New Testament dispensation — Objection by tlie Baptists, that tlie new is called " a better covenant," etc. — Answered in four particulars. III. Proof from the fact, that the believing Gentiles were by Peter included in that covenant. Also, from the import of the term "Everlasting," as applied to that covenant. IV. Images, olive tree, etc. V. The names which designate a relation to that covenant, applied • alike to Jews and Gentiles, shown in two particulars. VI. The same blessings secured to Abraham by circumcision, are enjoyed by the New Testament believers. Infant church membership did not depend upon the visible sign of circumcision, but upon the covenant itself, which is still in force ; therefore, infant church membership cannot be abrogated — Arguments in proof of. The silence of the New Testament writers regarding infant church membership, as urged by the Baptists, no argument against it, shown in two particulars : I. But the New Testament writers are not silent as to this matter. Proof: from the words of Christ, Matt. xix. 13, 14 ; Mark x. 13, 16. Objection by Socinians and Baptists — Answered in five particulars — Another objection by the Baptists — Answered — Another objection — Answered. II. The next ai'gument drawn from the relation of children to " the kingdom of God," shown in two particulars — Objection by the Baptists — Answered in two particulars — Another objection by the Baptists — Answered in three particulars — A third objection by the Baptists — Answered in two particulars. LECTURE XVIII. INFANT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, CONTINUED. CIRCUMCISION BAPTISM. Further proofs, di-awn from passages in the New Testament. Recapitulation of the preceding lecture. III. The first proof, from the words of Peter, Acts ii. 39 : 1. "Who were intended by the words, "you and your children?" Answer: The Jews — Two facts stated — Objection by the Baptists — Answered in three particulars — Another objection by the Baptists, answered in two particulars — 2. What we are to understand by "the promise" in Acts ii., "to you and to your children ?" explained, in connection with other promises. IV. From the words of Paul, Rom. iv. 13, 14: Explained in four par- ticulars— Two inferences. Analytical Table of Contents. XXI V. From the worJs of Paul, Gal. iii. 14: Kxplained — Inference — Re- capitulation of the preceding arguments, in four particulars. Pi'oof, from " the Bajjtism of Households." LECTURE XIX. THE PASSOVER. The next sacrament, under the Old Testament dispensation, comes now to be considered, namely: SECOND. The Passover. I. The Name : The original terms whence it is derived — What it denoted, and to what to be applied — Shown in four particulars. II. By whom instituted — JEnovAii. 1. The time of institution — Two particulars. 2. The time when celebrated — Shown in four particulars. (1.) The month — Two remarks; (2.) The day of the month ; (3.) The time of the day ; (4.) The two evenings — Remarks. 3. The places of celebration. (1.) In different places — Egypt — The wilderness — Gilgal. (2) One particular place — The Land of Promise, Jerusalem. 4. The visible sign of; (1.) The lamb or small beast ; (2.) Oxen — On what occasion used — The lamb the ordinary victim — Its qualities, etc., in three particulars — Further particulars respecting the lamb; i. The slaying of; ii. Sprinkling of the blood, shown in three particulars ; iii. Roasting the flesh ; iv. Eating, shown in three particulars. 5. The thing signified by the Passover — It was, (1.) A memorial feast — Children admitted to — ISTot thereby to be admitted to the Lord's Supper. It was also, (2.) An expiatory sacrifice — Denied by Socinians — Proved, in four arguments — Was a type of the sacrifice of Christ for sin. (3.) The Passover, also, was of a sacramental character — Proof of, shown in four particulars — AMiat it signified in its typical i-elatiou to Christ, the antitype, shown in four particulars. 6. Agreement between the sign and the thing signified— Shov^n in two particulars. 7. The partakers of the Passover — First. The ichole congregation — Exceptions — Erastus, Prj-nne, and others affirm, tliat even the morally unclean might cat the Passover — Three ad- missions— Error of the Erastian theory shown in three arguments — The subject re=imied in the next lecture. xxii Analytical Table' of Contents. LECTURE XX. • THE PASSOVER' — WOMEN — FEAST OF UKLEAVENED BREAD — BAPTISM. RECAPITULATION THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. Besides the circumcised Israelites, Second. The Women of Israel were admitted to the Passover — A diffi culty met and answered, in six particulars. Third. Families — Number in each — Provisions by law for those una Avoidably prevented from celebrating the Passover. Fourth. Proselytes. The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Distinction between it and the Passover — Conclusion. BAPTISM. Let us now turn our attention to the sacraments under the New Dispensation; and, FIRST. Holy Baptism — Derivation of the term, from the Greek, BartT'tSjUa, Matt. iii. Y ; xxi. 15; Rom. vi. 4. Your attention is directed, I. To the baptism of the Hebrcivs. 1. The subjects — Proselytes from other nations. Hence, (1.) The " divers washings " of which Paul speaks, Heb. ix. 10 — Maimonides on. (2.) Not claimed by them to be founded in a Divine com- mand. (3.) Immersion, the moae — Remarks on. (4.) The act performed, not by church officers, but by the proselytes themselves 2. The children of these proselytes — How were they treated in the Jewish Church ? — Those brought with them — Both circumcised and baptized — Those born after — Only circum- cised— Three important inferences. II. The baptism of John : Tliis subject involves a controversy with the Baptists on many points — What the Baptists affirm respecting the baptism of John. First. That Christian baptism was promulgated by him. Second. That he and his disciples administered one of the sacra- ments of the Christian Church — Answer — Facts admit- ted in regard to the baptism of John. It is conceded, 1. That John came from God. 2. That he baptized b^r immersion, or washing. But, 3. That he did not derive his commission from Christ. 4. He came to prepare the way for Messiah — This the pivot on which his whole mission turns — Two passages explained: (1.) Isaiah xl. 3: (2.) Mai. iii. 1. Analytical Table of Contents. yyiii First. What is meant by " the way of the Messiah, or Redeemer," as employed by the pro])hets, evangelists, and the apostle Paul, explained. Second. How the way was thus prepared by John — Obstaelos in the way of Messiah — A view of his character and work necessary to explain them. 1. Character and work of Christ. 2. Wrong notions of the Jews respecting them. 3. Their strong attachment to the tabernacle and temple worship. 4. But Christ came to break down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. Further remarks respecting the ministry of John : (1.) It was administered at the end of the Old, and beginning of the New Dispensation — What follows, on the Baptist hypothesis, shown in two particulars — Conclusion — The subject resumed in the next Lecture. LECTURE XXI. HOLY BAPTISM — THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. John's ministry and baptism prkparatjve — joiin's baptism not a sacra- ment NOT CHRISTIAN JiAPTISM. Recapitulation. Proof, I. That John's baptism was not a Christian sacrament. 1. No jirovision was made for its perpetual observance in the Church as a stand- ing sacrament. (1.) His baptism expired with his death. (2.) No provision made for its continuance by Christ — The sacrament of holy baptism not instituted till after the resurrection. 2. The ministrj^ of John merely preparative, evident from a view of its princi- pal parts, shown in five particulars — Conclusion. 3. Further evidence from John's preaching, in five particulars. ' II. John's baptism was not Christian baptism — Arguments in proof of, derived from Robert Hall, etc. 1. The commission to baptize all nations originated in the express command of Christ, which John's did not. 2. John's baptism was administered before the Christian dispensation opened, etc. 3. Christian baptism is a sacrament of visible initiation into the Christian Church, as distinguished from the ancient Jewish Church, shown in two particulars. 4. The biijitism of John was unto repentance and reformation, as a preparation for the approachiiiej Vm\^Aom of God ; but the institution of Christ included an explicit profession of faith in him as the Lord of that kingdom. Three observations on : 5. Christian baptism was invariably administered in the name of Christ, but John's baptism was not performed in that name. xxiv Analytical Table of Contents. 6. John not only distinguished his baptism from that of Christ, which was to follow his, but Clirist's baptism is distinguished from John's, etc. 7. No provision made for its continuance. 8. The apostles re-baptized those who had been baptized by John, etc. — Instances of — Three inferences — The last inference (namely, that those baptized by John did not receive the Holy Spirit) violently opposed by certain Baptist writers — The facts in this controversy, as founded on Acts xviii. 23, et seq., fully discussed — ApoUos, etc. LECTURE XXII. HOLY BAPTISM — THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. John's baptism, and the baptism administered by Christ's disciples, temporary. Recapitulation of the facts in the case of Apollos, at the close of the preceding Lecture, with further remarks concerning him — Further facts in this controversy, in proof that John's baptism was temporary, as derived from Acts, chapter xix. — Direct :irguments resumed from the preceding Lecture. 9. John's ministry and baptism were limited to the Jews, etc. 10. The Abrahamic Covenant, of which the New Economy is a more full dispen- sation, included infants — But John did not baptize infants — Conclusion — Two inferences — Remarks on the baptism which our Lord's disciphx, by his order, administered before the resurrection — This transaction recorded John iii. 22-26, and John iv. 1 — These records examined — Proof that the baptism administered by them was not the sacrament of baptism afterwards insti- tuted by Christ. The arguments are the following : (1.) The faith required in John's baptism had not Jesus of Nazareth for its object, nor was it administered in the name of Christ. (2.) So many Avould not have been baptized by the disciples in Judea, if at their baptism they had known and acknowledged (as is required of adults in Christian baptism) that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ. (3.) This baptism by the disciple?, like that of John, was only a temporary baptism. (4.) Baptism administered by our Lord's disciples could not belong to the New Testament dispensation and Church, for these were not yet in being. (5.) Our Lord, for a short time, directed his disciples to baptize — Objects of, shown in two jjarticulars. LECTURE XXIII. CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. NAME INSTITUTION VISIBLE SIGN. Recapitulation of the preceding Lecture. The subject of the present Lecture is, Baptism as a sacrament, instituted by Christ after the resurrection — To it as such belong three things, namely : \. Its doctrine; 2. Its history; 3. Its pastoral admin- istration. Analytical Table of Contents. xxv I. Of the Doctrine of Baptism. Under this heiul, consider, 1. Its Ma?ne — derived from the Greek, " Bartttcr^a," Matt. iii. T ; xxi. 15; Rom. VI. 4 — Remarks on — Vai'ious applications of the verb Bartttsa — from BartT'aj — and the noun " BartT'iff/^a." FirjiT. Literally, as applied, 1. To civil purposes, (for example, to human bodies,) in the sense, (1.) Of dipping, or immersing ; (2.) Of washing ; (3.) Articles of domestic use; (4.) Aspersion, or sprinkling — Erroneous use of these terms by the Baptists; 2. Their cercmojiial use — Ileb. ix. 10, bia^ofoig Bartria/totj, explained. ■ Second. '[JsqA figuratively : What they signifj^, shown in three particulars. 2. The divine institution of baptism. (1.) Instituted by Christ, as the sacrament of the Abrahamic Covenant under the New Dispensation. (2.) The time when instituted, after the resurrection — Two remarks on. (3.) At the first institution of ihe gospel ministry. (4.) Its perpetual observance obligatory — Rejected by Socinians and Quakers — Reply to, in three jiarticulars — Further remarks on the Quaker theory of baptism hy the Spirit only, in seven particulars. 3. Baptism as a visible sign. This consists in the use, (1.) Of pure natural water — Unauthorized additions to, by the Churches of Rome and England — Alohammedans. (2.) Prescribed action in baptism — Mode, by immersion, affusion, and sprinkling — Baptist objections — Answers to — Direct arguments in support of the mode by aspersion and sprinkling — Three prelii;ii- naries — Arguments, etc. i. The baptism of three thousand persons by immersion in half a day by the twelve apostles impossible, ii. Admitting the baptism of the Eunuch to have been by im- mersion, (though improbable,) the circumstances in the cases of Paul, the Jailer, and others, favor that of aspersion. iii. Sprinkling by blood and water divinely aj^pointed, and of common use among the Jews. iv. Christ's yoke easy — Conclusion — Trine immersion and sj^rink- ling. LECTURE XXIV. CHRISTIAN BAPTISM — SUBJECT CONTINUED. THE VISIBLE SIGN THE THING SIGNIFIED BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. Recapitulation. Another appendage of the action of Christian baptism as a sacra- ment, in addition to the mode, is, Second. The union of the Word of God with the application of the water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — Remarks on : 1. Must be proclaimed in the foi'm prescribed by Christ. 2. Publication of the name of the ])erson baptized — Remarks, (1.) On the word "Christening" — When improperly used ; (2.) On the words "Regeneration and Regenerated," as used by tlie ancient Fathers; (3.) On the words "lUuudnation" and "Enlightened;" ■xsvi Analytical Table of Contents. (4.) Result of the loose use of by tbe Cluirches of Rome and Eng- land, and by Lntheraus, Methodists, etc. — The dognaa of bap- tismal regeneration. 3. Baptism not regeneration — Proofs : I. The material substance used in baptism cannot reach the mind — Objection — Answer. n. All who have partaken of the sacraments not real converts — Israelites — Simon Magus. III. Faith and repentance required of adults before baptism. IV. Regeneration necessary to salvation — Baptism not. V. The administration of sacraments a discretionary act of the minister — Not so of the disposal of the Spirit. To the doc-" trine of baptism belongs, 4. The thing signified — In what it consists. (1.) It seals to the Church the various grace of the Covenant. (2.) Is not communicated in the same measure, or alike, to all — Reasons therefor, in two particulars — Proof, in three par- ticulars— These apply to the Lord's Supper, but particu- larly to baptism — Applied to the case, First. Of INFANTS, in two particulars. Second. Of adults, in four jjarticulars. 5. Agreement between the sign and the thing signified — This so obvi- ous as to require no remarks. 6. The lawful partakers of baptism, or the subjects of These are, (1.) Adults — Believing — No dispute regarding them. (2.) Infants — Rejected by the Baptists — Their right to, supported by the following arguments : namely, I. The p)erpetuity of the Abrahamic Covenant, shown in two particulars. II. The substitution of baptism in the place of circum- cision— Denied by the Baptists — A case supposed — Recapitvilation of proofs in a former Lecture, in three particulars — Objection — Answered, in four i particulars III. From the relation which infants sustain to God and his Church. IV. Apostolic example — Two remarks on — Facts reviewed in two particulars — Conclusion. LECTURE XXV. HISTORY OF BAPTISM — ITS PASTORAL ADMIIS'ISTRATION', To the ordinance of Baptism, as a Christian sacrament, belongs. Its IIisTOEY : Preliminaries — Design and use of — Confined in this lecture to in- fants— Limited to the period of Augustine — Authorities quoted. L The Apostles, and those who acted with them — Examples. 2. Hermes. 3. Justin Martyr — Three remarks on liis testimony. 4. Irenicus, A. D. 150 — Two remarks on. Analytical TcibJe of Contents. xxvii 5. Tertullian — Remark. 6. Origen. 1. Cypriau, Bishop of Carthage — Fidus — Council of Carthage, A. D. 253. 8. Optatus, A. D. 360— Remarks. 9. Gregory IS'azianzen- 10. Ambrose. Those writers -who fliourished from A. D. SSO to Augustine. 11. Chrysostom. 12. Athanasius — Pelagius — Controversy awakened by his erroi-s, etc. 13. Jerome, or Ilieronymus. 14. Augustine — Three remarks on 1 Cor. vii., " Else were your children un- clean," etc. Objection of the Baptists, that the baptism of infants was an unscrip- tural innovation — Claim the Waldenses, etc. — Reply to, in two particulars — Waldensian testimony in defense of infant baptism — The last article connected with Christian baptism as a sacrament. II. Its Pastoral Administkatiox — Preliminaries — Directions in reference to the sub- jects of, 1. Infants: Remarks on, (1.) The qualifications of the parents who present children for holy baptism. • (2.) Important questions, regarding those church members who have not fulfilled their baptismal vows. (3.) Recent action of General Sj'nod on. (4.) Further questions on. (5.) When parents should apply to the pastor for the baptism of their children — Reasons for. (6.) Parents to be instructed in regard to the doctrine and obligations of. 2. Adults: (1.) On application, time to be given for pastoral instruction and examination, etc. (2.) To be administered in public assemblies — Private baptism — ^Five reasons given against. (3.) To be administered on the Sabbath. (4.) How to be administered. (6.) A record of the baptized to be kept. LECTURE XXVI. THE lord's supper. Tlie last of the four divinely appointed sacraments, and the second under the Is'ew Dispensation is, THE lord's supper. Preliminaries — Its basis, the Abrahamic Covenant — Early and gradually cor- rupted, until it degenerated into the Popish Mass — Corrupted, 1. By the Romish Church. 2. By Unitarians. 8. By some Protestant denominations — Lutherans — The Church of England and others — Importance of a right underttanding, etc., of — Its doctrine, historj", and administration. xxviii Analytical Tcible of Contents. I. Its Doctrine: This comprfhends the name, Divine institution, visible sign, the thing signified, the pai-takers, and the design of, etc. 1. The name. (1.) Derivation of — Why called a " supper," shown in four particulars — Other names — Mass or Missa — "Bread" — "The cup of blessing" — "Tlie breaking of bread" — "Sacrificium" — "The sacrament of the altar" — The first and last condemned. 2. lis Divine institution: (1.) Christ its author; (2.) Mode of, its analogy to the Passover; (.".) What taught tliereby, shown in three particulars; (4.) Bread and wine in the passover changed from a common to a special use : (5.) Christ commands its observance. Objection by the Quakers, that this institution is not obligatory — Answered in five ai-guments. 3. The visible sign. The elements consist, First. Of tlie symbols themselves — Bread and wine. 1. Bread — Kind, etc. — Papists use wafers — Folly of — Three reasons for rejecting their use. 2. Wine — Remarks on — Color of — Whether to be mixed with water — Whether other elements can be substituted. To the visible sign belongs also, Second. The actions, both of the administrator and tlie recipient. FmsT. Tlie actions of Christ — What he did and said in dis- tributing the bread and wine — What he did in relation to the bread, shown in four particulars — And to the wine, shown in three particulars — What he SAID — His words were either, (1.) Preceptive, or, (2.) E.\planatory — Remarks on. In relation to the " bread," " This is my body, given — broken — for you :" Matt. xxvi. ; Mark xiv. ; 1 Cor. x. 24 — Same with the lamb in the passover — Perversion of, by Romanists. Transubstaxtiation — Arguments against. I. Such transubstantiation contradicted by the whole history of its institu- tion, etc. II. Is destructive of the human nature, and hence of the person of Christ. IIL Contradicts the testimony of our senses — Objection by Papists — Answered in three particulars. LECTURE XXVIL THE lord's supper, GOXTINUED. TRANSUBSTANTIATION THE CUP THE THING SIGNIFIED. The arguments against transubstantiation resumed : IV. If Christ's words, " this is my body," changed the bread into his real body, then he did not die, etc. Y. Is contradicted by all the facts connected with the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. VI. Is contJ-adioted by Scripture. Analytical Table of Contents. XXIX VII. Destroys the character of the Lord's Supper as a sacrament, and makes the Saviour not au object of faith, but of carnal enjoyment. VIII. Involves the working of a miracle, without exciting astonishment. IX. Is opposed by the history of the Lord's Supper, and the sentiments of the primitive and ancient Fathers — Concluding remarks — The words, "this is my body," to be understood literally. The words of Christ, in relation to the c^lp, are, First. Preceptive — Perversion of by Romanists. Popish prohibition of the cup to the laity — Principal reason for— That the disciples were all priests and not laity— Answered — Other objections by Romanists to the giving the cup — Bel- larmine — Answered — Another writer — Answered — Another by Bellarmine — Answered — Further arguments in proof of the existence of the law requiring communion in both kinds. (L) The ctmmand of the Saviour is exjjress. (2.) The disciples did all drink of the cup. (3.) Inferred, from the relation believers sustain to Christ. (4.) Proof, from 1 Cor. x., xi. (5.) The abuse of the cup by the Corinthians, proof that they had access to it by law. Second. The explanatory words, etc., " This cup is the New Testa- ment in my blood," etc. — Defended against Romish perver- sions— Their true sense explained, in three particulars. We now come to consider, Second. The actions of the disciples, as the first communicants, etc. — Shown in three particulars. 4. The thing signified and sealed by the visible signs in the Lord's Supper. First. The sign, what? — In general — In particular — Conclusion — A question answered. Second. Seals — Explained in four particulars. 5. Agreement between the sign and the thing signified. 6. The lawful partakers of the Holy Supper — Erastians — ^Those who admit all the baptized — Proof, that the Lord's Supper is not a converting ordinance, in five arguments. Objection. But did not all the Israelites eat the Passover? (See Lecture on.) Question. Can the Lord's Supper be lawfully administered to children ? — Answered — Conclusion. 1. The end for wliich the Holy Supper was instituted — Shown in seven par- ticulars— Private communion condemned — Conclusion — The obligations which it imjjoses — Shown in four particulars. LECTURE XXVIII. THE lord's SUPPER, CONTINUED. THE HISTORY OF THE LORd's SUPPER. This lecture treats, II. Of the IIisTonv of the Holy Supper. Preliminaries — Two facts in reirard to it: XXX Analytical Tahle of Contents. First. The apostolic a^q: Its administration frequent ; 2. It involved an avowal of the doctrines of the gospel : 3. Was simple in its rites ; 4. Yet soon perverted by unregenerate Jews and Gentiles. First. The heretic Ebion — his heresy shown in three particulars. Second. The church at Corinth — Reproved by Paul — 1 Corinth, xi., fully explained, in four particulars — Abuses of verse 27, by Bellai'mine and some Lutheran doctors — Answered in four particulars — On 1 Corinth, xi. 28 — The duty of sdf ejcam/natio7i — The law respecting it — AVhat is included in the duty of self-examination — Consequence of an un- worthy eating and drinking, etc., 1 Corinth, xi. 29, 30 — Summary of the preceding exposition. Second. Age of the Apostolical Fathers ; These are : (1.) The five following, name- ly. Hernias, Polycarp, Ignatius, Clemens, and Barnabas — Their writings • limited — Say but little on this subject — Quotations from (1.) Justin Martyr; (2.) Irenfeus; (3.) Ignatius; (1.) Irenasas again; (5.) Clemens. Of the manner of celebrating, etc. — Justin — Facts expressed thereby, in four particulars — On the words " offering, sacrifice, and altar ' — Two observations. LECTURE XXIX. THE POPISH MASS. Preliminaries — General description of — Accounts for three characteristics of the ;ioniish Church — Made the subject of particular discussion in the Heidelberg Cate- ciiism — Hence, this Lecture. I. Of the Mass in general. 1. Its name — Latin Missa, corrupted into Mass. (L) Its origin. (2.) When first known in the apostolic age. 2. Tlie visible signs and ceremonies of — Contrariety of, to those of the Lord's Supper, shown in three particulars. 3. The doctrine of, as settled by the Council of Trent, shown in five particu- lars : i. Is founded on the doctrine of transubstantiation ; ii. Is a denial of the full atonement for sin made by Christ ; iii. Is opposed by every fact the Scriptures express in relation to the present state of the Re- deemer ; iv. Romanists worse than the Jews, who crucified Christ but once, they often ; v. Romanists inconsistent, who offer up an unbloody sacrifice ; vi. Lastly, the Lord's Supper a eucharistic, not a propitiatory sacrifice. 4. The history of the Mass — ?fot known to the apostles, nor to the early Latin Christians. First. Proof that the Lord's Supper was not intended as an expiatory sacrifice of the body of Christ. Second. Proof that from A. D. 100 to 600, no traces are to be found of the Romish Mass : (1.) Justin Martyr quoted ; (i.) Romish plea from Justin Martyr's use of the Avord oblations — Answered; (ii.) Another plea, from Justin's Dialogue with Trypho — Answered ; (iii.) Another, from Clemens Romanus, etc. — Answered; (iv.) Another ditto — Answered; (v.) Another, from Irenfeus — Answered — Conclusion, on the history of the second centuiy; ii. His- Analytical Tahle of Contents. xxxi tory of, in the third century — Preliminary — Cyprian; iii. Historj- of, in the fourth century; iv. From the fourth to the beginning of the seventh century ; v. From A. D. 600 to 850 ; vi. From the period of Leo IV., A. D. 850, to the Council of Lateran, under Innocent III., A. D. 1215; vii. From Luther, etc., down to the Council of Trent, A. D. 1539-40. LECTURE XXX. THE LOKD'S supper (RESUMED.) ITS PASTORAL ADLIINISTRATION. We come now to inquire respecting, III. The Pastoral Admixktr.vtiox of the Lord's Supper. 1. Of his duties in general. (1.) Must teach sound doctrine in regard to it — "WTiat it comprehends, shown in four particulars — ^The idea embraced in the word con- dition, what. 2. Other pastoral duties. These relate, (1.) To the pastor himself in his preparations. He should. First. Press upon sinners the duty of immediate preparation. Second. Avoid interruptions from worldly- sources. Third. Commence his pulpit preparations early in the week. (2.) To the people of his charge. First. Call a special prayer-meeting early in conmaunion week. Second. Examine persons for admission to communion — Directions how to conduct such examinations — Particular cases, how to be treated — Further directions — Two points of special inquiry regarding candidates, etc. — Questions to. Third. Should be familiar and tender, while he is solemn and faithful, in his examinations. Fourth. Further directions to the pastor. Fifth. The delivery of an action sermon. Sixth. Appropriate subjects of discourse immediately before the communion. Seventh. A question, whether the communion should be delivered privately. Eighth. Let the pastor exhort, that the whole communion Sabbath be most religiously sanctified. LECTURE XXXL PASTORAL DUTIES, RESUMED. CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION. The character of this duty : 1. Exposition of 2 Tim. i. 13, " sound words." 2. To these "sound words" is ascribed "a form" — Explained. 3. Derivation of the word catechize. 4. The primitive practice of — Creeds — Apologies — Catechisms. xxxii Analytical Table of Contents. ' II. Of catechisms in general. 1. Coraprelieud oral instruction by question and answer. 2. Not given by divine authority, and hence not infallible. 3. Early origin and use of such compilations. III. History of Catechisms ; and, 1. Of the Heidelberg Ga.iQc\aiva — By whom compiled — Extent of circulation — A choice summary of Christian doctrine — Occasion on which it wa= composed — College of Heidelberg — Lectures upon, by Ursinus. 2. Of the Westminster Gateahism. — Origin of — English Parliament — Differenc*^ between the Synod of Dort and the Westminster divines — AVestminster Catechisms, Larger and Smaller — L>iffer from the Heidelberg — Query, whether the Heidelberg Catechism (xvth Lord's Day) is Calvinistic — Answered in three particulars. IV. Pastoral Duty in reference to catechetical instruction. This duty urged, 1. From the relation of baptized children to the Church. 2. Importance of, compared with branches of knowledge. 3. From its great advantages. 4. It is actually preaching the "Word. 5. Is productive of beneiits to the pastor himself. 6. Disastrous consequences of its neglect, in four particulars. V. Directions to pastors, etc., in six particulars — Conclusion. LECTURE XXXII. PASTORAL DUTIES — THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. PASTORAL VISITATIONS, PART I. Preliminaries — Difference between pastoral visitations and the preaching of the Word : I. Proofs of pastoral visitation as a duty. Evident, L From the nature of the gospel ministry and the pastoral office. 2. From the obligations of, as enforced by the examples of Christ and his apostles. 3. From the diversified wants of those to whom he ministers. II. Of pastoral visitations there are two kinds : 1. General embracing the families of the whole congregation, which may be rect>mmended by the following arguments : (1.) It makes the pastor acquainted with his flock. (2') It reaches those who are otherwise inaccessible. (3.) It serves to endear the pastor to his people. (4.) It renders the preaching of God's Word more effectual to indi- viduals. (5 ) The benefits of such pastoral visitation depend upon the manner of its performance — Much grace and wisdom are required m its performance — Directions : i. Should study the sentiments and habits of each member of the family ; ii. Should prepare the way by previous notice ; iii. Should not pass by the poor; iv. Should be gentle and afi'eetionate to all — Subjects of in- struction— A few particulars of advice: 1. Visits should be short ; 2. Should avoid disputation ; 3. It may be best to begin Analytical Table of Contents. xxxiii with children ; 4. Persons subject to fear must be approached with caution; 5. Must not be the arbiter of disputes between neighbors ; 6. Sliould conclude his visits by prayer. LECTURE XXXIII. PASTORAL VISITATIONS, CONTINUED. Pastoral visitations are, 2. Particular and occasional, among individuals and families — Preliminaries. These visitations are of three kinds; namely, I. Visits which arise from the special providence of God. ' 1st. The SICK IN BODY — those who are reaUy sick — Directions, in six particulars. The characters of the sick are of three kinds : First. The irreligious: May be ignorant or indift'erent, etc. — Directions ; 2. May discover great hardness of heart — Directions ; 3. May be self-righteous^ Directions. Second. The doubtful — This class described — Directions. Tldrd. The pious — Directions. 2ad. The afflicted: When zVre/i^ioMs, how to be treated; 2. When pious — Directions in respect to them. 3rd, The awakened and troubled in mind — Preliminaries, in re- spect to the pastor himself — ^There are degrees in awaken- ing: i. Partial — Described — Directions; ii. Stronger work of conviction — Described — Directions; iii. Awakening ac- companied with despair — Described — Directions. LECTURE XXXIV. PASTORAL VISITATIONS, CONTINUED. PASTORAL EXERTIONS IN SEASON OF RELIGIOUS DECLENSION. Recapitulation of the preceding Lecture — ^Summary of doctrines to be taught iu times of awakening. The further duty of the pastor in his visitations, 4th. To mourners in Zion, or believers under the pressure of sore trials of faith — Description of such — Various cases of: (1.) Those who doubt of their renewal by grace, when comparing themselves with others — How to be treated; (2.) Those who have lost their first transports, etc. — Directions regarding such; (3.) Those whose religious comforts are fluctuating, etc. — Directions; (4.) Those who are alarmed at their state of declension — Directions ; (.5.) Those who are distressed from strange and violent tempta- tions— Directions. The next class of pastoral visits, II. Are those which are designed to promote religion, as a voluntari/ act of the pastor — Will be brought into contact with various char- acters— ^Talents requisite for. III. Visits which arc purely social and civil — Advantages of, pointed out in five particulars — Two evils to be avoided: First. They must not xxxiv Analytical Table of Contents. be too frequent; Second. They must not be void of the salt of religion. The duty of pastoral exertion ix the time of religious declension. Preliminjiries — Early and more modern existence, and causes, of such declension. I. When ministers are the causes of such declension, shown in four particulars. IL When these declensions originate with the people. These are composed of two classes ; namely, 1. Communicants — Description of— How they promote religious declension, shown in five particulars. 2. Non-communicants — How religious declension is promoted by, III. Question : How is the pastor to act, in this sad state of things ? — General remarks and directions: 1 The minister should begin with himself. 2. Labor to counteract evil influences among the people. 3. Faithfully preach the Word — Proper subjects for discourses in time of declension, etc. 4. Form praying societies among the pious — On publishing instances of awakening. 6. In the pastor's absence from the praying societies, suitable sermons should be read — Protracted meetings — Remarks on. 6. By engaging his people to aid in the missionary cause, etc., etc LECTURE XXXV. PASTORAL VIGILAJ^CE IN SEASONS OF GENERAL AWAKENING AND ENLARGEMENT IN THE CHURCH. Preliminaries — Revivals are extraordinary events — Often abused by those who promoted them, etc. — Three important facts in God's dispensations towards his Church stated. First. No special promise given of numerous awakenings and conversions — The work of the Spirit two-fold : I. Ordinary — The number of awakenings and conversions small — Erro- neous views entertained by some, etc., on account of — Occasional awakenings and additions of converts to the Church in large num- bers. Hence, II. The Spirit of God producing a general awakening, etc. — Remarks — Design of — May not be the conversion of the many — Though this not impossible — But to develop the strength of sin — Hence, an explanation of religious decleiihions — Duty of pastoral vigilance in times of awakening — Ai"guments for the promotion of: 1. The pastor should be always faithful, etc. 2. Men are inclined to conform to the existing predominant influence in societj^ whatever it may be. 3. Fear, at such times, operates powerfully, etc. 4. Religion becomes fashionable, and the principle of self-right- eousness will press forward to unite in such profession — Directions, etc. 5. The pastor's own heart is deeply affected, etc. — His dangers Analytical Table of Contents. xxxv — Maj- be too precipitate in admittiDg to the Church — ^May indulge in pride — Caution. Manner of exercising this pastoral vigilance. First. lie must guard, in his preaching, against mislead- ing sinners, shown in four particulars. Second. Should also guard against preaching imprudently and erroneousl}', shown in three particulars. Concluding additional directions : 1. Let the pastor, during religious awakening, guard against undue excitement and fanaticism. 2. Dwell much in his sermons on humility and poverty of spirit. 3. Should not be hasty in calling upon new converts frequently to pray in public, etc. 4. Let the pastor watch over his own spirit. 5. Labor to suppress a spirit of censorious- ness, etc. 6. Call loudly for the proper fruits of con- version in a life of godliness. V. Should not talk or preach as though there could be no religion without excitement. 8. Let the pastor not riin to publish in the newspapers an account of the revival. 9. Should himself converse personally with all who are awakened, and who oflfer themselves for full communion. 10. Should make suitable inquiries respecting new converts of those who know them. LECTURE XXXVI. PASTORAL INSTRUCTION BY EXAMPLE. Recapitulation. Duty of the pastor to instruct by his Christian ex:iin)ilo. Preliminaries — 1 Tim. iv. 12, exj)lained, in reference to the word "example," " Tvrtoj" — Three great lineaments of the pastor as an instructor by example. The first of which is seen, L In the performance of duties required of him. These respect, 1. God — ^These consist, (1.) In holy affections of the heart; (2.) In submission to God's will; (3.) In imitating his divine Master; (4.) In supreme love to God. These duties respect, 2. Our neighbor — Remarks — These duties pointed out, in five particulars. Finally, these duties respect, II. The paxtor himself, in avoiding forbidden vices, shown in six particulars — Further enforced, in six particulars. Conclusion of these Lectures on Pas- toral Theology with, III. Offering some considerations exciting to the faithful performance of pastoral duties. 1. Let him considei-, (L) That he derives his commission from God. xxxvi Analytical Table of Contents. (2.) The design and object of his office. (3.) What he owes to that Saviour who died for him, etc. 2. If the gospel service has tz-lals, it also has peculiar consolations, shown ill five particulars. Some additional considerations to support faithful pastors under the trials inseparable from the sacred ministry. First Common sources of his trials — Encouragements. Take the three following : 1. All the precious promises given to the children of God are his. 2. Opposition of a certain kind, is an evidence that the pastor is well employed. 3. Trials afford him an opportunity of setting an example before his flock how trials and temptations ought to be borne. Second. Of pastoral trials which are pecxdtar. 1. Is sometimes removed from his kindred, and exposed to vexations, etc. 2 Sometimes finds little visible blessings upon his labors — Consolations under this trial, shown in five particulars. LECTURES PASTORAL THEOLOGY. LECTUKE I. I. Pastoral Theology is that branch of the science of Christian Theology which treats of the qualifications, duties, trials, encour- agements, and consolations of the Evangelical Pastor. II. An Evangelical Pastor is a person who, being a member of the body of Christ by visible profession, is called by the Word, Spirit, and Church of that Saviour and King, and is set apart in the manner prescribed in the Scriptures of the New Testament, to feed that portion of the Christian flock which is committed to his special instruction and care, and to aid in administering the laws of Christ's kingdom to his glory and the benefit of the subjects of his kingdom. III. The Evangelical Pastor, as his name imports, is a minister of the "glorious gospel of the grace of God;" as such, he is dis- tinguished, First, From those patriarchs who were ministers of true religion in their respective domestic establishments, before the giving of the law at Sinai, by. the following circumstances, viz : 1. He is one of a pure ecclesiastical order, which is entirely separate from either domestic or civil establishments. 2. He is not required by his office to offer up animal sacrifices, etc. 3. He does not act under a typical dispensation. 1 2 The Evangelical Pastor Distinguished from Others. [Lect. I. 4. His office is in no way connected with tlie ancient custom or law of primogeniture. 5. He serves a Saviour come in the flesh — crucified — risen from the dead, and received up into glorj. Secondly^ From the Priests and Levites under the law, the Evan- gehcal Pastor is distinguished bj the following particulars, viz : 1. He does not belong by birth or parentage to a sacerdotal family or tribe. 2. He is not required to offer up animal sacrifices. 3. He is not directed in his official duties by the ceremonial laws which governed the ancient priesthood of the Church ; and, there- fore, 4. He is not subordinate to any earthly high priest, but serves the Lord Jesus Christ, the only existing " High Priest of our pro- fession." Thirdly, The Evangelical Pastor is distinguished from the extra- ordinary ministers of the Saviour in the primitive Church — the apostles, prophets, workers of miracles, etc. — in the manner of his call to the sacred ministry, in his powers, in his gifts, and in his field of labor. In these, there is nothing extraordinary. He is a servant of Christ, now when no extraordinary officers are to be found in the visible Church on earth. Lastly, The Evangehcal Pastor is to be distinguished from those persons whom we denominate "Licentiates," or "Candidates for the ministry," in this important respect : the former are ministers of the Word of God, the latter are not. The candidate is one " who desires " the office of a bishop or overseer in the Church, but is not yet invested with that office.* It may then be asked here, " Why is such a person permitted to preach the Word ?" We answer, such permission is granted with the express view of eliciting tJie judgment of the Church respecting the qualifications and gifts of the candidate for the gospel minis- try. Ordinarily, it is not sufficient that the ministers of the Word, * " It must be confessed, we think it but fitting, that persons shoulci, after they hare passed their trials as to their abilities, officiate for some time as candidates, that they may have an opportunity of passing a judgment whether they can comfortably fix on the ministry as the employment of their lives, and whether they are likely to have that measure of acceptance as is necessary to a rational hope of usefulness and success." — Calamy. Lect. I.] Tlie Pastoral Office — a Divine Institution. 3 " who are forbidden to lay their hands suddenly on any man," are satisfied with respect to the qualifications of one who desires to be admitted into the ministry ; for ministers alone do not constitute the Church. The Christian laity, who, together with the clergy, compose the visible Chiu-ch, should, so far as circumstances allow, know such an applicant for the sacred office, try his gifts, and judge of his qualifications, before* he is set apart by prayer and the imposition of hands. "When the Church, after such trial of one whom the Presbytery, by the certificate of licensure, has recom- mended to her notice, expresses her approbation by instituting, after prayer for Divine direction, a regular call on him to exercise the ministry and fill the office of pastor, then there is that concur- rence in sentiment of the rulers and of the members of the Church which authorizes the former to confer on the approved candidate ministerial and pastoral powers, and makes it the duty of the latter to receive him as a "steward of the mysteries af God." The license then given to a candidate for the gospel ministry is a very limited power, and restricted to a jMrticular end, namely, to the exhibition of his piety and gifts before the Church, for her better judgment. lY. The pastoral office is involved in the gospel ministry, which is a divine institution. Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. Ephes. iv. 9, 11, 12 : " He gave some pastors and teachers." Ministers of the Word are commissioned not only to preach, but also to administer the Holy Sacraments — a duty which, in its faith- ful performance, implies pastoral inspection and care; for they are " stewards of the mysteries of God." They are authorized, wherever they " serve God in the gospel of his Son," to " feed the sheep and the lambs ;" " to take the oversight of the flock," so far as any portion of it is committed to their care ; and " to watch for souls as those who must give account." (Heb. xiii. 17 ; 1 Pet. v. 2.) Ministers, whether restricted to one society in one place in their labors, or itinerants in their ministry, still sustain the pastoral office, and engage in the duties which it imposes. Those candidates who are sent to preach the gospel to the heathen are ordained with the express design that they shall exer- cise pastoral care over those who, through their instrumentality, are brought to "the obedience of faith." ' f 4 The Pastoral Office — Qualifications. [Lect. L V. The great end which this institution of pastors and teachers has in view is, the glory of God in the salvation of men, who, when called by the servants of the Saviour, " receive the Word in the love of it, and obey the truth." Subordinate to this grand end, there are various other important objects to be effected by this ministry : such as the defense of gos- pel truth against error, the maintenance of the pure worship of the living God, the restraint of human depravity and wickedness, and the improvement of the minds of men, especially those of the poor and laboring classes, in knowledge, in morals, and in the habits of social order and peace. Hence the gospel ministry, apart from its usefulness in dissemi- nating divine truth and converting sinners to God, is ail incalcula- bly rich blessing to civil society. This fact is clearly exhibited to the eye of every observer, in the intellectual and moral state of those nations who are blessed with the faithful ministry of the "Word and other ordinances of Christian worship, when compared with the lamentable condition of those people of various countries who either have not the Word preached to them, or, through the craftiness of their priests, are the slaves of Pagan or Papal super- stitions. VI. Now, if the gospel ministry and the pastoral office be an institution of God, and if the designs and relations of this office be such as we have just described, then there must be in those per- sons who lawfully engage in this ministry special qualifications for the discharge of its duties. Let us then proceed to speak of those qualifications which constitute, in their natural " order, the first branch of the science of Pastoral Theology. PAET I. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTOEAL OFFICE. First. The first qualification for the pastoral office is, A special call of God. The Evangelical Pastor, it has been said, is a person called hy God to serve him in his visible Church on earth, in the ministry Lkot. I.] Tlie Pastoral Call — Immediate and Mediate. 5 of the Word and Sacraments, and in the exercise of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The necessity of such a special call to the pastoral office is proved' — 1. From the relations and work in- volved in the character and duties of the Evangelical Pastor. He sustains special relations to God the Saviour : hence he is called "the servant of God in the gospel of his Son," "a minister of the New Testament," "an ambassador for Christ," "a steward of the mysteries of God." In these relations " a necessity is laid upon him," and* he is bound to perform special duties under an awful responsibility. Now those special relations and duties require a special call. 2. From the passages, Rom. x. 15 ; Heb. v. 4, 5 ; Matt. xxviii. 19 ; Jer. xiv. 15, etc. 3. From the broad fact, every where exhibited in the Sacred Scriptures, " that mere aptitude or fitness does not confer right." I. Taking into view the New Testament dispensation from its commencement, this call of God to the Pastoral office is either, 1, immediate, or 2, mediate. 1. The immediate call of God to the gospel ministry is that com- mand of the great Head of the Church himself, accompanied with correspondhig operations of his Holy Spirit, which requires a per- son to undertake the office of a minister of the Word in the visi- ble Church. This call must proceed immediately from the King and Saviour of the Church. It is therefore, when compared in its circumstances with the mediate call of that Redeemer, an extraor- dinary or supernatural call, and is always accompanied with those miraculous gifts ivhich are the proper and only evidences of the reality of such a divine call, and which the apostle Paul calls "the signs of an apostle." This immediate call of God was addressed to the apostles and the inspired prophets who were employed in the gospel service at the opening of the New Testament dispensation. Since that period it has ceased to exist in the Church. When the Church, after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven, was to be relieved from the burden of "carnal or- dinances;" when she was to be divested of her cumbersome taber- nacle and typical garments ; when her worship and government were to be so modified as to correspond with those grand events which had taken place, and to suit her future extension among the 0 The Pastoral Call — Internal and External. [Lect. L nations of the earth; and when she was to exhibit herself under this new modification, be established and protected against the assaults of the malignant Jews, of the Pagan philosophers, priests, and statesmen, it was necessary that her first ministers should be immediately called by the Saviour, and that their endowments should be extraordinary. Necessary was their immediate divine call ; for the Master of the house was present in person with his disciples during forty days after his resurrection, " and speaking of the things pertaiming to the kingdom of God." (Acts i. 3.) Necessary was their immediate call ; for it could not be made through the Church, which was not yet formed under the new dis- pensation. Necessary were their supernatural gifts ; for they were employed in making new revelations of the will of God ; and those gifts were required to prove that they had received their commission from God, and were his special agents in this great concern. If any person now professes to speak or act by divine inspira- tion, he must be required to exhibit similar proofs of his divine mission ; but such requisition will be made on false teachers, pro- phets, and fanatics, in vain, 2. We conclade, therefore, that the call of God to the gospel ministry is now altogether mediate. This call we denominate me- diate^ not because there is in it. no powerful operation of God in the heart of the person so called, but because the ordinary means of grace arfe in the first instance used in this call, and because the Church is employed as a medium through which the call is made. II. This mediate call of God to the pastoral office is — 1, partly internal, and 2, partly external. The former lies at the founda- tion, and is preparatory of the latter ; the latter is of the very essence of a call of God to the gospel ministry. First^ The internal* call of God comprehends the experience of true conversion to God, so that there shall be a renewed mind, and in that mind, of course, sincere love of the Lord Jesus Christ. I When the Saviour was about to employ Peter in his gospel ser- vice, he asked him with great solemnity and emphasis, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ?" He received an answer in the Lect. I.] The Pastoral Call— Object of Desire. 7 affirmative from Peter, on wliich he said, "Feed my sheep — feed mj lambs." Whoever, therefore, wishes to ascertain whether God has called him to the work of the ministry, must first inquire whether he is so renewed by divine grace as to perceive by faith the glorious excellences of Christ as a Saviour who redeems by price and with power ? whether this Saviour is habitually and inexpressibly pre- cious to him ? whether he so loves this Saviour as "to count every thing which the gospel calls him to relinquish for his sake but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord " ? But though conversion and the graces of the Spirit prepare one to be the subject of the whole internal call of God to the ministry, yet the enjoyment of those saving blessings does not constitute that call. A person may be " born again of water and of the Spirit ;" he may " believe with the heart unto righteousness," and " love the Saviour in sincerity ;" and yet not be internally called by God to his gospel service. Every true convert is called "to God's kingdom and glory, but not to the ministry of his Word." We remark, then, Secondly^ That in the internal call of God there is superadded to the experience of renewing grace those special influences of the Holy Spirit, which excite in the heart of the converted man a pre- vailing holy desire to be employed in the good work of a Christian bishop or pastor. (1 Tim. iii. 1.) With a direct reference to this special operation of the Holy Ghost, that eminent divine, John Brown, of Haddington, asks the student of divinity, " Has he filled you with deep compassion to the perishing souls of men, and a deep sense of your unfitness for such arduous work, and fervent desire that if the Lord were willing to use you as an instrument for winning souls, he would sanctify you, and make you meet for his work?" Thirdly^ The internal call comprehends the production in the mind of its subject, of an habitual disposition and set purpose of heart, evidenced by corresponding efforts, to obtain the qualifica- tions for the pastoral office, by endeavors to acquire that portion of knowledge which will enable him to teach others and to grow himself in grace ; and by a course of prayer and conduct, which shall prove that the ministry is seriously aimed at, and that it rests upon the soul as the grand object of desire. If there be no re- 8 The External Agent — the Church of God. [Lkct. L solved holy purpose and fixed habit of desire, such as we now speak of, men may enter into the ministry, and perform the exter- nal duties which it imposes in a manner ecclesiastically lawful and right, but they are not "called of God." If a young man enters a theological hall in the same temper of mind as that in which he would enter a school of medicine or law, he ought to weigh his principles of action deeply. If he exhibit the levity and incon- sideration of mind, and the want of deep religious feeling, which is often seen in the mere scholar at a classical institution, he ought to seek better motives and better preparation for the solemn em- ployment which he professes to have in view. We have now described the internal call ; and in relation to it have only to add that this internal call may be accompanied with a power of the Holy Spirit, and attended by circumstances and events, in the lives and the conversion of some ministers of Christ, which, when compared with those of the many who piously engage in the gospel service, may appear to be extraordinm^. Thus, judg- ing from, circumstances, it may be said that God has called one to the ministry from his birth. Another may be converted under such deep convictions, and with the communication of so much light and grace, as, with the joy of pardoning mercy, to have in his soul the graces in very vigorous exercise, prompting him to pur- sue the ministry as an object essential to his own peace and happi- ness, and to say with the apostle Paul, "Necessity is laid upon me : yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel." And a third may, in the uncommon circumstances of all God's dealings with him, exhibit certain peculiarities in his call to the ministry, and richer endowments for the work. Examples, illustrative of these facts, we may find in the history of the early lives of Augustine, Knox, Junius, Perkins, Halyburton, Davies, John Newton, and others. But let it be observed, that whatever is uncommon in these instances does not belong essentially to the internal call of God. To the internal call must be added an external call of God^ in order to qualify one for the pastoral office. III. The external instrument or agent by which this external call is made, is, the Church of God. The visible Church is composed of her rulers and her members. That the power of calling to the pastoral office is vested in the Lbct. L] The External Agent — Rights of Church Rulers. 9 rulers of the Churcli is to be proved by tlie following arguments, viz: 1. The command of God given to the overseers or bishops of the Church, " to lay hands suddenly on no man," (1 Tim. v. 22,) which implies the power of judging of the qualifications of men for the gospel service, and rejecting those who shall appear to be unqualified ; " to commit gospel truth and order to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also," (2 Tim. ii. 2,) and " to watch, lest grievous wolves enter in, not sparing the flock." (Acts XX. 29.) 2. The power with which the episcopal presbyters are invested, is that "oversight of the Church" and "stewardship of the mys- teries of God," which have directly in view the welfare and pre- servation of the one and the holy care of the other. (1 Pet. v. 2 ; 1 Cor. iv. 5.) Now this important trust, as every reflecting mind will perceive, could not be executed well without authority to re- ceive into and exclude from the ministry. On this particular sub- ject there is no great diversity of opinion among Christians. Even those who taught "that the Evangelical- Pastor should be called and chosen by the suffrage and consent of the Church," still re- quired that he should be solemnly set apart with the approbation of the ministry to whom the oversight of the Church is especially committed, and by the " laying on of the hands of the presbytery." But the presbyters or rulers in the Church of Christ must, in ordinary circumstances, permit the members of the Church to co- operate with them in the exercise of this power of calling to the pastoral office. The authorized agency of the latter in this impor- tant concern is evident from the following places of Scripture : Acts i. 23 ; vi. 3-5 ; 1 John iv. 1. Besides, the very nature and end of the pastoral office prove the same fact ; for the Saviour has given pastors and teachers, not merely to make known his will to his people, but also to subserve all their spiritual interests, so far as their agency can go, and especially to be their mouth in ad- dressing supplication to God in public worshipping assemblies. "Ecgula juris est, ab omnibus approbari debet qui omnium vicem supplet." The members of the primitive and the ancient Christian Church exercised this power. Cyprian, vigorously as he was disposed to maintain the episcopal authority, testifies that such was the estab- 10 The External Agent — Rights of Church Members. [Lect. I. lislied. rule from the days of the apostles down to his own age. He says : " It is the peojDle in whom chiefly is the power of choosing worthy prelates, or refusing the unworthy. "Which very thing, we see, is derived from divine authority, that a bishop is to be chosen in the presence of all the people, and the worthy and well qualified were to be approved by the judgment and testimony of all."* According to the ancient canons, " a bishop should be chosen by the presbyters and people." A late historianf of the Christian Church has expressed the facts correctly: "Of most of the apostolical churches, the first bishops were appointed by the apostles ; of those not apostolical, the first presidents were proba- bly the missionaries who founded them ; but on their death the choice of a successor devolved on the members of the society. In this election, the people had an equal share with the presbyters and inferior clergy, without distinction ; and it is clear, that their right in this matter was not barely testimonial, but judicial and elective. There is a great concurrence of evidence to show that no bishop was ever obtruded on an orthodox people without their consent." In further evidence of the same fact, we must add here, -that every particular ecclesiastical society, as a part of the " Holy Catholic Church," is, in certain respects, "the pillar and the ground of the truth," (1 Tim, iii. 15,) the prop and the foundation that supports the truth ; being charged vnth. the preservation, maintenance, defense, and circulation of that written Word of God on which she is built, from which she derives her provisions and all her hopes of future prosperity in this world and of glory here- after : though in other respects^ as has just been observed, that Word of truth is the foundation on which the visible Church herself rests, being " built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." (Ephes. ii. 20.) Now that she may preserve the truth, she must have the requisite power of approving sound teachers and rejecting those who corrupt the Word, either through ignorance or from regard to traditions or the doctrines of false philosophy IV. But the power which the Church possesses of calling men * Cyprianus, lib. 1, epist 3. " Ipsa plebs maxime habet potestatem vel eligendL dignos sacerdotes, vel indignos recusandi," etc. \ Waddington. Lkct. I] Church Power — Ministerial and Limited. H to the ministry and pastoral office is not a sovereign and despotic, but a ministerial and limited power. It must be exercised agreeably to the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ expressed in the Sacred Scrip- tures ; and in no instance, not even in prescribing " rules of order" in the Church, must it violate the divine laws. In the exercise of this power, which belongs to the rulers and the members of the Church, the rulers should take the lead. The Holy Spirit in his Word calls them " leaders or governors." (Heb. xiii. 7.) They are set apart for "the defense of the gospel," and are especially charged to guard the ministry from just reproach, and to commit it "to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) It belongs therefore to their office to have great influence in this matter. They are. required to institute a close examination into the gifts, pious habits, and doctrines of those persons who " desire the office of a bishop ;" to seek out and encourage such a promise to be useful in the sacred ministry ; and to recommend them to the people coipposing Christian congrega- tions. (Acts XX.) But such recommendation by the presbyters or rulers in the Church implies that " the faithful in Christ Jesus " are also invested with rights, the exercise of which is necessary for their own spiritual welfare and the promotion of the interests of their Redeemer's kingdom. It is their duty and privilege to cooperate with the ministers of the Word in looking out for suitable men among themselves, through whom the ministry may be perpetuated ; in affording encouragement and help to such in their attempts to qualify themselves, under the Divine blessing, " to teach others, and to feed the flock of Christ ;" in judging of the fitness of those whom their rulers shall recommend for the pastoral office ; and in calling them, when approved, to the exercise of that office, with a proper respect for those rights with which the presbytery are invested by the great Ilead of the Church. Irrespective of those powers of the gospel ministry, with which ministry a Christian congregation a-re connected, they should not act in calling one to the pastoral office, excepting in a case of the most urgent necessity, such as either great corruption and tyranny in church rulers, or violent persecution by the enemies of gospel truth and order, might produce. God requires the ministry of his appointment to be duly regarded ; and in his providential care of 12 The Pastoral Office to he Perpetuated. [Lect. I. his Churcli in her lowest estate, lie has made an extreme case to be of such rare occurrence, that it will not disturb the order of his house. " Pugnat cum jure divino et veteri ecclesia," says Me- lancthon, " Democratia, in qua populus capit ad se electionem." And Junius correctly observes, '^Populus non solus judicet, sed praeeunte et moderante actionem clero et presbyterio." But while the members of the Church are bound to act in pro- per subordination to their presbyters or bishops, it is their privi- lege and their duty, on occasion of calling one to the pastoral office, to look well to it, that their rulers do them no injury ; for to them it pertains to approve or disapprove. The consent of the people who are members of a Christian Church may be either tacit or expressed. By tacit consent, we mean that, after the object is proposed, no objection is offered by the people. This mode may be adopted or rejected at the pleasure of the members of the Church, but cannot be authoritatively pre- scribed by the rulers. The consent of the people may be expressed by writing, by the voice, or by the lifting up of the hand. The mode employed in collecting the suffrages is unimportant. How far the consent of the people is necessary in calling to the pastoral ofi&ce has been a subject of discussion. We are satisfied that such consent is-not absolutely, but only relatively necessary. The Saviour has given it in special charge to his ministers of the Word, to maintain and perpetuate the gospel ministry by " com- mitting it to faithful men." Should the people therefore cease to love the truth, and, under the impulse of a " spirit of delusion," turn away from a faithful ministry, and hearken only to " teachers of lies;" should persecution for a season scatter the flock, or tyrants in the earth prohibit the exercise of those rights which God has given to his people in the Church, in all such circum- stances the Ministry not only may, but should call men whom they consider to be qualified to the pastoral ofl&ce. Hence one servant of the Lord Jesus, or more, with a view to preserve the ministry, may call to the pastoral office when circum- stances imperiously require this to be done. But the induction of men into the pastoral office by patronage is unscriptural and unlawful in the Church. Leot. I.] Ordination. 13 V. A regular call to tlio ministry by the churcli is followed by Ordination^ or, as it is sometimes called, tlie setting apart of one to the gospel ministry by prayer and with the laying on of hands. The imposition of hands in religious services is a very ancient ceremony. It was used in blessing, in sacrifices, in giving testi- mony, (Lev. 24,) and in ordaining to office. The imposition of hands was a rite observed by the apostles, (Acts xiii. 3 ; 1 Tim. iv. 14 ; 1 Tim. v. 22 ; 2 Tim. i. 6.) The imposition of hands is not essential to the setting apart of one to the exercise of the pastoral office ; yet it ought to be ob- served, as it has an important meaning: — designating the person ordained ; distinguishing him from civil officers, and those to whom he is called to minister ; signifying the peculiar relations of the office into which he is inducted, and adding solemnity to his ordination. In the apostolic day, the imposition of hands was used on the communication by the Holy Spirit of miraculous gifts ; but to this use it was not restricted, as appears from various passages of Scrip- ture. Besides, it could have, in conferring supernatural gifts, no more efficacy, in itself considered, than it has in the ordaining to the ministerial office. The ceremony of the imposition of hands, and the ordination with which it is connected, may, in times of persecution, be per- formed in a private manner ; but, in ordinary peaceful times, it ought to be performed in the presence of the church engaged in divine worship. The Sabbath is a very suitable day for this solemn act. Ordination to the ministry is Sabbath work. "Whether the imposition of hands in such, ordination should, in any circumstances, be repeated or not, has given rise to various opinions among divines. If reordination be considered "merely as a repetition of the bare words and ceremonies of ordination, without any acknowledgment of the invalidity of a former ordina- tion ;" and if such reordination shall, from the circumstances in which a minister of the Word is placed, evidently operate to en- large the sphere of his usefulness, it is not to be objected against. The Scriptures do not require reordination ; and a gospel minister cannot recall his ordination vows, though he may for habitual im- piety, or for heresy, be deposed from the ministry of Christ. 14 Ordination. [Lect. L YI, The power of ordaining to tlie gospel ministry, is peculiar to that ministry. Some however have contended, that the people in a particular Christian society, may not only call, but ordain to the pastoral office, and offer in support of this doctrine. Acts xiv. 23;* where they say the term ^' xeipoTovqaavrtg^^^ expresses the act of the people in ordaining to office. The passage will not bear this construction. If that term expresses any act of the members of the Church in relation to those persons who are constituted presbyters, it is a choice of them as pastors, and not an ordination of them to their office, by the impostion of hands. In the writings of the apostles, ordination is constantly ex- pressed, not by ^'' x^i-porovto,^^ but by other terms, as ^^emdeaet :\;£fpwv," " ;]t;etpo0e(7ia " and "%£Apo£m0£(Tta." Had the sacred historian used ^^ X^t-poTovT} avreg'''' to signify the act of ordination, he would have spoken unintelligibly ; for in no writing, sacred or profane, is that word employed to express the imposition of hands. The arguments to be offered in proof of the doctrine, that the power of ordination is to be exercised by ministers of the Word alone, are the following, viz : 1. The directions and instructions relating to the ordaining of men ministers of the gospel, are addressed by the apostle Paul, not to the people in a Christian church, but to those who were by commission "the stewards of the mysteries of God," in his house here below. 2. The practice in the primitive churches was, to ordain with the approbation, and by the hands of ministers alone. 3. The people are not invested with the office and power of pres- byters. (1 Cor. xii. 29.) They are not placed under the solemn obligations inseparable from that office, and therefore cannot con- fer or transmit what they have not. " That ]3art of ordination," says Dr. Owen, " which consists in * The person elected was called ;\;£tpofoi'f oj. Hence xti^pofovsiv is used to signify to elect, appoint, or constitute to office, though the act of lifting up the hand be not used. Philo employs this word to express Pharaoh's appointment of Joseph to be the governor of Egypt, and God's act in appointing Moses and other priests to their office. Lucian uses the word to express the act of Alexander constituting his deceased friend Ilephsestion, a god. Maximus Tyrius applies the term to the horse of Darius, which was instrumental in fixing his princely master in the vacant throne of Persia, Lbct. I] Extraordinary Cases. 15 the imposition of hands by the presbytery, I think necessary by virtue, of precept^ and that to be continued in a way of succession." The Doctor, however, puts a case of a Christian man cast by ship- wreck upon a country of some barbarous people, that never heard of the name of Christ, and asks, " Ought he not to preach Christ unto them ? And if God give a blessing to his endeavors, may he not become a pastor to their converted souls ?" And Calamy teaches, " that where the help of T/iinisters cannot he had in ordaining suitable persons for ministers, the people may set persons apart for the office themselves, rather than live luithout ministers.^'' In uniting in sentiment with the above-mentioned eminent divines, no diffi- culty can be felt ; for the cases to which their remarks apply, are extraordinary^ and, as such, make provision for themselves, subject to the grand requirements of the law and gospel. " God will have mercy, and not sacrifice." VII. A person qualified for the ministry may be lawfully ordained sine titulo, without any particular church as his pastoral charge, provided the exercise of his gifts shall be called for among weak and destitute churches, or he be sent as a gospel missionary to the heathen ; yet, in such ordinations, the performance of pas- toral duties is always had in view. Other qualifications for the pastoral office, in addition to the special call of God, will be exhibited in the next lecture. I shaU conclude this lecture with some practical reflections. It is impossible to consider well the divine institution, the solemn relations, and the end of the pastoral office, without recurring in thought to what the Saviour said,' (Luke xiv. 28 :) " For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it : lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold him begin to mock him, saying. This man began to build, and was not able to finish ?" So peculiar are the relations to God formed by the gospel minis- try, so holy are its services, so arduous its duties, so various its trials, and so awful its responsibilities, that those who desire to engage in this ministry ought " to sit down, and with all seriousness, to count the cost." Feelingly alive should such persons be to the fact, that certain quahfications are required, to be the api)roveJ iiud 16 The Ministry — Motives. [Lect. I. faithful servants of God in tlie gospel of his Son. For " an un- warrantable intrusion into this office," as one observes, "is cer- tainly a crime of a very high nature." It may well startle us, after having put our hands to the plough, " if we should find any reason to be apprehensive that the great God in whose name we take upon us to act, and that by virtue of his commission, should one day say to us. Who hath required this at your hands ?" As you have been admitted into this theological seminary, pro- fessing to be actuated by a strong and pious desire to serve the Saviour in the ministry of his Word, I have begun with stating to you the necessary qualifications for that work — qualifications which extend from proper motives of action to a perpetual engagement in this holy service, and to a patient and honorable endurance of all the trials and evils connected with it ; and must, as I proceed, exhort you to inquire very seriously whether you now possess some of those qualifications, and whether you aim at the acquisi- tion, through the aid of the Holy Spirit, of the others. In this inquiry, the first particular to be investigated by you is, whether you have received a special call of God, so far as that call can now be made, to engage in the gospel ministry ? Some young men st\idy theology, and even take upon them- selves the vows of the gospel minister, without reflecting upon the importance of being called in a special manner to this great work. They choose the ministry from among the learned professions as the employment most agreeable to their taste, better suited to their circumstances, more gratifying to the wishes of their parents and relatives; or they apply to theological studies with a view to engage in the ministry, because they are anxious to elevate them- selves from obscurity to a respectable standing in society, while they shall enjoy a livelihood, associate with men of literature and science, and improve their own minds by reading ; and it may be, that even the desire to figure as an orator, from a consciousness that they possess good speaking talents, which the pulpit will allow them to display, is the leading motive which impels others in the pursuit of the ministry. How remote now are all such motives and views from those which ought to exist in the breasts of those who engage in the special service of the Lord Christ ! How liable do such render themselves to receive the greater condemnation, "who run with- Lkot. I.] Self- Examination. 17 out being sent," and who take up the office of ambassadors of the Saviour, without being specially called by him to this office 1 Were a person to act thus towards an earthly prince, he would be denounced as an impostor and a traitor, and be punished accord- ingly. And is the offense less, because committed against the Majesty of heaven? "I trow not." Let, then, the theological student pause here, and ponder those things which constitute a special call of God to the gospel min- istry. The first of those things, it has been said, is the experience of renewing grace, and the existence in the soul of that "precious faith in Christ, which works by love." With all solemnity, therefore, should the man who desires to be a minister of Jesus, and a steward of the mysteries of God, interro- gate himself as he enters a divinity school, on the subject of this divine work of conversion. Do I believe, he should ask himself, that I have ever been dead in trespasses and in sins ; an intelli- gent creature alienated from God, and under the awful sentence of condemnation ? Have I seen that I was in myself a lost and un- done sinner ? Have I sought to escape the damnation of hell, by pursuing, in the exercise of faith and repentance, that way to which the gospel directs sinners ? Has the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ recovered me? Am I a converted man? For an unconverted minister of Christ is surely a monster in deceit, recommending a Saviour to others, to whom he himself has not fled for refuge ; pressing others to hasten into the ark, while he remains without, to perish with the children of disobedience. And what an awful destruction awaits that impenitent minister who, like Judas Iscariot, has betrayed the Son of man with a kiss ; a preacher of Christ Jesus in hell, there to be not only stung by the reproaches of his own conscience, but also taunted by devils, who shall say, " We never acted so inconsistently and deceitfully ; we never preached Christ in whom we did not eonfide ; we never made public discour- ses about a Saviour and his excellences, whom we did not love." It is a very serious question, to be answered in limine, Am I re- newed in mind by the power of the Holy Spirit, or shall I advance to preach the gospel, and in preaching it be nothing more " than a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal " ? Let me, then, exhort you' to review your past experience in re- 2 18 The Ministry. [Lkct. L ligion, and in aid of sucli examination into your state before God, remind you that the true convert is a sincere penitent. On his conversion, he has offered up to God "the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit." Such an offering is something more than an affirmative answer to the question, " Have you submitted to God ?" A question, which, since the mystery of redemption has been made known to the nations by the coming, the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, is expressed in terms much too general, and therefore the aforesaid answer cannot exhibit the faith of the gospel ; nor does that offering imply deep and terrify- ing convictions of sin, accompanied with great visible distress ; for many are so convicted and'so distressed, who "never submit to the righteousness of God," and never truly repent of their sins ; but it implies a realizing sight of God's infinite purity and excellency, and a sense of the great evil of sin, which has turned the heart away from such a glorious Being, and rendered the sinner a vile and pol- luted creature, deserving condemnation. Such a creature the con- vert perceives himself to be by nature and practice, " wherefore he abhors himself," feels a heart-breaking sorrow for his past offenses, and cherishes through life those humble sentiments which classify him with that peculiar people who are described as the " poor in spirit," and disposed "to receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child." Further : The true convert is one who has "no confidence in the flesh," and whose soul embraces the Lord Jesus Christ as "Jeho- vah his righteousness." There is a faith of human origin, resting upon the general recep- tion of Christianity in a land which receives Christ as a Saviour, without perceiving how he saves sinners, and creates in their sal- vation a brighter display of the glory of God. Hence some have no other idea respecting this Kedeemer than that he will, after the performance of certain ecclesiastical rites, pardon and save their souls in a future world ; and others, still " going about to establish a righteousness of their own," but, not quite satisfied with the amount of their own good doings, cherish the fond sentiment that Christ will be so good as to supply any little deficiency in merit which may be found in themselves. But the true convert has a faith which God has given him. He sees with enlightened eyes of understanding, "that Christ is the Lect. L] Evidences. 19 end of the law for righteousness, to every one that bclieveth." He gladly receives him as such — is willing to be eternally indebted to the atoning blood of the Lamb slain for his pardon and cleansing, and experiences a warmth of affection for his precious Saviour, which impregnates in future all his sentiments, and ever and anon prompts him to say, "What, O what shall I render unto the Lord my Eedeemer, for all his benefits ?" The heart of the convert is set against the doctrine of self-righteousness. He rejoices now in the belief that God has forgiven him for Christ's sake, and he hopes in the last great day to stand "complete in Christ," and never to be separated from kim more. Meantime he looks upon himself as "one who is bought with a price," and who, from a principle of love, is bound "to do more than others." But to believe in and love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, is not the whole of the special call of God to the ministry. For, as we have observed before, in addition to renewing grace, the Holy Spirit, when he operates such a special call, excites and maintains in the heart of the convert a prevailing holy desire to be employed in the gospel service; he influences the mind so as to bend it towards the ministerial work. Where such a call exists, there may be in the way of its subject obstacles apparently insuperable ; the person may at first be allured by offers from friends to aid him in other employments ; he may be pressed by circumstances to en- gage in other pursuits ; but in these his mind continues to be rest- less ; he is not in his proper element ; the grand desire to serve his Saviour in the gospel is not extinguished; it remains "like a fire in his bones." Such a person has no evidence that he will accomplish great things in the ministry ; he knows not that he will be an instrument in the conversion of one sinner ; he feels his own insufficiency for such a great office ; and sometimes he thinks that his talents will be inadequate to the duties and difficulties connected with it. But the desire lives in his heart, for it is a call of God. May you be able to find that strong, holy desire, alive in your minds. Peculiar trials attend the gospel ministry. It is not the road to worldly honor, wealth, and greatness. The faitliful min- ister must labor hard, experience many trials of temper from the contradictions of sinners, exercise much patience under injuries, and endure various privations of good things. Survey the ground 20 Evidences. [Lkct. I. well over wMcli you may be called to travel, and then inquire whether, in attempting further progress, "the love of Christ con- straineth you." Other reflections connected with this subject will occur in the following lectures. LECTURE II. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTOKAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. It has been stated, that the first qualification required for the pastoral office, is the special call of God. Second. Another requisite qualification, is a measure of intel- lectual endowment suited to the work of the gospel ministry. (Matt. xiii. 52.) Our Lord supposes " every scribe to be instructed unto the kingdom of heaven." " A bishop must be apt to teach." (ITim. iii. 2.) The "faithful men to whom the things of God are to be committed, must be those who shall he able to teach others." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me." (Hosea iv. 6.) I. That knowledge is required in those who engage in the min- istry of the Word of God, is evident, 1. From the name given to them by the Holy Spirit. They are called "teachers," (Matt, xxviii., Ephes. iv. 11,) "the light of the world," (Matt. v. 14,) " ambassadors for Christ," men emplo3^ed in an important embassy, which they must be able to execute, (2 Cor. V. 20.) 2. From the design or end of their ministry : for it is a ministry appointed "to preach the Word," (2 Tim. iv. 2,) and so to preach it, "that their profiting may appear to all," (1 Tim. iv. 15,) to "save souls by sound doctrine," (1 Tim. iv. 16,) and "to defend the gospel," (Phil. i. 17.) 3. From the subjects of their preaching, which are various as well as important, and require various knowledge in those who discuss them. 22 Pastoral Qualifications. • [Lkct. II. 4. From tlie opposition made to the divine authority of the Scriptures, by deists and atheistical philosophers; and to sound doctrine, by heretics and other enemies of the truth : for these are foes, who comprehend, in their array, men of cultivated minds and of various erudition. 5. From the respectable place which the gospel ministry, with a view to success in their work, should occupy in civil society. An illiterate ministry cannot command respect in an intelligent and polished community. II. But here it may be objected, " that the apostles, chosen by the Saviour himself, were unlearned men ; that many of them were poor uneducated fishermen ; yet their preachings resulted in the conversion of thousands, and in the enlargement of the Church." 1. This objection will be set aside by the simple fact, that those apostles were not sent out to preach the gospel with thai measure of knowledge which they had before they received their commission, and while they were fishermen ; but in addition to the instructions which their Master had given them, both before and after his resurrection, they were taught by the Holy Spirit, in an extraor- dinary way. Accordingly, they were forbidden to act immediately in the gospel service, and were required " to tarry in the city of Jerusalem, after Christ's ascension into heaven, until they should be endued with power from on high." (Luke xxiv. 49.) Now whoever, at any time, shall be endowed with the same "power from on high," and give those evidences of this fact which the apostles did to the Church and to the world, must be considered as fully qualified for the work of the ministry. " The fact, then," as one remarks, "of the eleven being unlearned, is the very reason why uninspired ministers should, to a certain extent, be learned : for, in the apostles and primitive evangelists, inspiration supplied the place of learning ; in ministers of the Word now, appropriate knowledge, acquired in a course of education, must supply the place of inspiration." 2. Further : At the commencement of the New Testament dis- pensation, it was necessary to show that Christianity had its origin not in the wisdom of the schools ; that it derived its authority not from the researches and deductions of the learned, but from the immediate inspirations and will of God. No such necessity now Lect. II.] Knowledge. 23 exists ; hence extraordinary gifts are no longer communicated by the Holy Spirit. 3. But the absolute necessity of human erudition is not the point in dispute. All that we consider to be an indispensable qualifica- tion for the sacred ministry, in respect of intellectual endowment, is a measure of knowledge which shall enable one otherwise well qualified, " to preach the Word unto the edifying of the body of Christ." Hence presbyteries are authorized to license and ordain some who have not enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education, when "they have the best assurance which can be obtained, that they are men of singular talents, piety, humility, sobriety, good understanding, and discretion, together with the gift of utterance." But we consider various knowledge, acquired by application to study in the schools, or elsewhere, to be necessary, relatively and ordinarily. Should, however, one with an understanding slen- derly furnished, urge in favor of his admission into the ministry, this argument, " that he ought not to keep his talents concealed in a napkin," the befitting answer is that which the celebrated Kobert Hall gave : " The smallest pocket handkerchief you have will do, sir." III. What measure of knowledge one should possess, before he is ordained to the ministry of the Lord Jesus, cannot be exactly defined. He cannot be master of too much science and literature. He ought not to possess too little of this intellectual furniture : for, 1. God has revealed himself to man, since the days of Moses, not by traditions, but by writing. And the languages employed by the Holy Spirit in the Sacred Scriptures, are the Hebrew and Greek languages. The study of the Greek and Hebrew languages (and to facilitate the acquisiton of these, we must add the Latin also) is, therefore, recommended by very strong considerations, to those who desire to fill the office of a bishop in the visible Church. Apart from that influence which the study of these languages doubtless has, " "npbq TTjv yvfiva lav rov vov," as Socrates says, the knowledge of them is necessary to correct mistranslations of the original Scriptures, and to defend the true doctrine of God against the various assaults of error. Hence the study of the sacred languages lias ever been associated with the orthodox faith in the Christian Church. When 24 Pastoral Qualifications. Lect. II.] the revival of letters took place, A. D. 1470, as one expresses it, "illico affulsit evangelii claritas," — " forthwitli the clear light of the gospel shone out." From that period it has been ascer- tained that the ablest theologians and commentators on the Bible among the Protestants, are those who were most conversant with the sacred languages ; and that even among the Eomanists, those writers were more orthodox who understood those languages. Of this fact, Arias Montanus, Masius, Yatablus, compared with other Papal writers, are examples. 2. Further : The Sacred Scriptures exhibit an infinite variety of matter for our consideration and belief; and the various interest- ing facts which they contain require that those persons who are set apart to expound them should be furnished with that various knowledge, which a course of liberal education is calculated to impart. No one can be long employed in the exposition of the written Word of God, without perceiving that he draws upon his stores of knowledge, rich as they may be, Avith manifest profit and pleasure in his work. Natural philosophy, logic, metaphysics, geology, history and travels, antiquities, chronology, geography, , and rhetoric, all contribute their aids in rendering a faithful ser- vant of Christ a better expounder of the "Word, and an abler min- ister of the New Testament. This Word has been connected, by its divine Author, with almost every branch of science, that the religion which it teaches might rise higher in our souls through increasing knowledge of the wonderful works of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness around us, and that it might, in every age and country, afford its powerful assistance in promoting the ad- vances of the human mind in intelligence. "Very cunningly did that great enemy of Christianity, the Eo- man Emperor Julian, act, when he attempted to banish the chil- dren of Christians, and of course the future ministers of Christ in the empire, from the schools of learning. He wished to see the followers of the Saviour, and especially their pastors, immersed in ignorance; lest, as he said, "they should be qualified to argue with our gentile dialecticians." In the same spirit of hostility to true Christianity, and with a view to introduce into the visible Church as much of paganism as could be concealed under nominal Christian ordinances. Pope Paul II. said, "it was sufficient for the sons of Christians, that they Lect. 11.] Knowledge. 25 were taught to read and write." Soon indeed would popish su- perstition and atheistical philosophy divide the Christian world between them, were the ministers of Christ unqualified, through ignorance, to defend that "glorious gospel" which is committed to their special trust. The objections, therefore, brought by certain sects against the salutary requisition, that the minds of those young men of piety, who desire to preach the gospel, should be disciplined by a regular course of academical instruction, are the offspring, not of reason and experience, but of fanaticism. The question to be answered here is simply this : Are the Scriptures to be well expounded by the ministers of Christ ? We affirm, but fanatics deny, and require that men should speak in religious assemblies, as the Spirit dictates. Hence it is evident that the real matter in controversy is not, whether gospel preachers shall be furnished with various knowledge? but, whether they shall be set apart to expound well the written Word of God ? A mere academical education neither operates a change of heart, nor communicates to any a holy desire to serve God in the gospel min- istry ; yet it is highly useful in expanding the mind through va- rious knowledge, and in strengthening the reasoning powers, and thus fitting a minister of the Word to speak better, "both to the Avise and the unwise." The religion of the heart in ministers, we believe to be the special work of the Holy Spirit ; yet supreme love of God alone cannot, from the very constitution of man, store his understanding with facts, and make him an able minister of the New Testament. IV. But above all, the Evangelical Pastor should have his mind stored well with the knowledge of Bible theology, " that he may be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine." (1 Tim. HI 6.) By Bible theology, we understand the science of the doctrines taught, and of the duties commanded in the Holy Scrijitures, as those doctrines and duties compose a system of religion, the parts of which are admirably connected together by the Spirit of Infi- nite Wisdom. That connection, however, of the doctrines as well as of the duties of revealed religion, is not exhibited in the Sacred Scriptures according to the arrangement adopted in philoso])hical 26 Pastoral Qttalifications. [Lect. IL schools, or in the usual order of human science in uninspired com- positions, for various weighty reasons: among which, let our attention be here fixed upon one only, namely, the trial of the human heart, not only in reading all the parts of Scripture, his- torical, typical, and prophetical, as well as didactic and practical, but especially " in searching them." " Search the Scriptures," said our Lord : "for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." To a similar constitution of things, the human mind is subjected in all the other departments of science. And can any arguments be required, to prove that the person who is solemnly set apart "to preach the Word and to defend the 'gospel," should understand his business? God does "not send his message by the hand of a fool." " The priest's lips must teach knowledge." Accordingly the apostle Paul said to the Christians at Corinth, " though I be rude in speech, yet not in hnowledgeP (2 Cor. xi. 6.) Pastors after God's own heart are " such as feed his people with knowledge and with understanding." "Jesus saith unto them. Have ye understood these things ? They say unto him. Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them. Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man, which is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matt. xiii. 51, 52.) This parable, spoken in illustration of the question, " Have ye understood these things?" cannot be mistaken in its doctrine. Ignorance of divine truths in their proper connection, has, in those who undertook to preach the Word, produced much zeal and many extravagances, and given rise to as many errors, and wrought as many evils in the visible Church, as "philosophy, falsely so called." Mark the serious errors and gross superstitions (of some of which the more sober Gentiles would have been ashamed) which sprang up like weeds, in the dark ages, when those who were the professed teachers of Christianity were stran- gers to the theology of the Bible, and hardly acquainted with the letters of the gospel alphabet ! Mark the wild fancies and other excesses of the Anabaptists in Germany, who were led on by men who, instead of studying the Word of God, snatched at a few of its passages to fire their imaginations and to inflame their passions ! Mark the course of fanatics at this day : they exclaim with rude Lect. II.] Utility of Theolofjical Seminaries. 27 veliemence against well-instructed and faithful ministers of the gospel who oppose their errors, and attempt to speak unknown tongues, while ignorant of the very languages in which the Scriptures of truth were written.* Strongly, therefore, must it be demanded, that one who is ad- mitted into the gospel ministry, should "understand the Scrip- tures." And as these Scriptures speak of the works of God in creation, providence and redemption, works which, under the di- rection of infinite wisdom, form a system, so the revealed truths in relation to that Being and his works, must and do constitute a system of theology. On this system depends what is denomi- nated, the analogy of faith^ which, as John Newton observed, "is a master-key, that not only opens particular doors, but carries you through the whole house." To use this key with wisdom, know- ledge of the structure in its various well connected and propor- tioned parts is necessary ; for such knowledge alone can render one "mighty in the Scriptures," and check both the wildness of metaph^^sical speculations in divinity, and the ardor of attachment to the particular systems of theology composed by learned man. During the dark ages, those who entered into the priesthood, as the gospel ministry was improperly called, neglected the study of the Holy Scriptures, and applied themselves to the reading of the Christian Fathers, or rather the books which exhibited the doc- trines contained in their writings ; and the result is well known. Luther knew it so well, from what he saw and felt in early life, that even in relation to his own compositions he said, " Ego ipse odi libros meos, et sjepe opto eos interire, quod metuo, ne moren- ter lectores et abducant a lectione ipsius Scripturge, quae sola omnis sapientiae fons est." But to improve in this theological science, shall pious youth repair to a theological school for instruction ? Doubtless such a course is to be pursued by them, if a school of theology shall facil- itate their progress in the knowledge of divine truths, and call their graces as well as gifts into exercise. If means are to be used in increasing their knowledge of what the Bible teaches, and in qualifying their minds for the better defense of its doctrines, their * " I remember," said the late Mr. Rowland Hill, " when came to me and talked about not hiding his talents, I could not help telling him, that for my part, I thought the closer he hid them the better." ^ Pastoral Qualifications. [Lect. IL duty in this respect must be obvious. If they read without the help of suitable instructors the choicest works on theology, they are still using means to furnish their minds with more knowledge of divine truth ; but means less efficient to their end. And means must be employed, if that requisite knowledge be not communi- cated hy miracle. Some such miraculous operation of the Holy Spirit on the minds of those who are called to preach the gospel, is considered by certain fanatical sects, who oppose theological seminaries, to constitute the special call of God. It must however be carefully noted here, that schools of theol- ogy, whether they exist independent of, or in connection with, universities and colleges, are not invariably helps to the pious mind in the acquisition of the knowledge of Bible theology. They are human institutions, and as such, liable to change their original useful character, to become schools of error and heresy, and to aid in quenching the heavenly fire of vital religion, in corrupting the ministry of the Word, and in substituting the study of profane literature and philosophy for that of Bible theology. It was in the view of the reprehensible mode of theological education at such seminaries, and of its disastrous effects upon the ministry and the state of religion, that the pious and indefatigable servant of Christ, the late Rowland Hill, and others, (whose language in relation to cotemporary preachers was at some times very unwise,) spoke of the "modern academies in Britain, as being, in general, sad-soul starvation places," and the ministers educated in them, as being "poor tools of our manufacturing." This representation might be in a measure correct, and yet, theological schools conducted in the spirit of the gospel, will possess a high value from their usefulness in the Church. It is not easy to estimate accurately the great ben- efits derived in the days of the Reformation, from the theological academies of Geneva and other Protestant cities. V. Here it is hardly necessary to remark to you, that the know- ledge of Scripture doctrines and duties, by those who aspire to the pastoral office, must be such as to instruct them in relation to the important exercise of pastoral prayer^ and to furnish them with skill in framing addresses to God, in the name and on behalf of a Christian congregation. To which let me add, that so subservient is various knowledge to the usefulness of the gospel ministry, that Lect. II,] Graces — Heavenly -mindedness. 29 the Evangelical Pastor should give himself to reading, and increase his intellectual stores, so long as the powers of his mind possess any strength. Never must he relax his exertions to acquire better understanding of the Scriptures, which have "depths in which elephants may swim." Increasing science of this kind, imited with Christian humility, tends to make the instructive preacher an abler ruler in the Church of God, a wiser counsellor in the pres- bytery. For it is not in the preaching- desk only, that he must serve the Lord Christ, but in ecclesiastical councils also, where he is called to extend care over the very important interests of his Master's kingdom. Third. But I have done with knowledge, and proceed to observe, that a third qualification for the pastoral office is, such a develop- ment of the graces of the divine life in one's temper and conduct, as shall give promise to the rulers of the Church of his future useful- ness in the gospel ministry. This qualification is usually expressed by the term piety: but as this term is not sufficiently comprehen- sive of my meaning here, as one may be accounted to have a good share of what is ordinarily denominated piety, while he exhibits little prudence, and little holy zeal, I shall enumerate those Chris- tian graces and virtues, which are considered to form an additional requisite qualification for the pastoral ofice. 1. Accordingly, I begin with heavenly-mindedness. Heavenly-mindedness stands opposed to earthly-mindedness, which consists in an inordinate love and pursuit of the good things of this world. Every one who is "born of water and of the Spirit," is the subject of that change which places the Supreme Being upon the throne of his affections, and causes this world to be considered by him as an inferior and unsatisfying good. "If any man love the world, (supremely,) the love of the Father is not in him." " For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world." (1 John ii. and V.) Yet corruptions do exist in the renewed mind on earth; In such a mind, covetousness, as well as any other existing lust of the human heart, may be " the sin which doth more easily beset the Christian." Hence, we find some whom we have reason to regard as converted persons, too strongly wedded still to the gains and riches of this world, too avaricious in their disposition^?, too 30 Pastoral Qualifications. Lect. II.] ardent in tlieit pursuit of earthly things, and too much disposed to estimate such things above their proper value : and we must add, that if such a temper be found to exist in one who aims at the ministry of the Lord Jfesus, it is a disqualification for that important office. Such a person shows that he is not sufficiently weaned from this world ; that his views of heavenly realities in their existence and glory, are not sufficiently clear and enlarged ; in a word, he does not possess a suitable measure of heavenly- mindedness ! For a bishop must not be " greedy of filthy lucre," not covetous: he must, according to the requirements of his divine Master, exhibit that spirit of self-denial with regard to the good things of this life, that abstraction of his affections from worldly enjoyments, which shall prove that he lives "in the consideration of things unseen and eternal ;" that he is prepared to forsake houses and lands for Christ's sake, and that his own temper and life enforce that Word, which he is called to preach to others ; which describes the Christian as " crucified unto this world," and which forbids inordinate solicitude about, and attachment to, earthly good things. In requiring such an heavenly temper as a qualification for the pastoral office, it is not intended, that those who engage in the gospel service shall either throw away the worldly estates which they may possess, or be indifferent about their own subsistence, and the maintenance of a family, if Divine Providence has placed one under their care. By no means : there is a divine law, sanc- tioned by a sentence of excommunication from the Christian Church, which binds pastors as well as others to provide for their own households. 1 Timothy, v. 8: "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." They should be econo- mists of those good things of time which God has placed under their stewardship. For it is required of bishops, that they "be given to hospitality :" but to exercise this virtue, it is necessary •that care and management be used in relation to their means of livelihood, and their worldly affairs. There is, then, a dutiful concern about temporal subsistence and secular affairs, which the Evangelical Pastor must feel ; and the want of this proper attention is betrayed by those ministers of the Word, who are improvident, lavish in their expenditures, or with- Lect. II.] Graces — Heavenly-mindedness. 31 out regard to their o-wn ability in purse, ever anxious to place tKeir domestic establishments upon a level with the establishments of the wealthy and elevated in society. Hence have arisen debts and difficulties, which have disturbed the minds and impaired the use- fulness of such ministers in no small degree, and in some instances operated to produce a separation from their pastoral charges. But on this point I shall say nothing further here ; for it is not so much the want of due concern, as the excess of worldly affections and solicitudes, which stands opposed to heavenly-mindedness. Now these inordinate cares and anxieties about earthly things, may and do discover themselves in various ways, through the habitual temper and actions of some who aspire at, and others who sustain, the office of a minister of the Word. One, for instance, may, from avarice, sin against the laws of Christian hospitality and benevolence, visiting in the houses of others and partaking of their kindness, while he is afraid to open his own doors and to entertain strangers ; calling in his sermons for the liberal contributions of others, while he withholds his own contribution, or imparts with a niggardly hand for the sustenance of the poor, and the promotion of other benevolent objects. Another may be so intent on adding to his estate, and acquiring riches, as to contemplate with horror the condition of the gospel missionary among the heathen ; or, if settled in a pastoral charge, to be constantly pressing his congregation, and troubling the church officers, on the subject of the insuf&ciency of his salary. His de- sires, like the daughters of the horseleech, cease not "to cry, Give, give!" A third may be so eager after worldly gains, that he must unite secular pursuits with his ministry ; he must engage in trade and speculation in lands ; or he must employ himself in the various labor of agriculture, giving a large portion of his attention to the improvement of his farm, horses, cattle, and expending but little time in his preparations for the pulpit. He cannot be content with a small estate for the gospel's sake. When "the altar" affords so little, he must endeavor to enrich himself from other sources. A fourth may manifest in all his dealings with others a mean, penurious, and covetous temper, insisting upon the uttermost farthing ; quarrelling about a few pence ; collecting his stipend by personal visits ; threatening a civil prosecution, in cases in which 32 Pastoral Qualifications. [Lect. II. a little self-denial on his part, and even a little suffering at home, would add to his reputation and influence as a servant of Christ, and promote the interests of the gospel. In all the instances just mentioned, there is a want of heavenly- mindedness : a defect which is quickly discovered in a pastor bj the people of his charge ; and need I remark, that it is a serious defect? The high and solemn relations which the Evangelical Pastor sustains, and all the duties which he is called to perform, stand so directly opposed to the lust of wealth, and the pride of life, that, unless one feels this passion well subdued in his heart ; unless he believes " that contentment with godliness is great gain ;" unless he is willing to be a poor man, and to commit him- self and family to the direction and care of Divine Providence while he preaches the gospel, he ought to hesitate, and examine himself thoroughly before he enters into the ministry, and not rest satisfied until, through growth in grace, his heart can in some measure adopt the sentiment of Paul : " We seek not yours, but you." It was a noble qualification in Martin Luther for the great work of the Reformation, that his affections were raised high above earthly things. He used to say, that he was variously tempted ; but the sin of covetousness never troubled him. When he became aged in the service of the gospel, and princes and noblemen made him rich presents, he would, in his private devotions, tell the Lord "that he would not be put off with these things." If a poor student of theology came to his house in distress, he would supply his wants, if he had money ; and when he had no money, he was known to break down silver vessels, and bid the necessitous stu- dent go and sell the silver, and relieve himself of his difficulties. The late pious Henry Martyn, before he experienced the power of divine truth in his soul, could not resolve upon devoting him- self to the ministrv of the gospel ; "because, as he said, he could not consent to be poor for Christ's sake." But after he felt the constrainings of the Saviour's love, and grew in spirituality of mind, he could devote himself to all the trials of the missionary service, and say, " My dear Redeemer is a fountain of life to my soul. With resignation and peace can I look forward to a life of labor and entire seclusion from earthly comforts, while Jesus thus stands near me, changing me into his own image." "We are Lect. II.] Graces — Humility. 38 just to the south of all Europe," said he on his voyage to India, " and I bid adieu to it for ever, without a wish of ever revisiting it ; and still less with any desire of taking up my rest in the strange land to which I am going. Ah ! no ; farewell, perishing world ! To me, to live, shall be Christ." The gospel ministry is a holy and elevated service. It looks particularly to the heavenly world for its gracious reward ! Hence, thefe are special honors connected with it. God has said to his ministers here, " Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven." To which of his holy and mighty angels hath he said this? 2. Another grace operating to qualify one for the gospel min- istry, is humility. When the apostle Paul sent from Miletus to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church, (Acts xx. 19 ;) and when, in obedience to his call, they were gathered around him, he thus addressed them : " Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord iviih all humility of mind." From the discovery of his own sinfulness ; from the deep sense which he had of his entire dependence upon the grace of God in Christ Jesus, and from his admiration of the excellences of his Saviour, this eminent minister of the gospel stood amid his brilliant successes in his work, " clothed with hu- mility." He had learned of his Master " to be meek and lowly in heart :" hence, he could endure injuries with patience, serve both the wise and the unwise, and condescend readily to men of low estate. His humility appears in the sentiments which he expressed to all the churches in relation to himself. He calls himself " less than the least of all saints," " who am not meet to be called an apostle." Ephes. iii. 8 : " Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ." And if humility formed the ordinary dress of one whose revelations from above were so rich, whose attainments in religion were so high, and whose triumphs over the powers of darkness were most splendid ; should not those who desire the office of a bishop, and those who are invested with this sacred office, exhibit themselves in the same dress ? Most correct was the observation of a zealous and suc- cessful preacher : " We ministers cannot sink too low in humility, 3 34 Pastoral Qualifications. [Lkct. II. nor yet rise too liigli in heavenly-mindedness ; but we may soon be lost in the wilderness of needless speculations." That humility of soul,- which should be cultivated in preparation for, and especially in the actual exercise of, the gospel ministry, consists in a deep sense of one's unworthiness, as a sinner, (per- haps once among the chief of sinners,) of that mercy which he has found. 1. Tim. i. 12, 13, 14 : "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord," said Paul, " who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blas- phemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus :" — in an abiding conviction of one's insufficiency for the holy and arduous work of the ministry. 2 Cor. ii. 16 : — " And who is sufficient for these things ?" " When I think," said Henry Marty n, " of my shameful incapacity for the ministry, arising from my own neglect, I see reason to tremble." Such was the language of a highly gifted and laborious servant of the Saviour, concern- ing whom one who knew him well in India wrote, " He shines in all the dignity of love ; and seems to carry about him such a heavenly majesty, as impresses the mind beyond description :" — in an habitual conviction that one's best compositions, and best ef- forts, can of themselves turn no sinner unto the Lord, and trans- form him into a new creature. 1. Cor. iii. 6, 7 : "I have planted, and Apollos watered: but God gave the increase. So, then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God, that giveth the increase :" — ^in an habitual dependence upon the promised grace of the Eedeemer, and the aids of his Holy Spirit for support and success. Phil. iv. 18 : "I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me." When Eliot, the apostle of the Indians, in his last moments, had spoken of his successful labors in the missionary field, he paused and said, " I recall that word ; I spoke of what / had done. Oh ! child of the dust, lie low; it is Christ that hath triumphed:" — in a proper esti- mate of one's own gifts ; not thinking more highly of himself than he ought ; not depreciating the talents and labors of others, but whenever it can be consistently done, " in honor preferring them :" — in a disposition to place one's self on a level with 'the pious poor, and to " condescend to men of low estate" for the gos- pel's sake ; not arrogating a higher rank, and assuming great im- Lect. II.] Humility. 35 portance, because cither his family, education and talents are superior, or his house is better furnished, or his mind and manners suited to the polished and elevated orders in society. Rom. i. 14 : "I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise." 1 Cor. ix. 19 : " For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." Archbishop Usher, who, as Selden said, "was learned to a miracle," afforded in his ministry a bright example of Chris- tian humility, united with eminent piety. It is recorded of him, "that in his demeanor and behavior, he had high thoughts of others, and as low of himself Godly persons, of what rank so- ever, had great power with him ; he would put them in his bosom, visit them in their sickness, supply their wants, beg their prayers, and countenance their cause and persons :" — in that spirit of patient enduring which will bear up against revilings for the gospel's sake, and move onward in the faithful discharge of duty : — finally, in an habitual feeling, that one is called to the ministry to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to show off himself by a display of his talents, either as an orator or a metaphysician. " Pride," said Mr. Baxter, " makes many a man's sermon ; and what pride makes, the devil makes." Pride makes many a preacher neglect his stu- dies, insinuating that his mental powers are so strong, and his acquirements so various and rich, that he can preach well with little preparation. Pride in the ministry frets under every hard- ship, and resents in anger every token of disapprobation, every mark of disrespect, and every injury. Pride in the pastoral office courts the smiles and delights in the company of the rich and pow- erful, while it can suffer the poor to sicken and die without pas- toral prayer, instruction and consolation. IIow important, then, is an humble heart in the gospel service. " God giveth grace to the humble, but the proud he knoweth afar off." Bishop Davenant justly remarks, that "God does not per- mit a spiritual vacuum to exist in the hearts of the humble, but pours into them to fill them with the streams of his heavenly gifts." But I need not enlarge here ; a proud heart in the gospel ministry will produce various neglects and numerous troubles. To cherish and promote humility in his own soul, let both him who desires to minister in the Word, and him who is engaged in that service, be frequent in his acknowledgments before God in 36 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lkct. II. secret prayer, of Ms many defects — ^let him familiarize to his mind the sentiment, that he is a poor creature and an unprofitable ser- vant— ^let him make his preparations for the work of the ministry in the spirit of prayer, and cry, "Help ! Lord!"- — ^let him reflect how many efforts in preaching well have produced no visibly good fruits — ^let him consider, that he is not called to win the favor and to receive the applause of men, but appointed to preach Christ, and in preaching him, to oppose the sentiments and the course of this present evil world, and in this conflict " to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." And should his labors be much blessed, let him be doubly watchful over the pride of his heart. "For he then," said Kowland Hill, "need to be favored with a deal of humility. We are too apt to be proud of that which is not our own. O humility, humility, humility !" In addition to humility and heavenly -mindedness, other graces and virtues operate to qualify men for the duties of the sacred ministry. These will occupy our attention hereafter : the present lecture I shall conclude with some practical observations. 1. It has been said that various knowledge is required to render one who is specially called by God to the ministry of his Word, "a workman in the gospel service, who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth ;" and that in addition to schools of literature and science, a theological seminary of evan- gelical principles is the place where a measure of such knowledge is to be more easily and quickly obtained. Now these facts very clearly show the manner in which the time of the students in this seminary is to be spent. Your principal business here, while you are attending to your growth in personal religion, is to collect knowledge, such as will enable you to do God's husbandry- work well, when you are sent into the fields to be cultivated. Study, diligent and unremitting, is your great duty. Close attention to reading, to the lectures delivered, and to preparations for exam- ination, is what is particularly incumbent on you. Such is the course of instruction pursued here, that if a student relaxes his efforts and spends too much time either in civil visits, or unprofit- able reading, or social religious and benevolent meetings, or even in exhorting in the various neighborhoods around him, in aid of the pastors of churches, he will find himself thrown behind the studious, and be hardly able, by any future vigorous exertion, to Lkct. II.] Practical Observations. 37 recover his proper place, and to do justice by his proficiency to the labors of his instructors. Certain it is, that inattention to study in a theological seminary, even when such neglect is accompanied with much apparent zeal to produce religious excitements, obscures the evidence required to prove either an humble sense of one's present attainments in the knowledge of the Scriptures, or the reality of his being spe- cially called by God to the gospel ministry. It is a blossom that promises no ripe fruit. The young pastor, after his settlement in a congregation, must, in order to do good service, apply closely to reading during all the hours for several years in succession which he can command, after discharging his external parochial duties. But, will that person sit down to books and the careful composi- tion of sermons, who in a divinity school thought that he was abeady well qualified to preach the gospel both " to the wise and the unwise," and who, in his ardent zeal for the conversion of sin- ners, contracted habits averse from study? He may: but the probability is, that a license to preach will be considered by him, a document certifying that he is "very mighty in the Scriptures," and that under the influence of this sentiment, he will spend much time abroad, when he should be accumulating in his study "trea- sures of things new and old," for future use. Let me then press upon your consciences, attention to present duty. Apply diligently to study — examine whether an hour has been lost, and endeavor to redeem it. The celebrated Perkins Avrote upon the front page of his books, " Minister verbi es, hoc age." Like him, it becomes you to keep the fact constantly before you, that your principal employment here is to acquire various knowledge, especially a better understanding of the Scriptures, to qualify you for the work of the ministry: " hoc age." 2. It has also been stated in this lecture, that the graces of hcavenly-mindeduess and humility are among the qualifications for the pastoral office. As such, those graces should unquestiona- bly appear in the temper and conduct of those who in a theological seminary aspire to the gospel ministry. Evidences should now be afforded, that you have drunk " of that water which in the renewed mind is a well of water springing up into everlasting life " — that divine grace has operated in you a heavenly temper, imparted a new life to your souls, and made you to breathe after heavenly 38 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces . [Lect. IL and eternal things. The judicious and serious around you, and with whom you are more intimately conversant, should be able to perceive in your habits of life, that you have engaged in the prac- tice of Christian self-denial, and " learned of your Saviour to be meek and lowly in heart." Heavenly-mindedness in one who aims at the gospel ministry and possesses the grace, cannot be concealed. It will discover itself in his readiness to bow, in the course of his preparatory stu- dies, to those dispensations of Divine Providence, which place him in a state of dependence on the benevolence of pious friends, or which deny him that finer raiment and those luxuries of the table, which others can enjoy from their improved circumstances in life — and to endure various trials patiently, rather than relinquish his purpose of serving his Kedeemer. When, therefore, one who pro- fesses to have the ministry in view, is known to fret habitually under the privation of those earthly good things which are en- joyed in a condition of life superior to his own, or when he passes beyond the limits of his pecuniary means, and runs into debt in order to dress in better style or to sit at a richly famished table, he gives to others an occasion for suspecting, that his affections are not weaned from this world, and that he is not yet disposed " to endure hardships like a good soldier of Jesus Christ," who, "though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor." (2 Cor. viii. 9.) The grace of heavenly-mindedness will further prompt the theological student, so far as his higher duties in the seminary will permit^ to cultivate the society of aged, experienced Christians — to aid in forming and maintaining associations for prayer and reli- gious conference — ^to take a deep interest in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and instructive tracts — to feel for the wretched heathen, and seriously to inquire what claims those who are per- ishing for lack of knowledge may have upon his personal future efforts to enlighten and save their souls — to instruct the ignorant around him^ — ^to exhort sinners " to repent and believe the gos- pel " — to recommend Christ to every one as a suitable Saviour, and promote the growth of vital godliness — to seize upon every opportunity to do good, and to cooperate with moral and benevo- lent societies in checking the progress of vice, and in ameliorating the condition of the destitute and afflicted. " For the fruit of the Leot. II.] Practical Observations. 39 Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth : proving what is acceptable unto the Lord." (Ephes. v.) Can one whose mind appreciates " the excellency of the know- ledge of Christ," be silent in his praise and inactive in his service? Can one who holds " in his hand the writ of manumission, signed by God's own signature," be unsolicitous about the deliverance of the miserable slaves of sin from similar bondage ? Will one who " sees hght in God's light," make no effort to " drive away From earth the dark, the infernal legionry Of superstition, ignorance and hell — High on the Pagan hills, where Satan sat Encamped, and o'er the subject kingdoms threw Perpetual night, to plant Immanuel's cross, The ensign of the Gospel, blazing round Immortal truth " ? A student of theology, intent only on the future display of his intellectual powers in the pulpit, may wrap himself up in his study, and exhibit no concern either about the salvation of souls or the enlargement of the Church of Christ in the earth. But the more intense study of the Sacred Scriptures in a divinity school, will prompt that person who desires the office of a Christian bishop from proper motives, and feels the constrainings of his Saviour's love, to aid in the cause of truth and righteousness. The stronger sentiments of his heart will be those of the heavenly- minded through the ages past. " Blessed be his glorious name for ever ; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory." " For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." (Isa. Ixii. 1.) We have associated in this lecture humility with hcavenly-mind- edness, for they are, as graces, inseparable companions. They grow and decline together. The latter excites holy zeal and for- titude in the gospel service : the former administers greatly to patience under injuries from men, and to the habit of dependence upon the Holy Spirit for aid and svfccess in the work of the min- istry. The mind of the apostle Paul burned with zeal k>t the promotion of his Master's cause : for " his conversation was much in heaven." He could not be checked in his course by the revil- 40 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. II. ings of men : for lie considered it " enougli for tlie servant to be as his Lord," while he regarded himself "the least of the apostles, and not meet to be called an apostle, because he persecuted the Church of God." (1 Cor. xv. 9.) He labored successfully and indefatigably, with his eyes constantly directed upwards : for the sentiment of his heart was, " who is sufficient for these things ?" " I can do all things through Christ which strength eneth me." The Christian religion is the parent of true humility, and as you profess to have experienced the power of that religion, you are required to exhibit now those evidences of an humble heart, which shall endear you to the pious and afford promise of future useful- ness in the ministry. Let not those who are set "to watch over you in the Lord " in this seminary, and other Christians around you, be pained by the reflection, that "you are not clothed with humility." It is certainly no evidence of humility in a theological student, when he enters a school which the Church has opened for his instruction, more disposed to teach and correct his instructors, than to be taught by them. Though he has read little on divinity, and perhaps acquired all his knowledge of some controverted points from a few sermons delivered during a religious excitement, (and excitements may be raised more with a view to disseminate error and disturb church order, than with the design to improve the state of religion,) yet he considers himself qualified to subvert doctrines generally received after much controversy and close ex- amination. His pride renders him zealously daring, and prompts him, in defense of his favorite tenets, to lay down propositions, which, if admitted to be sound doctrine, would soon undermine the whole Christian system. It is no evidence of humility in a student, when he is ready to put the worst construction on any words of reproof or admonition, which a deep anxiety for his proficiency in knowledge has drawn from the lips of his affectionate instructor. Nor can it be considered a mark of humility in such an one, when every contradiction of his argument in debate, and every criticism on his composition and its delivery before others, awakens his ire and disturbs his peace of mind ! Ah ! how will such a person, with such a temper, endure in the gospel ministry, the con- tradictions of sinners and the revilings of the ungodly ? Lbct. II.] Practical Observations. 41 Be impressed, then, with the high importance of humiUtj, in your preparatory course. Grow in this grace, which is as beauti- ful to the eye as it is useful in God's service. Oh ! remember, I beseech you, that "humble love, And not proud reason, keeps the door of heaven : Love finds admission, where proud science fails." LECTURE III. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED— GRACES. In addition to heavenly-mindedness and liumility, tlie Sacred Scriptures place, among those graces •wliicli qualify men for the pastoral office, 3. Harmlessness, or Inoffensiveness. " Be ye harmless as doves," said the Saviour (Matt. x. 16,) to those who were to be employed in his gospel service. " Giving no offense in any thing," said the apostle Paul, "that the ministry be not blamed ; but in all things approving ourselves, as the minis- ters of God, in much patience, in afflictions ; by long suifering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned." (2 Cor. vi. 4, 6.) " A bishop must be blameless : no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient ; not a brawler," (1 Tim. iii. 2, 8.) Harmlessness is the offspring of that " charity," which forms the spirit and substance of obedience to the second table of the moral law ; of that " charity, which sufiereth long, and is kind ; which envieth not ; is not easily provoked ; thinketh no evil, and beareth all things." It is love seeking the happiness of others ; it is meek- ness when injuries are inflicted ; it is quietness when revilings are heard ; it is the noble spirit of our heavenly religion, aiming to " overcome evil with good, following peace with all men," and abstaining, not merely from positive mischief and injury, but from all those careless and malignant insinuations of the tongue, which may tarnish the character, and destroy the happiness of others. In conformity with the elevated spirit of Christianity, and in imitation of their Lord and Saviour, "who was holy and harm- less," all Christians are required "to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation." And is it necessary to remind you, that in the Lkct. III.] Harmlessness. 43 exhibition of this amiable temper, and most benevolent course of action, wliich implies a victory achieved over some of the worst passions of our nature, it is enjoined upon the ministers of the Word to be examples to all believers? "In all things," says the Apostle of the Gentiles to Titus, "showing thyself a pattern of good works." (Tit. ii. 7.) And also, to Timothy, (1 Tim. iv. 12,) " Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity ; follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, pa- tience, meekness." The conduct of the same apostle illustrated his own precepts, given to his fellow-laborers: hence, he could appeal to the testimony of all the pious who were conversant with him, to prove " how holily, and justly, and unblamably, he be- haved himself among them that believe," (1 Thess. ii. 10.) Martin Luther, much as we find to commend in him, did, how- ever, much injury to the cause of his divine Master, and more than once jeopardized the best interests of the Church, as she struggled to throw off the shackles of Popery, by the violence of his tem- per, and the unjust aspersions which he cast on the good name of those reformers who dissented from him on certain points of doc- trine. But the primitive Christians, by studying to be harmless, recommended their religion in a powerful manner to others. Their inofifensiveness was every where remarked and applauded ; " they shone as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Life." In this brilliant course, they were directed by the gospel of peace, and animated by the example of their pastors and teachers. In a world of various creeds, and where the depraved passions of the human heart, with their diversified and selfish interests, are so violent in their course, who can escape the arrows of vitupera- tion ? " For, if a cherub in the shape of woman Should walk this world, yet defamation would, Like an evil cur, bark at the angel's train." But the Christian, who is not "of the world" in his sentiments, habits, and dearest interests, cannot, by any precaution and cir- cumspection, preserve himself from the enmities of those who hate his God and Saviour, and from the unjust censures of reckless tongues: "Yea, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. iii. 12.) Now, ministers of the Word are 44 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lict. Ill- " tlie leaders " in the Christian army ; they are called to act openly and vigorously in defense of the doctrines and laws of the gospel — to repel the assaults of infidels and atheistical philosophers — and to contend with that powerful foe, whose forces are collected and marshalled by irreligion, fashion, the love of pleasure, and the inordinate thirst for wealth. They are bound in a special manner, fearlessly to do what God commands them, as his messengers : "to warn the unruly — to show his people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins ;" and " in the dreadful front of battle high to war" incessantly with death and hell. Thus conspicuous in station and in action, can gospel ministers, however benevolent in their dispositions, however correct in their deportment, and useful in their lives, expect to be unharmed in the conflict with the various children of disobedience, and the many "enemies of the cross of Christ " ? Their divine Master has taught them other- wise. John XV. 20 : " Remember the word that I have said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have per- secuted me, they will also persecute you ; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." Most certainly, no faithful servant of the Redeemer will remain unwounded in this perpetual war with error and ungodliness. No pastor, who is active in the gospel service, can escape censure and opposition. But the hatred of the wicked, expressed in sneer or slander, and the hostilities of the enemies of divine truth, when excited against him on account of the regular performance of his ministerial duties, is an honor ; such persecution endears him to his heavenly Master, and serves to distinguish him from the unfaithful servants in the household : for, " woe unto him, especially in this important service, of whom all men speak well." Aside, however, from the diligent execution of the ordinary duties of his office, a pastor may give just cause of offense to others, in various ways. He may offend through irritability of temper, and the want of patience and meekness — regarding every contradiction as a per- sonal insult, and every mark of inattention as a slight ; and meet- ing every injury in the spirit of those who would call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans. He may give oflfense, by indulging in mirth, when the occasion calls for seriousness ; by narrating anecdotes calculated to create Lkct. III.] Harvilessness. ^ 45 mucli laughter, when his speech should be seasoned with the salt of religious instruction ; and by displaying his wit, in wounding the minds of others, when his voice should rather be lifted up in prayer. He may otfend by becoming a party-man, when his judgment should be unbiased ; thus showing the absence of that " wisdom which is pure, peaceable, without hypocrisy, and without par- tiality." He may offend by intermeddling in controversies of a civil nature, existing among persons under his pastoral care ; and by becoming, when political excitements rise high, a preacher of party politics, to the neglect of far more important interests. He may offend by harsh words, unjust censures, and unkind remarks, both in and out of the pulpit. He may give offense by appearing too frequently in the com- pany of the vain, giddy, and irreligious ; and manifesting no de- cided predilection for the society of godly persons. He may offend by the incautious use of improper words in the presence of females, and by indecent stories narrated in any com- pany. He may offend by habitual slovenliness and uncleanliness : for the Christian world is agreed, " that next to godliness is cleanli- ness." He may give offense by adopting too early the various changes of fashion in dress, and appearing to court notice by the elegance and richness of his garments. He may offend by throwing into his address, with a view of being regarded as a person of great uprightness and decision of character, a roughness inconsistent with good manners. He may give pain to others by the careless manner in which he reports what he has heard, heightening the coloring of some facts, adding others, and thereby injuring the characters of those con- cerned. Now, in these and other respects, the pastor must "give no offense." His life must be holy and inoffensive — his tcmjier kind and benevolent — ^his manners pleasing and dignified. The apostle Paul (2 Cor. vi. 3) uses the strong terms " ft?) //w/t?/^//," — as if he had said, observes a commentator on the passage, " ne habeat, quod reprehendat vel Momus ipse :" that the Christian pastor should be 46 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. IIL so inoffensive, that even Momus himself could not find fault with him. Most surely, a person who from violence of temper, unguard- edness in his speech, and levity in his conduct, frequently gives offense to serious and judicious people, is not qualified for the pas- toral office in the Christian Church. 4. Prudence. But our Lord Jesus Christ, when he commanded his ministers to be "harmless as doves," required them in the same breath to be "wise as serpents."* This wisdom or prudence must then be an- other grace, qualifying men for the duties and trials of his special service. Prudence in life is generally understood "to be a state of the mind, in which a person is disposed to pay a wise regard, in every step of his conduct, to the lessons which experience has taught him and others." Such prudence has by some been denominated cun- ning and intrigue ; and others have represented it as a cowardly dereliction of duty, through fear of danger, or love of gain and popularity ; but in truth, it is wisdom deliberating, not cowardice trembling. Hence, in the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit has bestowed the highest commendation on this virtue. Pro v. xiv. : " The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way : the folly of fools is deceit. The simple believe every word ; but the prudent man looketh well to his going. The simple inherit folly ; but the pru- dent are crowned with knowledge." Amos v, 13 : " Therefore, the prudent shall keep silence in that time : for it is an evil time." Ephes. V. 15 : " See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." Prudence stands opposed to precipitancy in judgment and in action. Under its influence and direction, the mind rests upon the important habit of reflection, instead of yielding to the impulses of vanity, the sallies of a warm imagination, and the excitements of passion. It is involved in that duty which the apostle Peter pre- scribes, when he says, " Be sober." Amid the persons of different * " ^pwi/toi." The original term ^poi/7?(jtf, rendered in our version "prudence," (Ephes. i. 8,) and "wisdom," (Luke i. 17,) expresses a judgment distinguishing what is useful from what is hurtful, united with an engagedness of spirit, in wisely pursu- ing the former as an object of desire. This prudence is operative in the life. (Phil, ii. 2, 5 ; Rom. viii. 5 ; Matt vii. 24 ; xxiv. 45.) Lbct. IIL] Prudence. 47 tempers and habits, to whom the pastor in the course of his min- istry "must preach the "Word," and the perplexing circumstances in which he is sometimes placed, prudence restrains him from com- mitting himself tp men whom he does not well know, because they make loud professions of religion, and perhaps exhibit much talent in public prayer and in preaching : for it reminds him, that the apostle Paul was " in perils among false brethren." (2 Cor. xi. 26.) It restrains him from determining the religious characters and states of those persons with whose sentiments and habits of life he is imperfectly acquainted ; from describing as unconverted or heretical, those who do not subscribe to every article of his creed ; from pronouncing anathemas upon all Christian denominations that adopt confessions of faith different from his own, observe modes of worship less pure, though untainted with idolatry and gross superstitions, and submit to forms of ecclesiastical govern- ment, which he considers to be corruptions of the primitive rule. It forbids him to convert the church court in which he presides, into a grand inquest for a county, or to be hasty in raising " the rod" of ecclesiastical discipline. It forbids him to form opinions upon mere rumor, or to say aught affecting the moral character of others, on the testimony of gossippers and busy-bodies ; and it also forbids him to consider every occasional meeting of persons, a suitable one for preaching the Word, or for pious discourse — every opportunity that may offer, the best season for administering re- proof— and every person who transgresses, the proper subject of reprehension and admonition from the pulpit. The eloquent John Chrysostom, of Constantinople, in his ardent zeal to promote reformation among the inhabitants of that city, and especially in a licentious imperial court, violated the laws of prudence, in the use of intemperate language while preaching, and in insisting upon bodily austerities, not required by that gospel of which he was a minister. Other Christian fathers, also, imprudently invested the discipline of the Church with a severity of character at variance with the precepts of their Lord, and with the spirit of his religion. Hap- pily, during the eighteenth century, our American cliurches were blessed with the light of constellations (among the stars of which, shone Witherspoon,. Hardenbergh, Rodgers, Livingston, J. M. Ma- son, Romcyn, Westerlo, McWhorter, and others, too numerous to be mentioned here) resplendent with piety and prudence, united with 48 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. III. knowledge, and directive of their successors in a useful ministerial course. Of these eminent servants of the Saviour it may justly be said, as was said of Melancthon, "they were born for the com- mon good of the Church here, and for the benefit of the whole country." Their counsels, "like Ariadne's thread, led others in moments of perplexity out of many a labyrinth." Prudence weighs circumstances, seasons, places, and persons It attends, not merely to what is lawful, but what is expedient also: "non quid licet solum, sed quid expedit"' — not merely to what it may attempt, but to what it can effect. Eash zeal says on every occasion, all that is true : but prudence is sometimes silent with respect to undoubted facts. The apostle Paul might have begun his speech on Mars Hill with that description of the im- purities of Gentile worship and morals, which is recorded in the first chapter of his epistle to the converts at Rome ; for every word in that description served to render the picture of pagan abomina- tions exhibited to the eye in that day, more faithful ; but he wisely chose a difierent mode in addressing the Athenians, (who were, as he- told them, wedded to their superstitions,) that he might obtain from them a patient hearing of that glorious gospel, of which he was an ambassador. Eash zeal runs forward to the utmost point of apparent duty, trampling in its course upon important doctrines and ordinances, and reckless of the consequences ; but prudence does not recommend in all circumstances, that the minister of the Word shall occupy all the ground which he might claim ; or that he should act hastily, when a little delay will increase his means of operation, and secure the object which he has in view. This grace guided the steps of John WicklifPe, in a very dark and su- perstitious age. " He perceived the true doctrine of Christ's gos- pel," says one of his biographers, "to be adulterated and defiled with many filthy inventions of bishops, sects of monks, and errors ; and bewailing the general ignorance of the Christian world, he re- solved to do his utmost endeavor for the reformation thereof: but, withal, foresting how dangerous this attempt would be, (for that such things, as by long use and custom had been rooted in their minds, could not suddenly be eradicated and pulled out,) he judged it fittest to attempt the same by little and little. Whereupon he first assailed his adversaries by logical and metaphysical questions,* * It appears that the earliest Reformer did employ Metaphysics in a good cause. Lect. 111.] Gravity. 49 and having made way thereby, he at length came to the matter of the sacraments, and other abuses of the Church." Rash zeal is never associated with humility and compassion ; but prudence walks between humility and zeal, keeping its penetrating eyes fixed on the honor of the Redeemer, and the extension of his kingdom on earth, while it is inspired by that "charity which hopeth all things." In a word, prudence in the gospel service takes into consideration, that some remedies may be worse in their effects than the diseases which they are employed to remove ; that certain measures pursued by those who do not relish sound doctrine for the revival of religion and the union of Christian sects, however imposing in their immediate results, may soon lead to the entire prostration of the gates of truth, and leave the camp open to the feet of hostile forces. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light : therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness, (men of great apparent piety and zeal,) whose end shall be accord- ing to their works." (2 Cor. xi. 14, 15.) So many events arise, and circumstances exist, in the course of the gospel ministry, requiring the exercise of prudence, that per- sons who are known to be habitually imprudent in speech and in action, ought not to be intrusted with the high interests connected with that ministry. Such persons may be pious, learned and eloquent ; but they are not qualified for the duties and trials in separable from the pastoral office in the visible Church of Christ. 5. Gravity. With prudence we must join gravity^ in speaking of the qualifi- cations for the pastoral office. The apostle Paul, in his solicitude to render Titus a highly useful minister of the Word, addresses him thus, (Tit. ii. 7 :) "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works : in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity^ sincerity." The gravity which the apostle here requires, " is that seriousness of mind, united with dignity of behavior, that commands venera- tion and respect." With a particular view to this quality of the mind, and grace of life in a pastor, the same apostle says to Timothy, (1 Tim. iv. 12 :) " Let no man despise thy youth : but be thou an example to believers;" and also to Titus, (Tit. ii. 15:) "Let no man despise thee." Gravity is equally removed from austerity on the one hand, and 4 50 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lkct. III. levity of temper, speecli and behavior, on the other. Austerity of look and manner in a pastor, tends to deter those from speak- ing to him, who, though poor, uninformed, and undistinguished in life, ought to have free access to him, and be encouraged to open their minds to him. Hooper, of England, it is said, exhib- ited such austerity ; while the celebrated Athanasius, of Alexan- dria, was, as Nazianzen tells us, easy of access and affable. But the affability of gospel ministers must not sink into levity, nor decline into familiarity with all classes of men. Gravity holds the middle place between repulsiveness of coun- tenance and manner, and that " waxen mind which takes every seal and sails with every wind," and which never fails to draw around the Christian preacher the foolish and the vicious, and to expose his person and his office to contempt. It springs from a heart habitually impressed with the reality of eternal things, and with a conviction of the holy relations and solemn obligations of the gospel ministry. It is made up of holy fear, humility and circumspection. It shows itself in a temper sweet in addressing all men, and condescending to the lowly state of the poor and the infirmities of the weak — in speech^ gentle and edifying — in conduct^ winning and exemplary. The young pastor who seeks to preserve his youth from disre- spect, must be grave, without pride and austerity. His divine Master set him a bright example in the practice of this virtue. He was affable, yet most dignified and chaste in his manners. So sweet in his temper, so accessible by the poor and miserable, that he was called "the friend of publicans and sinners:" and yet that condescension was combined with such majesty in virtue — that sweetness was blended with such purity of life, that the publicans and sinners stood in awe of him! In his harmlessness, "he was evidently separate from sinners." To excite and maintain in the minds of others a proper degree of reverence for his person and office, the Evangelical Pastor, in addition to the cultivation of those qualities of mind and that address of which I have just spoken, must guard against the following improprieties and evils : (1.) He must avoid the contracting of heavy debts, by his per- sonal and family expenses, and keep himself free from oppressive obligations to any among those to whom he ministers in the Lkct. III.] Gravity — Cautions. 51 Word. " The debtor feels a sense of moral inferiority in the presence of a creditor ;" and the creditor easily falls into disrespect of those who are constantly in his debt, and dependent upon his favor. " The borrower becomes a servant to the lender," who need not be reminded of that power with which his loans and the distresses of others invest him. Unhappy is the condition of that pastor, who through, not unavoidable calamities, but want of self- denial, economy and prudence, contracts debts in his parish which he finds it difficult to pay. He will soon discover that he is treated with less affection and respect than he ought to be, in the view of his character and services ; and that his freedom and authority in the faithful performance of his duties, are gradually and sometimes insolently invaded and abridged. Let him then fear debt, and study to preserve the dignity which is attached to his office. The apostle Paul did this in the exercise of much self-denial, and rejoiced that he could say that he was burdensome to none ; that he " was free from all men." (1 Cor. ix. 19.) With little less vigilance should the pastor guard against those strong expressions of friendly regards — ^those pecuniary and other gifts — by which an undue measure of his pastoral attentions may be intentionally sought, by which his impartiality in the exercise of discipline may be assailed, or his hands bound, iu the discharge of his min- isterial duties. " Gifts blind the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous." (Exod. xxiii. 8.) " A man's gift maketh room for him." (Prov. xviii. 16.) Better is it to dispense with dona- tions entirely, and to endure hardship, than to have our minds unduly biased in favor of the donors, and our moral principles in the least degree corrupted ; for, with the loss of integrity, we shall experience a diminution in respect and esteem, even from those persons whom we have been disposed to cherish and befriend, on account of their kindnesses to us. " Thy money perish with thee," (Acts viii. 20,) must sometimes be the language which the faithful pastor is bound to use in relation to certain persons in his congre- gation. Daniel said, (Dan. v. 17 :) " Let thy. gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another." In a like spirit of elevated piety, did the noble Caracciolus, of Naples, reject the money offered him by a Jesuit, to induce him to abandon his faith and return into the bosom of the Romish Church. "Let their money," said he, " per- ish with them, who esteem all the gold in the world worth one 5S Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. III. day's society with Jesus Clirist and his Holy Spirit ; and cursed be that religion for ever, which shall wed men to the world, and divorce them from God. Go home, therefore, and take thy silver with thee ; but know that my Lord and Saviour hath made me enamored of durable riches." (2.) Another evil operating directly against that gravity which the Christian pastor should be solicitous to maintain, is his ready acceptance of invitations to social parties and feasts. Snares for the Christian are thickly set around the festive board ; and the gospel preacher especially, who manifests a fondness for such con- vivial entertainments, together with the taste of an epicure, will soon find that while smiles are lavished upon him, and he is fed with dainties and cheered with costly wines, he sinks in respecta- bility. " That clergyman," says father Jerome, "is readily despised, who, being often invited to dine, (with the rich,) never refuses. I know not how it is, but the very person whose frequent invitations you accept, thinks contemptibly of you ; and he whose calls you refuse from a sense of duty, venerates you the more." It is in large cities particularly, that the ministers of the gospel are exposed to those temptations which are connected with dining parties and luxurious feasts : — ^but whether in the city or country, let the pastor act with prudence, and maintain his gravity. Many servants of Christ, men, too, of splendid endowments, have deeply injured their characters and impaired their usefulness, by sitting too often and too long at the tables of the generously rich, and fashionably great. Some have in such company learned to be im- moderately gay and intemperate in various things ; but we must be "sober and temperate in all things." (3.) Further : to maintain his gravity, the pastor must carefully shun the company of the open enemies of his religion, such as atheists, deists and scoiFers, and hold little intercourse, except in the dispensation of the Word, and in affording succor under their afflictions, with those persons whose language is profane, and whose characters are immoral — or those whose chief pleasures are drawn from foolish talking, and from those various sports which destroy sobriety of thought and feed the lusts of the flesh. Every one who reflects at all, must perceive the importance of this rule. " Evil communications corrupt good manners." " Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burnt ?" Hardly will that Lkct. Ill] Gravity — Cautions. 5S minister be able to convince others that he is emphatically " a lover of good men, and that his delight is in the excellent of the earth," when he readily and freely associates with those who have " not the fear of God before their eyes." But there are associations of men for important civil and political purposes — associations not intended to violate any law of morality, and to which no impure character can be ascribed — from which, however, it will be wise in the Evangelical Pastor to keep himself separate. I refer here to political societies and caucuses in tirnes when no serious revolutions in civil government are contemplated, and no heavy calamities are impending — to electioneering meet- ings— to military parades, and to country vendues. The minister of the Word who is often seen in such assemblies of people, and who discovers a fondness for them, will find it difficult to be suit- ably grave in the presence of those around him ; his pious habits will not be maintained in their purity and vigor, nor will his time be profitabl}^ spent in his Master's service. It is true that the Christian pastor in the discharge of his im- portant trust, as well as in the ordinary commerce of life, must converse with persons of every character and condition : but then all his duties will be compatible with the preservation of gravity. In the walks of his secular business, he may be active and vigi- lant ; in his daily intercourse with various classes of men, he may be, in his address, not only kind and winning, but occasionally sportive and witty, without subtracting aught from that respect and reverence which his office and exemplary life are calculated to inspire in the minds of others. It requires much self-government and careful observation of men, to know how far, precisely, a minister of the gospel may indulge in what is called pleasant talk and mirth, in promiscuous society. One rule, however, it is his duty carefully to observe : — his pleasantness should always be decorous and intellectual ; he should so speak and act in every company, as to leave an impres- sion upon the minds of others that, while his piety is remote from sourness and pharisaical pride, he is sfill intent upon his Master's business, lie should be jocose with those only, who will not mis- interpret nor misrepresent his sprightliness and humor; and he should write in " album amicorum" the names of no other persons than those who are distinguished by their piety and prudence; "for the companion of fools shall be destroyed." 54 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. III. (4.) Another evil to be avoided by the pastor who seeks to obtaic due respect for his person and office, is the habit of disputation. Scarcely can you begin a conversation with certain men, without being contradicted by them, with a view to start an argument. Such a temper betrays a high conceit of one's own reasoning powers; "and yet no opinion can be more groundless," observes Dugald Stewart, " than that a captious and disputatious temper is a mark of acuteness." It is a temper which, instead of aiding in, is often a bar to the discovery of truth. It serves to render the per- son who cherishes it disagreeable to others ; and when it appears in a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, it has a direct tendency to withdraw respect and reverence from him. For frequent argu- mentations, especially when extended to almost every topic of conversation, cannot be carried on without betraying various infirmities, and producing either too much familiarity with some persons, or too much irritation in the minds of others. No little injury was done to the cause of truth and religion, soon after the dawning of the Reformation day, by the fondness for disputation on almost every subject connected with the leading doctrines of the Bible, which the ministers of the gospel discovered, and espe- cially by the asperity of their language in conducting controver- sies, both oral and written. (5.) No less rapidly will the Evangelical Pastor sink himself in the esteem of the people under his care, by frequent exhibitions of violent anger, or of any weakness of mind arising from great fear, in circumstances in which others are quite composed, or of any excessive sorrow under the pressure of affliction ; — for it is expected that he shall be an example to those around him, in the exercise of meekness, fortitude and resignation, as well as in the display of faith and zeal. If his conduct be marked with defects on occasions when it is thought that religion should discover its power over the heart, the eyes of the world are quick in perceiv- ing it ; and on perceiving the fact, their regard for such a minister of Christ will be diminished. " In all things, therefore," said the apostle Paul to Titus, " showing thyself a pattern of good works." (Tit. ii. 7.) Whatever, then, is calculated to exhibit in a Christian pastor the image of his Lord, will contribute directly to procure for his person and office, from those who receive the Christian religion, a proper measure of reverence and respect. I'Kcr- III-] Zeal 55 To the graces wliicli have been enumerated, must now be added, as an important qualification for the pastoral office, 6. A holy Zeal in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Zeal is an ardor of the soul, created by the strong interest which the affections take in pursuit of their object. Now, the object of desire and pursuit proposed to the ministers of the Saviour, is one as deeply interesting to the renewed mind, as it is sublime in its nature and effects. They are set apart " to be fellow- workers with God," in saving immortal souls from everlasting perdition ; or, in other words, in promoting the glory of the Supreme Being, in the redemption of sinners of the human race. If this object does not so interest a Christian convert, " who desires the office of a bishop," as to inspire his mind with zeal in the pursuit of it, this fact alone is a7i evidence that his desire is fed by unhallowed fuel, and that he is not inwardly called by God to the work of the gospel min- istry. Isaiah's lips were touched " with a live coal taken from off the altar," that when it should be asked by the Saviour, "Who will go for us?" he might be prepared to answer, "Here am I, send me." Zeal that is holy in its nature, has a special regard to the glory of God and the salvation of men — and is the offspring of sincere love to the Saviour, and of warm gratitude for the abundant grace received. The existence of such zeal is implied in the very commission given to ministers of the Word, as a virtue which they must con- stantly exercise. " Go, preach the gospel to every creature ; be instant in season and out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine." "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." (Col. iv. 17.) " Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Tim ii. 3.) Who were ap- pointed to keep the fire from heaven constantly burning, under the ancient dispensation ? The priests and Levites. Much zeal did the Saviour display in his all-important ministry on earth — being ever employed in the great work which the Father had given him to do, and affording, in the exhibition of this grace, a glorious example to his ministers. The burning zeal which ac- tuated his apostles, strikingly appears in their recorded language, labors and sufferings. The Reformers, also, were in this respect 56 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. III. shining lights. The zeal of Luther was most ardent. The exer- tions of Melancthon, in the great cause of the Eeformation, were unremitting. Bucer was an indefatigable laborer. Knox was a soldier whose arms were always bright, and whose efforts never relaxed. Good Bishop Latimer carried his New Testament at his side, and went about instructing the people. And Beza himself, who was exceedingly active in his Master's service, tells us, that Calvin delivered in public two hundred and eighty -six sermons, and one hundred and eighty-six lectures yearly, besides the theo- logical works which he composed, and the innumerable letters which he wrote, in furtherance of the great interests of the rising Church of God. Zeal is necessary in the gospel service, not merely as an evidence that a minister loves his Saviour in sincerity, and believes "that gospel which he preaches, to be the power of God unto salva- tion,"— but also, as that state of mind which alone can enable him to endure patiently "the contradiction of sinners"' — ^to grap- ple with discouraging circumstances — and to be abundant in labor, intrepid in danger, and steadfast under various trials. Zeal is ne- cessary to animate him in those times when all around him are sinking into lukewarmness ; when increasing dissipation, and bolder irreligion in the higher walks of life, create a formidable opposition to the practice of true godliness ; when his own bodily infirmities increase through age, and when his temporal comforts are diminished, in consequence either of severe domestic afflictions or of external persecutions. That zeal, however, which is a proper qualification for the pas- toral office, is associated with knowledge, humility and prudence. It is, therefore, in its operations, not like the noisy eruptions of a volcano, which attract deep attention and awaken strong emotions in beholders, but endanger life and destroy the beauty and fertility of the earth with burning lava — but like a majestic river, which waters and enriches a country, while it presses forward with a steady current, in spite of every obstacle, to the ocean. This grace is not unrestrained like the fanaticism of the ignorant and the ardor of the heretic — but loves to dress itself " in the form of sound words," and to move forward "in the ways of God's testimonies." It is not like the fire which strong passions have kindled in the Lkct. IIL] Zeal. 57 breast of the conspirator, who is ready to use any means to obtain his ends, and who " ChaDges shapes with Proteus for advantages," — but, like the noble spirit which actuates the true patriot, it reveres the laws of truth and integrity, while it aims at higher objects than its own aggrandizement and power. That unlioly zeal which has so often troubled the churches, commences its course with loud professions of superior piety and benevolence, blowing the Phari- see's trumpet that every one may hear it ; but its grand object is to stand at the head of a party — to acquire fame as a reformer, and be distinguished as the author of new measures — while it is reck- less of the consequences of its doctrines and measures, when the excitement it has industriously enkindled shall have subsided. On the contrary, the zeal which qualifies the Christian Pastor for great usefulness in the Church, is a flame fed " with beaten oil" — • an ardor of soul which seeks to extend the influence and triumphs of an old-Oospel. If that knowledge which is associated with it, is instrumental, after profound and prayerful study of the Sacred Scriptures, and careful attention to the history of the Church, in resolving any difficulty connected with sound doctrine, or in ex- hibiting any revealed truth in a stronger light, holy zeal does not hence take occasion to proclaim, that " former systems are radically defective, or that former ministers have not understood the Scrip- tures ;" no, — this grace is modest and cautious, as it existed in the breasts of Meade, Edwards, and Newton, and so linked with hu- mility in its progress, that after unwearied efforts to explain the Word and save souls, it can thank God, as an eminently learned and laborious minister among the Puritans in England did, "that it has never broached any manner of new opinion." At this day the spirit of change is abroad, and its course, both in civil and in religious society, is marked by an intemperate daring, and proud zeal in securing its objects. It therefore becomes the Christian Pastor to guard the health of his principles amid an infectious atmosphere, and keep his zeal untainted by the pride of opinion and the lust of " uppermost seats in the synagogue." Now, to do this in certain circumstances and places, it is necessary that the soul of the servant of Christ should in no small measure be imbued with another grace, viz : 58 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lect. IIL 7. That of Christian Fortitude. The apostle Paul has this grace particularly in view, when he says to Timothy, (2 Tim. ii. 1 :) " Thou therefore, my son, he strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus ; fight the good fight of faith ; endure hardness ;" — and also, where he speaks in relation to him- self, on the occasion of his trial before Nero, at Eome: "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me : I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." (2 Tim. v. 16, 17.) The Spirit of God has this grace in view, when he addresses the gospel ministry at Sardis: " Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." (Rev. iii. 2.) Daniel was called by the angel to exercise this grace. Dan. x. 19 : " O man of God, greatly beloved, fear not ; peace be unto thee ; be strong, yea, be strong." Christian fortitude springs from faith in the divine promises^ and discovers itself by a strong and unbending adherence to the doc- trines and precepts of the gospel, amid temptations and dangers of various kinds. Under the pressure of afflictions, it exhibits itself through patience and by acquiescence in the Divine will. In times of severe persecutions, it keeps the Christian unmoved by threats, bold in the avowal of his faith, and prepared to sufibr for Christ's sake. Amid a general defection from God, it renders the mind firm in its holy attachments; and when the current of fashion in a particular society, or in a nation, runs violently against sound doctrine and the practice of godliness, fortitude resists the powerful stream — stands and raises its head above the waters. Happily, in this land, ministers are not called "to resist unto blood." Yet fortitude is here required to render them "faithful stewards of the mysteries of God," and to keep them, in the vari- ous circumstances of trial in which they are placed, " steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." The Evangelical Pastor, when treated with much respect and kindness, needs fortitude of mind to act against either prevailing lukewarmness, or increasing Antinomianism among the people committed to his care. He must have a good measure of this grace in exercise, to enable him in particular companies, where every mouth is opened to oppose the claims of Christianity, and numerous tongues are active in defaming the pious, and in sneer- Lect. III.] Fortitude. 50 ing at important doctrines and practices of religion, to maintain the cause of truth and righteousness with firmness and chaste dig- nity. But when the Church enjoys, in a land of plenty, great ex- ternal peace and respectability, there is an occasion occurring^ on which his fortitude will be brought into higher requisition, and on which he will be called to display the intrepid and inflexible spirit of the Christian martyr. For, it is a fact, that in such a peaceful and prosperous country, numerous ministers and religious societies will at some times manifest a strong disposition to abandon their pure faith, and to bring their doctrines into closer affinity with the metaphysics of the age, and the sentiments of an impenitent world. Nor will they be satisfied with the revolution in their own opin- ions, but with a zeal ardent and increasing, will labor to render those opinions popular and controlling in the Church. With this view, royal power and patronage, where it can be gained, will be used ; politics with its civil force will be employed ; seats of liter- ature and science will be occupied ; and fashion, as she walks in the higher circles of society, will be persuaded to lend her powerful aid. The history of the Church affords several instances, in which such instruments were used to effect a lamentable revolution in the doctrines and habits of Christian communities. But in some countries, such means cannot be procured, and are not adapted to promote the change contemplated. Hence other means must be used, and other measures be adopted : means of a highly religious and imposing character — measures calculated to produce religious excitements — frequent meetings for prayer and conference' — ^loud and ardent professions of elevated piety — strong animal feelings in worship, permitting the preachers to propagate their errors as they acquire influence, and boldly to denounce those who expose their extravagances, and who desire "to take the precious from the vile," as men of no religion, enemies to revivals, cold, formal professors, who stand in the way of the great work of God, in the advancement of his kingdom. Still further to create a moral force in society, which shall enlist the unstable on the stronger side, overawe the timid, bind the hands of the mighty, and bear down all opposition, the press will be put into active operation, and religious papers widely circu- lated; sectional attachments and prejudices will be called into disgraceful action ; attempts will be made to gain over political 60 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lkct. III. party on the side of tlie ecclesiastical agitators ; means will be em- ployed to cultivate the whole field of education by male and female teachers ; church courts will be corrupted through systematic com- binations to carry a point, even at the expense of truth and honor in the process ; confessions of faith will be decried at one time, and twisted at another to answer particular ends ; the sentiments of standard writers will be misrepresented or denied, and the opera- tions of moral, benevolent and religious associations will be adroitly turned into channels, which shall aid in augmenting the power that is set in motion to effect the desired change in the Church ; — meanwhile the whole confederacy will march under banners inscribed with the words "liberality, union, peace, free- dom from antiquated creeds and notions — Christian benevolence — revivals and superior piety." Now in opposition to a foe of this character, and in the trying circumstances created by his ingenuity and exertions, what forti- tude of mind must the Evangelical Pastor possess, to resist error recommended by religious awakenings, and all the expressions of warm religious affections, and to stand firm amid insinuations and under calumnies, affecting the character of his own piety and the usefulness of his ministry ! " It is easy to swim with the tide, and to persuade the heart of the rectitude of that which is favored by the times, and yet to pretend still that it is from more light ;" — but to stand in maintaining the truth, almost alone, as Elijah did in Israel, and Athanasius in the Koman empire at one period of his eventful life, requires in a servant of Christ that faith and love which are productive of a high degree of moral courage or forti- tude. Sure we are, that those persons who are " carried about with every wind of doctrine," and enamored of the latest metaphysical speculations — who are timid in defense of their faith, and apt to be enslaved by " the spirit of the age," without examining into the proper character of that spirit, or inquiring whether he is a single or a double faced spirit, are but slenderly qualified for the pastoral of&ce. Fourth. I have done with the graces, and proceed to observe, that the fourth qualification for the pastoral office, is " an aptness to teach." (2 Tim. ii. 2-i.) "And the servant of the Lord must Lbct. III.] Practical Itejlcctions. 61 not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." (1 Tim. iii. 2.) One may be renewed in mind, blessed with much experience of bis Saviour's love, miglity in the Scriptures and profoundly learned, and yet not be qualified for the gospel ministry. For he may be the slave of a constitutional timidity, a nervous weakness, producing an excessive diffidence. He may have impediments of speech, which would prevent him from speaking so as to edify and please others. He may also be deficient in that quickness of apprehen- sion, united with a ready memory, and elocution, which are so essential in an instructive public speaker. Examples might here be given of men who have written well on various subjects, while in conversation they found it difficult to express their ideas, and to engage the attention of their hearers. Hence, for a useful min- istry of the Word, are required boldness of spirit, and the gift of utterance, united with knowledge and piety — an ability to speak so as to awaken and fix the attention, and to instruct the minds of those who hear — " to open the mouth and declare the mysteries of Christ." This gift the apostle Paul considered to be so impor- tant, that he besought the prayers of Christians in his behalf, that he might have it richly in exercise. (Ephes. vi.) To communicate instruction, there is certainly required a bodily and mental adaptation, with which every pious and learned man is not endowed. A person who is well taught himself, may be ill qualified to teach others; hence the Scriptures insist upon "apt- ness to teach," as a qualification for the gospel service. Now this aptness will, on a proper course of trial, he evinced hy such measures of the gifts of public prayer and preaching, as in the judgment of the Church shall promise usefulness in the ministry of the Word. To these important gifts, therefore, your attention must in the next place be directed ; but the present lecture let mc conclude with some practical rejlections. Did we know nothing concerning the arduous duties and trials of the gospel ministry, either from our own experience or obser- vation, we might learn much on this subject from a view of those various graces which are required in the Scriptures, as a qualifica- tion for that office. What knowledge ! what circumspection and self-denial ! what intercourse with heaven ! what elevation above the children of this world, in views, affections, and liabits of life ! 62 Pastoral Qualifications — Graces. [Lkct. IIL wliat humility of soul ! what meekness, candor, and gentleness in behavior ! what zeal, prompting renewed efforts in the cause of Christ, amid discouragements! what fortitude in enduring hard- ships, and in bearing up against the variously expressed opposi- tion of the open enemies of divine truth, of the lovers of pleasure, and of the false brethren in the Church, are necessary in this holy ministry, after we are satisfied that we have experienced the transforming power of the Word, and that we have our desires specially directed to the service of the Saviour ! Oh ! in the view of the required endowments to fulfil the duties of the pastoral office, it cannot be surprising, that some pious minds have, from a consciousness of their own imperfect attainments in knowledge and in grace, felt much discouraged in the pursuit of the ministry, and also in the commencement of their pastoral course. But it should ever be remembered, that in all the qualifications for the gospel service, there is both growth in the use of means, and an omnipotent Spirit to promote that growth, "He giveth more grace," and can raise up (as he hath often done) the shrub in the ministry, and convert it into a tall cedar of Lebanon. " When he worketh, who shall let it?" For richer communications of the Holy Spirit in his gifts and graces, it is your duty to abound in prayer ; while the consideration of the holy nature and effects of the qualifications just mentioned, should urge you to institute frequent examinations into your own affections and habits, with a view to discover whether the graces of the Spirit do exist in you, and operate in preparation for the work of the ministry. It becomes you seriously to inquire, whether your walk now is so marked with gravity, blended with heavenly-mindedness and humility, as to cause you to be regarded by the pious as those who do love their Saviour, and seek from proper motives, to be engaged in his special service ? — whether the young with whom you associate, treat you as persons whose hearts are imbued with religion, and bent on extending the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and saving sinners? or, whether you are looked upon as those whose levity, instability, self-importance, trifling conversation and careless walking, justly withhold from you esteem and respect ? It is your duty to inquire further, whether you are harmless, sweet in your temper, gracious in your words, kind in your ac- tions, and meek under injuries ; or, habitually restless and peevish, Lkct. III.] Practical Befiections. 63 irritable, suspicious, harsh and provoking in your language, and offensive in your manners and dress ? Ah ! if you are not now inoffensive, humble, patient, slow to anger, and in some measure evidently attractive, in consequence of the exhibition of those graces which render " the righteous more excellent than his neigh- bor," how much has the Church to fear that you will not be ex- emplary and growingly useful, when you shall be exposed to all the trials of holy temper and speech incident to the care of a congregation. But it has also been shown in this lecture, that prudence is a grace of the mind, of high importance in the ministry of the Word, and that the gospel service calls loudly for holy zeal and fortitude. Fix then your attention upon these Christian virtues; inquire what evidence you now give, that you in any measure possess them ; and be solicitous to grow in them. In speech, men may be imprudent in instances too numerous to be mentioned here ; nor can it escape your observation, that in the ordinary intercourse of life, many variances and animosities between individuals and families, spring from this source. "The tongue is a fire — a world of iniquity." Guard therefore the doors of your lips, especially when speaking of the moral characters of others, and replying to those who misrepresent your conduct and assail you with invective language. Apart, however, from the usual imprudence in speech, students of theology, when engaged in religious conversation, or invited to speak in worshipping as- semblies, may act unwisely, by undertaking, without much read- ing and reflection, to discuss subjects mysterious or highly contro- versial ; by using unkind terms in relation to other Christian sects, or even to persons of their own denomination, who will not, in expressing divine truth, adopt their theological phraseology, be- cause it runs along the precipice of error ; nor approve their new measures, because they so easily slide down into extravagances, and usually terminate either in fanaticism or heresy, by errone- ously exhibiting the perfection of duty as constituting the Christian character; and in the ardor of their zeal, to produce awakenings among careless sinners,* shutting with a presumptuous hand against * " The revivalist would continue, 'Do you not love Godf Will you not say you love God f ' Then taking out his watch : — ' There, now, I giro you a quarter of an hour; if not brought in fifteen minutes to love God, there will be no hope for you, — ^ Pastoral Qualifications' — Oifts. [Lect. III. them the gate of heaven, in words, when the God of grace keeps it open, in fact. Pious Dod, of England, whose ministry was re- markably blessed, used to say, "that a man never was undone till he was in hell." But now, sometimes we hear the preacher telling the sinner who shall remain impenitent under his excellent awa- kening discourse, not that his day of mercy may soon terminate, not that his soul may this night, or the next hour, be demanded of him, but that he will be given up to entire hardness of heart, and enjoy no future season for repentance. Happily, however, the same preacher must afterwards, in preaching "the glorious gospel" to the same sinner, tell him that the door of mercy is yet open, and that Jesus, the Saviour, "still calls — still bids him come." Much of that imprudent language and conduct which attaches, at this day, to some portion of the gospel ministry, originates in a design, to be executed with burning zeal^ either to subvert old doc- trine, and introduce new philosophy in religion ; or, by any means, to extend sect, and acquire seats of honor and power in the visible Church ; or, to find a substitute for unfeigned repent- ance and the renunciation of self- righteousness, and to acquire, by a course of pious and useful external movements, a broad founda- tion on which to raise the hope of pardon and eternal life. For the unrenewed, though awakened, heart of man finds it easier to perform a thousand external services in religion, and in them to cry out, "Come see my zeal for the Lord" — to be punctual at morning prayer-meetings, and active in the "promotion of various benevolent plans, than to lie low before God, in sincere contrition of spirit, and to abandon its self-righteous sentiments and hopes. The Pharisees, among the Jews, were proverbially zealous in re- ligion; and much zeal actuates the missionaries of Eome, and inspires the souls of those who undergo various hardships to reach Loretto, or to visit the sepulchre of Christ at Jerusalem. But "what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord." There is a zeal for the glory of God — a holy ardor of spirit in his ser- vice— an activity in the promotion of the great interests of Chris- " you will he lost, — you will be damned.' A pause, and no response. ' Ten minutes have elapsed ; five minutes only left for salvation. If you do not love God in five minutes, you are lost for ever.' " See Dr. Cox's Narrative of a Scene in Vermont Lect. in.] Practical Reflections. 65 tianity, which is a noble feature of the new man, — a grace of which we cannot possess nor exhibit too large a measure, — a grace which, under the impulse of divine truth and love, " expands her wings and mounts into the sky." In this grace seek to grow ; keep constantly before you all the powerful considerations which urge you to display that zeal which is neither ostentatious nor self-righteous, but pure, ardent, and unabating. Some are disposed to be alert and headmost, when they perceive that a course of religious action is applauded ; but their zeal soon languishes when it has to work unnoticed and uncomraended. Like the mountain torrent, it runs for a while with much noise, and dashes into foam, but soon dries up. Now, let it be your great concern, to have your hearts "early rooted and grounded in the love of Christ ; " then your zeal, like that of Brainerd and Carey, will look discouragements in the face, increase as circumstances call for greater exertion, and brighten in conflicts with untoward events. Especially let me earnestly exhort you to cultivate and exercise the grace of holy fortitude. The revolutionary spirit of the age, and of the world, has infected thousands in the Christian Church. They are restless under the old and approved laws of Zion, " in vetere via novam semitam quterentes," and prepared to adopt every new scheme, with little reflection. Hence, even in theo- logical schools, a few are seen "to be carried about with every wind of doctrine," yielding themselves to the successive waves of old errors, under the name of better views of theological truth, and exhibiting a disposition to stand out in bold relief, as those who are destined to effect great things in the conversion of sin- ners, and in the reformation of a world that lieth in wickedness. In this temper of mind, they embrace every innovation as an im- provement— disregard alike the lessons of history and the voice of experience, and never stop to reflect that the mere copyist of " modern fashions and notions in religion," may be as far removed from sound doctrine as the veriest slave of "ancient customs." Guard against that instability of mind, which so readily yields without due examination, to the popular movements and ojDinions in the visible Church. "I have often thought," observes Dr. Watts, "that it is a right noble and gallant principle, which enables a person to pass a just and solid judgment upon all things 66 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. III. that occur, without bemg warpt aside by the influence of fashion and custom ; it is a noble soul that can practise steady virtue, in opposition to the course of the humor of the multitude : '"Tis brave to meet the world, stand fast among Whole crowds, and not be carried in the throng." You are preparing for the gospel ministry at a time when the spirit of change is advancing to do great evils in the churches. Justly has Dr. Dana said,* "The order of the day is innovation. The spirit of the age is innovation ; innovation, restless and reck- less ; innovation, which, while it professedly aims to improve and perfect Christianity itself, disfigures its beautiful structure, mars its fair proportions, undermines its very foundations, and threatens to leave nothing of this divine system but its name. "We tremble for our country. We almost tremble for the Church of God. Indeed, we have long been convinced, that apart from the numberless enemies which encompass the Church from without, it harbors in its own bosom evils which are amply suf- ficient for its destruction — evils which, had it not an Almighty guardian, would have actually destroyed it ages since." Admitting this representation of the state of the Church here to be correct, what wisdom will you need, " to take forth the pre- cious from the vile ;" what fortitude, to breast the torrent of in- novations, and to encounter a foe who marches under a banner on which are inscribed, "superior light, zeal, and liberahty!" In former ages, bigotry, "the carcass of dead piety," " In every different sect 't was known, It made the cassock and the cowl its own, Now stalk'd in formal cloak, now flutter'd in the gown;" frowning upon rational inquiry, checking all attempts at reforma- tion, and frequently shedding "the blood of the saints." But now, and in this country, where civil institutions have direct ten- dency to produce a proud spirit of independence in men, the pub- lic temper strongly inclines toward a point the very opposite of bigotry in religion. Be observant, therefore, of the character of the times. " Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God ; because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John, iv. 1.) * Review of Chapin's Essay. See Liter, and Theol. Review, No. viii. LECTUKEIV. V QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS — PRAYER. Among the qualifications for the gospel ministry, are certain gifts, -without which no person can " be apt to teach." These en- dowments are two^ and usually denominated, 1. The Gift of Prayer— and 2. The Gift of Preaching the Word., The exercise of these gifts, it will be perceived, is necessary, to fulfil the duties of the pastoral office, which requires instructions to be given, by the ministers of the Lord Christ, in public worship and in private pastoral visitations to individuals and to families. Let me direct your attention, in the first place, First. To the importajit Gift of Prayer. I. Prayer is an essential part of the public worship of God. It is that principal act, by which the Church engages in direct formal adoration of the God of her salvation, avows her dependence upon his grace, expresses her thankfulness for his mercies and her hope in his promises. Accordingly the Church, in every age of her past existence, has offered up prayer in social worship. Under the ancient dispensation of grace, the house of God on earth was "an house of prayer," (Isaiah Ivi. 7 ;) and when tlic new dispensa- tion opened, prayer Avas the first act of worship, in which the apostles and primitive Christians were employed. Acts i. 13, 14: "And Avhcn they were come in from the mount called Olivet, they went up into an upper room, where abode botli Peter, and James, and John, and Antbew, Philip and Thomas, Bartliolomew and Matthew, James the son of Alplieusi, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the Avomen, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.!' 68 Jr-astoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. Prayer is a duty, wliicli is incumbent on Christian pastors. The apostles requested to be relieved from the service of the poor, that they might "give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." (Acts vi. 4.) This duty is distinct from ejaculatory, and from stated secret and family prayer, and may therefore be denominated, Public Pastoral Prayer. Prayer by the pastor, in the discharge of his official duty in the worshipping assembly, may be thus defined : It is the offering up to God, the petitions of the church committed to his episcopal care, "for things agreeable to the Divine Will, in the name of Christ, by the help of the Holy Spirit, with confession of sins and thankful ac- knowledgment of mercies." Such prayer is distinguished from other prayer, not by any quality which renders prayer acceptable to God, but principally by the extended interest which it involves, embracing directly the wants and desires of a particular church, and the concerns of the Holy Catholic Church in this world. 1. The Christian minister, in such pubhc addresses to God, says Yitringa, "is the representative of those assembled who believe with the heart." This fact, it will not be denied, is overlooked by some who are engaged in the service of the sanctuary. Perceiv- ing before them an assemblage of persons, some of whom they well know have experienced no change of heart, they, in the confession of sin, describe the Church as being still in an unrenewed and un- sanctified state. Accordingly in prayer they express themselves after this manner : " There is no health in us — we are dead in tres- passes and in sins — we daily sin with a high hand against God' — we are children of wrath — we love the world more than God," etc. All which confessions are true of men in their natural state, and are descriptive of all Christians, before they repented and beheved the gospel : but the Church is "quickened together with Christ" — she believes, loves and adores — ^the Saviour hath put a portion " of his own comeliness upon her." Her public prayers, there- fore, while they express her miserable condition ly nature, her im- perfections and defections, should correspond with her high calling of God, and be so framed, that every one redeemed by grace may, witli a free conscience and voice, add a hearty " Amen !" (1 Cor. xiv. 16.) 2. Pastoral prayer, equally with all the prayers which Chris- ! Lect. IV.] Prayer. 69 tians offer up, must be addressed, not to the Virgin Mary — not to angels nor to saints, but to God alone, in the name of Jesus Christ, the only Mediator and High Priest of our profession. Luke iv, 8 : " Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Rev. xix. 10 : " And I fell at his feet (the angel's feet) to worship hmi. And he said unto me, See thou do it not : I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren, that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God." 1 Tim. ii. 5: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men — the man Christ Jesus." Gentilism, or that system which was early formed in opposition to the revealed Word and worship of God, admitted the existence of a Supreme Intelligence, but erected many inferior gods, as pow- erful agencies to operate between that Supreme Intelligence, and man ; and these gods of various place and capacity, it converted into mediators/ This system moulded the religion of ancient Chaldea, Egypt, India and Crete, and was imported into Greece. It constitutes the basis of the philosophic theology of Plato. But Hoi}'' Scripture reveals one only living and true God, and one me- diator between God and man. The corrupt Church of Rome, you know, borrowing much of her theology and ritual worship from the pagan temples, admits the existence of various mediators, and at this day seems to exult in the mediatorial office of Mary, whom she adores as " the Queen of Heaven." With a view to reconcile her idolatries " with the law of God's house, she teaches that religious worship is of two kinds, a superior, and an inferior, worship," The apostles and primitive Christians, as we may learn from the Acts and the Epis- tles, engaged only in one kind of religious worship : and the " an- cient Fathers," Cudworth correctly observes, "made no such dis- tinction of religious worship — into Latreia, as peculiar to the Su- preme God, it being that whereby he is adored, as self-existent, omnipotent, or the Creator of all — and into Doideia, such an in- ferior religious worship as is connivable to creatures: but con- cluded of religious worship, universally and without distinction, that the due object of it all was, the Creator only, and not any creature." See " Intellectual System," book 1, chap. iv. 3. Pastoral prayer must be audible, and expressed in a language which is understood by the people. Silent prayer, in the place of worship, cannot be social public to Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. prayer. With a view to defend its practice, some may describe it " as an overshado-wing of their spirits by the Almighty," but it is secret prayer, and belongs to the closet. The Christian may with profit engage in silent prayer, before the commencement of the public worship of God ; but should that worship be begun, when he joins himself to the worshipping assembly, he should immedi- ately unite in this holy service. Every duty has its proper place and time ; and he who wishes to engage in meditation and silent prayer before public worship, should be seated in the place of assembling in due season. Against the doctrine and practice of the Church of Eome, we contend, that the prayers of the pastor must be neither muttered, as her priests do, at the sacrifice of the Mass, nor be offered up in Latin, or in any other language unintelligible to the congregation. For, though such prayer be spoken by one, yet it is an act of social worship, and therefore the minds and hearts of all who worship God should be engaged in it. Adoration of Deity, is the dxity of every individual in the place of public worship, who has passed beyond the incapacities of childhood : now such adoration implies, that the words by which it is expressed are understood — ^for. un- less they be understood, how shall we be able to ascertain that they describe our wants and express our desires and requests ? The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians xiv. 16, teaches, that in the Christian congregations prayers and the giving of thanks must be so conducted, that the people — even the most illiterate — ^may say " Amen." " Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified." The term " amen" in religious worship is a short prayer, and its utterance implies, that the assent of the worshipper has been un- derstandingly given to the prayers and thanksgivings : but how can that short prayer be made to apply, either to the silent prayer of another, or to prayers in unintelligible language ? The passage just referred to, as well as every part of the New Testament Scriptures, shows that all the persons in public worship did not attempt to pray audibly and simultaneously in the primitive churches. God is the author, not " of that confusion " which some- times has been seen in worshipping assemblies, but requires every thing "to be done decently and in order." Lkct. IV.] Prayer as a Grace and a Gift. 71 Every part of public worship must be subservient to tbe edify- ing of the body of Christ. But public prayers, which are unin- telligible through the use of a foreign language, can neither ad- minister to edification, nor call the affections of the heart into exercise. The Latin service of Eome should, at this day, form no part of Christian worship in any place. The Hebrews, under the Mosaic dispensation, offered up their prayers in a known tongue. The Saviour, in social prayer, used a language which his disci- ples and the Jews around him well understood. The primitive and ancient Christians heard the Word and united in prayer, using the language of their respective countries. Origen (Contra Calsum, 1, viii.) says : " But the Grecian Christians in Greek, the Romans in Latin, and every one in his own proper tongue, prays to God and praises him, as he is able." Were even the ancient liturgies, when these compositions came into ecclesias- tical use, written in the same language ? Far from it. 4. Pastoral prayer must be, in its matter^ as diversified as are the wants and circumstances of a Christian congregation : it must be intellectual^ and calculated to actuate, under the Divine blessino-, the graces, in the hearts of the pious ; and it must be cotuistent with and hosed upon, the promises of God, contained in his written Word, II. Now, for the performance of such an important duty as the frequent offering up of public prayer, to the edification of the Church, the Evangelical Pastor must be well qualified ; and such qualification sustains a close relation to two things, which are not always united, namely : 1. The Grace of Prayer, and 2. The Gift of Prayer. It has been said by some, that a more just distinction on this subject would be, the taknt of elocution in prayer, and the sinrit of prayer. It is. true, that the spirit of prayer is a special gift of the Holy Ghost : but we believe with Dr. Watts, that " the ordinary assistance of the Spirit of Christ is required, for the attainment of that skill and ability to pray, which is called the gift of prayer. 1. By the grace of prayer, is to be understood that holy habit wrought in Christians on their conversion to God, and afterwards maintained and strengthened in them by the Word of truth and 72 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. rv. tlie Spirit of prayer and sanctification, by wliich tliey are enabled to offer up tlieir requests to God, and to wrestle with him in the exercise of the graces of the divine life. This grace of prayer, in order to distinguish it from lip service or mere formality, in our addresses at the Throne of Grace, is frequently called "the spirit of prayer." It may exist and operate powerfully in the heart of one who possesses but in a very moderate degree the gift of j^rayer. It belongs to those operations of the Holy Spirit which, in the language of the schools, were distinguished by the terms "gratia gratum facien$y (Matt. xv. 28.) 2. By the gift of prayer {gratia gratis data) is meant the ability to offer up prayer in worshipping assemblies in a devotional man- ner, and to the edihcation of the Church, wiiliout ivritteii forms. Your attention must be limited here to the gift of prayer, as that is the talent which the pastor is called to exercise, in the public ser- vice of the Church. What relates to prayer as a pastoral duty^ belongs to the second branch of Pastoral Theology, and shall here- after find its proper place in these lectures. But, it may be asked, whence arises the necessity of discussing at all, the importance of the gift of prayer as a qualification for the gospel ministry? for, in public prayer, it is far better to leave nothing to the understanding and memory of the pastor — let him ase written forms of prayer, well digested, and containing matter suited to that solemn and interesting part of divine worship. It is most true, that if the pastor be restricted to written forms of prayer in public worship, what we denominate the gift of prayer, cannot with propriety be enumerated among the qualifications for the ministry of the gospel : nor need one "who desires the ofl&ce of a bishop " concern himself either about the matter or order of prayer, nor use any means for his improvement in the gift of prayer. All his attention in the performance of this pastoral duty must then be directed to the art of reading well the set forms of prayer before him. We readily concede, that forms of prayer, which accord with the doctrines of Scripture and express the desires and affections of renewed minds, do not vitiate the worship of God, and may occasionally be profitably used. They may aid " babes in Christ," and improve the phraseology in prayer of the unlearned and the ignorant. Pastors may recommend the use of wholesome forms Lkct. IV.] Prayer — Liturgies. 73 to a certain class of young converts, whose gift in j)rayer is slen- der, and whose knowledge and experience in the Christian life are very limited. Accordingly, our Eeformed Church, which is a branch of the great Reformed Church in Europe, has her Liturgy^ in which are forms of prayers to be used, when circumstances re- quire it, by ministers and by Christian people in their closets and their families ; and also in worshipping assemblies, on occasion of the administration of holy baptism and the Lord's Supper. But her liturgy, with its prayers, is not designed to hind the conscience, and to create the disuse of the gift of prayer. No, indeed ; the Holy Scripture alone is " the law of Grod's house." " Neither," says our Confession of Faith, Art. vii., "may we compare the writings of man, though ever so holy, with these Divine Scrip- tures, nor ought we to compare custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times, or persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, with the truth of God ; for the truth is above all." III. But where, in Holy Scripture, is the divine laiu, requiring that written forms of prayer alone should be used, either in public or private worship ? No such law is to be found in the sacred pages of the Bible. The only passage containing any appearance of a divine injunction to that effect, which the friends of written forms have produced, is Matt. vi. 9 : " After this manner, there- fore, pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed," etc. But we remark on this passage — 1. That the Lord's Prayer, as it is usually called, was composed and given out by the "Master of assemblies," that Christians "might have a Summary Symbol of all the excellent things they were to ask of God in his name ; a model by which they might square their desires and petitions." Hence, it was not delivered in the same words by the several evangelists. Augustine says : " Christ gave it as a model, or rather a form, teaching his disciples what things they should pray for— and understands it to be meant chiefly as a directory for secret and mental prayer, where words are not necessary."— See Grotius, Com. on Matt. vi. 9. 2. If the passage, Matthew vi. 9, proves any thing more than that the Lord's Prayer may be used, and that it is a model, then it proves too much for our adversaries, and prohibits the use of any other form of prayer! Our Lord gave no other form, and he 74 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lkct. IV. gave this one form to exhibit the manner; and if the word "man- ner " express the^bligation to use the words themselves, then the form alone must be invariably used, for there is no other which sustains the character of a Divine Rule or Law : but this would exclude the greater part of the Latin service, of the Book of Common Prayer, and other human comjDositions of this kind, from use. 3. But the apostles and primitive Christians well understood those words of their Saviour ; hence, nothing is recorded of the use of the Lord's Prayer by them in the Acts or in the Epistles to the Churches: and hence also, these inspired men prescribed no written forms of prayer for public use. "There can be little, if any, doubt," says Palmer ^^ "that Christian liturgies ivere not at first committed to icriting^ but preserved by memory and prac- tice." The apostles, then, did not compose any liturgy for di- vine service ; the primitive Christians had no such formulary in their worshipping assemblies. "It seems," says the same writer, " to have been often assumed by the learned, that there was ori- ginally some one apostolic form of liturgy in the Christian Churct, to which all the monuments of ancient liturgies, and the notices of which the Fathers supply, might be reduced! Were this hypothesis supported by facts, it would be very val- uable. But the truth is, there are several different forms of lit- urgies now in existence, which, as far as we can perceive, have been different from each other from the most remote period.'''' It is easy to imagine that there was an apostolic form of liturgy, and by a little additional effort of the imagination, to insinuate that the apostles and presbyters delivered their prayers invariably in the same words in consecutive sentences, so that their prayers were easily retained in the memories of the Christian people! But, unhappily for the cause of ritualists, proofs in confirmation of such imaginings are wanting in Scripture and antiquity. 4. The Lord's Prayer may be, in its form, recommended to the use both of Christian pastors and people, on account of its excel- lency ; but it ought not to be used in worshipping assemblies, save as a part of some prayer better adapted to the broad light and rich grace of the New Testament dispensation. * Palmer's Origines Liturgicai — Introduction- Lect. IV.] Prayer — Liturgies. 75 In the Lord's Prayer, though the kingdom of the Messiah be referred to preeminently, in its full development and glory, yet we are not taught to ask in the name of Jesus Christ, " crucified for our offenses, and raised from the dead for our justification." The reason of this doubtless is, that the atonement had not yet been made by the Saviour incarnate, and therefore certain facts in relation to that mysterious work were not to be clearly unfolded to the disciples at that time. Accordingly, our Lord said, (John xvi.,) "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name," as the Son of "God, manifest in the flesh. But at that day," when I have been delivered up, when, after my resurrection, I shall have de- parted from you in body, "ye shall ask in my name." That day has long since come ; and therefore the Lord's Prayer, when used as the only prayer of tlje Christian Church in worship, would neither correspond with her knowledge of divine truth, nor fulfil her duty. The old economy was still in force when that prayer was spoken by the Saviour; hence some expositors have consid- ered it as falling under that dispensation. Be this, however, as it may, the facts just stated should prevent the frequent repetition of that prayer at one time, by one assembly, in worship. The Master expressly cautioned his disciples against " vain repetitions in prayer." This the heathens* practised, and the Church of Rome has in this superstition and error imitated them, regardless of the Saviour's injunction. In her form of the "Rosary," she requires that her penitents shall repeat the Lord's Prayer fifteen times, and in that of the "Crown" seven times; each form of prayer idolatrously decked with numerous " ave Maria's." Truly when "the beast," maddened through power, slung around her tail, reason, scripture, and common sense, were carried away in its sweeping process. Certain it is, in the early Christian churches, pastors and people did not use the Lord's Prayer in that manner, which in subsequent ages ecclesiastical custom seemed to authorize. * Even the AInhometans indulge in these vain repetitions. Harmar, vol. I. Obser- vation 3, gives us the beginning of one of their prayers, thus : "0 God! O God! 0 God I 0 God I 0 Lord 1 O Lord ! O Lord 1 0 Lord ! 0 thou living 1 O thou immortal! 0 thou living! 0 thou immortal! 0 thou living! 0 thou immortal! 0 thou living! 0 thou immortal! 0 creator of the heaven and the earth ! 0 creator of the heaven 1 " etc. 76 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts, [Lect. iv The primitive believers regarded it as a prayer adapted to the lips of those who were conscious that they were under the influ- ence " of that charity which is the bond of perfectness." Hence they called it, emphatically, "the prayer of the faithful." Some say that the early Christians used the Lord's Prayer at the conse- cration of the Eucharist ; others deny it ; but this circumstance, if true, would go to confirm the facts just stated. Strange it must be to every thinking mind, that while the frequent celebra- tion of the Holy Supper is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, and referred to in the Epistles, not a hint is given of the use of the Lord's Prayer on those solemn occasions. 5. But, if it be admitted that in Matthew vi. a form was pre- scribed by the Saviour, we may still ask, what authority does that circumstance give to others to compose forms of prayer, which shall bind the consciences of Christians ? He was invested with supreme authority, and guided by unerring wisdom. Are they thus endowed ? There is, then, no express divine law binding pastors and their congregations to pray hy written forms. There was no such law enacted under the ancient dispensation, as the Scriptures plainly show ; yet, at that period, the liberty of God's people was in many respects " bondage," in comparison of that freedom which is one of the glorious privileges and rich blessings of the New Testament Church. lY. An attempt however has been made, to maintain the use of written forms exclusively in the public worship of God, by an argument drawn from the practice of our Lord Jesus Christ during his abode with men. Accordingly, it has been said that in the ancient synagogue worship the Jews u.sed written forms of prayer; that our Saviour did not condemn the use of those forms while he was upon earth, but that he united with the Jews in that very worship in which those forms were used. I must preface my reply to this argument, by reminding you that we do not teach that the use of written forms, or a liturgy, is inconsistent with the pure and spiritual worship of God ; for such is not our doctrine. We believe that God is worshipped " in spirit and in truth," by those persons who exercise the grace of prayer, whether they use a written form or not. Many a pious Lect. IV.] Prayer — Liturgies. 'J'J heart, with a written form of prayer before it, has so supplicated the Divine mercy in the name of Jesus, as "to have power with God and prevail " in his suit. Christians and young converts, as we have before remarked, may, in consequence of their defect in the gift of prayer, derive aid and benefit from prayer-books. In such books they will find their state better described, their trou bles, wants and desires better expressed, than can be done by words of their own selection, and sentences of their own hasty composition. Nor can it with truth be said, that a prescribed form of prayer " quenches the Spirit," if it be found useful in lib- erating the mind from perplexity, in choosing and arranging terms for the expression of thought, and operate to excite the religious affections. Here let it be added, that in those past ages in which emperors, kings, and their courtiers embraced the Christian faith, vast mul- titudes of their subjects, most of whom were illiterate, imitating the conduct of their princes, rushed into the Church and were unwisely received and baptized. Now, not to leave this baptized multitude, who were unable to read, wholly without instruction and worship, persons ill-qualified were in great number invested with the ofiice of priests and pastors ; but the gifts of these teachers were so small^ that edification in public jDrayer could not be ex- pected from them. In such cases, then, their slender abilities were doubtless aided in religious service by the use of a liturgy. The Church now offers certain forms of prayer, to be used in social worship, (for the Confessions and Forms of the Evangelical churches have proved to be more faithful than their ministry,) with a view to secure the avowal of sound doctrine and proper sentiments of the heart, in connection with the observance of the holy sacraments. But while all these concessions are cheerfully made, it is never- theless true, that there is no divine law binding the Church to the stated use of prescribed forms of prayers; and that the public worship of God, conducted by qualified ministers of his Word, is better without written forms. 1. The Spirit of God, speaking by Moses and the prophets, did not prescribe the liturgies of the synagogue. Indeed, it is to be doubted that synagogue worship existed at any time during the period of ancient inspirations. Whence, then, were these syna- 78 Pastoral Qualifications — G'ifts. [Lect. IV. gogue prayers derived? They were human, uninspired composi- tions.* A few men composed them at different times. And have not ministers of the Word the like liberty now, to compose prayers on occasion of public worship, and to vary their compositions as the spirit of religion and the wants and circumstances of a Chris- tian congregation demand? Where, in Holy Scripture, is any one man, however exalted in the hierarchy, or any class of men, how- ever gifted, invested with power to manufacture prayers which shall invariably be offered up by the whole Church in worship? The apostle Paul was directed by the Holy Spirit to say to Chris- tians, "Stand fast, brethren, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Gal. v. 1.) 2. So far as the argument stated may be thought to derive any force from Avhat our Saviour did in the days of his ministrations on earth, Dean Prideaux himself, who urges it, has given a siif- ficient answer. He saj's, "that our Lord was contented to join with the public in the meanest forms of public worship, rather than separate from it." Now, " the like mind shoulcj be in us." Were we placed in situations in which the regular worship of the living God was conducted by written forms of prayer, which do not corrupt the Word, we should join in it, instead of separating ourselves from it. Such worship is inexpressibly better than no worship at all : it has all the essential attributes of true Christian worship, if the hearts of those who engage in it be well affected towards God. 3. Besides, our Saviour was not the regular minister of any synagogue; and the time for the introduction of another and purer mode of worship, under a new dispensation of grace, had not yet come. 4. But when that new disj)ensation actually opened with the ministry of the inspired apostles, did these apostles set them- selves to compose forms of prayer for the use of Christian churches, * "With respect to the Old Testament Church, -we know of no evidence that they had any forms which could, with propi-iety, be called a liturgy." " The Old Testament Scriptures do not give the least hint of tlie existence of such forms of prayer for the synagogue worship. Philo and Josephus are perfectly silent respecting such forms." — Repertory, vol. xi., No. 2. Lect. IV.] Prayer — Liturgies. 79 so as to maintain in the duty of public prayer a resemblance of the synagogue worship; or, so as to secure uniformity in wor- ship ? Nothing of this kind was done, and nothing of this kind is to be seen in their writings. In their Epistles we read of a "form of doctrine," referring hereby to a system or sketch of di- vine truth ; but where do they direct the attention to a set form of jDrayers ? Such a form did not occupy Paul's thoughts, when he said to believers in Ephesus, (not, as some diocesan bishops have done, Use your prayer-books, but) " Pray ye with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perse- verance." (Ephes. vi.) 5. Our Lord could not have heard the synagogue prayers trans- mitted to us read in worship ; for, while many of the learned pro- nounce the eighteen synagogue prayers to be forgeries, we know that some of them were composed after the destruction of Jeru- salem and the wide dispersion of the Jews. The Saviour con- demned the Jewish leaders in religion for "making long prayers," probably referring, in part, to the synagogue prayers, which were very long, and which Prideaux describes as "very jejune and empty forms." V. But, in the absence of all divine law requiring Christian churches to worship God in the use of written forms of prayer, the friends of such forms argue " that it is highly expedient to use thepi in public worship." Before a reply be made to arguments of this kind, I must re- mark, that if the use of written forms of prayer in the stated wor- ship of God, is to rest on the ground of expediency^ then let not any book of common prayer be thrust upon us under the show of divine authority, and as if it formed a part of God's own Word; then^lcX us not be told that efforts to evangelize the heathen, by means of the gospel and its ministry, must not be made, unless the "Book of Common Prayer" used' in the Church of England ac- company the precious Bible. This requisition obviously dero- gates from the proper character of the written Word of God, and reflects upon the office and power of the Spirit of truth and of sup])lieation. The apostles and primitive Christians knew noth- ing of such a union of human inventions with the sacred oracles, in their attempts at making converts to the Christian faith. They 80 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. went abroad, " preaching tlie Word;" bnt where do we read that they carried with them books of common prayer, for use in public worship ? Printing j)resses, with their mighty power, had no ex- istence in those days ; converts were multiplied every where : by what means were they to be supplied with prayer-books ? But, it may be said, liturgies were early composed and used in the Christian churches ; there were compositions of this kind bearing the imposing names of the Apostles and Evangelists ; as, the Liturgy of Matthew, the Liturgy of Peter, and those of James and Mark. In relation to these works, it will be sufficient for my purpose, in this place, to give you the remarks of a distinguished Episco- palian: "Two books," he writes, "are still remaining, under the name of Matthew, viz : a liturgy pretended to have been composed by him, and a discourse concerning the nativity of the blessed Virgin ; but both rejected by learned men, as works of some im- postor, many ages after the death of that holy apostle. " As for the liturgies ascribed in like manner to some others of the apostles, viz : St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. James, there is not, I suppose, any learned man at this day who believes them to have been written by those holy men, and set forth in the man- ner that they are now published." — See the Apostolic Fathers, by William, Archbishop of Canterbury. Baronius even does not ascribe those liturgies to the apostles and evangelists; and "there are things in them," says Dr. Owen, " not dreamt of in the days of the apostles." "With regard to the liturgies attributed to Chrysostom and Basil," says Bishop White, an English prelate who lived under the reigns of James I. and Charles I., "the litur- gies fathered upon St. Basil and St. Chrysostom have a known mother, to wit, the Roman Church ; but there is (Ijesides many other just exceptions) so great dissimilitude between the supposed fathers of the children, that the}'" rather argue the dishonest deal- ings of their mother, than serve as lawful witnesses of that which the adversary intended to prove by them." — Tracts against Fisher the Jesuit, p. 277. Several writers have attempted to trace the rise of liturgies in the Christian churches of olden times. Evidently they had slen- der beginnings, and originated partly in the help which pastors sought to obtain for themselves by writing out the prayers they Lect. IV.] Prayer — Liturgies. 81 would, offer up in worship, and to afford to converts, who were ill- educated in religion and little versed in the phraseology or " whole- some words " expressive of gospel truths — and partly in the desire of preachers to render the Christian religion less offensive and more popular, by imitating the religious rites of the Jews and Gentiles. From this disposition to bring their system of doctrine and worship more into harmony with the prevailing sentiments and customs of the age, sprang nearly all the corruptions which soon infected the Christian Church. The Jews evinced a growing attachment to forms, just in proportion as they lost the spirit of true religion ; and the Grentiles, in their splendid religious estab- lishments at Kome, Alexandria, and other great cities, had a solemn form for every public action, in worshipping their gods. Could the ministers of the Christian faith, inspired by unhallowed ambi- tion, leave their worshipping assemblies long without liturgies and imposing ceremonies ? Accordingly, as one remarks, liturgies owe their origin, not to the apostles, not to any Councils General or Provincial, but to the choice and determination of individuals in the gospel service: one person composed one form, another person composed another, a third made additions to these ; presently some of the fathers col- lected these forms, (for no early liturgy was completed,) added what they considered to be improvements, and so commended them to the use of their own churches. Hence the liturgies were as many and various as the great Episcopal churches of those days. In the beginning of the fifth century they began to take order about the use of liturgies. Henceforward darkness overspread the Christian world ; the top stone of the hierarchy was laid in the supremacy of the Bishop of Eome, and the mystery of iniquity was fully developed. Kitualism triumphed over the power of di- vine truth, and the spirituality of divine worship. The Bible, excepting in small, disconnected portions of it, was unknown and unread; and liturgical service at length resulted in the Koman Mass. Even in the seventh century, "the first form, which as- sumed the character of a lihellus officialise was not a complete liturgy." The antiquity of liturgies, then, ought not to restrain us from the free exercise of the gift of prayer in public worship : for we have seen that the apostles and presbyters used no liturgies ; on 6 82 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lsct. rV- the contrary, they directed the ministers of our religion to " covet the best gifts," and bring their gifts in public praying and preach- ing to the service of their Divine Master. Nor ought we to be influenced by the suggestion, "that liturgies serve to promote and secure uniformity in the worship of God." For uniformity, such as God requires in the churches of the saints, is sufficiently secured, as we may ascertain by attending divine worship in various places, without the use of written forms of prayer. Were the apostles regardless of the unity of the Church ? Had they no concern for a proper uniformity in worship ? Yet they prescribed no liturgy, and the prayers on record, which dropped from their own lips, seem not to have been the repetition of any form. VI. In favor of the expediency of using written forms of prayer, well digested, and approved by the Popes, Queen Eliza- beth and others, who exercised usurped authority in the Church, it has been said, " Who wants the crude and indigested thoughts of another thrown out in such a solemn exercise as prayer in public worship?" An answer to this misrepresentation of what is done and heard in numerous worshipping assemblies of Christians, may be thus given : 1. It must be first proved that all prayers, without written forms, are made up "of crude and indigested thoughts — of inap- propriate petitions, and expressed in unedifying language." For that endowment denominated "the gift of prayer" — a gift enu- merated among the qualifications for the gospel ministry — ^presup- poses and secures that very talent which sets aside the objection just stated. 2. The Church must guard against the evil of unedifying pas- toral prayer, "by laying hands suddenly on no man." She must see to it, that those persons whom she calls to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ be furnished with gifts which shall render them "apt to teach," and skilful in framing addresses to God, in the behalf of Christians engaged in the duty of public worship. 3. Accordingly, in churches well governed, that evil is guarded against. Christian congregations have those "to watch for their souls," who oficr up every Sabbath suitable and edifying prayers. Lect. IV.] Prayer — Extemporaneous. 83 So true is this, that it is rare to hear any complaints among the people, of defects in this branch of social worship. On the con- trary, many churches having good forms of prayer, and compre- hending a great number of intelligent and pious members, prefer free or extemporaneous prayer. Surely the apostles did not think that those who were called of God to the saci'ed ministry would be unable to pray and to ad- minister the ordinances in an edifying manner; otherwise they would have made provision for this serious defect. But Christ lives to give good gifts to his servants ; they have ability to offer up prayer, and are not dependent on liturgies for the faithful exe- cution of their' ofiice. 4. If a pastor be able and faithful, his thoughts in prayer, though they do not run invariably into one order, cannot "be indigested and crude." His business is prayer ; and the same application of the mind which enables him to preach so as to edify, will qualify him, through the aid of the Holy Spirit, to pray so as not to dis- turb the devotions and lacerate the religious sensibilities of others. VII. But it has been further objected against the practice of extemporaneous prayer in public worship, that if we do not know beforehand what the prayer is to be, how shall we be prepared to say " Amen" to the petitions which may be offered? This objection obviously has little weight : for there is abun- dant security in the piety and talents of a good pastor, that he will pray aright and in an edifying manner. If he cannot be trusted to pray with his flock, he ought not to be intrusted with the embassy of Christ to sinners, nor be empowered to administer the holy sacraments to believers. As a man, in the exercise of his judgment, may assent to a truth delivered in a sermon not before read by him, so he may with his heart, tacitly or by an "Amen," join in any holy desire expressed by another in prayer, though the words of that prayer, and the order of its petitions and thanksgivings, had not been placed before him for his examination and approval. But if a pastor, through ignorance or fanatical imprudence, utters any sentiment in prayer, in which the pious cannot heartily join, they are not bound to say "Amen" to it. Ignorance and imprudence are dis(iualifications for the pastoral ofiice. 84 l-'astoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lect. IV. YIII. I shall conclude this lecture with the arguments which sup- port the exercise, by the pastor, of his gift of prayer in the divine service, and the duty of extemporaneous prayer, or prayer offered up without written forms — and with some practical reflections. 1. The people of God, under the ancient dispensation of grace, as we may learn from the book of Psalms and the other sacred records, were not restricted to any particular forms of prayer ; and especially under the present more spiritual dispensation of the great Abrahamic Covenant, the Holy Spirit has prescribed no set forms. The apostles and primitive Christians used no written forms : some of their prayers and acts are inconsistent with the use of a liturgy. Such forms, as a substitute for the exercise of the gift of prayer by the pastors of the churches, were unknown in the first centuries. " In the Epistles of the Church at Smyrna, about the time of Polycarp's martyrdom, and of the churches of Vienne and Lyons, preserved by Eusebius, there are not the least intimations of such forms of service. In the Epistles of Clemens, Bishop of Eome, to the church of Corinth, the same silence is observed respecting liturgies. In the Epistles of Ignatius, in the writings of Justin Martyr, TertuUian, Origen, and Cyprian, the like silence prevails. Toward the end of the third century, in the writings of one or two, intimations are given of some particular prayers in some churches." (Orig. tom. II.) Justin Martyr, in speaking of the worship of God when Christians were assembled together, says, " that the president or officiating minister offers up prayers and thanksgiving, according to his ability," or gift of prayer ; an expression, as Dr. Dick remarks, " which would have been unmeaning if he read prayers from a book, as in this case no mental ability is required, and it is necessary to use only the eyes and the voice." TertuUian, who lived in the second century, says, "Looking towards heaven," (not to images and crosses, etc.,) "sine monitore, quia de pectore, oramus," — we pray without a monitor, because we pray from the heart. " We are not atheists," (the Gentiles called the Christians athe- ists, because they worshipped without material altars and images, an invisible God,) says Justin Martyr, " seeing we worship the Maker of the world, affirming indeed, as we are taught, that he stands in no need of blood and drink offerings, or incense ; in all Lect. IV.] Prayer — Extemporaneous. 85 oblations we praise him, according to our abilities, witb or in tbe way of prayer and thanksgiving." Origen speaks (Con. Gel. 1. 8) of public prayer in the same man- ner: "We worship one God and his own Son, who is his Word and Image, with supplications and honors, according to our ahility, offering to the God of the universe prayer, through his only be- gotten Son." Again, "He that prays must bless God 'kata duna- min,' according to his ability." Augustine, in his letter to Proba, a widow, speaks of prayer as offered up extemporaneously. (See Milner's Hist., vol. II.) Justin Martyr tells us that Christians in worship " rose up to prayer." Origen says, " they prayed with closed eyes," " closing the eyes of the senses, but lifting up those of the mind." Chrysostom says, " it required more confidence and boldness than Moses and Elias had, to pray, as they were wont to do, be- fore the Eucharist." Evidently, public prayer was conducted according to the ability and taste of each officiating minister for the time being. Hence arose the diversity observed in the prayers offered up ; and, after liturgies were introduced, the great variety in the liturgies of vari- ous churches in various places. Socrates, who lived in the begin- ning of the fifth century, remarks, " Generally in any place what- soever, and among all worshippers, there cannot be two found agreeing in the same prayers." Sozoman also says, " It cannot be found that the same prayers. psalms, or even the same readings, were used at the same time." (Hist. 1. vii.) Augustine says, "There is a freedom to use different words, provided the same things are maintained in prayers." (Epis. 121.) Liturgies in churches, within the limits of the Koman empire, were various and composed by various persons. " Even in the Romish Church in England, as late down as the Reformation, there was no single uniform hturgy for the whole kingdom." 2. Free or extemporaneous prayer by pastors in public wor- ship, is better adapted than prayer by written form, to excite and keep alive the spirit of devotion. We are so constituted, that what is often heard by being often repeated in the same words, is less attended to and less affectingr. " Though the confessions, the 86 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. petitions and praises, are never so happily framed, and the ex- pressions never so proper and pathetic," says Dr. Watts, "yet where the same set of words and phrases pass over the ears in a constant rehearsal, the soul, by degrees, loses those lively influ- ences and devout sensations which it at first received from them ; and the continued round of uniform expressions, rolling on in a beaten track, makes little more impression upon the heart, than the wheel that has often travelled over a hardened road." "In the use of such forms," says Bishop Wilkins, "a man ought to be very watchful over his own heart, for fear of lip- service and formality, which in these cases we are more especially exposed to." 3. Take another argument : Extemporaneous prayer gives scope for the improvement of the gift of prayer, and to the operation of the grace of prayer, by the expressions of the desires, confessions and thanksgivings of renewed minds. That the use of Avritten forms checks the improvement of the gift of prayer, is evident : what we do not bring into exercise, cannot be improved. Yet the Christian is commanded to "covet the best gifts," and to grow in all parts of Christianity, gifts as well as graces. But "to be satis- fied with his prayer-books," says Bishop Wilkins, " and go no further, is for a Christian to remain still in his infancy, and not to grow up in his new nature. This would be as if a man who had once need of crutches should always afterwards make use of them, and so necessitate to a continual impotence." But further, forms impose a restraint upon the desires of the mind, and check the grace of j)rayer in its exercise. They oblige us to think the thoughts of other men, and to limit ourselves to the expression of their desires, when, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we have thoughts and desires in a particular associ- ation of our own. " When the heart and thoughts of a Christian are confined to the words of any form, so as not to give himself the liberty of expressing his own devout breathings after God, whatever holy elevation of soul he may at present feel, this brings a heavy damp upon the inward devotion of the heart ; it binds the soul in uneasy fetters, and it appears to carry in it a resist- ance of those good motions of the blessed Spirit, whose assistance is promised in prayer, ' because we know not what to pray for as we ought, and the Spirit is given to make intercession for us, ac- Lect. IV.] Prayer — ExtemporancoiLS. 87 cording to the will of God.' (Rom. viii.) Sucli restraint is indeed painful to a holy and devout worshij^pcr ; it diminishes the plea- sure which the Christian has in his converse with heaven ; it makes him speak to God the thoughts of other men, while he enchains and neglects his own." This painful restraint, created by forms, some of the most ardent friends of the Book of Common Prayer have felt. It is said, that when Archbishop Seeker was confined by illness, and sensible of his approaching dissolution, Mr. Talbot, of Reading, who had lived in great intimacy with him, and had received his preferment from him, visited him at Lambeth. Before they parted, the Archbishop said, " You will pray with me, Mr. Talbot ?" "Whereupon, Mr. Tal- bot rose and went to look for a Prayer-Book. " That is not what I want now," said the dying prelate ; " kneel down by me and pray for me in the way I know you are used to do." It is therefore true, that in the freedom which extemporaneous prayer affords, our various feelings and desires are more likely to be fully and particularly expressed. " There is a life, a simplicity, a touching and moving power in prayers poured forth from a pious and feeling heart, which cannot be ordinarily approached in read- ing written forms." 4. Another argument which I offer, is this: Extemporaneous prayer enables a pastor better to accommodate his prayers, in public worship, to the existing circumstances of his flock and to the changes which may occur in natural and spiritual life. It is impossible to express in books of prayer for public use all that variety of want, of trouble, of temptations, and of comfort, which enters into the life, walk and conflicts of faith. But, in the free- dom of extemporaneous prayer, we can unburden the mind more fully of its anxieties and distresses, and approach nearer to our diversified circumstances and trials. Hence the Christian who has once improved his gift in prayer cannot be restricted by a form ; he must pour out his heart more freely and fully ; express his repent- ance for particular sins; supplicate the Divine assistance, as we find done in the Psalms of David, to escape particular snares, and overcome peculiar temptations ; and plead the promises which faith grasps, and which apply more directly to his state. It has been said that advice given in books is conveyed in terms too general to be applied to every particular emergency. Certain 88 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. it is, prayers in books have this defect. When, therefore, Episco- palians, with a view to tie down Christians to the use of their Book of Common Prayer, tell us that the prayers therein contained are extracted by piecemeals from the writings of the ancient Fathers, they argue against themselves ! For this fact proves that the primitive Christians were not restricted to set forms. And if the Fathers composed their own prayers, the question arises, whether ministers of the Word now are so inferior to them in the knowledge of divine truth, that they are not to be trusted in the use of the same liberty, and in the enjoyment of the same privi- leges, which the early Fathers had ? Let the writings of the latter be compared with those of the orthodox and evangelical pastors of this day, and the question must be answered in a way that will discharge us from the obligation of taking the words of our prayers from the closets of the early converts, whatever piety and zeal they displayed in their Saviour's service. " Why should men who lived a thousand years ago understand prayer, and be able to prescribe forms for it, better than the learned and pious divines of our day?" Besides, in extemporaneous prayer, the evangelical pastor is at liberty to use the choicest petitions of the Fathers expressed in their very words, without binding himself and the church under his care to the constant use of any one prescribed form of prayer. IX. Setting aside now the arguments employed to prove that public pastoral prayer, by written forms, is expedient^ (after having shown that the Holy Spirit, in the Word, has prescribed no liturgy,) I return to the proposition early laid down in this lecture, namely, that the gift of prayer is a talent^ which the evangelical pas- tor is called to exercise in the public service of the Church. The Saviour, who instituted the gospel ministry, and who " ascended to receive good gifts for men," has engaged (Matt, xxviii. 20; Ephes. iv. 7, 8, 11, 12) to impart spiritual abilities to his gospel servants; and if any are unqualified, in the judgment of the Church, through defect of gifts, either to pray or preach " unto the edifying of the body of Christ," such are not called by him to serve with his approbation in the work of this important min- istry. Keeping then in view, that the Evangelical Pastor is bound to Lkct, IV.] Prayer^ as a Talent. 89 exercise tlie gift of prayer in the discharge of his solemn duties as a bishop in the Christian Church ; and also the fact^ that the gifts as well as the graces of the Holy Spirit, imparted to him in the ordinary dispensation of his influences, admit of groivth and improvement, it is almost unnecessary to observe, that it is ren- dered a duty highly incumbent on him to aim at improvement in his gift of prayer, and to furnish himself with proper matter and language. On this obligation I should not here dwell for a moment, were it not for an error which some who are averse to written forms of prayer cherish on this subject. They think that in prayer the pastor, as well as the private Christian, ought to de- pend entirely upon the immediate suggestions of the Holy Spirit, and that it would be "a quenching of the Spirit" to furnish one- self beforehand with matter and expressions suited to that impor- tant exercise. 1. This opinion, it will be perceived, accords with the doctrine of fanatics on the subject of preaching, and rests upon wrong notions respecting the operations of the Holy Spirit. To evince that it is destitute of any foundation in the Scriptures, I must observe, first, that there is no promise made to the Christian pastor, of an imme- diate infusion of thoughts and words by the Holy Spirit, either in praying or in preaching, and if he depend upon such infusion in prayer, he ought not "to give himself to reading," nor revolve any divine truth in his thoughts, but depend upon the like infusion in preaching the Word. True it is, when God calls men in an extraordinary manner to extraordinary duties, he will qualify them with a "tongue and wisdom." When he says to those who are employed in the intro- duction of a new economy, with its appropriate laws and institu- tions, " Take no thought what ye shall say, neither do ye premedi- tate," then he will also give them, "in that very hour, that which they shall say." But this divine work is evidently miraciilous, and it is a tempting of God to depend upon his extraordinary opera- tions for the performance of ordinary duties. Judiciously is it said by the son of Syrach, (Eccles. xviii. 22 :) " Before thou praycst, prepare thyself, and be not as one who tempts the Lord." 2. If no immediate infusion of thoughts and words in prayer be promised, then it is the duty of the pastor, by the use of all proper means, to cultivate the gift of prayer, and to furnish his mind with matter for pastoral prayer. 90 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. Under the law of Moses, the Israelites were bound to offer in sacrifice to God " the best of their flocks ;" and surely our spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise should correspond with the spirit of that reasonable requisition. The pastor, especially, "should not be hasty to utter any thing before God," (Eccles. v. 2 ;) and as one of the important ends in prayer is the "edification" of others, he should aim to possess cultivated gifts, and to exercise them in the best manner. His gift of prayer is to be displayed in a most interesting and solemn part of divine worship. It is conversant with the dearest interests of immortal souls. It is to be employed in expressing the desires and requests of the pious around him, and to stir up the affections at the throne of the heavenly grace. I shall now close the didactic part of this lecture, by observing, that the gift of prayer is susceptible of great improvement, and that it is improved — (1.) By renewed communications of the Holy Spirit. (2.) By keeping the mind familiar with the devotional parts of Holy Scripture. (3.) By intellectual improvements, consisting in an increase of knowledge, quickness of apprehension, readiness of memory, and fertility of expression. (4.) By the frequent careful exercise of the gift itself. (5.) By cultivating the graces of the Spirit. Grace, if it be abun- dant in the heart, will have a powerful influence on the intellectual powers. It invigorated the understanding, and exalted the im- agination, as well as refined the taste of poor John Bunyan, the tinker, and qualified him to compose a work which has rendered his name immortal in Christendom. In the succeeding lecture, your attention will be directed to the Matter, Order, and Manner, which should characterize Pastoral Prayers. Here let me lead your thoughts to a few j^ractical re- fiections. Prayer, you have heard, is one of the regular public services of the Evangelical Pastor ; and a duty which must be more frequently performed than that of preaching the "Word. It is therefore incumbent on those in a Theological Seminary " who desire the oflice of a bishop," to inquire what preparations they have made or are making for the performance of this great duty ? I know that you have prayed often ; but there is a great Lect. IV] Practical Reflections. 91 difference between saying a prayer over, in all the ardor of elevated animal spirits and good elocution, and praying a prayer, from a licart well exercised towards God. The great questions, on enter- ing upon this subject with a view to examine yourselves, are : Have you received any measure of the Spirit of grace and suppli- cation ? Have you gone to the Throne of Grace, as one sick of the pestilential atmosphere around him goes with pleasure and for recovery into wholesome air? Have you "given yourselves to prayer," as an aquatic fowl hastens to the water as its proper element ? Do you feel habitually, that God's mercy-seat, sprinkled with the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, " the great High Priest of our profession," who offered up himself a sacrifice for sin, is the 2)lace "whereunto your soul would continually resort," and where alone you can obtain rest and peace ; whence alone you can derive strength, and hope, and consolation ? Here it would be useful that you should review all your past experience in prayer ; that you should consider when first you began to pray for mercy ? — what difficulties " sin that dwelt in you created ?" — what temptations of the adversary you experienced, in your first attempts to call upon God ? — what special enlargements you have enjoyed at the throne of grace ? — and what answers have been given to your prayers ? Here you ought to consider how you are now exercised in prayer ? The hypocrite is principally concerned about the opinions which men entertain of his praying talent : the true Christian is solicitous that his heart in prayer shall be right with God. The fi)rmalist is satisfied, if his prayers be said over at the proper times : the renewed mind is dissatisfied with itself, unless it can offer up the sacrifice of a heart truly contrite, truly believing, or truly affec- tionate and thankful. The self-righteous take merit from the number, the supposed excellency, and the warmth of their prayers : the true Christian is usually ashamed of his prayers, and rests his hope upon the infinite value of his Eedeemer's sacrifice, and upon the efficacy of his intercessions, as his advocate with the Father. Those who have not the grace of prayer, become proud in propor- tion to the superior measure of their gift in prayer, and to the reputation which they acquire through this endowment; but it is at the throne of grace that the Christian receives the most power- ful lessons of humility, and is made to be closely observant of the 92 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. rv. state of his own mind, and most feelingly alive to the pressure of his heart-sins and his many imperfections. There he is sometimes so troubled at the view of the low state of his rehgious affections, and his want of proper exercises, that he cannot roll out words as usual, but is lost in inward struggles, and " groans in spirit, being burdened." K the formalist be fluent and animated in prayer, he is content. But oh, what trouble has the Christian at some times, with the hardness of his heart and the wanderings of his thoughts and affections in prayer ! A formalist has no inward sense of either spiritual depression or enlargement in prayer; he feels always alike, excepting that he finds prayer more of a task at one time than at another, in consequence of the greater interruptions it creates in his worldly pursuits and carnal ease : but the renewed mind is variously exercised in prayer, sometimes straitened, and at other times unexpectedly aided and elevated ; sometimes shut up, self-condemned, in the very prayer which is passing from the lips, and distressed after it, but at other times disposed to wrestle with God, to press nearer to his mercy-seat, to plead con- fidently his promises, feeling so much pleasure in that communion which prayer affords with the God of his salvation, that his heart is in his closet before his body. I shall not enlarge on this subject, but earnestly solicit you to inquire whether you have that measure of Christian experience in prayer which can give you evidence that you have been actu- ated "by the Spirit of grace and supplication." "They shall come with weeping, and with supplication will I lead them, saith the Lord." In the ministry of the gospel, men are obliged to pray often. Now, what drudgery must it be, to be bound to pray so often and so much, without the grace of prayer — with respectable gifts, in- deed, with various fit and acceptable words, and a lively flow of the animal spirits, but without those exercises of precious faith and unfeigned love, which enable the Christian to trade with God for the merchandise of the heavenly world, and to enrich his soul "with the sure mercies of David." And let me observe, that the " grace of prayer " is not to be acquired merely by praying often and fluently in public. The Pharisees prayed much and prayed long ; but their principles were not improved by their prayers : and it is easy to conceive of per- Lect. IV.] Practical Bcjlections. 98 sons praying fervently and eloquently, who employ tlicir prayers as a mantle to cover up their depravities. Be solicitous, there- fore, that your hearts in prayer "be right with God." Inquire whether you have those convictions of want and poverty, and those feelings of unworthiness, which your supplications in the name of the Lord Jesus imply. "God giveth grace to the hum- ble, but the proud he knoweth afar off." " "Whosoever abaseth himself shall be exalted." Inquire whether you have received the Saviour by faith, and feel no boldness in coming to the throne of grace, but by Him, as the High Priest over the house of God, as the Mediator, whose atoning blood cleanseth from all sin, and whose intercessions alone can procure the acceptance of your per- son and your prayers. Inquire whether you cherish those awful impressions of Jehovah's purity and majesty, those correct views of your own sinfulness and insufficiency, which will render hu- mility your ordinary, as it is your becoming dress, before the mercy-seat. Inquire further, whether you are fervent in prayer, deeply impressed with a sense of the incalculable worth of the blessings which you ask for, and importunate in your requests. Eemember that the Spirit of grace and supplication, in his operations in the human heart, is essential to your further experi- ence of redeeming mercy, to your growth in grace, and to all real pleasure in walking with God, and in serving him in the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ. A man, to be sure, may engage in the gospel ministry without actual experience of the converting and sanctifying power of divine truth ; he may acquire the fame of a great preacher, and as such .draw multitudes around him, to be entertained and moved by his eloquent addresses; but if he know neither "the terrors of Jehovah nor the grace of Christ," as the redeemed know them, he will not stand fast, either in holy living or in sound doctrine, when he can promote his worldly interests, and add to his popularity and higher elevation, by abandoning them. An increase of doc- trinal knowledge, and richer stores of learning, form a poor sub- stitute for Christian experience. It is this experience that will give delight to the mind of a pastor, in discharging the arduous duties of his ministry ; this experience alone will enable one to endure hardships with patience and constancy, for Christ's sake ; and this experience alone can rivet upon the heart a deep convic- tion of the truth of the great doctrines of grace. 94 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. IV. That you may "be steadfast, unmovable, and useful in tlie minis- try of tlie gospel, aboimd in prayer, tlirougli tlie Holy Ghost. That ministry, you have heard, will try every grace of your hearts ; it will expose you, if you are faithful, to many severe trials : but remember your Eedeemer is nigh, to aid you by fresh communi- cations of Divine influence, and that in his service, "Strength is born In the deep silence of long-suffering hearts, Not amidst joy." LECTURE V. QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED MATTER, ORDER, AND MANNER OF PASTORAL PRAYER. In the Directory for tlie public worship of God agreed upon "by the assembly of divines at Westminster, it is said, "In the beginning of the blessed Reformation," (in England,) "many godly and learned men rejoiced much in the Book of Common Prayer at that time set forth, because, the Mass and the rest of the Latin service being removed, the public worship of God was celebrated in our own tongue." " Howbeit long and sad experience," con- tinues the Directory, " hath made it manifest that the liturgy used in the Church of England hath proved an offense, not only to many of the godly at home, but also to the Reformed Church abroad. Prelates and their faction have labored to raise the estimation of it to such a height, as if there w^ere no other wor- ship or way of worship of God among us, but only the Service- Book^ to the great hindrance of the preaching of the Word, and justling of it out as unnecessary, or, at best, far inferior to the reading of common prayer, which was made no better than an idol by many ignorant and superstitious people. Add to which, (which was not foreseen, but since hath come to pass,) that the liturgy hath been a great means to make and increase an idle and unedifying ministry, which contented itself with set forms, made to their hands by others, without putting forth themselves to exercise the gift of prayer with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants, whom he calleth to that office!"* The statements just given from the Directory, and elicited * " He that knoweth God and his works, and knoweth his own sins and wants, is acquainted with the best prayer-book." — Baxter. 96 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. V. from those wlio had. full knowledge of botli tlie useful and unhappy effects resulting from the use of the Book of Common Prayer, in a whole kingdom of Protestants, will show that we have not been too particular in our arguments against the im- position, by human authority, of set forms, operating to the exclusion of extemporaneous or free prayer by the Christian pastor, in the public worship of God, Those arguments might receive additions were it necessary here ; but let it suflEice to ' remark, that when httle care is bestowed on the religious edu- cation and selection of young men for the gospel ministry, as is the case in the Church-establishment in England ; when persons of untried gifts, slender theological knowledge, and habits of piety still unformed, "take orders," as it is called, we cannot be surprised that such a help as the Book of Common Prayer is found to be useful. But we know that the evangelical pastor is authorized by the Word of God, and called to exercise his gift of prayer, in the worshipping assemblies of Christians. This duty, as I have before said, he is bound to discharge in the best manner and form that he can invent, in a premeditated form,^ if that be the best to express the desires and stir up the affections of others. It is injurious every way to be careless of his language — markedly defective in his sentiments, whenever he is the mouth of the many around hun at the throne of heavenly grace. In relation to his prayers in public worship, the Evangelical Pastor must direct his serious attention to three things — namely, to the 1. Matter. 2. Order, and 8. Manner of his prayers. I. The Matter of his Peayers. The matter* in prayer constitutes its substance ; and, as I * Such words as occur in the Hebrew Scriptures, in relation to prayer, are learn- edly explained (among others) by Professor Witsius, in Orat. Dom. Exer. 1 c. x. p. No. 9-12. The principal Greek terms expressiye of prayer, which we find in the New Testa- ment scriptures, are — " 6£??(Ttf," entreaty. Lect. v.] Prayer — Matter. 97 have before observed to you, it must be as diversified as the wants and circumstances of a Christian congregation, and ex- pressive of the desires of renewed minds. In proportion to the relative importance of the matter, must be the care and study of the pastor to exhibit this attribute of edifying prayer in public worship. Now, to famish yourselves with matter for prayer, let the fol- lowing directions be observed : 1, The pastor must study the various states of his own heart ; note the workings of the law of sin, and the insidious course of this enemy in his own mind; mark the trials to which faith is exposed in this world of sense, and the changes incident to the divine life; observe the dealings of God with himself, and remember past extremities and past deliverances. Christian ex- perience is a special and most instructive teacher. Certain it is, a pastor will better know what to pray for, when he is a close observer of what transpires in the spiritual warfare ; when he carefully remarks the weakness of his own arm ; the poverty of his own resources; the variety of his own wants, and his entire dependence upon the spirit and grace of his Eedeemer. Oh ! when he has often appropriated the words of the Psalmist, (Ps. xl,,) "I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me ; thou art my help and my deliverer ; make no tarrying, 0 " »" supplication. Ephes. vL 18. " t^rtvltf," intercession. 1 Tim. ii. 1. " atrjyjua," desire ; " tv.tapKJT'ta," thanksgiving. Phil. iv. 6. Theodoret of the 5th cent, explains "aifj^^ora," (Phil. iv. 6.,) translated "requests," to denote prayer in general. This will be conceded with pleasure, as well as the exposition which he makes of '• fvxap'f'f '<*)" that it denotes the various expressions of gratitude in prayer. But the learned ancient Father considers the other three Greek terms to denote each a various kind or part of prayer: thus he makes "6j»;(tis," (Eph. 6,) translated "prayer, " to refer to that kind of prayer in which we deprecate that which is evil ; yet this very word is used (Luke i. 1.3) in that prayer in which Zachariah supplicated for a son ! Ilpoif vf?, translated supplication, (Ephcs. vi.,) he refers to that kind of prayer in which men ask for what is good, as opposed to what is evil ; but the term seems to be otherwise used in Matt xxvi, where our Lord used it to signify, not a direct request for what is good, but a supplication in which evil is deprecated. So also fvrtvSif, intercession, is not confined (1 Tim. ii. 1) to the expression of sympathy in prayer for the afflicted, but employed by the Apostle Paul (I Tim. iv. 5) as a prayer in which we ask God for a blessing upon our food. 7 98 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. V. my God !" will he not be disposed in public prayer to make tlie same confession and grateful acknowledgment, and offer up the same petition in behalf of Christians assembled in worship ? For this purpose, it has been recommended to pastors, to keep diaries or daily written records of their own trials and encour- agements, in walking with God. But whether this be done or not, we must say, " Commune with thine own heart in thy chamber, and be still." 2. To procure matter for prayer, the pastor must diligently read and study the Sacred Scriptures, especially the devotional parts of this wonderful book. The written Word of God is rich in matter suitable for prayer, both public and private. It shows what the saints of old, "who lived by faith," have prayed for ; it places an infinite variety of choice petitions upon our lips; it describes the wants of the sinner — his helplessness and insufficiency, and the declensions of the believer and his consequent troubles ; and it contains ex- ceeding great and precious promises, while it unfolds the methods of divine grace in " bringing many sons to glory !" The "Word of God is, therefore, a store-house, from which we can be supplied with matter for prayer, as well as "an armory, in which are a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men !" "Extemporaneous prayer," says one, "if made up chiefly, as it ought to be, of the thoughts and language of Scripture, no pious person who loves his Bible and is familiar with it, will have any material difficulty at all in following him who leads, and entirely uniting with him." By studying the Scriptures, Christians deprived of a liberal education have been known to improve so much in their ability to offer up prayer, as to lead the devotions of others very profit- ably at the throne of grace. 3. To procure matter for prayer, the pastor must strive " to know the state of his fhck.^^ Such knowledge will open to his view " the numerous dry bones in the valley of vision," and dis- pose him to cry mightily to God for the Spirit of life to breathe upon them. His eye will discover the sad condition of those who are led captive by the Devil ; the various deceits of sin, and the various errors by which the human heart fortifies itself in impeni- tence. He will become acquainted with what God's dear children Lect. v.] Prayer — Matk-r. 99 need, witli their trials and complaints, and with what they are solicitous that he should pray for in their behalf; while, in the view of the various mercies bestowed on the many around him, his lips will be richly laden with various thanksgivings. 4. The pastor must also be engaged in secret prayer. God has established a blessed connection between closet worship and public duty. Certain it is, the minister who prays often in secret will find his "strength renewed for his work, and will be rewarded openly," if not by many converts immediately given as seals to his ministry, at least by receiving much of the "spirit of suppli- cation," and having much matter collected for public prayer. In secret prayer the heart is made, in all its states and exercises, the subject of particular reflection. Evil, springing from the law of sin in our members, is discerned and felt, and the result of such painful experience invariably is, that we groan inwardly and find much to pray for. Martin Luther, that successful reformer, "Whose least distinguished day Shone with some portion of that heavenly lustre, Which makes the Sabbath lovely in the sight > Of blessed angels pitying human cares," was much engaged in closet worship. John Knox wrestled in private prayer with Grod, and hence derived that grace which enabled him to speak boldly in the Lord, and to roll forward with much strength and speed the chariot of gospel truth in Scotland, It was when Mr. Welsh, that faithful minister of God, was en- gaged at midnight in secret prayer, at an obscure lodging place in his travels, that a Popish friar, who overheard him, was savingly impressed. Sweet to spiritual taste, and richly laden with pre- cious truth, are the sentiments of the distinguished Leighton on this subject: "He that is much in prayer," the Archbishop writes, " shall grow rich in grace ; he shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this which is our very traffic with heaven, and fetches the most precious commodities thence. He that sets oftenest out those ships of desire, that makes most voyages to that land of spices and pearls, shall be sure to improve his stock most, and have most of heaven upon earth ; but the true art of this trading is very rare. Every trade hath something wherein the skill of it lies; but this is deep and supernatural, and is not reached by 100 1-ustoral Quali/icatio7is — Gifts. [Lect. V. linman industry. Industry is to be used in it ; but we must know tbe faculty of it comes from above, from tbat spirit of prayer without which, learning and wit can do nothing. Therefore, this IS to be our prayer often — our great suit for the spirit of prayer, that we may speak the language of the sons of God, by the Spirit of God, which alone teaches the heart to pronounce aright." 5. Again, to procure matter for prayer, the pastor must carry all his knowledge of the particular wants, temptations, and vari- ous faults of the human heart, with him into the sanctuary. He should consider that he is to pray for many, whose necessities are many and various. Let him, then, pray under the impression of this fact, and he will find much to ask for ; for are not the ungodly to be converted? Is not the proud sinner to be abased; the awakened to be directed to the Saviour ; the self-righteous to be undeceived ; the wanderer to be sought after and restored ; the weak in faith to be strengthened ; the mourner in Zion to be com- forted, and all the saints in all their helplessness to be " kept by divine power through faith unto salvation"? And having all these various characters around him, when he rises up to offer pray- er, and their eternal interests weighing upon his heart, will he not find matter for prayer ? Oh ! if the pastor reflects upon the press- ing wants of his hearers, and is indifferent about his own reputa- tion as an eloquent prayer-maker, he will often be full and fervent at the throne of grace. It is, therefore, a good rule in practice, that the pastor should spend a few moments in serious reflection, before he rises to pray in the congregation, pondering the solemn fact that he is to address a Being of infinite majesty and glory, in the behalf of the many, and running over in his thoughts the various mercies which his associates in worship need ; as, for in- stance, the spirit of supplication, conviction of their need of Christ, pardon of sin, repentance unto life, faith, sanctified affections, deliverance from various troubles, support under various afilic- tions, grace to persevere, comfort on the way, hope in death, and everlasting victory and glory. 6. In a word, to procure matter for prayer, the pastor must feel his dependence upon, and supplicate habitually for himself, the aids of the Holy Spirit. With all that improvement which the ministers of the Word can make by their own efforts, they still " know not what to pray for as they ought ;" and if they are born Lect. v.] Prayer — Order or Method. 101 again, they will be conscious of their insufficiency. " The opening of the mouth " (Ps. li.) in holy freedom, and the enlargement of the heart in prayer, must come from God. Eminent as the apostle Paul was in gifts, he solicited the prayers of the saints, "that ut- terance might be given unto him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel." (Ephes. vi.) Accordingly, another apostle exhorts Christians to build them- selves " on their most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." (Jude XX.) The pastor, therefore, should prepare himself for public prayer, as if he expected no Divine assistance ; and he should depend on Divine assistance as if he had made no preparation. I have done with the matter of prayer, and will next consider, II. The Order of Prayer. But here let me remind you, that the whole matter of prayer is substantially asking and giving of thanks, but preaching the Word is teaching and directing others. Do not, therefore, con- found these two ministerial acts, either by praying as if you were instructing Almighty God, or by preaching in a tone of voice which suits the exercise of prayer. Do not address the Supreme Being in the language of dictation and command, but supplicate humbly and earnestly His mercy, in all poverty of spirit, and with every mark of reverence. It is almost unnecessary to say that pastoral prayer demands order or method^ to subserve the ends of social worship. Such worship requires the exercise of the understanding and the hearts of all who engage in it, though but one person be called to pray audibly. Now, both to be understood and to call out the religious affections of others in worship, order in the pastoral prayer is in- dispensable. Without method in communicating his ideas, the priest's lips cannot teach knowledge in this or any other pastoral duty. True religion, as it springs from and rests upon divine truth, differs in this, as well as in many other respects, from the devotional acts which were seen in the temples of ancient Pagan- ism, and from the course which fanaticism has taken in Christian and Mahometan countries. The priests of Baal, Bacchus, and other fiilse deities, were known to yell and cut themselves in wor- 102 Pastoral Qitalifications — Gifts. [Lect. V. ship, and to create various alarming noises, to strike forcibly the senses of the worshippers, and thereby to agitate their minds. In like manner, among sects nominally Christian, we find some who sing and dance in their public worship, and others who make sweet religion a rhapsody of incoherent words ; words uttered in loud outcries, interrupted by groanings, screechings, and other noises intended to subdue weak, superstitious minds. But these human devices do not belong to Christian faith and worship ; they are inadmissible in the great duty of pastoral prayer, which must be so conducted as, in the first place, to adore the omnipresence and omniscience of Deity ; and, in the second place, to speak to the understandings and the hearts of Christian worshippers. For God is the author, not of confusion, but of peace and order in all the churches of the saints. Let it then be observed, that order in prayer is requisite, 1. To express the nature of that worship in which the church assembled in one place is engaged; for that worship is paid to the high and holy One ; that worship is social, and consists in the expression, by intelligible language, of the common desires of those who seek for mercy. 2. Order is also required, in pastoral prayer, to prevent omis- sions of important things, and to guard against repetitions of the same petitions. "We know enough of those powers of the human mind which are called memory and the association of ideas, to perceive the great use of method in aiding those faculties in their exercise. The strength of memory depends much on habits of association, and these habits become useful just in proportion to the regular train of our thoughts on subjects of deep interest. If our thoughts be jumbled together, we shall forget much that ought to be remembered; we shall repeat what has just before been said, or distract the minds of those who hear us, by flying from one subject to another, without any preparation for such unexpected transitions and digressions. 3. It may, then, with propriety be said, that order is requisite to excite and maintain the spirit of devotion in a worshipping assembly. An artificial devotion, in which nervous affections have more influence than the graces of the Spirit, does not depend upon order in prayer or in preaching, but derives its aliment chiefly from incoherent sentiments, expressed in a frenzied man- Lect. v.] Prayer — Ordtr or Melhod. 103 ner, and accompanied by groans, shouts, and other bodily exer- cises. Hence it has been remarked, that in proportion as reason is subdued, and animal feelings are excited among religionists, that kind of devotion becomes warmer and more strongly marked by extravagances. It has also been the subject of painful obser- vation, that those persons are less under the benign influence of true religion at home and in retirement, who exhibit in public worship an uncommon degree of bodily agitation and frenzied emotion. Be this, however, as it may, by the term devotion^ I mean that engagedness of mind which is produced by the truths or realities of revealed religion in the exercises of worship ; such as adoring the infinite attributes of God ; bowing before the throne of his majesty with the confession of sins ; feasting upon his promises, and rejoicing in the hope of future glory. Now, in all these exercises our understanding must be employed, in order to affect our hearts deeply with reverence, with penitential sorrow, with grateful sentiments ; in a word, with those thoughts and emo- tions which correspond with the import of divine truths. For truth must be apprehended before its power can be felt in the heart. Now, to facilitate such an apprehension of truth by us, while another prays or preaches, method is necessary; for the want of method tends directly to obscure the truth, and to pro- duce confusion in our thoughts. Let then order be preserved in prayer. . To keep order in prayer and render it habitual, it is not neces- sary that the pastor should bind himself to any unvaried ar- rangement of the parts of prayer, nor that he should adhere to one set of phrases in expressing the matter of his prayer. Variety relieves the mind in this exercise, but it must be a variety that is consistent with order. 1st, The rules to be observed in maintaining order in prayer are the following: 1. To cultivate habits of thinking on all important subjects, which shall conduce to a better understanding of them. He who is accustomed to arrange his thoughts well, on the various sub- jects of his studies, will naturally fall into method whenever he engages in prayer. 2. Let generals be distinguished from particulars, and generals be called up first. If in prayer confession of sins be made by 104 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. V. the pastor, let the acknowledgment of the original apostasy of our race, and the total depravity of our nature, precede the confession of our own sins. 8. Let things of the same kind be connected together. If a person in prayer asks for the Holy Spirit to convince of sin, and to break the heart with penitential sorrow, and in the next sen tence he utters thanks to God for national prosperity, and in the next again laments over the unbelief and lukewarmness of the heart, and then flies off and prays for Bible societies, he surely prays without due order, and his prayer is calculated to disturb the minds of others, instead of exciting in them a devotional spirit and frame. 4. Let pressing evils and special mercies occupy much thought in prayer, and the transition from one to the other be natural and easy, not violent and abrupt. Graces, and duties, and deliver- ances have a connection which it is good to observe in prayer. 2nd. Various general methods have been recommended by prac- tical writers, to be observed in pastoral prayer. Some have distributed the matter of prayer into ten parts, viz : 1. Invocation ; 2. Adoration ; 3. Confession ; 4. Petition ; 5. In- tercession ; 6. Pleading ; 7. Dedication ; 8. Thanksgiving ; 9. De- precation; 10. Blessing. Some writers dispose the matter of prayer into eight parts; others place the whole under five heads ; to which let me add, that there are writers who divide the whole matter into two great parts, viz: the more principal, and the less principal. Under the more principal^ they comprehend confession, petition, and thanks- giving ; in the less principal., they place the preface or introduc- tion— the transitions and the conclusion of prayer. It is not necessary that any particular distribution of the parts of prayer which has been recommended should be insisted upon ; nor does order and the usefulness of prayer in public worship re- quire that the pastor should invariably adhere to that arrangement which he himself approves. It is, however, of much use that he should keep in view the various leading parts into which the mat- ter of prayer, from its variety, divides itself, and to have some arrangement of the whole in his thoughts. The distribution Avhich I take the liberty here to recommend, is that which divides the matter of prayer into five principal parts, Lbct. v.] Prayer — Invocation. 105 viz : invocation, confession, petition, thanksgiving, and interces- sion. Let me direct your attention to each of these parts in particular; and, 1. Of invocation. This part of prayer consists of those words which distinguish the grand and only object of religious adoration, namely, the one living and true God, by his proper titles and peculiar works. In his revealed Word, the Supreme Being has described himself by certain names or terms, which are expressive of his eternal self- existence and infinite perfections, and separate him from all other existences — from all the superior and inferior gods of the idola- trous nations ; and the import of these names is clearly unfolded by the description of those mighty works which are peculiar to his supreme intelligence and mighty power. " He is Jehovah," and there is none like him, and no other gods beside him. " He is the Father of Light, with whom there is no variableness;" "The Maker of heaven and earth, the Lord of Hosts;" "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth," etc. Under the dispensation of grace, and in his Church, he reveals himself to be " the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," " the God of Israel — Zion's God," the God of truth keeping covenant for ever, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in invocation, we express our belief of the unity of the Divine Essence, and our adoration of the glorious attributes of that one God, as they are revealed in his Word, and made known by his works of creation, providence, and redemption. For this part of prayer the Sacred Scriptures furnish the pastor with the most correct and sublime sentiments respecting God, as he is distinguished from the creatures which he has made, and from the gods of the heathen, and as he exists in the immensity of his own nature. With those recorded sentiments the pastor should have his memory well stocked. He cannot invoke Jeho- vah in better language than the Holy Spirit has employed in his written Word. He cannot describe the divine attributes in terms more choice and significant than those which inspired men have had occasion to use. This part of prayer ought to be of various length, according to 106 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lect. V. tlie various assemblies in whicli the minister of Christ officiates. In ancient times, the Church was environed bj idolatrous nations ; their priests were constantly thrusting the claims of their false gods before the eyes and minds of the Hebrews. This circum- stance led the pious to invoke the Supreme Being by using terms which affirmed his unity, his nature, and moral greatness, as the sole Creator and Governor of the Universe, and his infinite eleva- tion above all that were called gods. The Psalms of David abound with such invocations. Eead the 96th and 97th Psalms, as illus- trations of this fact ; and mark the language of the prophet Jere- miah, who saw the powerful forces of idolatry in battle array against the citadel of divine truth, and felt in his own personal ministry the fury of their rage, Jer. x. 10: "But the Lord is the true God ; he is the living God ; he is the living God, and an everlasting King ; at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation." In imitation of these examples, the gospel missionary in heathen lands, having all around him the symbols of idolatry, will do well in lengthening his invocation in prayer, to bring up frequently into view the unity of God — ^his peculiar attributes, works, and claims upon the affections and services of all his intelligent creatures, and thereby make known to them "the unknown God." Nay, the Christian minister, if called to pray in any place with many of the wicked and atheistical around him, should make the invocation long, and dwell upon the infinite greatness and universal moral government of God, with every expression of profound adoration. But in Christian lands, the Evangehcal Pastor usually leads in the worship of God those who have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but have received the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba Father, (Rom. viii. 15,) and who have from children been instructed in the Holy Scriptures. In such worshipping assemblies, the invocation in prayer may be and should be shorty recognizing the unity and majesty of God, as Creator, Lawgiver, and King, and the covenant relation of his people to Him. This we iind to be happily done in those forms of prayer which begin with the words, " Almighty God and most Merciful Father ;" " O Eternal God and most Merciful Father ! we humbly prostrate ourselves before thy High Majesty," etc. ; " 0 Heavenly Father, thy Word is perfect," etc.; "Merciful God and Father," Lect. v.] Prayer — Gorifession. 107 etc. See the Liturgy of the Reformed Dutch Church. Ephcs, iii. 14 : " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Fatlier of our Lord Jesus Christ." It ought, however, to be well considered whether at this day the words, "Our Father in heaven," do not, from the influence of fashion, occur too frequently in the prayers of some pastors, and occupy the place which should be allotted to the acknowledgment of the greatness of God, of the majesty of his throne, and of his marvellous works. (Exodus xv. 11.) Immediately after the invocation, petition or thanksgiving may be occasionally introduced, with a view to vary the order in public prayers; but ordinarily, after addressing the Most High, we should, 2. Make confession of sins^ and humble ourselves before him. Confession is an important part of public prayer ; important in itself, as it discloses those exercises of the heart which are es- sential to unfeigned repentance before God, to faith in Christ, and to the enjoyment of pardoning mercy ; for it is written, whosoever abaseth himself shall be exalted. Jesus came, as he tells us, " to call, not the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." "Unto this man I look," (with complacency,) " saith the Lord, even unto him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word," (Isa. Ixvi. 2 ;) and it is important in its effects, as it serves to prepare the minds of those who worship to supplicate more earnestly for the undeserved mercies which they have received. Accordingly, confession of sins formed a part of revealed religion from the days of righteous Abel. It accompanied every propi- tiatory sacrifice on the altar ; it dropped from the lips of sinners and saints, of priests and people in worship ; it meets our eyes every where in the devotional parts of Scripture ; and our Lord describes the prodigal son returning to his father's house, with the confession of his sins expressed in these affecting terms : " Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." (Luke xv. 16, 19.) Confession of sins in prayer comprehends two things, namely, acknowledgment of our sinfulness, criminality, and subjection to the penalty of the law, in consequence of our transgressions of its holy precepts, and professions of contrition before God. Acknowledgment of sinfulness and guilt embraces confessions 108 Pastoral Qualifications — Q-ifis. [Lkct. V. of the apostasy of our race, (Isa, vi. 1-5 ; Psalm xiv. ;) of our original and total depravity ; of actual transgressions committed by our- selves, by the Christian congregation and nation to wbicb we be- long ; of the aggravations of our sins, as it respects their number and greatness, and the circumstances which have served to aggra- vate them. Acknowledgments of our righteous subjection to punishment, and our un worthiness of the Divine regards, very naturally follow the confession of sins. (Ps. cxxx. 3 ; cxv.) But confession also includes professions of contrition, the hearty expression of shame- facedness and sorrow, in the view of our many offenses ; depreca- tion of the Divine displeasure, (Ps. cxliii. 2 ;) avowals of the insuf- ficiency of our own righteousness to procure our justification ; de- termination to abandon every self-righteous hope ; resolution to amend our ways and turn unto the Lord, whose arm alone can save us ; avowing that we are encouraged to pray, and seek, and hope, because a Saviour has come into the world. The Keformed Church furnishes in her liturgy an excellent form of such confes- sion, in public social worship, in these words : " 0 Eternal God and most Merciful Father ! we humbly prostrate ourselves before thy High Majesty, against which we have so often and grievously offended, and acknowledge, if thou shouldst enter into judgment with us, that we have deserved nothing but eternal death ; for, besides that we are by original sin un- clean in thy sight, and children of wrath, conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity, whereby all manner of evil lusts, striving against thee and our neigh- bor, dwell within us ; we have also, indeed, frequently and without end, trans- gressed thy precepts, neglected what thou hast commanded us, and done what thou hast expressly forbidden us. "We have strayed like sheep and greatly offended against thee, which we acknowledge and are heartily sorry for ; nay, we confess to our shame and to the praise of thy mercy towards us, that our sins are more than the hairs of our head, and that we are indebted ten thousand tal- ents and not able to pay. Wherefore, we are not able to be called thy children, nor to lift up our eyes towards heaven, to pour out our prayers before thee. Nevertheless, 0 Lord God and Merciful Father ! knowing that thou dost not de- sire the death of a sinner, but that he may turn from his wickedness and live ; and that thy mercy is infinite, which thou showest unto those who return unto thee ; we heartily call upon thee, trusting in our Mediator Jesus Christ, who is that Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and we beseech thee to commiserate our infirmity, forgiving us all our sins, for Christ's sake," etc.* *I here insert the "prayer of general confession" from the Book of Common Prayer: "Almighty God and most Merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Lkct. v.] Prayer — Petition. 109 This branch of pastoral prayer should scarcely ever be wholly omitted, for it essentially belongs to the worship of the Supreme Being, by sinners. After confession, and before petitions be offered in prayer, the pastor may happily introduce, in behalf of the church praying, short professiom of faith in the revelations and promises of God ; for her petitions rest upon revealed facts, and she draws her warrant to ask for blessings from the divine promises given in the written "Word. Such professions of faith we find in the Holy Scripture incorporated with supplication. A beautiful example of such union occurs in Psalm cxxx. : " Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, 0 Lord ! hear my voice ; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, Lord ! shouldst mark in- iquities, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou raayest he fearedP In conformity with such recorded examples, the pastor, after confession, may say : We believe that thou hast sent thy Son into the world to save sinners ; we believe that Jesus Christ is the stone — the tried stone — the precious corner-stone which thou hast laid in Zion, for a sure foundation, and that other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid. May we, as living stones, be built upon this divine foundation, and grow up into an holy temple in the Lord ! ^ 3. Petition, is the third part of prayer. It is, strictly speaking, direct praying, and, therefore, should occupy a large place in the exercise, and constitute its body. Some, however, seem to forget this fact, and instead of humbly asking God for mercy, when they pray, are employed in those exhibitions of truth which belong to preaching. The subjects of petition are many, for our wants are many, and the evils from which we desire to be delivered are various. All thy ways, like lost sheep ; we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts; we have offended against thy holy laws; we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us. But thou, 0 Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders." Between the two forms just presented there is a striking agreement in sentiment ; yet if they are carefully compared, in respect to the amount of truth which thoy respectively avow — the depth of confession, and the extent of contrition — the judgment will incline favorably towards the prayer in our liturgy. 110 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lkct. V. those subjects, however, may be reduced to four classes, namely: 1. Deliverance from evils ; 2. Supply of wants ; 3. The continu- ance of present Divine favors, especially of the abiding influences of the Holy Spirit ; 4. Arguments and pleadings. Petitions for deliverance from evils relate to sin in its power and pardon ; to temptations from our corrupt nature, from the world, and from the great adversary, the devil ; to the distressing troubles of the heart, arising from declensions in religion, and the withdrawal of the Divine presence, and to the pressure of external afflictions. Petitions for the supply of wants refer to all needed grace now and in time to come, and "to that glory which is to be revealed hereafter." Petitions for the continuance of mercies abound in Holy Scripture, and refer either to earthly comforts or to spiritual blessings ; the latter of which are briefly comprehended by the Psalmist in these words, " Take not thy Holy Spirit from me — uphold me with thy free Spirit." (Ps. li.) Petitions embracing arguments and pleadings are those which drop from the lips in holy importunity at the throne of grace. God permits his people to wrestle with him in prayer: — then they earnestly plead the infinite merits of the Saviour ; the promises are converted into arguments, and former deliverances and helps in extremities are employed, not with irreverence and undue familiarity, but with holy liberty and trembling, in pressing their humble requests. (Ps. li.) 4. Another part of prayer is thanksgiving. This is such an obvious duty in worshipping that Being who " is the giver of every good and perfect gift," and who also giveth the spirit of prayer, that though it be in its nature something different from direct petitioning, it is to be considered a constituent part of public pastoral prayer. Phil. iv. 6: "In every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." The subjects of thanksgiving are the various displays of the Divine goodness made to us in creation, providence, and espe- cially in redemption. Some of the mercies of God, for which we are to be thankful, are ordinary, and others occasional. LicT. v.] Prayer — Intercession. Ill Some are common to the wicked and the righteous, as rational creatures — the inhabitants of the same country — the citizens of one commonwealth, or subjects of one kingdom; and other mercies are peculiar to those who dwell on Mount Zion, and are actually redeemed by grace. Some blessings are such as improve the outward condition in this world, as bodily health, food, raiment, peace, prosperity in our secular affairs, fruitful seasons, etc. ; and other mercies are of a spiritual and heavenly nature, and do the soul good, even when afflictions abound, and when the body is decaying and dying. Who can count up the mercies of God ? They are more than we can number, and new every morning. They flow out and fill up every moment of our existence. It cannot be expected, therefore, that a complete enumeration of them can be made in a few pastoral prayers; but great mercies ought not to be for- gotten, inasmuch as they comprehend the less, and special mercies and remarkable deliverances ought to be particularly mentioned ; and if the whole cannot be enumerated at one time, and in one prayer, their very number will serve to give a pleasing variety to the matter of prayer. The pastor, therefore, may on one occasion, in giving thanks in public prayer, dwell particularly on common mercies bestowed on the people and on the church; and on another occasion, his lips may be occupied with an accumulation of special mercies. This part of his duty cannot be mistaken ; it obtrudes itself upon his attention. 5. I shall, therefore, proceed to speak of intercession, as it con- stitutes another constituent branch of pastoral prayer. Next to praying for ourselves, it is our duty to intercede for others. The Christian Pastor especially must engage in inter- cessions ; for he is expressly commanded so to do. 1 Tim. ii. 1 : " I command, therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and the giving of thanks, be made for all men ; for kings and all that are in authority." " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" — "pray for them that despitefully use you and per- secute you." Christians are members of "one body," and Christian congre- gations are parts of the visible Church Catholic. As men, we are related to one another in various ways ; and upon these relations, 112 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lkct. V. natural, civil, and religious, tlie duty of intercession in prayer rests. Love prompts this expression of our desires, that others may partake of the common salvation. • Intercession is either general or particular. (1.) General intercession may be made for all classes and con- ditions of men : for the nations that sit in darkness ; for the outcasts of Israel, and for the whole Church mihtant. Exam- ples of such intercessions are to be found in no small number in Scripture, and serve to unfold the noble spirit of benevolence that characterizes our religion. Moses was a mighty intercessor for the children of rebellion in the wilderness of Arabia. The apostle Paul interceded much "for his brethren and kinsmen, according to the flesh." (2.) Particular intercessions in prayer are made for individuals : for the godly under temptation and persecution ; for the bereaved, the sick, the needy, the awakened in spirit, and those who are far off upon the sea. The pastor in prayer must intercede for the families under his oversight — for the ministry of reconciliation — for the missionaries whom the Church has sent abroad, and for the persons in distress who solicit his prayers. To aid the pastor in this good work of intercession, let him, under proper regulations, institute societies for prayer, and call on the pious to bear up his arms, while he intercedes for sinners and prays for the prosperity of Jerusalem. I have now spoken of the principal parts of prayer ; but must not forget to observe here, that some attention should be paid by the pastor to the manner in which he concludes his pray- ers. The conclusion must not be abrupt, nor uttered in a rapid and slovenly way, but easy, solemn, and dignified. It must be such as to show that the prayers of the Church are offered up in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ; for no man cometh accept- ably unto the Father but by him : or the conclusion may consist of some such doxohgy as will serve to strengthen faith, and leave suitable impressions of God's majesty, and of covenant relations to Him, upon the heart. III. Manner of Prayer. The manner of prayer remains to be spoken of; for as the pas- tor is considered to be in a worshipping assembly, and not in his Lkct. v.] Prayer — Posture. 113 closet, he may give offense by his manner of uttering prayer, al- though his matter be excellent, and his heart burn within him in holy affection. To the manner of prayer belong three things: 1. Gesture ; 2. Pronunciation, or tone of voice ; 3. Style, or lan- guage in prayer. 1. Gesture includes the attitude or position of the body, the use of the hands, and the expression of the countenance. With regard to the posture of the body to be observed in prayer by the pastor and the congregation, there is no scriptural rule, excepting the general one, that the posture must express reverence. The examples recorded by the sacred writers recommended three positions of the body, viz : bowing the head, (Heb. xi. 21 ; Exod. ix. 31 ; Ps. xcv. 6 ;) kneeling, (Acts xx. 36 ;) standing, (1 Kings viii. 14.) But these various modes are overlooked by many, and the violence of sectarian zeal will fasten to one particular exam- ple, and give to it alone the authority of a divine law. Some in- sist that the assembly in prayer should kneel, because the Saviour knelt; some contend that we should all stand in prayer, for in this solemn exercise we read that individuals and congregations stood; whilst others adopt the practice of bowing the head in worship. Let us not convert our customs into divine laws, bind- ing the conscience of others, but speak with caution on this subject. Kneeling is to be recommended in domestic or closet worship ; but it is inconvenient in public religious assemblies. Bowing the head, from the mode of seating the worshippers in our places of worship, has many conveniences attached to it. But standing in prayer was the posture in the congregations of old, and generally adopted in the primitive Christian churches. Justin Martyr, in his Second Apology, tells us, "that the congre- gation all rose up and offered their prayers to God." The preach- ers called upon the people to stand up and pray for a Divine bless- ing. Origin says, " Wherefore, standing up, let us beg help from God, that we may be blessed in Christ Jesus, to whom be glory for ever and ever." And again, *' Standing up, let us offer sacrifices to the Father through Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins, to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Kneeling in worship became the custom on penitential days. But while standing in worship is commendably observed by 114 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. V. religious societies, it is to be lamented that so many, during prayer, stand up, not to worship God in deep reverence, but to conform to custom and stare around them. But our business at present is to consider what is the propei posture to be observed in prayer by the pastor. Various consid- erations urge that he should stand in prayer. Observing this attitude, his action and countenance should be marked with solemnity. He is standing upon holy ground, in the more immediate presence of the Great King, before whom the angel Gabriel stands, and seraphs veil their faces in heaven. Gestures in prayer should be few. The hands may indicate sup- plication by a significant intertwining of the fingers, or be occa- sionally raised a little, in token of the engagedness of the mind ; but active movements of the whole person do not look well in a pastor. Some of the dissenting ministers of London had the prac- tice of raising their hands high above their heads in prayer, and throwing their arms up and down, to express fervency ; but such gesticulations were better omitted. Some pastors in our own country keep their eyes open during prayer, and roll them about in view of the congregation. This practice is not to be commended ; it is very remote from the ap- pearance of devotion ; and those who indulge in it either must be men of uncommon powers of abstraction, of which there is no evidence, or they must have committed their prayers so well to memory as not to suffer interruption, in reciting them, from the vision of sensible objects around them. 2. With respect to the pronunciation of words, and tone of voice, in prayer, care should be taken to avoid indistinctness in utter- ance, often created by rapidity of speech and a uniform drawling tone. Especially should the pastor guard against a manner in prayer, which would seem to indicate that he was dictating to the Almighty, or authoritatively giving orders in a loud and com- manding tone to an inferior. This mode of expressing words, however wholesome the words themselves may be in prayer, is very offensive. It grates upon the pious ear, and lacerates the pious heart. Oh ! let the voice in prayer express humble suppli- cation; let the pastor ever realize before whom he stands in prayer, and how unworthy he and all with whom he prays are of the Divine regards. To which let me add, that his voice should liECT. v.] Prayer — Style. 1\$ be neither too low nor too elevated into a screecliing pitch ; his ar- ticulation should not be rapid in prayer, but his tone that which combines fervency with humility. There have been instances of pastors, who, driven by the ardor of their own minds, have rushed into prayer " as the horse rushes into battle," and by volubility of speech left the congregation to guess at what they were saying. 3. Special attention should also be paid to style or language in prayer. Two extremes, in relation to the language to be used in prayer, are to be carefully avoided. The one is a low, familiar style, in addressing the Supreme Being as if he were one like ourselves ; the other the affectation of too much neatness and elegance. Rhetorical ornaments are hardly to be tolerated in this part of divine worship. Simplicity and clearness should characterize the language which the pastor is to use in prayer. He is leading the devotions of persons of various mental powers. Some of them are not only poor, but illiterate. His words, therefore, should be such as may be easily understood, and so arranged at the same time as to take hold of the heart, and call out and express all its desires. His language must be plain, neat, and pathetic. He may not in the use of such language be admired, but he will be felt by those who have the spirit of prayer. Some, indeed, pray in a style of composition which approaches to blank verse, and in a strain which shows that they are more intent on displaying their art and fine taste in composition, than on pre- vailing with God to grant the requests of their lips. It has been strongly recommended to use much Scripture lan- guage in prayer. *' The style of the Holy Ghost," as one remarks, "is fittest for holy and spiritual exercises." Yet words from Scripture may be improperly used and applied in prayer. A min- ister once in my hearing prayed "that the Church might not be as Mount Gilboa, on which there fell neither rain nor dew." Now the fact is that there fell on Mount Gilboa rain and dew in as large quantities after David wrote his celebrated elegy as before. The minister, therefore, stated as a fact what never occurred. Other misapplications of Scripture might here be mentioned. These are sometimes detected in the prayers of the pious illiterate, who may be excused this impropriety ; but they ought not to appear in the supplications of an Evangelical Pastor who is set apart to study and to expound the Scriptures. 116 I'Ustoral Qualifications — Gifts, [Lect. V. I here terminate my remarks in relation to pastoral prayer as a gift; and shall, in the next lecture, discourse of the great gift of preaching the Word of God. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. I have just discussed the relation which the ministry sustains to the important gift of prayer ; and the best improvement of the subject which I can suggest to you, is by careful study to distin- guish— 1. Between the extraordinary and the ordinary gifts of the Spirit ; and especially, 2. Between the gifts and the graces of the Spirit. Better knowledge of the difference of these endowments will enable you to understand the Scriptures ; to ascertain the nature and the evidence of divine life in the soul ; to examine into your state, under clearer rays of divine truth ; as well as to judge more correctly respecting the characters of those around you who pro- fess the Christian faith. Most certainly this is a subject which claims your serious con- sideration. To understand it well, cannot fail to undeceive some who cherish false hopes, and to resolve difficulties which disturb the peace of others. Not a few have viewed the gifts of the Divine Spirit which they possess, in the light of the graces which distin- guish "the new man of the heart." Not a few have been tempted to think that they were destitute of spiritual life, because their minds were so ill furnished with the gifts of knowledge, of utter- ance, and of prayer. Under the influence of error here, many persons who believe and have a right to the precious promises of the gospel, have refused to receive those consolations which it is the will of their heavenly Father that they should richly enjoy. The apostle Paul, who lived in an age when both the extra- ordinary and the ordinary gifts of the Spirit were imparted to many, directs our attention to the momentous difference between the gifts and graces of the Spirit, in that chapter (1 Cor. xiii.) which has never failed to seize upon the solemn thoughts of those who read his Epistles to the churches. His words are these : " Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal ; and Lect. v.] Practical Reflections. 117 though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing," etc. Such was the doctrine of that apostle, who was himself richly endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His words plainly teach that, to be an heir of eternal glory, gifts are not sufficient; grace must be implanted and seated in the heart ; faith must appro- priate the Saviour in all his offices ; hve or charity must be the predominant sentiment in the soul. Let me request you to ponder this doctrine. Fix your thoughts on those various gifts of the Spirit which may be possessed by one who is not actuated by "c/iari^y," that heaven-born principle of life and action; and (1.) O^ prophecy, an extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost. Those men who, in former ages, had this wonderful gift, were enlight- ened to see in vision future events — to know what should happen at particular periods to nations and individuals. It will be readily acknowledged by every person who considers this particular endowment, that it is the greatest which a finite mind can receive. How astonishing is it that men, whose presci- ence does not extend to the events of a single future day, should be able to describe the rise and fall of empires for centuries to come, and to predict truly what should befall individuals and nations before they existed? Yet these things did the ancient prophets of Jehovah, and some of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They foretold revolutions in the kingdoms of men in their own day, when the instruments for such work were not in being. They prophesied that certain events should take place, when, to human foresight and calculation, the very reverse was likely to happen. Yet the gift of prophecy was not saving grace. One might be filled with prophetic inspirations, and still not pos- sess a " heart right with God." Balaam was a true prophet, yet he anxiously desired " to curse the people of God." Depravity was unsubdued in his soul. "He loved the wages of unright- eousness." He was " a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal," in- struments of music that emit sounds, but have no living principle in themselves. (2.) Another extraordinary gift of the Spirit was miracle-working. A miracle need not be defined here. It will be sufficient to 118 Pastoral Qualificatio7is — Gi/h. [Lect. V. observe that miraculous works, by suspending or exceeding those laws which establish a fixed order among natural phenomena, at- tracted the attention of men in whose presence thej were wrought, and were considered to be striking evidences of the almighty power of God. It requires but little reflection to be convinced that for one to possess the gift of miracles, to be able to heal the sick by a touch, to call down fire from heaven in his own defense, and to have the seas divided by the movement of his rod, is, in respect of gifts, to be greatly distinguished among men, as a special agent of the Most High. Such a person is invested with an endowment with which the combined wisdom and power of the creatures cannot furnish him. Yet the possession of such miraculous power does not make a sinner " a new creature in Christ Jesus." He may be used as an instrument by the Holy Spirit, to confirm the truth of his revela- tions, and still remain a stranger to the joys of God's salvation. He may have faith enough to " remove mountains," and yet not exercise that "precious faith which works by love and purifies the heart." The gift of miracles is not the grace of love. Judas Iscariot was for a season a miracle-worker. In common with the other disciples, sent out on an extraordinary mission by their Master, he was enabled to heal the sick and to cast out devils ; yet with this endowment, bestowed on him for an important purpose, the renew- ing grace of the Holy Spirit was not united. The heart of Judas was the seat of covetousness, and sold under sin. In his walk with the Son of man here, " he was a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal," on which the fingers of the priests and rulers afterwards played successfully. (3.) Doctrinal knowledge of the Scriptures is another, though ordinary gift of the Spirit. Of this gift a large measure may be communicated to unrenewed man. Such may be qualified to explain difficult passages of the Scriptures, to trace the connection of divine truths, to defend the articles of the Christian faith, while he brings out of his men- tal faculties things new and old, and nevertheless be blind him- self to the glory of God displayed in the face of Jesus Christ. The heart, and not the understanding, is the principal seat of that TLkck v.] Practical Reflections. 119 charity which shall outlive faith and hope. From the manner in which the devil once tempted our Lord in the wilderness, we have reason to conclude that the impure spirits of hell possess no little knowledge of what is written in the Bible. But knowledge of Scripture doctrine is only a gift. It may be found in those who are not " born again of water and of the Spirit." Hence the promises are given, not to the wise, nor learned, nor mighty in the Scriptures, but to the " poor in spirit ;" to those who lean upon and "rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh ;" to those who "love much," because " much has been for- given them;" to those who "hunger and thirst after righteous- ness," for such alone are "partakers of the divine nature." (4.) Another ordinary gift of the Spirit is utterance. By utter- ance as a gift, is meant the ability to speak readily, pertinently, and fluently on religious subjects, to the edification of others. This gift in the primitive Church was rendered miraculously great, for the speedy propagation of the gospel faith. At this day, the gift of utterance is not marked by any extra- ordinary operation of the Holy Spirit. It now consists in being able to speak on religious topics, in public preaching and in pri- vate conversation, with much facility and propriety. Those who possess this gift can readily express their ideas, and unfold to others the knowledge which they possess of doctrines, of religious exercises, and of the history of the Church in past ages. But this gift, however richly conferred upon men, does not prove that they have experienced "the renewing power of the Holy Ghost." Diotrephes, " who loved to have the preeminence," was no doubt gifted with utterance. Judas Iscariot preached the Word. He was so bold and free in utterance, that he did not hesi- tate to find fault with others in the very presence of his august Master. Like him, one may preach the gospel and exhibit great boldness of speech ; his gift of utterance may rise up to the highest style of eloquence ; he may talk much and well on religion, and be listened to with delight, and yet lie in the bond of iniquity. Hy- pocrites have had more of the gift of utterance than many of God's dearest children. The Pharisee's trumpet is sometimes heard the whole length of the gospel street. Every where and in every company his tongue may be fluent in religious discourse ; 120 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lkct. V. "but though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal." (5.) The talent of performing audible prayer in public worship, is another gift of the Holy Spirit, and intimately connected with that of "utterance." The grace of God disposes to prayer. Afar from the throne of mercy renewed minds cannot remain. But while it is a fact that all who are born again do give themselves unto prayer, it is never- theless true that they do not all pray with equal capacity. The gift of some Christians is small, indeed, while others not renewed in mind display much talent in that exercise. They can pray with fluency in appropriate language, and in an affecting manner. But it is the prayer of faith, defective as the language may be, which Jehovah has promised to hear. The latter is grace, the for- mer is a gift merely. Keep then in view, the important distinction which you are instructed by the apostle to make, between the gifts and the graces of the Holy Spirit; and in your future ministry let those two classes of endowments be kept distinct. Do this, not only for the encouragement of some of the pious who have slender gifts but strong faith, but also for the regulation of your own judgment respecting professors around you. Ministers are disposed to be pleased with those professors in their congregations who have an uncommon talent in prayer ; but be careful that you do not confound this talent with that "charity " which assimilates man to God and his holy angels. Let it not be forgotten by you, that the gift of prayer is not piety, nor is it an evidence of an adoption into the divine family and heirship with Christ. Often has it been seen that those persons who disturbed the peace of a church, decrying the existing ministry and introducing new religious notions, were professws distinguished by their supe- rior gift in prayer, but wanting in humility and that holy heart without which no man shall see the Lord. Undistinguished by gifts of a certain kind, which recommended him to the notice of others, would Diotrephes have sought the preeminence? I trow not. LECTURE VI. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS — THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. In this lecture, I must direct your attention to that second and more important gift, which the ministry of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ brings into immediate and constant requisition, namely : Second. — The gift of preaching the Word of God. This gift especially qualifies those whom the Saviour calls into his special service, to be "teachers" — ^guides — "lights" of the world. It is true that prayer is designed to be a means for publishing gospel truths, and that when pastors pray, they should aim to in- struct all around them in sound doctrine : still, the instruction of others in the science of divine truth is not the direct object of pub- lic pastoral prayer. If, then, the gospel is to be preached, and its glad tidings to be spread abroad, there must be another exercise in which the pastor is to engage, and in which he is to sustain the full and proper char- acter of a gospel teacher — an instructor in the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion. "Ye are the light of the world," said the Saviour to those whom he had selected to be his apostles. " Go, preach the gospel to every creature." " Go ye and teach all nations." Accordingly, in happy union with other names descrip- tive of their office, its duties and its end, we find them in Scripture called "teachers." Every fact recorded by the Evangelists and Apostles, most plainly shows that the gospel ministry was instituted by the Head of the Church, not so much that he might be supplied with officers who should lead in prayer, or conduct well the ritual part of wor- 122 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VL ship, or even afford much aid and instruction to others by their pious examples ; but, principally^ that the Church might be fur- nished with those who should make known " the mystery of Christ" crucified and raised from the dead as the medium of pardon, and beseech sinners to be reconciled to God by his death ; and who should feed the flock, nourish it by the words of truth, and sus- tain it by the promises and ordinances of Divine appointment. Fix the eye upon the great commission, Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. Mark the particular work assigned to them, Ephes. iv. 11, 12 ; and the names by which they are distinguished, such as " apos- tles," "teachers," "ambassadors," "stewards," " preachers " of the gospel, set up for its defense and promulgation. Note how their energies were to be employed in their Master's service, together with all the directions given to Timothy and Titus, in relation to the duties of their ministry, 2 Tim. iv. 2 ; and no doubt will re- main upon the considerate mind, that ministers are called, not to officiate in ritual services^ as the pagan priests were seen to do ; not to usurp authority over human minds, as the Druidical priests claimed the power of doing ; but to dissipate ignorance, awaken thought, sow the seeds of truth in the minds of men, and make them "the children of light and of the day." "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor : especially they who labor in the Word and doctrine^ (1 Tim. v. 17.) Pvhlication of the truths of the Divine Word by suitable min- isters, is obviously every thing in the Christian system. The re- ligion of Christ, although it comprehends all the doctrines of natural religion, is a Supernatural Revelation. Jesus Christ is a Saviour come from heaven, the extraordinary and unspeakable gift of God ; and salvation by him will continue to be, as it was in ancient times, to the nations, " a mystery," unless it be pub- lished orally or by writing. So the Saviour taught, and conse- quently made special provision for the publication of his gospel : for " how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" And so the past history and experience of the Gentile world has taught ; for no heathen nation acquired the knowledge of the "mystery of Christ," but by means of missionaries and of the Scriptures. And who does not perceive the wisdom of God in appointing special ministers to preach his Word, and that preaching itself is Lect. VI. 1 The Gift of Preaching. 123 a most important means of salvation ? 1 Cor. i. 21 : " For 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." Look, for a moment, at the gospel ministry, with rela- tion to the great interests to be promoted and secured by it ; and then view this institution comparatively with the means of pub- lication employed in apostolic times by pagan priests, pagan phi- losophers, and civil governments. The redemption of sinners is the greatest of all God's works, as it makes the clearest displays of the moral excellences of the Divine nature. Heaven is interested in it ; earth is made to be the theatre of its exhibitions ; all nations are to be affected by it ; and its momentous results are to extend through eternity. But, from the very nature of the salvation of God, from the very character of the doctrines and laws connected with it, and from the effects it is calculated to produce, it must encounter the vigorous and incessant opposition of a "world that lieth in wick- edness." The Saviour foretold this fact on more than one occa- sion, and we know from the history of the past that he spoke truly. Error and false philosophy; idolatries and delusions of every kind ; the pride of power and the pride of life ; the course of this world in its prevailing sentiments and ftishions ; in a word, the depraved passions of the human heart, directed by an ingenu- ity as depraved, have been, and are still, all combined against the reception and influence of true Christianity. Now, when such formidable opposition is made against the gos- pel of Jesus Christ, when such momentous interests are connected with its preachings, can we think for a moment that "the wise God and Saviour " would leave the whole concealed, without suit- able agents to carry it into execution ? that he would let a work of such magnitude hang entirely upon human devices and ca- prices ? No, indeed ; such a disposition of things in relation to the Christian religion (unless miracles were daily and every where wrought to attest its divine origin, and then miracles would cease to be miracles) would be a strong argument to prove that it did not proceed from the wisdom and goodness of God, but was, afler all, " a cunningly devised fable." The divine Author of our salvation has herein acted consist- ently with his glorious attributes. He has appointed a special 124 Pastoral Qualifications — Qifts. [Lkct. VI. ministry to preach his Word, to extend his kingdom in the earth, and to be co-workers with himself in bringing many sons to glory. *' Now then," as preachers, said Paul, "we are ambassa- dors for Christ :" we constitute an embassy to a lost world, and "by manifestation of the truth commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God : for if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." (2 Cor. ii.) But the wisdom displayed in the institution of a ministry to preach the Word, cannot fail to strike us, when we compare this ministry, as an instrument of publication, with those means of the same general character used by the priests, philosophers, and magistrates in ancient times. Orators of old were few in numbers ; the masters in philosophy were still fewer. Their orations and discourses were confined to their own nation, their own political assemblies, and their own schools. Of the people, but a moiety ever heard them ; and of that small portion of the human family near them, but a mere shred, on many occasions, understood the metaphysical, rhetor- ical, and technical terrns in which they expressed their various doctrines. The agriculturists and laborers, the mechanics and servants, male and female, constituting more than one half of the whole population in those days, were entirely excluded from the benefit of their speeches and philosophical discourses. But mark, now, the great superiority of the divine ordinance "0/ preaching,^^ as a means of publication. The number of the preachers of the gospel, after the day of Pentecost, soon became great: for when "God gave forth the Word, great was the army of them who published it." They were raised up in every land, and among every people. They spoke very often, and not like the orators, who waited for events to create suitable occasions for the display of their talents, but always on every Sabbath, and frequently through the week, "being instant in season and out of season." They preached to the poor and unlearned, as well as to the wealthy and well-educated in society. They spoke ear- nestly, with all the advantages of voice and action, in a language understood by the common people, and on subjects of the highest interest to all who heard them. How far in the work of pub- lication they transcended all the orators, philosophers of the schools, and heralds of the civil magistracy, may be seen in the Lect. VI.] The Oift of Preaching. 125 wonderful effects of their preaching labors. The servants of the Saviour triumphed in every place where they were permitted to preach the gospel. Idolatry and philosophy fell before them, like Dagon before the ark. Multitudes were converted ; the Church extended from Jerusalem, far and wide ; her enemies, though armed with all the power of the sword, supported by all the authority of an ancient priesthood, with its splendid ritual of worship, and all the influence of the schools, could not arrest her onward march. The blood of the Christians was profusely shed ; but that blood became the seed of the Church, and seed, too, which yielded an abundant harvest. The facts which have been detailed in the preceding obser- vations, serve to show, that the gospel ministry is of divine origin, most wise in its constitution, and designed to be a "preaching ministry of the written Word of God, and not con- ductors of ritual service, nor men whose principal labor was to be expended in reading prayers and hearing confessions. The Jews and Gentiles vociferously cried out, The Altar — the Altar, with its holocausts ; but the apostles and ministers said. Chris- tians, all the world over, have but " one altar, ''^ (Heb. xiii.,) and to worship acceptably, " let the Word of Christ, which we preach, dwell in you richly in all wisdom." In evident disregard of the divine constitution of the gospel ministry, its principal service, and its great end, are the attempts made in some corrupt churches to elevate the '^ service-hook^^ at its expense. Priests, it has been said, are not called to preach much, but to read prayers, and administer the sacraments. Ac- cordingly, in some places of worship, the pulpit has been pushed aside, to give place to a splendid altar, and sermons short, even to leanness, have been thought to answer every purpose "of instruction, reproof, and correction in righteousness," But the Scriptures of the New Testament every where exhibit the ministers of Christ as "preachers of his Word;" and place them, as such, under awful responsibilities. (1 Cor. ix. 16.) They also describe them as "stewards," to whom the Master of the house has intrusted a most precious treasure. (2 Cor. iv. 7.) Now such a ministry, employed in a work of such magnitude as the salvation of immortal souls, evidently calls for the "gift of preaching." God does not send his messages by the hands 126 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VI. of fools. His agents must be qualified for their special work, and the " gift of preaching" must ho an essential qualification for, the gospel ministry. Let me then fix your thoughts upon this important gift, and press you, in your course of theological studies here, to aim at the possession and improvement of that gift. I. Preaching is expressed by the Greek term, " Ktipvyfia ;" and a preacher is, K?/pv^, a herald or public crier.* The original term is applied to one authorized to convey a message, or to publish, by verbal proclamation, any law or ordinance of the civil magis- tracy. It is descriptive of the Christian ministry, as an ofiice. Now, the message which the Christian pastor is appointed to convey to others, is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The laws which he is employed to publish, are the various revelations of the Divine will contained in the Holy Scriptures. Those revelations are various : for they relate to various facts, duties, characters, and states of men ; and to various Divine dispensations, both of judgment and of mercy. Every thing that the Christian pastor delivers in his official capacity, must correspond with, illustrate, and enforce what God has revealed; while he is forbidden to conceal any part of the revealed will of God, through fear or favor of man, or because he cannot perceive its accordance with received systems of philosophy. "Son of man," saith Jehovah to his gospel herald, "thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me." 1. Preaching the "Word, is both a gift and a duty. Your attention is just now called to it only as a gift; and then it is to be defined thus: Preaching is the talent of communicating instructions from the written Word of God, in such a manner as to edify the body of Christ, awaken the attention of men to the concerns of their souls, and to lead the awakened to the cross of Christ for relief. Being a gift, preaching is susceptible of improvement. This is a most encouraging fact to the young, who have determined to devote themselves to the special service of their Saviour : for, * "x'^pvxff," among the Greeks, signified as much as " caduceatores " and " so- ciales" among the Romans; heralds who published the laws, and proclaimed war or peace to a foreign power. Herodotus writes, xjjpvxef xoi 0^1009*0X01, heralds and apostles. LwjT. VL] The Gift of Preaching. 127 though just now but little ones among the "thousands of Judah," they may, through improvement of their gifts, yet stand among the mighty men of David their king. Certain it is, that if the Christian Pastor were required to do nothing more than repeat to others the very words contained in Scripture, like a servant in a human family conveys a command to others in his master's own words, then it is acknowledged that a very slender furniture of intellect would be sufficient for the execution of his office, and that the gift of preaching would not require improvement. But while Jehovah commands his minis- ters to preach his Word, that written Word is so disposed in its parts and matter, and the revelations which it contains are such, that two important duties devolve upon them. They must explain por- tions of that Word to the understandings of the common people, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, and ascertain the sense of the words employed by the inspired writers ; and they must de- fend the character and doctrines of that Word against those who deny its divine inspiration and authority, and those who assail its important doctrines, and bring in "damnable heresies:" for the ministry has been instituted "for the defense of the gospel." (Philip, i. 17.) Now, for the performance of these duties, a gift of no ordinary kind is required; for " who is sufficient for these things?" Such a cultivated mind, with other qualifications, is so imperiously de- manded by the nature of the service itself, that many who are young in life, and not richly furnished with various knowledge and superior gifts, might consider themselves wholly disqualified for the sacred ministry. But, amid their perplexities, this consider- ation must afford them much encouragement : The gift of preaching is susceptible of great improvement. (1.) The apostle Paul plainly expresses this fact in his various exhortations and directions to Timothy, who was young both in years and in the gospel service. With a view to the improvement of his pupil, that eminent master-workman said, " Give thyself to reading;" "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (2.) The same fact is also evident, from the nature of the duty of preaching; for if this duty depend on the exorcise of the intel- lectual powers, we know that those powers, according to the con- stitution of the human mind, are capable of improvement. 128 Pastoral Qualifications — -Gifts. [Lkct. VI. 2. I proceed to observe, second, that the gift of preaching may be improved — (1.) By more renewing grace received into the heart; by richer experience of the power of divine truth, in special manifestations of the Divine presence and love. Such experimental knowledge of the affecting realities of reli- gion has a powerful effect upon the judgment and the affections. " I believe, and therefore have spoken." "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." " Kestore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit : then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee." (Ps. li.) Much, therefore, should the Evangelical Pastor pray, that he may feel in his own soul the power of the Word, and enjoy, amid the trials of the gospel ministry, and in an humble walk with God, special displays of Divine love. It was this happy com- munion with God that rendered Martin Luther and John Knox such able and successful ministers of the New Testament. They did not rely, in the great work in which they were engaged, upon the strength of their own intellect and the force of their own elo- quence, but upon the fact that God was with them ; of which pre- cious fact they had acquired an assurance, from the sweet expe- rience of the Divine presence in their closets. How often was Brainerd supported in his trying missionary- labors, by special manifestations of the Divine presence in love ! In reference to one occasion he says: " I was feeble in body, per- plexed and weak in faith. I was going to preach a lecture, and feared I should not have assistance to get through. I lifted up my heart to God, and had not gone far before my soul was abundantly strengthened with those words, 'If God be for us, who can be against us ?' I found more of God's presence to-day than I have done at any time in my late wearisome journey. Though my body was feeble and wearied with preaching, yet I wanted to sit up all night to do something for God. To God, the giver of these refreshments, be glory for ever and ever!" (2.) The gift of preaching may be improved, even more than the gift of prayer, by the improvement of the mental powers. The scribe may enrich his treasure of things new and old, by increasing knowledge of facts, especially of those various momentous trutlis Lect. VL] PreachiTig — Directions. 129 which God has revealed in his Word. Even the communication of miraculous gifts in the primitive Church could not supersede the importance of such improvement in knowledge by personal efforts. Accordingly, the apostle Paul said to Timothy, "Give thyself to reading." I need not here dwell upon the connection which intellectual improvement and the acquisition of various knowledge has with the gift of preaching ; for it is sufiiciently obvious, and is often exhibited in the lives of young preachers, who, in consequence of diligent study and increase of knowledge, have risen from the weakness of infancy into the strength of manhood in the gospel service, and both astonished and delighted those who had wit- nessed their first exercises in preaching. (3.) Again : The gift of preaching may be improved by frequent conversation with pious and experienced Christians. Such Christians exhibit in their discourses those dealings of God with his people, which serve to illustrate the methods of. divine grace in redemption ; to inspire hope ; to resolve difficulties ; to impart consolation in the hour of distress ; to preserve from undue dejection and despair, and to touch all the springs of action in the human mind. Let then the young pastor listen attentively, when the aged Christian, who has long lived by faith, is heard to say, " Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul." From what the experienced in religion say, the minister of the Word may obtain knowledge of trials and deliverances which he has not himself experienced in kind, and thus be better able " to speak a word in season to him that is weary." (4.) The gift of preaching may also be improved, by outpourings of the Spirit of God upon the congregation committed to the care of an Evangelical Pastor. There may be excitements in religious society which are gotten up mechanically, to answer the purposes of sect and show ; and these excitements or revivals may operate upon the minds of preachers who are engaged in them, and for a time render them exceedingly zealous and quite eloquent. But the stream can rise no higher than its fountain. Such excitements arc usually fol* lowed by very striking declensions, and very distressing feuds among Christian professors, and misunderstandings between pas- 9 130 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lhct. VI. tor and people. Those who at one time were ready " to pluck out their own eyes " to give them to their pastor, are seen to combine together to pluck out their pastor's eyes. But '* what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord." Such excitements as have just been described would not exist, were there no actual outpourings of the Spirit, producing great awaken- ings and many conversions. It is of these operations of the Holy Spirit that I now speak. They are seasons during which great power seems to attach to the preaching of the "Word ; seasons of great searchings of heart, and deep humiliations of the proud; " seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." Such sea- sons invariably have a powerful influence upon the mind of the pastor : he is excited to preach more and better, by throwing his whole soul into his work; by exhibiting more faithfulness in warning and in directing sinners to the Saviour. Very fervently, therefore, should the pastor pray that the "Word which he preaches may be attended with Divine influence, so that " the dry bones may be shaken ;" so that the dry land which he cultivates may abound with springs of water. (5.) It remains to add here, that the gift of preaching is improved by observing a proper method in the composition of a discourse ; by selecting useful matter ; by the choice of fit and acceptable words ; and by the study of manner in preaching. 11. Preaching comprehends two things, namely: The sermon itself, as a piece of composition ; and the delivery or pronunciation of such sermon. 1st. The composition of discourses to be delivered, in fulfilling the great end of the gospel ministry, includes — 1. The proper subjects. 2. The thoughts or sentiments which make up a discourse. 3. The style. 4. Texts ; and 5. Arrangement or plan. The written Word of God, or Holy Scripture, furnishes the pastor with — First, The proper Subjects of Discourses. This Word is the directory of Christian faith and practice, and Lect. VL] Preaching — Abuses. \%\ consequently must be preached. The minister of Christ is set apart to teach the Word ; he is a " steward of the mysteries of God," and must render every subject which he discusses, and all the in- structions which he communicates, directly subservient either to the defense or to the promulgation of its interesting doctrines commands, and promises. Here it may be said, " Every one knows that the Evangelical Pastor must preach the Word ; for what else in Christian places of worship can he make the subject of his discourses ?" But is it not true from history, that while nations retained the name of Christians, and daily repeated the Apostles' Creed, the written Word of God was unread and unseen ? And in the darkness of the age, men who professed to be ministers of Christ, selected the subjects of their learned discourses from the philosophy of Aris- totle. Dr. James says, in Wickliffe's time " Few sermons were preached, and those few were on fabulous subjects and on tradi- tions, and profaned with much scurrility and emptiness. Friars persecuted the faithful, and said it had never bee7i luell with the Church since lords and ladies regarded the gospel, and relinquished the manners of their ancestors." (Apology for Wickliffe.) Under the garb of the sacred ministry, men professedly under the most solemn vows to serve the Lord Christ, and to preach his Word, have committed the most flagrant acts of treachery towards him. Not only may this be done, but the records of the visible Church show that it has been done in innumerable instances. Roman Catholic preachers in France, Spain, Italy, and other countries, in times past, preached the opinions of the Fathers, often absurd and contradictory, instead of the pure Word of God. Their sermons contained the lives of their favorite saints, and the stories of their imaginary miracles, and, like the Levite in the parable, passed by the precious doctrines of the Bible, which alone can pour oil into wounded hearts. This practice is still rife in places where Rome exhibits her false merchandise for sale, and binds the minds of the ignorant by her superstitions and idola- tries. Many Protestant preachers and writers of sermons have done "the work of the Lord deceitfully," by rendering their pulpit ser- vices subservient to the suppression of the grand doctrines of the Bible, and instrumental in disseminating their favorite theories in moral philosophy, and the philosophy of the human mind ; or, 132 ttLstoral Qualifications — CH/ts. [Lect. YT. they have confined themselves to that moral code which Deists claim in common with the Christians. Sterne's sermons are of this class. The spirit and tenor of numerous other sermon books cannot be misunderstood by those who watch over the interests of the Christian religion ; for they indicate a settled purpose to overlook all those doctrines which impart a glory to the gospel, and render it " the power of God unto salvation," and to exhibit in the fairest dress, a morality, which is not baptized into Jesus Christ. What is, at this day, the preaching of the disciples of Socinus? It is Deism, dressed up in Christian externals of the most flimsy texture ; it is philosophy, expressed, so far as it can be, in Bible terms ; it is a covert hostility against " the Cross of Christ," as the medium of pardon and reconciliation with God ; the betrayal of the Son of man again with a " Hail, Lord ! and a kiss." A sermon that attempts to set aside the necessity of a vica- rious atonement, and to teach the sufficiency of repentance for sal- vation, is a denial of the Father who gave the Son to save by his atoning blood a lost world, and a denial of the Son as the ' ' pro- pitiation for our sins." With these facts before us, are we not authorized to insist that the subjects of pastoral discourses must be those on which Paul and his fellow-apostles dwelt in their ministrations of the Divine Word ? Can we forget that it was with a special design to make those apostles, in their ministerial labors, examples of preaching the Word to those who succeed them in the same service, that the Saviour selected them to be not only the instruments of written communications from God, but also active and incessant preachers of the gospel ? The subjects of preaching are various ; and in the system of divine truth, are more or less important. All that can be done here is, to give a general sketch of those subjects which should ordinarily form the grand themes of pastoral discourses, and on which special attention should be fixed. Such subjects are the following, viz: (1.) The fall and depravity of the human race. " All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (2.) The evil of sin, and the certain destruction of those who re- main under its dominion, and under the penalty of the moral law, and without the righteousness of that law. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." " The wages of sin is death." Lect. VI.] Preaching — Svhjects. 138 , (3.) The perfection of the moral law, and consequently the fact, that it forms the basis and is the rule of the moral government of God in all places of his dominion, and the dreadfulness of its penalty. (4.) The Saviour, in the wonderful constitution of his person ; in his offices, and in his estates; in a word, "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ," and the efficacy of his cross. " For I de- termined," said Paul, "not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified." (5.) Another subject of ordinary preaching should be, the consti- tution of the covenant of grace, to be exhibited in its Mediator and federal Head, as the second Adam ; in its promises and re- quirements ; and in its grace and its benefits. (6.) Again, the operations of the Holy Spirit, in awakening, converting, sanctifying, and sealing. (7.) The privileges of God's dear children, together with their temptations, their distinguishing exercises in the life and walk of faith, and their abiding interest in the promises. To which I may add, as subjects that will be more or less discussed, death, judg- ment to come, heaven, and hell. These, I have said, should be the ordinary subjects of discourses by the pastor, in consequence of their relative importance among " the mysteries of God." Of design, I have used the terms ordi- nary discourses ; for we all know that, in fulfilling his ministry "as a workman that need not be ashamed," the pastor must occa- sionally select other subjects of discussion in the pulpit ; he must sometimes defend the gospel against the assaults of infidels, who occupy various grounds in opposing the divine inspiration of the Scriptures; he must contend with weapons suited to the versa- tility of error and heresy ; and with a view of communicating bet- ter knowledge of what is recorded in the Scriptures, he may preach historical, prophetic, and typical discourses. Still, it must be pre- scribed as a rule to pastors, that they should dwell upon those subjects of deeper and general interest, which I have before enu- merated : while subjects of the following kinds, should seldom be discussed, namely, the doctrines of natural religion, and the evi- dences of Christianity, especially in congregations that admit the evidences and acknowledge the divine authority of the Bible. The higher mysteries of our religion, such as the Trinity of Per- 134 Pastoral Qiialijications — Gifts. [Lect. VL sons in the Godhead, which should be stated as a doctrine clearly revealed in Scripture, and entering into all the dispensations of redeeming mercy to mankind, however unable the human mind may be to bring within the narrow limits of its comprehension every fact which relates to a self-existent and infinite Essence ; also, passages of Scripture in which difficulties arise, perplexing to the learned, and which have no direct connection with faith and godliness; also, types and prophecies relating to nations long since destroyed, and to the series of prophetic revelations contained in the Apocalypse — these should be well studied, with prayer, but be seldom made the topics of pastoral discourses. And if at any time the pastor, in discoursing from a passage somewhat dif- ficult, should, on consulting the original text, not approve the received version, he should hesitate long before he introduces into the pulpit what he is pleased to call mistranslations of the Scriptures. The translators of our modern version were not un- ripe scholars, men whose work can receive corrections from every lad who has looked into Greek and Hebrew grammars, and im- bibed from the German commentators of the present times, doc- trines subversive both of natural and revealed religion. To which, let me add, that the pastor should not ring the changes, from Sab- bath to Sabbath, upon ancient heresies, which are unknown to those who hear him ; nor dwell constantly upon the Divine decrees, upon Millerism, upon temperance, or upon controversial points which have little connection with a life of faith and godliness. Still less frequently should he preach about the dissipations of the gaming table, theatre, and ball-room, in places where those dissi- pations do not exist ; especially when the prominent sins under his eye are those of Sabbath-breaking, inordinate thirst of wealth, covetousness, and the pride of life. 2nd, In selecting, however, the subjects of his frequent preach- ings from among those which have been mentioned, good sense and careful observation are necessary ; and in making such selec- tions, four things should be constantly kept in view by the pastor, namely : 1. The great end of the institution of the gospel ministry. Is it not the design of this most important institute, to call sinners to repentance; to recommend ^'- the crucified One,'''' as a suitable and all-sufficient Saviour ; and to convert sinners unto God ? This is Lkct. VI.] Preaching — Subjects — Directions. 185 the object to which the efforts of ministers are to be directed; an object very different from that of displaying either profound learn- ing or superior eloquence. Try to save souls from everlasting de- struction, is the Divine command which they have received ; and when they set themselves to do God's bidding as good stewards in his household, they will ordinarily choose those subjects of dis- course which shall lead them to warn sinners of their danger, to stir them up to implore mercy, to receive the Saviour in his offices, to deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him. In the execution of their office, they will delight to say, as John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 2. To select subjects wisely, for ordinary pulpit services, the pastor must keep in view that he is to preach to those who hear him, and not to those who, from their situations, cannot hear him ; and in this respect a sermon spoken differs from a religious treatise printed and published. How often is this fact overlooked in the ministry ! How often are sinners reproved for particular sins, and violently scolded at by their pastors, when the sinners are not in the congregation, but far removed from it ! How often are er- rorists and heretics solemnly admonished, when they are not pres- ent to hear the admonition ! while the wrong doings and the lamentable condition of those who are before the eye of the preacher, are unattended to, and a *' generation of vipers " is left to encircle him in all the twistings of Pharisaical formality, self-righteous- ness, and hypocrisy ! 3. In order to do his work well, the pastor must also know the state of his flock. The states of religious societies are various, and the state of the same society may be rendered various by its growth or decline in religion, and by the variety of prevailing sentiments and practices prevalent therein. Now, let the pastor suit his subjects to those various states. Let him not preach continually upon Christian experience, and the promises given to the godly under their " many afflictions," when his congregation is full of hardened, Antinomian and gospel- ridden sinners ! Let him not preach on the moralities from Sab- bath to Sabbath, when many around him are asking " what they must do to be saved." It is to the people of his charge that he is to carry God's Word, 136 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VL and it is among them "that he must rightly divide it." To exe- cute this part of his duty well, he must ascertain, so far as he is able, what are the sentiments, the moral habits, the religious dif- ficulties, the wants and desires of those to whom he is to dispense the Word. Let him move with caution and address on his first settlement among a people. In every congregation there are little family feuds, rivalships, and jealousies, of which, as a stranger, he can possess little knowledge ; for strangers well received see the fairest face of society. Let him, therefore, take pains to inquire, and iu the mean time be guarded in his observations on men and things. In addition to the information he may obtain firom personal inter- course with various individuals, let him seek further knowledge from judicious ofiicers of the church, from the humble and not frowardly pious. Mischievous persons are sometimes very much inflamed with rehgious zeal. But let the pastor, in attempting to acquire a knowledge of the state of his flock, never make his own house the centre to which the gossips shall direct their steps, and open their budgets of news. Let him moreover not dissipate the hours to be devoted to study and prayer, in idle visits, and in agricultural pursuits and trad- ing speculations. A pastor may be too much in the streets ; and rambling minis- ters, like rambling mechanics, provide little food for those depend- ent on them for sustenance, but often preach rambling sermons. 4. To choose proper subjects of discourse, let a pastor be a careful observer of the leading exercises of his own mind, whilst he implores the direction of the Holy Spirit. He will preach bet- ter on subjects which deeply impress his own heart. Most fre- quently, those things which occupy his serious thoughts when he reflects on his future accountabihty, will promote the good of his people ; add to which, that by attending to his own spiritual exer- cises, trials and enlargements, he will be preserved from convert- ing the pulpit into a gladiator's box, where nothing is done from Sabbath to Sabbath but drawing the sword of argumentation, and making thrusts at sects and heretics, known and unknown. A pastor will have a starving flock, who does nothing more than fight the wolves. He must feed^ as well as defend his sheep from beasts of prey. Lect. VI.] Practical Refiectwns. 137 Sufficient has now been said in relation to the proper subjects of pastoral discourses ; especially when it is considered that sub- jects may be judiciously selected, and still be very imperfectly, not to say imprudently and unprofitably discussed. More, there- fore, of what is useful in pastoral discourses, must depend on the sentiments which they contain, and on the instruction which they convey. To those thoughts and sentiments which should enter into a gospel preacher's discourse, and constitute the matter of it, I shall direct your attention in the next succeeding lectures. Just now, let me awaken in your minds some practical reflections. The gift of preaching, you perceive, acquires its value from its immediate connection with the ministry of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. That ministry it will be your duty to maintain, in its Divine institution and in its all-important services as a preaching and teaching ministry. As such, it presents itself to our view the very day on which the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Jerusalem, and endowed them with power from on high ; as such, and not as prayer readers and ritual servitors, its acts, after the day of Pentecost, are described by the inspired historian of what trans- pired ; as such, it called for special epistles from the apostle Paul, addressed to Titus and Timothy ; 05 such^ in the exercise of its preaching gift, it could reach the hostile multitudes in every city, publish the tidings of a Saviour come, spread light abroad, disturb the heathen philosophers in their various schools, and the priests of idolatry in the recesses of their temples ; arrest, by its brilliant victories over innumerable minds, the attention of civil magis- trates, even of emperors, and cause the enraged mass of idolaters to cry out in alarm, "Those that have turned the world upside down, have come hither also." (Acts xvii.) By what means did these primitive ministers of Christ effect such a surprising revolution in the sentiments, hearts, and habits of thousands in every country ? The sacred historian Luke, and the actors themselves in that great work, tell us that they used "no carnal weapons," and seduced none over to their opinions and sect by offers of place and power in the empire ; that they did not allure men into their despised association by inviting them into gorgeous temples, before splendid altars, and a priesthood dressed up in rich vestments, to render their ceremonial services more impos- 138 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifis. [Lect. VL ing : for they had neither temples, nor altars, nor meeting-houses for their accommodation, but "were troubled on every side," per- secuted, and treated with scorn by the noble and the mighty. Yet they triumphed over opposition, and added multitudes of converts to the Christian faith "by the foolishness of preaching." They preached the Word of Christ, and that Word was the power of God unto salvation. Now if preaching the gospel be the ordinance of God ; if by it he has determined to execute the purposes of his grace ; if it be, in its simplicity and purity, a means so powerful in storming the strongholds of Satan, so efficient in rousing a sleeping world, then we may rest assured that, if evil be at any time meditated against the Church — if her light is to be so far extinguished as to introduce superstition, ritualism, and a lordly priesthood into her courts — opposition^ more or less open and vigorous, will be made to that ministry which the Saviour appointed to be a preach- ing and teaching ministry^ and which his apostles so nobly fulfilled. Then the absurd doctrine of apostolic succession will be revived, so that preachers shall not be called by the Church, and set apart by her ministry, but depend upon the pleasure of a "Lord Bishop" for their assistance, and receive the word at his mouth: then, in places of worship, pulpits will be thrust out of their proper situ- ations for addressing an audience, to intimate that preaching the Word is an ordinance that may be dispensed with, and only occasionally observed : and altars built up and decorated, as if they were pieces of furniture essential to Christian worship. Then the fashionable cry will be raised in favor of short sermons ; ser- mons resembling Pharaoh's lean kine, fit only to devour the doc- trinal richness of that gospel which Paul preached, as he said to believers, "that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places." (Ephes. i.) Then, too, the sacraments, which derive their being and utility firora the Word, will be made the great instrumentalities for conveying saving Lkct. VI.] Practical Reflections. 139 grace to souls, while the ordinance of preaching the Word itself will be treated as of little significance.* What I have just said, corresponds with facts recorded in Church histories. It is now seen in its realities and effects in the Church of Rome, and in the doings of those who would extend the power of Rome into Protestant countries. But, happily, you know the gospel ministry to be a divine in- stitution of a high character, as an instrument of " making known the mystery of Christ," and as a means of feeding the sheep and lambs of his flock ; and your duty will lead you to defend it as such, to maintain its great importance among the ordinances of God. It is indeed one of the most precious, as it is the first gift of the Saviour after his glorious ascension into heaven. Words cannot express its full value to a lost world ; for though it be "a treasure put into earthen vessels," yet it is a golden treasure, to be more carefully preserved than the wealth of empires. Events which have transpired through centuries past, and the present condition of nations and kingdoms, prove that the moral elevation of man in the social state depends not on the advance of science, nor on improvements in the arts, but upon an enlight- ened, faithful, and preaching ministry of the Word. Oh, with what importunity should the Church supplicate "the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into the harvest-field: for the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few !" Into this harvest-field you have expressed a desire to enter, and to be actively employed. It therefore becomes you, as theological students, especially to reflect, that the office of a minister of the Word brings men into a relation to the Most Iligh God, such as no other class of human beings sustain. For the office is one appointed by "God manifest in the flesh, seen of angels, justified in the spirit, and received up into glory :" an office designed to supply, in the Church here below, the absence of the Saviour's bodily presence and instructions; and as that Church is a visible society, to be a visible instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit for promoting her interests, and for * Those who thus exalt the sacraments, -will not require the knowledge of divin« truths : it will be sufficient, in their judgment, if Christians can repeat the Lord'i Prayer, the creed, and the approved catechism. 140 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VI. " bringing many sons to glory." The Evangelical Pastor stands and speaks in the name and stead -of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a high and momentous embassy ! It lifts a worm of the dust above earth's most coveted employments, and places him with ministering angels in a service, the honors and rewards of which far exceed all earth's glories. No wonder that Paul said, "I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, / magnify mine office^ No wonder that the learned and pious Whitaker, in the view of all the duties and trials of the gospel ministry, should still say, "I had rather be a preacher of the gospel than an emperor." The relations and ends of the gospel ministry do indeed confer on a faithful Evangelical Pastor honors peculiar and sublime. Hence it may be said that, under the constitution of things in this world, the Supreme Being employs civil magistrates, and those whom men call "the honorable of the earth," as overseers and keepers of the wicked, restraining them from doing harm to their fellows. He uses kings and princes as he did proud and mighty Nebuchadnezzar, in all their transitory greatness, as "rods" in his hand, to scourge the ungodly; as the executioners of his wrath, directed against nations who have filled up the measure of their iniquities. But ministers of the gospel are God's stewards in his household of grace here, and they stand next the Master himself in his establishment : stewards, set over God's precious things; the mysteries of his kingdom, the souls of his people ; the interests of that Church, which is dear to him " as the apple of his eye," and which he hath purchased with his own blood. Not only are ministers ." stewards," but they are stewards in their Lord's absence from his house here below ; called to act in his name, and agreeably to the orders which they have received from him. , Among those orders, the first and most prominent is this well- known one: "Go, preach the gospel." "Preach the Word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." Accordingly, the apostles themselves were abundant in labors as preachers^ and their labors in preaching brought them into conflict with Jews and Gentiles, and exposed them to severe persecutions. Lkot. VI.] ' Practical Reflections. 141 That Divine command to preach the Word is unrepealed, and brings with it into requisition the gift of " preaching," as a quali- fication for the gospel ministry ; and this important gift it is now your duty assiduously to cultivate. Men may be mighty in the Scriptures, and compose approved sermons; but with a slender gift in speaking their sermons, or exhibiting their knowledge of divine truth, they will fail in attracting and fixing the attention of their hearers, and especially in impressing conviction on their minds. Many pious and learned divines have been inefficient and neglected preachers ; and some in the ministry, by their talent in preaching, have covered many imperfections in their compositions. This gift of preaching will be called up again, when I shall come to speak of the delivery of sermons. In the mean time, I shall remind you that the gift of preaching, which should rest on various knowledge, comprehends the happy and ready exer- cise, not merely of mental power, but also of bodily endowments and personal accomplishments. Cast then your eyes around, and every faculty which yields an item in constituting the gift of preaching, seek to improve. You may not perhaps, after all your study and care, be able so to preach as to command popularity, and have your name inserted among the pulpit orators of the day ; but your improved gift in preaching, supported by the piety of your hearts, will render you instructive and useful preachers, " workmen that need not be ashamed," " teachers that will command the attentive ear of all but scorners." But " who is sufficient for these things ? " Under a sense of your insufficiency for preaching the Word, look up "to the Father of Lights, from whom Cometh down every good and every perfect gift," the suf- ficiency of whose grace can supply your needs, and make " the weak things of this world confound the things that are mighty." It was in direct relation "to the foolishness of preaching," and the gift of preaching in its exercise, that the apostle Paul penned those soul-encouraging words, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor. i. 25.) Depend not then upon your natural endowments for public speaking, nor upon the applause which you have received in the course of your literary studies as orators; but seek your 142 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lkct. VL ability for the work of preaching, which requires attributes in some measure peculiar, where Paul sought it, "by bowing your knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," (Ephes. iii. 14,) by feeling your need of the influences of the Spirit of grace and power, and by enduring "as seeing him who is invisible." Be solicitous so to do, so to act, and so to feel. Let faith look at the sacrifice on Mount Calvary, and then raise her eye still higher, and look at your High Priest interceding in heaven. Be not discouraged by any difficulty in your first attempts at preaching the Word ; for if the gift can be improved, then it is not for yourselves now to say what you will be as preachers of the Word, if "the Master has need of you," nor to predict the effects that will result from your preaching power. Was it not Curran, who tried to speak for the first time at the meeting of the Irish Historical Society, but the words died on his lips, and he sat down amid titters, characterized by one " as milk and water" ? Yet at what elevation did this man reach as a public speaker ! k! LECTURE VII. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS — THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. ON THE COMPOSITION OF SERMONS. Knowledge, so far as it is a valuable attribute of mind, is made up of facts in the arts and sciences ; and composition, whether written or spoken, derives its relative value from the number of facts which it contains, and the manner in which those important facts are exhibited or expressed. A sermon or pastoral discourse is a composition, and as such its utility and value will depend upon the good thoughts, ideas, truths, or sentiments of which, in the interesting concern of gospel publication, it is the vehicle. In speaking of those things which enter into the composition of a sermon, I have, in the preceding lecture, shown the subjects ordinarily to be selected and discussed by evangelical pastors, as the themes of their public discourses ; and must now direct your attention, Second, To the thoughts or sentiments which should form the matter of those discourses. It is almost unnecessary to observe to you that it is not the sub- ject selected, nor the style used, nor the method adopted by the preacher, that gives a character of value or otherwise to his ser- mon ; but the sentiments, truths, and reasonings which that sermon comprehends. The other requisites have their proper place in compositions; but it is by the ideas and arguments which the Christian teacher expresses in his discourses, that he is to commu- nicate instruction to others. Speak to their understandings and their hearts, and thereby " edify the body of Christ." It was with 144 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifis. [Lect. VI. a special view to this effect of preaching the Word, that the apostle Paul said to Timothy, " Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith." " Give thyself to reading." " Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth : for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Tim. iv.) Impressed by the fact that the sentiments or truths expressed must give a sermon its proper character, I proceed to observe — 1. That those thoughts or sentiments, to answer the end of preaching, must be pregnant with and illustrative of divine truth, and instructive and profTtable to the hearers. The minister of Christ is a " teacher of good things," and, as Paul said to Timothy, he must so preach, "that his profiting may appear to all." (1 Tim. iv. 15.) Instruction in the things of religion was contemplated by the Saviour, when he instituted the ministry. (Matt, xxviii.) The Christian religion is called, preeminently, "light come into the world," "knowledge," "wisdom." The Divine Word is made up of truths to be published, taught, known, and believed. It is said, " to give understanding to the simple, and to make the fool- ish wise." Now, this high character it should sustain in the preaching of the Evangelical Pastor. His lips should teach sound doctrine, though his arguments and illustrations in confirmation of such doctrine, may be drawn from various sources. " Take heed to thy doctrine," said Paul to Timothy, "for in so doing thou shalt save thyself and them that hear thee." His sermons should enlighten the mind, and enable those who hear him to know what the "will of the Lord is," and to discern the way which leads to the heavenly city. He is set apart to war against that " kingdom of darkness" which sin has erected in this world, "by holding forth the Word of life, and speaking the truth in love." Satan, " a pyramid of mind on the dark desert of despair," builds his empire "On opinioD, fount of action, falsely held." The gospel preacher is directed to meet this foe in combat. His Lect. VII.] Sermons — Composition. 145 weapon is the Word of God, so published in instructive discourses, as that it shall recommend itself to every man's sober reflection and " conscience in the sight of God." Sermons replete with metaphysical subtleties, like those of the schoolmen in the dark ages, may do honor to the philosophy of Aristotle, or to some other philosophy, fashionable for a day, but they detract from the high character of the religion of the crucified One, (1 Cor. ii. 2,) and are unprofitable and mischievous. So also discourses filled with light and frothy sentiments, in which, as Archbishop Usher says, " Corinthian Vanity" displays herself, or Ignorance betrays her slender resources, by harping upon one or two ideas hastily snatched from some commentator, (though there be no direct violation of the law of truth,) or by misrepresenting facts, are disgraceful to the gospel ministry, (1 Pet. iv. 11.) It is not required, in the composition of pulpit discourses, that they shall be equally instructive ; this, from the variety of sub- jects discussed, cannot be expected: but let the preacher speak sound doctrine and good sense ; then he will always edify his se- rious and intelligent hearers. Perhaps the greatest pulpit orators are not so useful in communicating solid instruction as those who, without oratorical powers, enrich their sermons with deep thought, with heart-searching and practical divinity ; nor are those persons who, on the Sabbath, are seen to be in chase of popular preachers, found to have furnished their minds with a large measure of Scripture knowledge. Great will be the mistake of such persons, if they suppose that they are to be lifted up to heaven by their ears. (Jas. i. 22, 23.) 2. But the thoughts in a sermon may, in themselves, be good and useful ; still, they may be out of their proper place, because unconnected with the subject, or with one another. In preaching well, it is therefore required that the thoughts or sentiments in a sermon shall be pertinent^ growing naturally out of the subject selected by the preacher, and tending to exhibit it in a clear light. Bishop Porteus, so remarkable for the good sense of his writings, disappoints his readers by selecting for the subject of one of his sermons. Evangelical Sober-mindedness^ inculcated by Paul in these words to Timothy: "Young men likewise exhort, that they be sober-minded." But his thoughts in that sermon have little con- 10 146 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VII. nection with the subject proposed in the text, but are employed about the advantages to youth of an academical education. How very remote from Paul's thoughts, at the time he penned those words, was either a liberal education in the literary institu- tions, or any benefits which resulted from such culture of the human mind ! But less pertinent still are the thoughts expressed in a sermon, when the preacher writes or speaks as if he were anxious to accu- mulate matter, without any regard to the connection of its parts, running out into digressions until the subject be lost, and a new one introduced. Such a discourse may well be compared to " a rope of sand." I once heard a preacher, when his subject was the resurrection of Christ, and its effects upon the minds of his disci- ples, (John XX. 20,) deliver a piece of a dissertation going to prove that assimilation is one of the original principles of the human constitution. On another occasion, I heard one who had the repu- tation of being " a master in Israel," enter into a long disquisi- tion, philosophical indeed, respecting the principle of animal life, when his text was, Rom. i. 21, " Neither were thankful ;" and his subject, the duty of national thanksgiving. If the preacher is to enjoy such license, the pious poor especially will seek instruction from the Word elsewhere. You will consider pertinency as standing opposed to unnecessary amplification^ to superfluous reasoning, and also "to a cumbersome citation of Scripture passages." The last-mentioned fault was committed by preachers much engaged in controversy, after the dawn of the Reformation. At this day, no such defect attaches to sermons heard in Christian assemblies. On the contrary, many preachers are so enamored of their own phraseology, so impressed with the worth of their own ideas and arguments, that in their sermons they will permit scarcely one passage of Scripture to fall upon the listening ear. 3. Again : The thoughts in sermons should be not only perti- nent, but also profound. By the use of the term profound, in this connection, it is not my design to insinuate that the preacher should, in the discussion of his subject, introduce as many metaphysical terms and propositions as he can drag in, or attempt to show the extent of his literary studies, and the depth of his philosophical researches, or his inti- Lect. vn.] Sermons — Composition. I47 mate acquaintance with scholastic and controversial theology. Far from it. Such profundity of thought usually characterizes the sermons of those "who aim to pervert the gospel of Christ," and is no doubt partiall}^ referred to by the apostle of the Gentiles, in Col. ii. 8 : " Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." But I here apply the word "profound" to the subject proposed by the text itself to be discussed. Accordingly, the thoughts of a preacher on any given subject are said to be profound, when they do not skim along the surface of the subject, nor exhibit the least important part of it, but serve to unfold clearly the subject itself; or in other words, when they enable those who hear, to know the mind of the Spirit and the will of God expressed in the text. For instance, were a preacher to speak from the words, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," and in the discussion of this subject were to expand his remarks in the exhibition of our Lord Jesus Christ as a mayi and a teacher, distinguished by the purity of his life, and the heavenly sweetness and meekness of his temper, and forbear to preach him in his office of a Saviour from sin, to exhibit him in the interesting light of a " Lamb " or sacrifice offered up to make atonement for sin, he would do violence to the evident sense of the passage; and though his observations in relation to the Redeemer, as being an illustrious example to us in every virtue, should be both correct and eloquent, yet they would not be pro- found. Let the preacher, then, study to exhibit the mind of the Holy Spirit, in the passage before him ; let him enter into the core of his text. Divine truth is valuable, not merely as it serves to cor- rect the judgment where it errs, but as it exhibits objects of moral beauty to attract the heart with its affections. 4. The thoughts in a sermon should also be select. This requisi- tion is a law in all good writing and speaking, and is particularly in force in the composition of a sermon, which ought to abound in good sense, and which, from the frequency of preaching, ought to be made as awakening and impressive as the best thoughts of a preacher on a subject will permit. That discourse in which a subject is attempted to be exhausted, 148 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VII. is like a river which, in proportion to its breadth, becomes shallow and less useful for navigation. Do not, therefore, say all that you can say on a subject; do not introduce into your sermon every good thought that may arise in your mind, or every good extract which you have made. Condense the rays of light, that they may acquire the energy of fire. It is known, indeed, that the young preacher is not much in danger of exhausting a subject, but more disposed to introduce irrelevant matter into his sermons. His difficulty, at the begin- ning of his ministry, arises more from penury than exuberance of thought. Still, as his reading extends, and as he becomes more free and careless in his compositions, he is apt to say too much, when fewer thoughts forcibly expressed would be better. I now proceed to point out the method to be observed in ac- quiring matter for discourses, such as will render the pulpit ser- vice of a pastor more acceptable and edifying. (1.) The preacher must study his subject and ruminate upon it. " Meditate on these things." (1 Tim. iv. 15.) " Give thyself wholly to them" — Ev rovroL^ eoTL — "be in them;" a phrase evidently in- tended to express the steady application of the mind to the con- sideration of divine truths, in their connection. That study here referred to includes two things, namely : the reading carefully of the Holy Scriptures, and of the most approved writers on the subject of our study ; and reflection, united with various reading. It has been strongly recommended, that, apart from the exercise of domestic worship, the pastor devote an hour each day in read- ing the Scriptures in or^er, noting in each chapter or portion the passages which are not plain to his understanding, and which therefore require more particular study, and especially those pas- sages which speak to his own heart : the latter ought to be read frequently over, and committed to memory, for the preacher will find much use for such passages, both in composition, and when he is addressing a Christian congregation. The approved writers to be read are happily many, and to be found in the, book -stores. They comprehend four classes, namely : commentators and paraphraists ; writers on some branch of didac- tic or practical divinity ; writers of sermons ; and writers of re- ligious essays and treatises. Eeadily do young ministers furnish Lect. VII.] Sermons — Matter, 149 their rooms with books of sermons, especially those which are applauded as being the productions of genius, and are extensively circulated among the literary and fashionable in society ; such as Blair's sermons, the sermons of Saurin, Bourdaloue, Massillon, Wardlaw, Chalmers, etc. O^hese are supposed to afford the best helps to those who have just entered the ministry. Doubtless they are useful, in respect of matter and style ; but, it ought to be remembered, that these discourses were written and corrected with much labor, for the defense of certain great principles of the Christian religion, and were addressed principally to men of supe- rior intelligence, taste and station. Unless delivered by superior oratorical powers, they would make little impression on the com- mon mind, and are not good models to those who are called to preach " both to the wise and the unwise." They aid the young pastor very little in his attempts to relieve the wounded Samaritan, or to fix the arrows of conviction deep in the heart of the careless sinner. Be this, however, as it may, I am persuaded that young preachers, after their style has been improved in our academical institutions, will derive more immediate help, in their ordinary preachings, from Flavel's sermons, the sermons of Davies, Jay, and others. Religious treatises, such as Witherspoon on Regen- eration, Simeon on the Holy Spirit, ought to be well studied. But some who preach the Word keep their minds unfurnished with much useful knowledge, by restricting their reading to ser- mons and theological works. The facts contained in the Bible, the doctrines which the Christian minister is bound to teach and defend, are connected, by stronger or feebler relations, with almost every department of knowledge. He cannot, therefore, extend his researches too far, provided his official duties be not neglected. Every useful and ornamental art, and every branch of science, afford facts which serve to enlarge the range of his thoughts and to supply him with illustrations, in discussing well the very vari- ous subjects which he selects as the themes of his successive dis- courses. (2.) But reading, as you already know and have often heard, to be profitable, must be followed by reflection. Father Augustine long since said, "Lectio inquirit — oratio postulat — meditatio invemt — contemplatio degustat." Some young men in the gospel ministry exhibit a voracious appetite in reading books; but there is no 150 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. YII. digestion by them of what they read. Hence, when they take up their pens to compose sermons, they are obliged to borrow with- out ceremony from the writers before them too lavishly. It is an unhappy condition, in natural life, to live by horrowing. Such a life usually is the result of indolent habits: but "the pastor must not be slothful in business ;" he must give himself to reading and collecting facts ; he must hold in his hands other writings than popular sermons ; and must discipline his mind to deep reflection. "I will not offer unto the Lord," said one, "that which cost me nothing." Certain it is, the priests of the tabernacle were re- quired to use, not merely oil, but beaten oil, in the divine service. So ministers of the gospel, by study and reflection, must beat that oil wherewith they attempt to enlighten Christian temples. Here I must observe that time is necessary, both for study and reflection. A pastor therefore should husband his time well ; for he will find many interruptions in his course of study, some of which arise from urgent calls to parochial duties, and many of which it will not be in his power to set aside. Early after the Sabbath, and even on Sabbath evenings, if he can, he should select the subject of his next discourse. The sooner he makes this ar- rangement, the sooner he can put his mind into a course of read- ing, and into a train of reflection suited to the better performance of his work. Very injurious is it to a pastor, to dissipate the first days of the week in what he is pleased to call recreation. An idle Monday makes a daughter of Tuesday, and a step-son of Wednesday ; and a few days expended in doing little to purpose, create towards the end of the week a severe pressure of disagree- able study and torturing anxieties, an undue hurry in preparation for the Sabbath ; or obliges a pastor to depend on old sermons, or to repeat sentiments which are uppermost in his memory, and de- livered in his preceding sermons. And is it a matter of small moment, to be unprepared for a service of this solemn kind? " What impudence," says an old writer, "is it in the great busi- ness of salvation, when a man appears before the church, before angels, before God, to discourse in a loose manner, so as to flatten devotion instead of exciting it, and to prostrate the esteem and authority of the great ordinance of preaching!" (3.) Let me add, that to be rich in matter for pastoral preaching, prayer must be united with habits of study and reflection. It was Lect. VII.] Sermons — Style. 151 a saying of Martin Luther, "Bene orasse est, bene studuisse 1" He always found himself in a better disposition for study and for preaching, after he had composed his thoughts and lifted up his heart to God in prayer. Bradford, who died a martyr to the faith under the reign of Queen Mary, and who was successful in preaching the Word and defending the Reformation principles, united mach prayer with study in his preparation for the pulpit. Much help do we need from God in this great work. To do good to souls, our own insufficiency must be felt ; and in propor- tion to the consciousness of our inability, not to compose a speech which rhetoricians will approve and the multitude stare at, but to preach so as to bring sinners to Christ, will be our disposition to implore the aids of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit has access to the mind of a pastor, can direct his thoughts, enlarge his views, and work effectually in him to render him an instrument by which *' many shall believe." (1 Cor. iii. 15.) Study therefore with the knees of your heart habitually bent before the throne of grace. Third, The Style adapted to discourses. I must now direct your attention to the third thing which en- ters into the composition of approved discourses from the pulpit. This is style. 1. Style, as you know, " is the manner in which a writer or speaker expresses his thoughts to others, by means of language." Accordingly, language is the great instrument which the preacher is obliged to employ in the gospel service, not merely to express his sentiments, and pass on, but especially to persuade men, to incline their minds to believe as he believes, and to enlist them •'on the Lord's side." It must, then, be a matter of no little im- portance, that his style should be such as to awaken and fix atten- tion, to exhibit truth clearly, and thereby impress the minds of his hearers, and promote the end of preaching the Word. Every one knows, that the best thoughts on a religious subject may appear to be of an inferior character, and lose half their value, in consequence of that dress of language in which they are exhibited. Style, therefore, should be a particular subject of study by those who preach the Word. Eccles. xii. 10, 11 : " The preacher sought 152 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lect. VIL to find out acceptable words ; for the words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies." Draw J owe words as much as possible " from the wells of Eng- lish undefiled." Our language happily abounds in small words. These, both in prose and poetry, give not only perspicuity but force to style. No writer can inflict awful gashes, no speaker can thrill the hearer, who rejects the monosyllables in our language, and comes slowly riding upon the top of long, swelling words derived from the Greek and Roman tongues. It is true that Pope says, " Short words are stiff and languishing," and he has attempted to condemn their use in this line : "And ten small words creep on in one dull line ;" but his judgment is false, and may be set aside by what he him- self wrote. Had he attempted to express that idea by long words, he would have exhibited an instance of dulness indeed. Wisely did the translators of our English Bible use small words, which impart a beauty and force to innumerable passages in their excellent version. Coleridge admired this passage for its sublimity : " And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live ? and I answered, 0 Lord God! thou knowest." Milton gives energy to his poetic thoughts by monosyllables. Young does the same. Is there any dulness in these lines ? / " The bell strikes one : we take no note of time Save by its loss ; to give it then a tongue Were wise in man." 2. Style is various^ according to the various powers of concep- tion, the various associations and tastes of writers and speakers, and according to the various subjects of composition and dis- course. Letting alone here intellectual capacity and taste, I pro- ceed to observe, that the style of the gospel preacher, if it be in his power to vary it, should be suited to the particular subject of his discourse. In one point of view, all the subjects of his preach- ings have one general character : they are religious subjects, clothed with the majesty of the Divine Word, and connected with the solemn character of a divine religion, while they are designed to promote the high eternal interests of man. With a direct refer- Lect. VII.] Sermons — Style. 153 ence to this fact, the apostle Peter says, 1 Pet. iv. 11 : "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." But while all the subjects of evangelical preaching have one general character, it is nevertheless true that they are diversified in respect to the particular branches of truth and duty to which they more directly relate. Hence there are historical and didactic sub- jects of discourse. There are subjects which call for the descrip- tive powers, and subjects which demand the plainness and severity of logic, as when one attempts to prove the existence of God from the creation which we behold, or to show the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth from the prophecies of old. There are subjects which speak almost wholly to the understanding ; and others, again, which address themselves particularly to the conscience and to the heart, in its finer feelings and affections. The propriety of the rule just laid down is therefore obvious : the style should be suited by the preacher to the particular subject to be discussed. The outbursts of a rich imagination should not be seen amid a series of arguments detailed to establish a fundamental doctrine of either natural or revealed religion. Nor should the narrative style of history be used, when the speaker addresses himself to the results of personal experience, and strives to win over and excite the affections. Let him vary his style, if he can, with his subject, and not give the stiffness of logical dress to a sennon in- tended to describe the constraining influence of the love of Christ, (2 Cor. V. 14 ;) nor indulge in flights of a poetic fancy, when he is called to fix the actual conditions of Christian discipleship. (Luke xiv. 26.) The common hearers say of some, not without reason, " that they are cold preachers, and deliver dry sermons ;" for they preach on every subject in the style of a logician, or after the man- ner of a plain matter-of-fact lawyer. 3. Li respect of style in sermons, the general rules for good writing taught in the schools, with slight modifications, must be prescribed to those who engage in compositions for the pulpit. Such compositions demand every attribute of good writing : they require that the style should be perspicuous^ neat, chaste, digni- fied, forcible, and bold ; for the sentiments in good sermons, from the various subjects to which they relate, will call for those qual- ities of style to aid in their happy expression. (1.) I observe, then, that perspicuity is one of the characters of style suited to the pulpit. 154 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VIL Thoughts, in speaking and writing, are said to be perspicuous, when the words and sentences employed are easy to be under- stood, and the subject of remark and reasonings are readily appre- hended by others. Perspicuity stands opposed to obscurity^ in the communication of thought ; and a preacher, to whom we must here confine our attention, may render his meaning obscure in various ways : as for instance, by the use of scholastic terms which are no longer well understood even by the well-informed ; of metaphysical terms and phrases which perplex the common mind ; by the employment of long words strung together in sentences, and seldom heard in ordi- nary life ; by rendering sentences, even when plain words are used, too long and too much involved; and by excess of metaphors. This evil should be studiously avoided. Obscurity in a discourse is a proof of ignorance in the mind. The better we understand a subject ourselves, the more easily can we expound it to others. (2.) Perspicuity, especially in sermons, is all-important. For the great object in preaching is, not merely to alarm the fears of sin- ners, but to enlighten their minds, to teach divine truths, to enable men '' to know what the will of the Lord is," and to enrich their understandings with knowledge of various facts, with a view to improve the state of their hearts, and to guide their feet into the ways of practical godliness. Now this blessed effect cannot be produced by preachers whose discourses perplex, but do not inform, their hearers. And who are those hearers ? Is a Christian wor- shipping assembly composed of those only who have received a liberal education, and who have occupied seats in the schools of philosophy and theology? Are they exclusively "the wise, the scribes, and the disputers of this world " ? No : blessed be God ! " the gospel is preached to the poor." In ordinary congregations, convened to hear the Word, the greater number are illiterate; men and women whose occupations do not permit them to bestow much cultivation on their minds by various reading and study. Now, with an audience made up of a few well-informed, but many unlearned persons, how necessary is it that the Christian teacher should put his instructions into a dress of perspicuous words and sentences. If he must abandon elegance of style, (of which there is no necessity,) in order to be perspicuous, let him do it without hesitation. Paul did this when he preached among Lect. VII.] Sermons — Style. 155 the heathen, who were ignorant of the first principles of the doc- trine of Christ. " llis preaching was not in wisdom of words or excellency of speech," but in the best mode the manifestation of the truth could be made. "Non quserit seger," says Seneca, " me- dicum eloquentcm sed senentem " — a sick man does not seek for an eloquent physician, but a skilful one. (3.) To render style perspicuous, you know it must be gram- matically correct. Arrangement is necessary to fix the meaning of words in a language, and by words to construct sentences which shall convey to others the ideas expressed, in a clear and striking manner. Now, that arrangement or plan is the grammar of that language. It is to be regretted that so many of our youth, after passing through the forms of an academical education, think that they are elevated above the study of English grammar, and need no longer consult their dictionaries. The wise scholar, on the contrary, may be said ever to carry his dictionary under his right arm, and to hold his grammar in his left hand. How careful is the skilful me- chanic to know and to keep in order the tools by which he ope- rates from day to day ! Now words are the instruments by which the preacher is to operate upon the minds of those who hear him. To preserve these instruments in order, let him refresh his memory with the rules of grammar, and study the proper construction of sentences in our language. Some enter the ministry too wise in their own conceit, to learn the art of speaking and writing with propriety, the language in which they are to preach the gospel. It is acknowledged that violations of the rules of grammar may be detected in the discourses of the best preachers, who speak without written notes before them : yet their discourses arc such in their whole structure, as to show that those errors are the offspring of mere haste and inadvertence, and therefore are not noticed by men of sense; but when it is discovered that such errors originate in ignorance, they are severely criticised, and the reputation of the preacher is deeply afibcted. Let then the minister of the Word not neglect the study of words, and their grammatical construction, that he may be per- spicuous in his observations and arguments, and "give no of- fense " through ignorance of what he ought to understand, when he assumes the office of a public teacher. 166 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lect. VII. (4.) But perspicuity requires also the use of plain words in pas- toral discourses, or words whicli are known to be the signs of those ideas which the preacher intends to convey. Words which are obsolete, or just compounded of words from a dead or foreign language ; words which are scholastic, confined in their use to theological systems and doctrines, and seldom heard in religious conversation, ought carefully to be avoided. But new words, in the discussion of religious topics, may be introduced with a view to define thought more clearly, or to supersede the use of old terms and phrases, the meaning of which has long been known among Christians ; or it may be that new meanings may be attached by some theological writers to old terms, in order to let in error. Now, shall the writer or speaker of sermons catch at these new terms Avith eagerness, or take the liberty of coining words for his purpose, and of changing the signification of old terms at his pleasure ? By no means. He is not invested with authority to do this, and his style of writing would fail in perspicuity. In teaching the doctrines of truth, terms and phrases which theological writers have long used, and to which Christian min- isters and people have attached certain definite meanings, are the proper vehicles of instruction from the pulpit. I should not be disposed to afiirm, with a distinguished writer, " that the coining of new terms is the unfailing expedient of those who cannot make a right application of old ones ;" but it is certain that, from the long teaching of the Christian religion, and the many controversies in times past to which error and heresy have given birth, there is now a form of sound words established by usage and theological disquisitions, from which it is not safe to depart in preaching the Word, and from which, frequent departures cannot be made with- out exciting suspicion in serious minds, and certainly rendering the style of the preacher less perspicuous to those who hear him. "Words are signs, and if what they signify be determined and known, it is better to retain old words and phrases of this char- acter, than to coin new ones which may perplex, if not mislead others. The history of the Church tells us that truth depends for its preservation on " right words ;" and that heretics, by changing a single syllable in a word, have taught very evil doctrine. New Leot. VIT.] iSnyermons — Style. 157 terms seldom explain better old doctrine, but often conceal new doctrine under the pretext of an improved style. Neiv phrase- ology is introduced in the service of religion, by those who would subvert the received theology in a sound confession of faith. What evils resulted in the early days of the Reformation, from the use, by Luther, of the term, " consubstantiation ! " So the terms, "justification and sanctification," had early, among the Reformers, definite meanings, when applied to the states of Chris- tian converts. But John Wesley, to perfect his system of Armin- ianism, would have us to understand by a justified state, that into which one converted and sanctified by the grace of God comes, when he professes to have joy and peace in believing, or to have wrought himself up into an happy and assured frame of mind. Hence it follows that a believer in Christ may be renewed and sanctified long before he is justified, whereas he was justified the very first moment he believed with the heart. (Rom. viii. 30 ; John iii. 15, 16.) So also the word, "feeling," is at this day employed to express the religious exercises and the state of the heart. The term is an unhappy one : it stands, in its ordinary acceptation, connected with bodily sensations, and may be easily perverted to sustain "quietism" and mystic theology. I have remarked that those who make religion to consist "in feelings," are the first to cry down the use of sound doctrine in the Church, and to have very obscure ideas of that precious faith which is "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." The terms therefore applied to the doctrines of the Christian religion, sanctioned by long usage, again and again explained and generally understood, are those which should characterize the style of pastors in preaching. Some have given to this quahty in the composition of sermons the name of " orthodoxy of style." The name unquestionably is not the best, but the thing which it is designed to express is all-important in maintaining sound doc- trine. True it is that language is an imperfect instrument in conveying thought, and that error is both versatile and prepared to hide its variations by new terms and definitions. Hence some old terms do in theology become obsolete. Better words than those before used may occasionally be found and introduced, for the purpose 158 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VIL of detecting error and of exhibiting truth in a clearer light. We know that phraseology has in some instances been improved in the defense of sound doctrine, but let the minister of Christ adopt these innovations with caution. Let him adhere, in teaching doc- trines, to old words; and be sure, before he uses new terms, espe- cially those drawn from metaphysics, that they harbor no new unsound philosophy or old error. Men who wish to bring in heresies craftily, will either invent new words or apply old ones in a various sense. Let me add here, that an accurate knowledge of connective words in our language, is highly important in constructing sen- tences which shall be plain to the understanding of others. In this lies much of the skill requisite to successful public decla- mation. But in arranging the sentences in a discourse, let long words, drawn from the Greek and Roman classical writers in the taste of Dr. Samuel Johnson, be excluded, and preference be given to short terms of Saxon origin. This will impart not only perspi- cuity, but force, to style. (5.) Perspicuity in a sermon further depends on the connection of the thoughts^ as propositions, however well selected the words may be, of which those propositions are composed. Now that method is to be always pursued which leads the mind from one idea to another by obvious associations, and by those relations which connect the steps of a clear process of reasoning. When, however, in order to secure perspicuity, I recommend the use of plain words and a simple construction of sentences, it is not to be understood that the preacher should adopt the low style of the illiterate in society: such style is altogether incon- sistent with the dignity and sublimity of the Christian religion. The apostle Paul did not so speak, as we may learn from his epistles. He did not use that "plainness of speech" which de- grades a subject, nor those low phrases which are not heard in good society; but "that plainness of speech" which he employed as the vehicle of his thoughts, was that style which stood opposed to the metaphysical and rhetorical style of the heathen philoso- phers and orators. The philosophers prided themselves on the use of terms in reasoning which were unintelligible by those who had not fre- Lkcst. VII.] Sermons — Style. 159 quented their schools. The orators embellislied their speeches with all the figures (and they were numerous) which the art of rhetoric could furnish. They sought the praise of elegant writ- ing, and arranged their discourses rigidly in conformity with the rules prescribed in the schools of oratory. But the apostle Paul had more important objects to employ his thoughts and his talents. He therefore used that style which did not offend by its vulgarity, nor attract certain classes by the studied variety of its ornaments. It was plain, but chaste and dignified. It was occasionally ob- scure to those who had not learned the alphabet of gospel truth, but suited to the conveyance of a new system of religion, formed by the cross of Jesus Christ, and to the important subjects which he discussed. Robert Walker of Edinburgh, in his printed sermons, has avoided those extremes which render the style of the preacher bad, and shown that the style may be sufficiently plain, while at the same time it is chaste and elegant. Bishop Porteus, though his manner of writing is difierent from that of Walker, has also exhibited the same fact in his instructive sermons. And it is recorded in praise of the Rev. James Har- vey, that, however reprehensibly florid his style is in some of his writings, yet in his sermons, spoken and printed, he used a very plain and neat manner of expressing his thoughts. His printed discourses, though few in number, are well written and very in- structive. 4. The remarks made on perspicuity of style lead me to ob- serve, that another attribute of that style which is suited to the pulpit, is chastity and dignity, united with force of expression. By the use of the term "dignity" in its direct application to pulpit style, (and in this application, it will of course include chastity or neatness,) I mean that the manner in which the gospel preacher shall express himself by language, shall be such as to correspond with the solemnities of divine worship, and witli the important and elevated nature of the subjects which he is set apart to discuss. Every thing connected with the religion tanght by the gospel is deeply interesting, as well as sublime. INfany of its truths are awful and grand. It speaks of God in his im- mensity, and in his moral government over his intelligent crea- tures. It speaks of eternity with its affecting realities. It reveals 160 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lkct. VIL a Saviour from everlasting misery, Now, let tlie style of tlie preacher be adapted to subjects of this kind. This dignity of style, it will be perceived, stands opposed to all low and vulgar phrases. These are inadmissible in the pulpit, where chastity of thought is supposed to be natural, as the preacher there is considered to stand " on holy ground," and to officiate in the name of God. In this respect, preachers in England, before and under the reign of Queen Anne, transgressed frequently the laws of good style. Dr. South, who thought he did God much service (as he doubt- less did the royal court and hierarchy in Britain) by misrepre- senting the Presbyterians and Puritans, has indulged in language inconsistent, not only with facts, but with dignity of style in the pulpit. Even in our times, preachers have been heard to give the "lie direct" to their adversaries, in attempting to prove their own doctrine by arguments. Speakers among the Friends have called regular ministers of other religious persuasions " hireling priests," forgetting that in this very character of an hireling the apostle Paul placed himself before the eyes of the world. 2 Cor. xi. 8 : "I robbed other churches, taking wages ofthem^ to do you service." Other ranting preacliers, in their zealous efforts to increase their sect, have cried out that "Calvinism is Devilism, and Calvinistic ministers the Devil's ministers for the destruction of souls." Lan- guage such as this is very remote either from sound argument or from "speaking the truth in love." It is not to be tolerated in good society, and savors too much of the market and the tavern. Especially is dignity of style in the pulpit opposed to all pert, quaint, and witty expressions. Displays of wit are out of place in the sacred desk ; for in proportion as wit excites our admiration of certain associations of ideas in men of wit, it stirs up those emotions which are more allied to merriment than devotion, and which divert our attention from the sublime realities of religion. Hardly should a good religious anecdote be introduced into a ser- mon, if, with all the instruction it may afford, it contain much wit, and is calculated to make some hearers smile and others laugh. To use tlie language of Seneca, " Quid mihi lusoria ista proponis? Non est jocundi locus." GeoroG Whitfield was occasionally too witty, and too fond of anecdote in the pulpit; and this fault would have produced dis- Lect. VII.] Sermons — Style. 161 gust in the minds of many pious persons, had it not been quickly covered by bursts of holy affection and impassioned oratory. Some very respectable preachers since, as Rowland Hill, have indulged in quaint and witty remarks while preaching, arising from a natural vein of humor running through their temper and ordinary conversation. This circumstance has caused many stories to be told, in places where men sought to create mirth by rehears- ing the very quaint and witty sayings of preachers, but has not contributed to give those preachers that kind of reputation which the servant of Christ should covet ; and had not such preachers been sustained by uncommon talents and fervent piety, their preachings would very soon have been treated with contempt by the judicious. Restrain therefore every inclination to be witty in discourses of a sacred character. Religion abhors the ridiculous and the witty in the pulpit, as bordering too much on levity. The thoughtless in public worship may be amused by remarks which inflict pain on the hearts of the pious. Again, dignity of style is inconsistent with all those expres- sions in the pulpit which appear to spring from anger and malig- nity. Some preachers will rail in harsh terms at those who differ from them in doctrine, applying to them improper names, as if they were in anger, quarrelling with persons in the streets. Some preachers will exclaim against the ungodly, in language marked more strongly with resentment than with compassion. Some, if per- sons withdraw from the assembly during sermon, have been heard to speak under the evident influence of angry passions ; and other preachers have cried out, that ministers who required time in pre- paration for public services, and were not disposed to comply with every call on every occasion to preach, " were dumb dogs, who could not bark," " note preachers, and college-bred preachers ;" and all this in an acrimony of spirit, and with bitterness of language, which plainly discovered "that they knew not what manner of spirit they were of" Let the gospel preacher guard against such undignified lan- guage, and every expression of anger in the pulpit. Our doctrine can be maintained without reviling others. Our Master's cause and service do not require ** railing accusations." In a word, dignity of style stands opposed to all excess of gaudy and glittering ornaments of speech, and overloading epithets, 11 162 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VII. which are usually accompanied with unmeasured sentences, "Ex- uberance of metaphor," as Dr. Campbell observes, "is apt to impose upon us by words witliout meaning." This mode of com- position indicates, on the part of the preacher, a studied effort to display his rich imagination and refined taste, and to elevate him- self as an eloquent writer, instead of doing the work of the Lord fully and with " singleness of eye." By some, a highly rhetorical discourse in the pulpit is considered to denote a mind occupied with little things. Hence it has been said, " Cujuscunque ora- tionem vides, politam et solicitam, scito animam in pusillis occu- patam." I need not say this opinion is incorrect. Productions of genius and taste, abounding with perhaps too many flights of a poetic fancy, exist, which nevertheless exhibit profound thought and cogent reasonings, and are replete with instruction. Some of the compositions of Edmund Burke are evidences of this fact. Yet, that mode of writing ought not to be copied by preachers in general. It is not the best style, even for the common essayist, and in Christian assemblies of worship is not altogether suited to that measure of understanding which ordinary hearers possess. Especially when the object of the preacher is to produce a convic- tion of the truth of his doctrine, the style which he adopts should ^ be marked with terseness and force of expression. 5. This quality of a good pulpit style, usually called tlie ''^nervous style,'''' is so much the result of superior strength of mind, strong conceptions, a happy selection of words, and nice arrangement of sentences, that it is an attainment which but few writers and speakers possess. Not every one who thinks strongly and correctly can write or speak forcibly. The stringing together of short sentences, while it violates a rule of good writing, adds nothing to the strength of style. One-sided views of subjects, supported by bold affirmations of propositions which require to be proved, may impose upon the unthinking, and have the sem- blance of strength; but it is in fact a trick, to which just reasoners and "men with the pen" will not have recourse. Invective and sarcastic language, in a piece of composition, is no evidence of either strength of mind or strength, of style. Some writers, by the use of strange and hard words, involved, abrupt, and scarcely coberent sentences, give a peculiar character to their style ; but it is a character of strangeness which excites a stare, and sometimes Lect. VII.] Sermons — Sti/h. 168 affords amusement, but not of strength, which is consistent with all the other attributes of good writing. Writers who combine perspicuity, chastity, eloquence, and strength, are few in number. The eminence on which they stand, gospel preachers in general cannot reach. Yet, every one who preaches the Word should aim to throw force into his language, and give not only sweetness but keenness to his diction. 6. Nor should the gospel preacher neglect to add the Apathetic to the qualities of a good pulpit style : for though it cannot char- acterize, like perspicuity, chastity, and strength, a whole discourse, yet it is required in certain parts of a discourse, where description is attempted, or where the heart is addressed, with a view to excite its affections. It is, therefore, a very desirable property in good writing and speaking. "But who is sufficient for it?" Some imagine that it consists in delivering very flat sentiments in a whining, half-crying tone of voice, accompanied with a few tears which they shed, while all around them are unmoved. Some sup- pose they reach the pathetic by the frequent use of interjections, such as " Oh ! alas ! ah ! hark !" and by the affectionate terms which they apply to their hearers, as "dear brethren," "dearly beloved hearers," " beloved brethren over whom my bowels yearn in pity." Some think that their description of a moving scene must be pa- thetic, if it be minutely accurate ; just as others flatter themselves that they rise into the sublime, when they exhibit vehemence of sentiment and action in a vapid declamation. Ah! the pathetic in a sermon is always under the control of a sound taste. It re- quires good thought, a style founded upon that of our beautiful version of the Scriptures, a sweetness of voice and manner, and a mellowed tenderness of heart, which shall show that the preacher takes a deep interest in the welfare of those to whom he speaks. The French call this "wncfion," in a speaker. It is a compound of language and delivery of a certain character, and is an attain- ment at which the gospel preacher should aim. Some who preach the Word have sentiments suited to the exhibition of this quality, but they fail in voice and manner, for they speak thos3 sentiments in a harsh and pompous tone, or in a whining or drawling man- ner, very offensive to good taste. Others who attemjjt to move the hearts of their hearers possess the suitable voice and manner, but are deficient in sentiment, and jn that refined sensibility with- 164 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. YII. out which it is difficult to touch the sensibilities of human hearts. To be impressive, good thoughts must be expressed in plain words, and in a tone of voice such as we employ in conveying our feel- ings in ordinary life, when our souls are deeply interested in a subject. A natural manner of speaking is universally and justly considered to be allied to sincerity, and what is called " unction " can attach to no speaker who does not exhibit the proper marks of sincerity. Your attention, in the next ensuing lecture, will be occupied with remarks relating to texts, and the proper arrangement or plan of discourses from the pulpit. Just now, I shall pause to drop a few practical refiections. 1. The statement which I have been led to make of the impor- tant subjects which the Evangelical Pastor is called to discuss ; of the thoughts and reasonings which enter into such discussions ; and of the style in which he is to conduct the minds of those who hear him to listen to, and be impressed with what he says, cannot but convince you that the gift of preaching the gospel well is a talent of a superior order, and requires for its display in the work of the ministry various knowledge, literary taste, and much disci- pline in the arts of writing and speaking. Great orators are, in every age, few in number ; but instructive and acceptable preachers may be many more than they are, if licentiates and students of the- ology shall choose to cultivate with care the powers with which God has endowed them. But, unhappily, some think that when they deliver trite sentiments with a loud voice and much action, they are eloquent ; especially when they have " torn a passion into rags," they conclude that their gift of preaching has reached up into the sublime. Some suppose that when they speak good sense, in sentences grammatically correct and logically arranged, with a distinctness of pronunciation, their gift in preaching requires no further cultivation. And others, who write sermons in a style highly polished, conclude that the elegance of their compositions leaves nothing more to be demanded of them as preachers. Now, such opinions are obvious errors in judgment, and ought to be corrected. The gift of preaching does not, in its exercise, termi- nate at composition, but is to be displayed in the delivery of ser- mons. Many well-written discourses are stripped of half their Lect. VII.] Practical Reflections. 165 excellence when spoken, in consequence of defects in the speaker. Cast, then, 3-our eyes all around ; inquire what qualities and attain- ments enter into that complex power called the gift of preaching; use every help you can derive from the schools of rhetoric and oratory; strive to be great in useful accomplishments. The very effort at improvement in any art or science, though it fail in secur- ing eminence, is productive of good. For whoever, with an earnest soul, " strives for some end from this low world afar, Still upward travels, though he miss the goal, And strays — but toward a star. Better than fame is still the wish for fame, The constant training for a glorious strife : The athlete, nurtured for the Olympian game, Gains strength at least for life." 2. In cultivating the gift of preaching, you are excited to make strenuous exertions by the considerations of the noble service in which it is to be employed, and of the great ends to which it is directly subservient. These considerations confer a high character on this endowment, and elevate it above that of oratorical power, by which senates have been moved in their legislative halls, and the minds of the populace stirred up to tumults and deeds of war. By the gift of preaching, those who are called of God to the min- istry of his glorious gospel, bring their cultivated intellectual pow- ers and their choicest bodily gifts, and lay them down at the feet of their Divine Saviour, and seek to entwine around his cross wreaths of honor, glory, power, and dominion, for ever and ever. By the faithful exercise of this gift, united with their prayers and example, they are " workers together Avith God," (2 Cor. vi. 1,) in revealing to others the doctrines "of grace," and in bringing to the sinner's aching heart, redemption's healing mercies. In the exercise of this gift, they are by divine ordination " leaders " {rfyov- fiivoc, Heb. xiii. 17) in the sacramental host of God, in repelling the forces of darkness, " in pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." They are appointed to be not only " fishers of men" in waters where sharks abound, but " helpers of their joy" who stand on Mount Zion, and sing the songs of salva- tion. Into what an elevated position docs the gift of preaching 166 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VII. place them, wheu in the due exercise of it they are made "the light of the world," "the salt of the earth," not only, but "suns of consolation " to the pious, amid their various afflictions in this state of trial, Now, in this view of the high relations of the gospel ministry, and of the great ends to which the gift of preaching is subser- vient, what importance should we attach to that gift! How earn- estly should those who desire to serve the Lord Christ, pray that they may be richly endowed with it by the Holy Spirit ! With what assiduity should they use all those means and appliances which contribute to its improvement, in order to pay a portion of that immense debt of gratitude which they owe to Him who died to save them, and " Who from the guarded sepulchre arose, With power invested, to draw their hearts Into his sacred service here below." 3. But, in whatsoever measure it may please the Master to bless your efforts in his special service, and by his Spirit to endow you with the gift of preaching, keep ever before your minds the great end to which that talent is to be consecrated. For you will be set apart "to preach, not yourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord," (2 Cor. iv. 5,) and to serve as Levites of the tabernacle — the High Priest, and that priesthood in the New Testament Church, which is composed "of the body of Christ," (Ephes. iv. 12.) Hence, in the cited passage from the Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul immediately adds, "and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." Eome, and the hierarchy every where, have adroitly per- verted to their own aggrandizement the ancient typical and pro- phetical pictures of the gospel ministry, and converted "the Le- vites" into the high priest and lordly priests, and the truly "royal priesthood," made up of believers, into Levites. But God has appointed those whom he calls to this ministry, to be "the ser- vants of Christ," and the servants of his Church in a hard service. This service you are disposed to undertake ; but in the view of its peculiar nature and requisite qualifications you may, under the consciousness of your own insufficiency, exclaim. How shall I be able, by my preaching gift, to discharge the duties of this ministry? Happily, the Saviour himself was, on earth, a preacher. He taught men, and spake as never man spake. Look at his miu- Lect. VII.] Practical Be/lections. 167 istry of the Word; mark the manner in which he exercised his superior gift of preaching, and imitate his example. The Saviour taught with wisdom, llis words were like " ap- ples of gold in pictures of silver," (Prov. xxv. 11 ;) gracious words, replete with instruction and kindness ; powerful words, which fixed the attention of others, because they touched the heart while they threw rays of light abroad. Now, like the Master, aim to preach wisely and impressively. Seek to have your minds enriched with various knowledge. Eead much, reflect deeply, that when you preach, important truths may flow from your lips, and those truths be recommended to the ears of others, by your style and the manner of delivering them. The Saviour, in addition to wisdom, adopted that mode of preaching which expressed great kindness to the poor, and was suited to their understandings. They were delighted to hear him : his illustrations were drawn from objects and scenes in nature, from relations and events in civil life ; and his doctrines were such as elevated their conceptions of the pure nature of true religion, while they served to answer that momentous question, "What shall I do to be saved?" In this respect, his preaching as well as his doctrine differed from those of the Jewish scribes, and are to be distinguished from the lessons of all the philosophers of the schools. The latter did not aim to instruct the common people. They left the indigent to grope in darkness. They were willing that the illiterate should believe every absurdity, and be enchained by all the laws which power and priestcraft could devise and im- pose, provided they were alloAved to dispute in their schools on subjects which they supposed required a stretch of intellect. But the Saviour of men c*ist his eyes in compassion on the poor, who were as sheep without a shepherd. He exhibited himself as their teacher, their friend, their light amid surrounding darkness, their deliverer from the wrath to come. Now, it is still the glory of the gospel, that it "is preached to the poor;" that they are called equally with the rich, and are to be sought after and invited to the feast. If you enter into the ministry, imbibe much of the s])irit of your Lord. "Condescend," as Paul exhorts, "to men of low es- tate." Let the poor see that, so far from being neglected on account of their depressed condition, you are anxious to enlighten and Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VII. save them, and that you are prepared to receive them with joj into the communion of the Church. Enter into their humble dwellings, speak to them in kindness, preach to them the Word of Life. There are ministers who can hardly see the poor in their con- gregations. Their efforts are directed to the winning of the favor of the rich ; they court the smiles of the great and fashionable. But do you follow the example of the Eedeemer, and you will please God and show yourself to be an approved servant of Christ, (Gal. i. 10 ;) a pastor, "Detached from pleasures, to the love of gain Superior, insusceptible of pride. And by ambitious longings undisturbed." It is recorded of Archbishop Usher, one of the greatest and most learned men of his age, "that he was more propense to com- municate himself to the poorest, than to others who were more learned, which strangers wondered at, as the disciples marvelled at our Saviour talking with the poor woman at Jacob's well. (John iv.) Some affected a frothy way of preaching, by strong lines, as they called it, and were much ashamed after they heard him preach at Oxford, and reprove this Corinthian vanity. "When he became an Archbishop, some plain Christians, who had been intimate with him, told him that they must now keep their distance. To whom he replied, that he was the same man still, and that they should be as welcome as formerly." Paul said, Eom. i. : "I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barba- rians, both to the wise and to the unwise." How fondly he cherished Onesimus, a converted fugitive slave, we may ascertain from one of the most delicately polite and heart-affecting letters that was ever written by the human hand — Epistle to Philemon. LECTURE VIII. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE, CONTINUED. GIFTS — THE GIFT OF PREACHING THE WORD. COMPOSITION OF SERMON S T EXT S P LAN OR ARRANGEMENT. In consequence of the establislied mode of exercising "the gift of preaching" in the Protestant churches, sermons are usually associated with Texts ;* and a text is considered to express the subject of the sermon to which it is prefixed. The next subject, therefore, to which your attention will be directed, relates. Fourth, To the selection of suitable Texts. The term "text," in the science of the Christian religion, signi- fies that written composition which receives explanatory remarks, or on which comments are made. In the Church of God, the whole toritten Word^ given by Divine inspiration, is the text which the ministers of Christ are called to expound and preach, " Preach the Word, be instant in season and out of season." Now, when a part of that sacred text, the Bible, is selected by a preacher to be the subject of his remarks in Christian assemblies, that particular passage, or passages, is very naturally and with great propriety called the text of his discourse. 1st, I have said that the written Word of God, as contained \n the canonical books, which are two, namely, the Old and New Testament, is the great text of all evangelical preachings. Some * Some writers distribute texts into four classes, viz: Historical, Dogmatical, Parabolical, and Moral. — See Vitringa. 170 Pastoral Qualifications — Oifts. [Lect. VIII. priests select from the apocryphal books, when they speak in pub- lic Christian worship. This practice is an ill one: it turns the eye, in the sacred service, from the great Directory of faith and practice ; it clothes what is uninspired with a color of divine au- thority, and opens the way for the neglect of Holy Scripture, and the introduction into ' the pulpit of human compositions, such as the Lives of the Saints, various legends, and theological collections from the Fathers. " The apocryphal books are far from having such power and eiScacy as that we may, from their testimony, confirm any point of faith or of the Christian religion, much less detract from the authority of the other sacred books." (Confes. of Faith, Art. v., vi.) Those who are ordained to preach, are not speculating philoso- phers, who, under the pretense of searching after truth, may, in their speculations, wander whithersoever they list. No ; they are "ministers of the Word,''^ "the servants of God in the gospel of his Son ;" which gospel they are commanded to preach and to de- fend. Their power is restricted "to the law and the testimony." They must receive the "word from God's mouth:" that Divine mouth speaks only through the canonical Scriptures. Admitting now, that the written "Word of God alone is to be the text-book for gospel preachers, two questions have arisen, which must here be answered, namely : First. May an edifying sermon be composed and spoken with- out having what is called a text prefixed to it ? and Second. May a passage or passages of Scripture be introduced as a text, and be used as leading to a subject which the preacher wishes to discuss, without referring to every fact or circumstance which the words of such a text express ? 1. In answer to the first of these questions, I observe, that every one knows that texts were not taken by our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles, in their discourses to the people on religion ; and the reason is obvious. The ministry of the incarnate Son of God, the great "Preacher of righteousness," and his servants the apostles, was instrumental in communicating to men those revela- tions and facts which are contained in the Scriptures of the New Testament; or, in other words, in composing a most important part of that Sacred Book out of which texts are to be selected by preachers. Lect. VIII.] Sermons — Texts. 171 Our Saviour was the fountain of wisdom — "the Word," pre- eminently, by which God spake from the beginning to the fallen race of Adam. Moses, and all the ancient prophets, were but in- struments employed by him in revealing the Divine will. He came into this world to fulfil what had before been spoken con- cerning himself, and to add with his own lips new and momentous revelations. Yet, with a view to set an example to his ministers, he ex- pounded that moral law which had been written on tables of stone, and which he came "to magnify." He called up types and pro- phecies on record, and referred constantly to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. On one occasion, he went into a synagogue, read out of the book of the prophecies of Isaiah, and expounded to the people what he had just read. His immediate apostles also made the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and what the Master himself had said and done, their text-book. They expounded the prophecies, showing their fulfil- ment in Jesus of Nazareth; they expounded the types or "figures of good things to come," so that the whole of Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews is an exposition of certain parts of the ancient Scrip- tures, particularly of the book of Leviticus; or they discoursed of the works of Christ, of which they had been eye-witnesses, or reported his doctrines, of which they had been ear-witnesses ; or they delivered communications from God, under the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. While, therefore, it is conceded that there is no express com- mand of God binding his ministers to preach from texts of Scrip- ture ; while it is conceded that an approved sermon may be com- posed without having a passage of Scripture prefixed to it ; yet, it must be insisted upon, that the written "Word of God is to be the great and comprehensive Text of all gospel preachings, and that the mode usually adopted of taking one or more passages of the Bible as the text of a discourse, naturally results from the Divine command "to preach the AVord," and from the inability of the preacher to expound the whole Word in one sermon. From the necessity of the case, then. Scripture truths must be exhibited in portions, and it is evidently better to announce the portion or doctrine from the Word itself, than to leave the hearers to find it out from the train of the preacher's observations or comments. 172 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VIIL The practice whicli experience has now established, of selecting texts for the particular subjects of pastoral discourse, is to be highly commended and steadily followed. Its utility is evident : for, it proclaims aloud, that the written Word of God is the rule of Christian faith and practice, and that what ministers preach, must be the doctrines and precepts of that Word, and not the decrees of councils, nor the creeds of princes and states, nor any immediate inspirations of their own minds, nor any deductions of their own reasoning powers. It exhibits at once to the under- standings of the people in worship, that what is considered to be true in fact, binding in precept, encouraging in promise, derives all its authority and virtue from God's own Word. It announces to the hearers the particular subject to which their attention is to be directed, and prepares their minds for the consideration of it. It enables the hearers of the Word, if they are intelligent, to de- tect deviations from the truth, and by the very ingenious efforts which the false teacher makes to pervert the sense of the text, to discover that his doctrine is not sound. The twistings of a serpent will sometimes indicate his uneasy position. In a word, it fur- nishes the hearers with a memento, by which they can recall the subject, and many parts of the sermon. 2. The second question proposed, namely, whether a passage may be used merely to introduce a subject which a preacher wishes to discuss, must also be answered in the affirmative, pro- vided the passage so selected sustain a strong relation to the sub- ject ; otherwise the text, as it conveys some doctrine, precept, or promise, will be disparaged by the very place which it occupies, or the preacher will be justly charged with ignorance of the meaning of the text. To be "a motto," and not a mere device, the text should contain the subject; and if the preacher does not choose to consider the words of the text particularly, and all the facts to which they refer, then he should at the beginning of his discourse state distinctly the subject or proposition which he in- tends to discuss. Some sermons, speeches, and essays, are in this respect very defective, and it is well that in their printed dress they have some motto prefixed to them. But admitting the text of a sermon to refer to the subject, the preacher may happily discuss the subject without a particular analysis of the text. Lect. VIII.] Sermons — Texts. 173 For the purpose of illustrating here this mode of preaching, let me observe, that a preacher wishes to discourse concerning the obstinate unbelief of the Jews, and its causes. This therefore is his subject. He selects for a text, 2 Cor. iii. 16: "But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart." In this passage, the fact in relation to the mental state of the Jews, in rejecting the cross of Christ as the medium of a sinner's deliv- erance from the curse, (and this fact constitutes the subject,) is affirmed. Now, the preacher proceeds to discuss this subject without any minute explanation of the words of the text, which refer to the reading of the law of Moses in the Jewish synagogues, and to the veil which covered for a time the face of Moses. Take another example : A preacher chooses, from Psalm xiv. 1, " The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God," to speak of the sin of atheism, its character, and dreadful effects. Now, this great sin is held up prominently to every eye in the text ; but the preacher discusses his subject without dwelling upon the true and full import of the term "fool" in the text, and without show- ing particularly what is meant in Hebrew phraseology by "saying in his heart." Should a preacher, however, undertake to discuss the subject of the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a fact abundantly proved by testimony, and all-important in the system of Christain Faith, and select as a motto. Col. iii. 1, " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above," he would act unwisely; for the subject of Paul's discourse in those words is the duty of cultivating heavenly-mincledness. The resur- rection of Christ, and the experience of its power and blessed effects, are referred to as suggesting the most powerful motives to engage Christians in "seeking those things which are above." Often, indeed, may pastors profitably discuss subjects without fully opening up every part of a cited passage ; but there are passages, of which the terms used in new senses and relations are so peculiar to Christian theology, so interwoven with the whole framework of salvation by Jesus Christ as a substitute of his people in law, that the text should be the subject of a careful analysis. To illustrate : In preaching from numerous pas- sages, it would be sufficient to discuss redemption by Jesus Christ as the great subject; but were one to expound those words, "for 174 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect. VIII. what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh," it would be more edify- ing to speak, I. Of the great work of God in redemption: "he condemned sin in the flesh ;" II. The means by which this work was effected : 1. Negatively, not by the moral law or the Mosaic institutes ; for " the law was weak through the flesh," and could not give life; 2. But positively, "by sending his own Son into the world," with, every attribute to save; for he came in the flesh, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and made that atonement by which sin was condemned in the flesh, and righteousness imputed to all who believe. Many distinguished writers in their sermons, as Tillotson, Bourdaloue, and others, are not textuarians, but discuss subjects, "Two of my sermons," says Bishop Warburton, "are in the com- mon way of choosing a text, to give one an opportunity of saying what one wants to say : the other tiuo are in ivhat I think the better way, the explanation of the text." (Letters to Hurd, 43d.) But whilst the utility of speaking from texts is so obvious, the measure of that utility will depend much upon the proper selection and use, of texts. (1.) In illustration of this fact, let me observe, that when a pastor designs to call the attention of those to whom he ministers in the gospel to a certain doctrine, or a certain course of action which is either beneficial or pernicious, he may select a text dis- connected entirely with, or very slightly related to, his subject. Some who are professionally ministers of the Word, but who do not believe in the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, nor feel any indebtedness for pardon to the cross of Christ, have dared to set up pregnant passages, like Samson in the temple of Dagon, to be mocked at, and given to the poet occasion to say : " How oft, when Paul has served us with a text, Has Epictetus, Plato, Tully preach'd." Others, through ignorance " of what is written," have let their remarks in preaching run wide from the text, so as to distract the minds of some hearers, and to leave the more intelligent to say, " that if the text had the small-pox, the sermon could not have cauEcht it." Lkct. VIIL] Sermons — Texts. 176 (2.) Again : in the choice of portions of Scripture to be used as texts, such portions must be taken as will form a distinct pro- position in grammar and logic, and such as shall express the meaning of the sacred writer in that place or chapter, A preacher pays but a poor compliment to the understandings of his hearers, or to the Bible itself, when he draws out of it (and he might just as well have taken it out of an almanac) the single word "remember," in order to publish his philosophical theories respecting the power of memory, and its indestructible tenacity. With a like liberty, another might from the word "consider," give his audience a dissertation on other intellectual powers. But a more serious fault is committed by a preacher when, by the choice of his text, he conceals or perverts the truth designed to be expressed by the Holy Spirit in that text with its context. Examples might easily be collected of passages in Holy Scrip- ture, which stand so connected with what precedes and follows, that to remove them from their connection, and then confine the attention to what the words would seem to express, would be a manifest wresting of Scripture to make it subservient to error. By dropping some words from a passage, we may make it to mean something not intended by the inspired writer. Thus, we should be able to prove that human legs were displeasing to God, by tearing a part of the 10th verse of the 147th Psalm out of its connection ; for there we read these words, " The Lord taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man." A text, therefore, should of itself form a whole proposition; and so much should be taken for a text as to express clearly the mind of the Holy Spirit. The aphorism of Donne, though quaintly written, contains an important truth : " Sentences in Scripture or passages of Scripture, like hairs in horses' tails, concur in one root of strength and beauty ; but, being plucked out one by one, serve only for springes and snares." (3.) A fault opposite to that which I have just mentioned is, the forming of a text out of so many passages that the passages shall extend beyond the subject of the discourse. This fault fre- quently occurs in the ministry of those preachers who seldom commit their thoughts to writing; for, not being able to know beforehand how richly invention and memory will supply them with matter, and unwilling by a short text to coniinc themselves 176 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect, VIIL to boundaries too narrow, they frequently take too many passages together, and mark out more ground for a sermon than they can cultivate well. George Whitfield often erred in this respect: hence some of his sermons which we have, fail in the proper exposition of his texts. Texts, therefore, should not be redundant, comprehending too much matter, and violating the unity of the subject. If one give notice to the people that he designs to preach a series of discourses on an important doctrine of the Christian faith, he may then select what has been denominated a copious text, and apply the sermons as parts expository of the several parts of the text. This however is a plan which the young preacher should not adopt early in his ministry ; for, to be use- fully prosecuted, it ought to be the result of various extensive reading and careful study. I have now done with texts; and have no additional obser- vation to make in any manner relating to them, save this one: that when study and composition become irksome, the young minister will at times fluctuate much before he can fix upon a text that pleases him. Now, to surmount this difficulty and remove perplexity from his mind, let him reflect that he is called to preach, not what is called a great sermon, but an instructive and practical one : this reflection will soon furnish him with a subject and suitable text. Let him pray to be guided in this matter by the Holy Spirit, who has at all times access to his mind, and has often, as I believe, diverted the thoughts of ministers from texts on which they first wished to preach, to other texts and subjects, from the discussion of which much good resulted. Further, let him note from time to time, in reading the Scriptures, those pas- sages which arrest his attention and deeply affect his own mind. In a word, let him, when he is tempted to waste too much time in fixing upon a text, revert to some part of the system of didactic theology with which his thoughts have long been familiar, select a corresponding text, state the doctrine, and then improve it by exhibiting the various practical uses of that doctrine. Doctrines have been fixed as truths in the mind of the young preacher, the practical use of which he has not yet well studied. Lect. VIII.1 Sermons — Plan. 177 Fifth. The Plak or Arrangement of a Sermon. But the subjects and texts may be well selected, and the thoughts in a sermon may be well expressed by the preacher, yet the whole cmposition may be markedly defective, through want of method and connection. "I went," says President Davies, "and heard Dr. Guise, in Pinner's Hall. His sermon was well adapted to comfort the people of God, but the languor of his delivery and his promiscuous and undistinguishable manner of address seemed to take away its energy and pungency." Sermons may contain some good thoughts, but if those thoughts are separated by irrelevant mat- ter, or hang together by slight threads, they are ill calculated to enrich the minds of the hearers with doctrinal knowledge. Nay, a preacher who speaks on matters and things in general, may, by introducing happy religious anecdotes, entertain an audience and please the young and thoughtless especially ; he will not make the truth sink deeply into the heart; and if the seed sown lie upon the surface, the birds of the air will soon pick it up. Hardly an observation can be necessary to convince you that in every piece of writing designed to communicate instruction to others, order or logical method in the arrangement of the thoughts, should be studied and observed. Such method stands opposed to a loose and incoherent mode of expressing a number of thoughts. Now, where thoughts are thrown together in a con- fused and disconnected state, obscurity must exist. Hence we sometimes hear sermons which, from the absence of a plan, per- plex instead of enlightening our minds, and which permit our thoughts to rest on no one grand truth or doctrine, no one im- portant duty or precept of religion, but hurry us on in an excur- sion from Dan to Beersheba, so rapidly that we very imperfectly discern the face of the country over which we have travelled. Arrangement of matter in the discussion of a subject, or a proper method in the composition of sermons, is therefore im- portant, not only as it serves to aid the memory of the preacher himself, both in composing and in delivering his discourses, but also as it operates directly in enabling those who hear, to under- stand and to remember what is spoken. An immethodical discourse may contain some important thoughts, 12 178 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lect-. VIII. but these lose mucli of their weiglit in our consideration, through want of that connection with other thoughts to which they stand related, either as arguments or illustrations. They are like blocks of valuable marble intermixed in one heap with sand and pieces 'of timber, in which the eye can discover no form of the building intended to be erected ; but where method is observed, the marble and other materials are arranged in a structure useful and beau- tiful. Want of method in a sermon is a serious defect. Hence it has been strongly recommended, not only that method should be ob- served, but also that in worshipping assemblies which comprehend so many unlearned persons, the general plan should be clearly stated by the preacher ; and this course is usually pursued by in- structive preachers. For variety's sake, however, it has been said that the speaker should occasionally conceal his plan ; as "crypsis dispositionis lollit fastidium auditoris." As an occasional devia- tion from usual order, such concealment may be admitted ; in other respects, it is not the better mode, as the common intellect, in a Christian congregation, stands in need of every help which the skill of the preacher can afford, in directing their thoughts in the discussion of his subject. To facilitate the proper arrangement of matter in sermonizing, some have advised that the preacher should always first make a written analysis of his text. Certainly one should be able to analyze well a passage which he makes the theme of his discourse. Such analysis will suggest the proper method of treating the subject, and should be attempted in writing by the young preacher ; but when a pastor has been some years in the gospel service, and in the practice of arranging his thoughts in due order, a written analysis (unless he preaches extempore) is altogether unnecessary, and the making of it is a waste of time, as his mind, if he studies and understands his text, will quickly analyze it. In speaking, now, of the Plan, or the proper method to be pursued in the composition of sermons, let me direct your atten- tion, First, To the constituent parts of a sermon ; and then, Second, To the various modes of discussing subjects in the pulpit. Lect. VIIL] Sermons — Plan. , 179 I. The constituent parts of a sermon. As the principal duty and design of a preacher of the Word is, to teach its truths clearly, so as to convince and persuade others, the great parts of a pastoral discourse are considered to be two^ namely : the explication of the text, or discussion of the subject, and the application or improvement of it. But there are less important parts of a sermon which also deserve attention, as they serve to prepare those who hear for the dis- cussion and the improvement. I shall therefore consider the constituent parts of a sermon to be five^ namely : 1. The introduction, or exordium ; 2. The nexus, or connection ; 8. The division ; 4. The exposition; and 5. The application, or improvement. On each of these parts a few observations must here be made. 1. The mtroditction^ or exordium. The exordium or introduction is not an essential part of a ser- mon. The preacher, without any prefatory matter, may engage immediately in the discussion of his subject, as is done by Dr. South in his sermon from Psalm Ixxxvii. 2. He omits a formal introduction, tells us that the words of the text, which institute a comparison of Zion and the dwellings of Jacob, express two things, difference and preeminence, and divides the subject into two propositions : I. That God bears a different respect to places consecrated to his worship from what he bears to other places, etc. II. That God prefers worhip paid him in such places, etc. Texts, I have before said, are very various. Hence it is true that a text may be well understood by all, so soon as it is read. It may express a moral precept, about which the thoughts of men are daily conversant in society ; as for instance, Kom. xii. 17 : " Provide things honest in the sight of all men." Now, in the discussion of this command, the preacher may withhold an introduction, and proceed immediately to define, I. things hon- est ; and, II. show wherein the moral law is violated by various dishonest practices, and the benefits which attend obedience to the precept in the text. But, as a general rule, it must be prescribed that sermons should commence with regular introductions ; for an exordium to a pul- 180 Pastoral Qualifications — Gifts. [Lkct. vm. pit discourse is very useful. It serves to awaken, and especially to fix the attention of the hearers on the subject ; and it requires all that time which an introduction usually occupies, to gain the composed attention of a large audience, and prepare them for the division of the subject, or the course of discussion which the preacher intends to pursue ; and it affords, on many occasions, to the preacher, an opportunity of dropping remarks both pertinent and striking, which cannot be happily introduced into any other part of the sermon. (1.) But, if an introduction be made to a sermon, it should be short. A long exordium is like a long porch to an ordinary build- ing : it is of no use, while it disfigures the structure to which it is attached ; it keeps the minds of the intelligent too long in sus- pense, like a story which is told as a preface to some important business transaction in which men are solicitous to engage. Eobert Walker, in his sermons, is usually happy in his introduc- tory matter. Preachers, under the reign of the Stuarts, still un- trammelled by the logic of the schools, were frequently too long, too scholastic, too digressive in the remarks by which they intro- duced their subjects. Those who compose their discourses in the pulpit, ordinarily bestow most thought on the introduction, and often either wander from the subject or enter too far into the dis- cussion of it ; they express an idea, then try to express it in bet- ter terms, and thereby become tedious to those whose thoughts are fixed upon the text. (2.) The introduction should also be natural and pertinent; not far-fetched, but relating to the subject, and leading to it ; other- wise it cannot be called an introduction of the subject proposed to be discussed, when it actually introduces some other subject to our thoughts. I heard, some years ago, at New- York, a Doctor of Divinity who, after announcing as his text the words of Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works," introduced his subject by going back to the institution of marriage in Paradise, — " and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone." This curious and re- mote introduction excited many smiles, and some witty remarks, at the conclusion of the divine service. (3.) But the introduction should also be clear, not involving ob- Lxoi. VIILl Sermons — Plan. 181 scure p6ints, whicli cannot be discussed in that place, nor made up of metaphysical reasonings and hard and scholastic words, but composed of truths and facts easily understood, readily admitted, or well supported by Scripture. Often an introduction appears well, if it begin with a Scripture passage or proverb, expressing the principal idea one wishes to convey, as introductory to the subject, and confirmatory of its great lesson or doctrine. (4.) To which I must add, that the introduction should be modest; that is to say, the preacher should neither in language nor in action introduce his subject so as to lead his hearers to think that the sermon will be a most brilliant exhibition of talent, raising immediately their expectation of something grand to follow, when in fact there may be a gradual sinking as he advances in the discussion. Much does the preacher err, who in his introduction breaks out either with a display of learning, or with sentiments highly im- passioned ; thus attempting to awaken the admiration of his hear- ers, before he has conciliated their favor or excited their interest in his subject. "Headiest horses soonest tire." It is difficult, after a flaming introduction, to support and increase the fire to that degree which such an introduction promises ; and a burning com- mencement ill accords with an icy progress. The preacher, in such attempts, it has been said, resembles a sky-rocket : he rises in a flame, and falls a mere stick. Let the introduction, then, be marked with modesty. Let it be such as not to promise more than you can execute in the body of your discourse ; let it indicate to others (if there be a fit place) that you feel what Paul felt, when he exclaimed, " And who is suf- ficient for these things!" And by all means, let the introduction be very short, or be wholly omitted, unless it be necessary by a train of observations to trace the connection of your text. 2. The nexus, or connection. But it is not always necessary to show the context, for the pur- pose of elucidating the text. Many passages of Scripture stand as it were independent of the preceding and following verses ; thus, many portions of the Book of Psalms, and all the Proverbs, may be happily discussed, without referring to the context. In like manner, some passages in the Evangelists and in the Epos- 182 Pastoral Qualifications — Qifts. [Lect. VIIL ties, may be considered apart from their immediate connection in the chapter; indeed, there are some passages which have their connection in sense, not with the verses which go immediately before them, but with some passage to be found in a remote situ- ation. But, leaving the latter without further notice, we remark, that the words of Paul are examples of the former class: "Pray without ceasing;" "Despise not prophesyings;" " Quench not the Spirit," are passages which may be explained without referring at length to the context. But there are innumerable portions of Scripture which require that their connection should be traced, inasmuch as they are linked by particles to what goes before, and form a part of an argument, or are the conclusion from premises. Can the Supreme Being bind himself, consistently with his glory, to give grace and eternal life to those whose sins are not atoned for? This will not be af- firmed by those who believe the Scriptures. When, therefore, an exposition is attempted of 2 Pet. i. 4, " Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that," etc., it is obvious that the connection of this gift, expressed by the term, "whereby," in the text, must be either traced in the introduction, or, which is better for the hearers, made one of the heads of the discourse. When it is necessary, in unfolding the sense of a passage, to exhibit the context and scope of the chapter, the epistle, or the prophecy, the following rules should be observed : (1.) The connection should be traced by as few remarks as possible ; especially should this be done when the preacher has a regular introduction to his sermon. Plain words and simple sen- tences are to be used for this purpose. (2.) There should be no play of the imagination, but logi- cal process, when we are exhibiting the connection of passages. Little or no gesticulation should be used, for this part of a sermon does not admit of any action save that which is simple and grace- ful, but calls for distinctness in pronunciation and emphasis. (3.) When the text is selected, the chapter or psalm of which it forms a part should be studied, and the commentators con- sulted. As I have before said, the context in sense and argu- ment is sometimes remote from the text ; for the distribution of the Bible matter into chapters and verses is the work of uninspired men, and as such many mistakes may be found in it. Lect. VIII.] Practical Beflections. 183 But let me here arrest the course of my remarks on the consti- tuent parts of a sermon, with a view of making a few practical reflections. 1. The gospel ministry was divinely instituted, as you have heard, to secure two great ends, namely, the publication of gospel tidings, or the "making known the mystery of Christ;" and, the oversight or episcopal care of the flock of Christ. Now, what has been taught you in this and the preceding lecture, is designed to qualify you better for the great duty of publication to the world, and in the Church, of the grand doctrines and precepts of the Christian religion. To the faithful in Christ Jesus of every age and condition, the Holy Spirit saith, "Search the Scriptures:" strive to know and understand what God has revealed in his Word, that ye may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in you ; that ye may be witnesses for God, (Isaiah xliii. 10 ;) and that you may teach your children divine truth, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, But to the ministers of the "Word, to the stewards of the mysteries of God, the same Holy Spirit saith, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee:" aim at its im- provement; qualify yourselves by prayer, study, care, and exer- cise, to be the publishers of that Word in a world that lieth in wickedness, and dispensers of "milk to babes" and of "strong meat to them that are of full age." (Heb. v.) If, then, ministers have the great duty of publication assigned to them especially; if it be in this important service that "the gift of preaching" is required, then you cannot fail to perceive that all I have s^id in relation to various knowledge, the composi- tion and style of sermons, to subjects and texts, should commo.nd your serious attention : for these are acquisitions which, in civil- ized countries, fit you to publish "the glorious gospel of the blessed God," so as to gain more and better hearing ; so as to win over the curiosity of the thoughtless to inquire, to listen, to pon- der; so as to repel the enemies of your faith, and to stir up to action all the living men in Zion. Endeavor, therefore, to profit by all the advices, rules, and appliances which shall give to your "gift of preaching" a potency in its exercise, that shall add a dig- nity to public worship, and make the gospel " the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation." Increase your intellec- 184 Pastm-al Qvnlifications — Gifts. [Lkct. VIIL tual stores, husband your time well, be diligent in your studies, " that you may prove to be workmen that need not be ashamed." Mohammed, the Arabian impostor, said many foolish and hurt- ful things. The ancient heathen philosophers erred seriously in every metaphysical speculation. But the gospel preacher must speak the words of soberness and truth, as a teacher of good things, an instructor of the ignorant, a light that does not bewilder and mislead, but guides along the way that leads to eternal life in heaven. Eminence in knowledge, eminence in the gift of preaching, is not to be acquired, save by study and painstaking. Eelax not, then, your efforts to grow in knowledge, in grace, and in gift. Some pastors discover a disposition to be too much abroad, and too little in their study-chamber. Much visiting renders them popular ; movements along the streets have a show of activity and zeal, and give them the reputation of being diligent pastors ; while that application of the mind to the proper subjects of study and to the improvement of their gifts, is neglected, so that they are obliged to bring out of their scanty resources only "things olromise" spoken of, made first to Abraham, and through him, to his seed. 2. As if this were not sufficiently definite in marking its origin and time, the apostle tells us it was not a promise connected with and hanging from the law or Sinaitic covenant, for Abraham lived before the giving of the law ; and if, as the Jews thought, the mere observance of the Mosaic ritual could give righteousness and pardon ; if by personal obedience to the law any could become " heirs of eternal life ;" then faith, or the gospel plan of justification by faith, would be rendered void, and the promise which spoke of Lect. XVIIL] Infant Church- Member ship. 348 a. Saviour, and exhibited and secured salvation by faith in this Saviour, would "6e made of none effectP But "the promise was not to Abraham and to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." The apostle also reminds the Jews who were of the party that contended for salvation by the law of Moses, that this law given by Moses comprehended also the moral law, with its precepts and penalty : therefore righteousness could not be by the law, for they were transgressors of it; and "the law worketh wrath and destruction to the sinner." Such is Paul's doctrine ; and we clearly perceive that he con- nects both the /Saviour and the gospel scheme of justification by faith without works, with the promise given to Abraham and to his seed: and hence it appears, that the particular promise about which we are inquiring, was not any promise which God gave to the Church either by Moses or by any of the prophets after him, nor any promise given before Abraham's time ; but the promise given to this patriarch and afterwards repeated to Isaac and to Jacob, lying at the very foundation of the whole ceremonial law, confirmed by the Sinaitic covenant, and forming the ground of liope to all the Old Testament saints. Hence Paul in his defense used this language, (Acts xxvi. :) " And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise, made of God unto our fathers." But mark the text before us further. 3. The apostle furthermore tells us, in Eom. iv., that the prom- ise of which he speaks, was one which not merely gave Abraham the land of Canaan, as the inheritance of his natural descendants, and engaged that those descendants should increase into a great nation, (for promises of this import, the patriarch had before,) but which made him "the heir of the world," and engaged that he should be " the father of many nations." Now this fact plainly shows the particular grand promise that is meant : the promise of the Abrahamic covenant — a covenant which therefore had "cir- cumcision" as the visible " seal of the righteousness of faith." And how could Abraham be "the heir of the world," when he was soon to be removed from this world, and when while he lived, he occupied but a few fields, even of the land of Canaan ? How could his natural descendants (even allowing that they grew into several tribes and nations) be the "heir of the world," without dispossessing all other nations, or exercising dominion 344 Pastoral Duties. [Licct. XVIIL over them, as their tributaries and servants ? But we know, that all Abraham's natural children and their posterity, were not in- cluded in the promise : "for in Isaac shall thy seed be called." But supposing that they were, we well know, that at no time hitherto, neither when Peter preached nor in any age since, have Abraham's descendants inherited the world, nor shall they ever possess it : the Jews have not even held the land of Canaan, but have wandered among the nations, "a hiss, a by- word, and a pro- verb;" and that the descendants by Keturah, and others, were long since excluded from the Church, and are now, as Mahome- tans, her greatest enemies. 4. We ask then again. What did Jehovah mean, when he gave his promise to Abraham, that he should be " the heir of the world " ? • — and how is this promise fulfilled ? The Spirit of inspiration, speaking by the apostle Paul, tells us. (1.) Abraham was to be the heir of the world, not through his natural descendants as such, but through Christy who, according to the flesh, was to descend from Abraham in the line of Isaac, of Judah, and of David. By this Saviour, and in him, should this promise be fulfilled. All nations, in process of time and by an extended dispensation of grace, should be blessed in him, and all people and languages should serve him, and "the whole earth be filled with his glory." (2.) Abraham was to be the "father of many nations" by the same grand means. Christ should come ; the promise or dispen- sation of grace should extend unto the Gentile nations, as well as to the Jews, People of every nation and country should be called ; the gospel of salvation should be preached ; many should believe, and become "that seed" which is of "the faith of Abraham, and not of the law," and thus Abraham should be "the father of them all; as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations." We therefore perceive, that the promise of which Paul speaks in Eom. iv. has, through Abraham, a direct reference to and ac- complishment in Christ, and in the New Testament dispensation, under which alone Abraham could be the heir of the world, and the father of many nations. Accordingly, after Christ came, and when that dispensation was opening, Peter preached that the prom- ise which God made to Abraham and to his seed, "not through Lbot. XVIII.] Infant Church- Membership. 345 the law, but through the righteousness of faith," (not that they should possess the land of Canaan and become a mighty nation and empire, but that they should be blessed with a spiritual deliv- erer, and a glorious dispensation of grace,) was "to them, Jews, and to their children," and also to Gentiles who were then to be called, and to be made fellow-heirs with them of the same covenant, and its rich privileges and blessings. But we have not done with the words of Paul in Rom. iv. ; for he places the promise made to Abraham under the gospel dispen- sation or New Testament, in contrast with the same promise under the restricted dispensation of the Mosaic economy. Under this economy, with its laws, it was impossible that the promise could be fulfilled, that Abraham should be the " heir of the world and the father of many nations :" for had the word of the Lord gone abroad, say in the prosperous reign of David, to all nations, and had thousands in every country received it in love, yet the nations could not have gone up to Jerusalem and done there what the ceremonial law required. But Abraham received the promise, not through "the law," or in a Sinaitic covenant, but "through the righteousness of faith ;" the promise therefore did not depend upon the Mosaic economy : so far from this, that economy, when Christ came, must be done away, as an obstacle to the fulfilment of the promise that "Abraham should be the heir of the world," "to the end," says the apostle, "that the promise might be sure to all the seed : not to that only which is of the law, or under the Mosaic economy, but to that also which is of the faith of Abra- ham, who is the father of us all; as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations." The promise could not have been "sure to all the seed," had it been inseparably connected with the Mosaic economy, for many of the seed would have been unable to keep the laws of God. But the promise is carried out under a better covenant than the Sinaitic; under a dispensation which abrogates the tabernacle laws and institutions, so that believers of the Gentiles, who cannot observe the ceremonial laws of Moses, can in every part of the world believe with the faith of Abraham, and obtain like him the righteousness of faith, through our Lord Jesus Christ. But this would have been impossible, had the promise been made to Abra- ham and to his seed through the law, whereas it was through the 346 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XVIIL righteousness of faitli, to tlie end that the promise might be sure to all the seed. One word more on Eom. iv. : The apostle, in speaking of this "j3rom?^e" as extending to the New Testament times, and to the partakers of it both among Jews and Gentiles, describes those partakers by the very tej-m which Jehovah made use of in estab- lishing his covenant with Abraham, viz: "seed;" "for the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was to Abraham and to his seed, not through the law." Then, when he comes down to the New Testament times, he says, " that the promise might be sure to all the seed," etc. Now, we know that by the "seed," God meant (Gen. xvii.) parents and their infant children of eight days old. And when Paul speaks of the promise of the Abrahamic covenant, and uses the very word which Jehovah used to express those to whom the promise extended, has not that word the same meaning ? Does the apostle qualify it, by telling us that the word seed did no longer include the infant offspring of believing parents in the covenant? No such thing. He speaks of the "seed" in the very sense of the Abrahamic covenant, and his words illustrate those of Peter, who says, " The promise is to you, parents, and to your children." The other says, "that the promise might be sure to all the seed." And Jehovah says, Gen. xvii., " that all the seed'''' comprehends infant children with their parents. We have now considered the words of Paul in Eom. iv., and from what they express, we learn, (1.) That the great promise of which Peter speaks (Acts ii.) is that of the Abrahamic covenant. (2.) That this promise related to Christ, the seed of Abraham, who should come into the world to atone for sin, and should place his visible Church under a very gracious dispensation, called " the kingdom of heaven ;" under which dispensation the tabernacle priesthood and laws should no longer restrict and bur- den the Church, but mercy on gospel terms be extended to all nations, that Abraham through Christ might be the heir of the world, and the father of many nations. Now, this dispensation of the Abrahamic covenant is called, by a familiar figure of speech, " the promise,''^ because, first, it was a principal blessing contained in the promise ; and second, because it would operate in process Lkct. XVIII.] Infant Church- Membership. 347 of time to show in this world the glorious fulfilment of the promise itself. If then, by "the promise" in Acts ii. we are to understand the New Testament dispensation of the grace promised in the Ahrahamic covenant^ we must be careful not to misinterpret the word '■'■prom- ise" in that and other passages of Scripture, where that promise is spoken of, by making it to mean, first, either the promise of actual pardon, or, second, the promise of everlasting salvation. All the blessings of grace and of eternal glory are, in truth, contained in the promises of the Abrahamic covenant ; they are all exhibited to sinners of every nation under the present glorious dispensation, (which the apostle Paul, in Hebrews, calls "the new covenant," to distinguish it from the Sinaitic covenant;) but neither the dispen- sation itself, nor its word, its worship, and its sacraments, convey pardon, peace and eternal life, to all who enjoy them in the visible Church. A proper temper of mind is required to partake of the higher blessings which the dispensation, its word and ordinances, carry with them. Hence there are those in the Abrahamic cove- nant and in the visible Church, whose sins are not pardoned, who have no peace with God, because they are impenitent and unbe- lieving; as the Saviour and his apostle Peter called such, "chil- dren of the covenant, and children of the kingdom," who were not "children by adoption," because they believed not. V. There are numerous other passages of Scripture in which " the promise " about which we are now inquiring is spoken of, and it would require much time to consider each passage particu- larly. I shall therefore direct your attention to but one passage more, Gal. iii. 14: " That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." Here you observe, that the Lord Jesus Christ is made to be the great means of conveying th^ blessing promised to Abraham to the Gentiles, which could be under no other dispensation than the present one. " That we Gen- tiles might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Here the gift of the Spirit, to accompany the gospel and to convert the Gentiles, is said to be one of the blessings of Abraham contained in "v koX AXe^avdpecjv dfioyola,^^ the concord of the Ephe- siaus and Alexandrians ; and in the middle of it, there is a repre- sentation of the heads of Serapis and Diana united. Serapis, or Osiris, had a splendid temple at Alexandria. Diana was a goddess of Egyptian origin, (the manj-breasted Diana,) and the protectress of Ephesus. Acts xviii. 25: " This man was instructed in the way of the Lord : and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught dili- gently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John." Apollos, we are here told, " was instructed in the way of the Lord." " The way of the Lord : " in some MSS. the proper sense is given, viz: "the way of Christ;" in others, "the word of the Lord," that is, the gospel doctrine which teaches the way of salvation, as Moses and the prophets had revealed it, and as John the Baptist in particular had more clearly taught it. (Ps. xviii. 81 ; Ixxxvi. 11 ; Isa. xl. 3 ; Mal. ii. 8.) In this way or doctrine, or revelation of the Saviour, Apollos "was well instructed" by the disciples of John, who were nu- merous, (Mark i. 4, 5 ;) and who, moving in various countries in Judea, Egypt, etc., sought to instruct others. These disciples did not know Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ ; they had not heard him preach, nor seen the miracles he wrought ; they had not heard of his death, resurrection and ascension, nor of the outpourings of his Spirit on the day of Pentecost. But what they knew of a Saviour at hand, and one who should redeem sinners hy his blood, they taught to others; so that by their means "the way of the Lord" was somewhat prepared among distant nations. It was probably in Egypt, and by some of the first disciples of John, that Apollos was instructed in the "way of the Lord," of which he became a preacher. Dorothous, Bishop of Tyre, errs, who counts Apollos one of the seventy disciples ; and others, equally without authority, say that he was a disciple of the evangelist Mark. In trying to dissemi- nate that portion of divine truth with which he was acquainted, Apollos was "fervent in spirit," zealous and laborious; acting Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXI. under the impression that no event was so important as that of the coming of the Saviour, and that it concerned the Jews espe- cially to lay aside their wrong notions of the Messiah, and to pre- pare as lost sinners, to receive One who should come to seek and to save that which was lost. He therefore "spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord." The fire of the Holy Spirit burned in his soul ; his tongue was employed on no common sub- jects ; for he taught the things of the Lord : truths relating to the Saviour, as coming and about to appear; his exalted office, the end of his coming into this world, and the spiritual kingdom that he should set up. On these subjects, he spoke from the ancient prophecies eloquently, and "taught, a«;pi/3wf," diligently and thoroughly, (Matt. xi. 3 ; Luke i. 3,) so that he entered into the marrow of his subject, and communicated instruction with ability. But yet he knew little of what had transpired in Judea and at Jerusalem within a few years past, and of the accomplishment of the ancient prophecies in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth : for, Apollos " knew only the baptism of John." The baptism of John is here put for that doctrine concerning the Saviour which John taught, and which he required those to receive whom he baptized. Now, that very doctrine shows that John's ministry and baptism were merely preparative. Apollos knew what John had testified concerning the Saviour about to manifest himself. But while he knew that John's testimony accorded with the prophe- cies, and taught what he knew, he was a man who beheld but the first dawn of the morning ; he had not seen the sun rising above the horizon, for " he knew only the baptism of John." The subject will be pursued in the next succeeding lecture. LECTURE XXII. HOLY BAPTISM — THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. JOHN'S BAPTISM, AND THE BAPTISM ADMINISTERED BY CHRIST'S DISCIPLES, TEMPORARY. We have said, that " ApoUos knew only the baptism, of John;" and we are expressly told by the sacred historian, that this bap- tism and the doctrine connected with it, left this man and his associate disciples ignorant that "Jesus of Nazareth was Christ," and of course ignorant that the Lord Jesus had suffered, died, rose again and ascended into heaven, and sent forth his apostles to erect among the nations the kingdom of his grace. And let me ask, can that ordinance be the baptism of Christ, which leaves the baptized entirely ignorant that God was " mani- fest in the flesh " in the person of Jesus, the son of Mary ; entirely ignorant of what he did to procure our redemption, and of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven in this world ? No ; the baptism of John may be the institute of some other dispensation, but it cannot be a sacrament of the New Covenant. While in this state of ignorance of the most important facts, Apollos was still looking for "the coming of the Messiah:" nor will it appear strange to us, that he was thus unacquainted with events calculated to awaken the deepest interest in the hearts of all who waited for the consolation of Israel, when we reflect that if he had heard John himself, and received his baptism at Jordan he must have removed from Judea before John saw Jesus coming to him, as we read, John i. 29 ; or that if it was at Alexandria that Apollos was instructed by some of John's disciples, Avhich is more probable, those disciples must have left Judca before the Lord Jesus manifested himself openly to the house of Israel. 392 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIL There were, no doubt, already at Alexandria, at the time that the apostle Paul was preaching, those persons who knew more than the baptism of John, and who could have taught the way of the Lord perfectly ; and it is also true, that at that time no one re- ligiously inquisitive could have travelled from Alexandria through the Holy Land to Asia Minor, without hearing some important gospel truths, and acquiring more knowledge than that of John's baptism. But we do not know that Apollos remained at Alexan- dria, or that he came by land to Ephesus : hence he did not hear those additional truths ; and there were others in a similar state of ignorance, as appears from Acts xix., who had not been fa- vored with opportunities of hearing the gospel fully. Certain it is, Apollos "knew only the baptism of John," and what he knew he preached to the Jews at Ephesus in the synagogue, with zeal and eloquence. It was in the synagogue, while employed in teaching the doctrine of John, that Apollos was heard by Aquila and Priscilla. Acts xviii. 26: "And he began to speak boldly in the syna- gogue: whom, when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." Hearing Apollos in the synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla soon ascertained, that though acquainted with the gospel in prophecy, he was ignorant of the gospel i7i its fulfilment. But they did not correct his mistakes as to facts openly in' the synagogue. They "took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God," which he already knew in part, "more perfectly:" that is to say, they told him that the Saviour had come, and that Jesus of Naza- reth, as John had declared, was the Christ ; that he had exhibited his wisdom in teaching, his power in working miracles ; that he had suffered and died according to the Scriptures, risen again, ascended into heaven; that he had poured out his Spirit, com- manded his gospel to be preached among the nations ; that he had instituted the sacrament of baptism, and ordered it to be adminis- tered in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; that thou- sands (comprehending many of the disciples of John) were con- verted and so baptized by the apostles. This was an hour rich in blessing to Apollos ; a meeting most happy to his soul with well-informed Christians. He heard their Lkot. XXIL] Baptism — Apolhs. 393 discourse with delighted attention, learned much in a short time, and put his improvement in the knowledge of the mysteries of the glorious gospel now unfolded, to immediate public use. We are not told that Apollos was baptized, or that he preached at Ephesus, for the sacred historian studies brevity. Much is left to be inferred from what the apostles did at Jerusalem, from that fervency of spirit which marked the character of this eloquent man, and from what is recorded in the succeeding chapter. We know that Apollos soon set out with Aquila and Priscilla for Corinth, to strengthen the disciples there, as Paul was now daily expected to arrive at Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla no doubt told him with what success Paul had preached at Corinth, told him that he might be more useful in that city than elsewhere, and persuaded him to go. 27th verse: "And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, (of which Corinth was the chief city,) the brethren wrote, (for the primitive churches were vigilant, and regulated their proceedings in relation to foreigners, in the absence of the apostles, by written testimonials or certificates,) exhorting the disciples to receive Apollos." They did receive him ; for, " When he was come, he helped them much who had believed through grace." But he did more than instruct and animate believers; for, (Acts xviii. 28,) "He mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, (in their synagogues,) showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ." Apollos at Corinth exerted his superior talents in the great cause in which he was now enlisted. Wherever an ojDportunity was afforded, he publicly addressed the Jews, calling them to consider the ancient prophecies concerning the Messiah, and to behold their accomplishment in Jesus of Nazareth. Nor were his labors ex- pended in vain, for "he mightily convinced the Jews," so that no doubt was left upon their minds: ^^ SiaKareXeyxeodai" — ^he exhib- ited unanswerable arguments ; confuted them when they attempted j;o reply, such was their conviction. The subject was, that Jesus was Christ; Jesus, who was crucified at Jerusalem, and preached by his apostles. He proved that this Jesus was the long-expected Messiah, from the fulfilment of the ancient prophecies in the time of his coming, birth, descent, person, life, works, sufferings and glory. Many were convinced. This fact we learn from the reproving 394 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXII. language of Paul : for, among the numerous converts, some said, "I am of Paul," others, "I am of ApoUos." (1 Cor. iii. 4^9.) From Corinth the eloquent Apollos travelled to other places. (1 Cor. xvi. 12.) From Titus iii. 13, we learn that he went to Crete ; whence, Jerome thinks, he afterwards returned with Titus to Co- rinth. But one writer makes him the bishop of Corinth, and another the bishop of Csesarea — altogether uncertain. We know that he was an eminent man and faithful minister of Christ: where he ended his days we know not. Exposition of Acts, Chapter xix. * We now open the nineteenth chapter, in which the acts of the apostle Paul while at' Ephesus are recorded. Yerse 1 : "And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus." Paul had vis- ited and strengthened the disciples in Galatia and Phrygia, and now passes through the northern or upper coasts, ^^ra avurefjiKa i^eprj,^^ of Asia Minor along the ^gean sea, as Bithynia, Mysia, Phrygia, and Lydia, (see 1 Mace. iii. 37 ; vi. 1 ; 2 Mace. i. 23-25,) called the upper lands and provinces. From these provinces, Paul " came to Ephesus," as he had promised, to the joy of the brethren. In Eph- esus, he determined to stay a longer time to advance the cause of gospel truth, by preaching to the Gentiles, whom he had not yet addressed, and who were usually in great numbers congregated at Ephesus^ a commercial and literary city, from every part of the world. Now at Ephesus, where Christians existed, the apostle found " certain disciples." They were, as we shall presently see, by the usual profession of faith, the disciples of Christ, but disciples in a certain degree. This Paul ascertained, as we shall see from Verse 2 : "He said unto them. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" These disciples "believed:" what did they believe ? We answer, the word of the Lord communicated by the ancient prophets, and the testimony of John the Baptist. All this received with the heart, constituted them pardoned sinners ; but as it was true that new revelations had been made since John preached, revelations of vast moment, so the helief of these important truths was required to an admission to Christian baptism. Lkct. XXII. ] Baptism — Paul at Ephesus. 395 What doctrine John the Baptist taught, how much his disciples knew, we have before stated. Now, as those who knew, like Apol- los, John's baptism, these twelve disciples were known to the Christians at Ephesus, who, telling the apostle Paul that thej were in a state to hear and believe the gospel, he addressed them for the purpose of leading them to the knowledge of the "truth as it is in Jesus,''^ and to the enjoyment of the consolations of the gospel and of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. He therefore asked them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost? "And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." These words require some explanation. We remark : The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third Person in the God- head. His existence and operations were early revealed. The ancient Scriptures speak much of the Holy Spirit. The ancient saints sang of his power in the Church. All the disciples of John knew that there was a Holy Ghost. He told them that the Messiah " should baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire." But let it be observed, that the name of Holy Ghost is in many passages used for his operations and gifts, both ordinary and ex- traordinary. Thus, John vii. 39: "The Holy Ghost was not yet given." Surely the Holy Ghost in his ordinary operations had long been given to all the renewed, and also sometimes in his ex- traordinary gifts to the prophets of old, to Bezaleel and Aholiab, etc. ; but there was to be an extraordinary communication of the Holy Ghost after Christ rose from the dead, as an illustrious evidence of his Messiahship, and extraordinary gifts were to be imparted. Now these gifts and operations, which in John vii. are called "the Holy Ghost," were not yet given, " because that Jesus was not yet glorified." Now, when the apostle Paul asked those disciples of John, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" and they replied, " We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," it is obvious that the words " Holy Ghost " have tlie same meaning as in John vii. — referring, not to the person of the Holy Spirit, nor to his ordinary operations in grace and redemption, but to his miraculous gifts and extraordinary operations. The sense of Paul's question is, " Have ye received the Holy Ghost in his extraordinary communications or gifts, since ye believed ?" For, it is well known that such communications were made after the 396 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIL day of Pentecost, and usually after the converts liad just received Christian baptism. The answer of those disciples corresponded with the sense of the question : " We have not so much as heard whether there be any extraordinary and miraculous operations of the Holy Spirit, or whether the Holy Ghost be given in any extraordinary communi- cations." That such is the only sense which the words in their connection admit of, is evident, first, from the fact that these twelve persons were regarded as pious, by the brethren. Second, from the fact that the apostle Paul accounted them sincere be- lievers so far as they had heard the Word of God. Had the apos- tle considered them to be impenitent, unconverted and unbelieving sinners, he would have called them to repentance and to faith ; he would have instructed them in the doctrine of the Holy Ghost in his ordinary operations to produce faith and repentance, and not have spoken to them of John's baptism. Third, from the fact that when they heard that Jesus was the Christ, he was instantly em- braced as their Saviour, and they were immediately baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Understanding then that these disciples had been baptized be- fore, but had not received any of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, the apostle asked, Verse 3 : "And he said unto them. Unto what then were ye baptized ?" Unto what profession of faith then were ye baptized ? " And they said. Unto John's baptism." This answer instantly explained the whole matter ; for the apostle knew that no extra- ordinary communications of the Holy Ghost attended John's bap- tism, as it did not belong to the new dispensation. The narrative proceeds, Verse 4 : " Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people," not that they now believed in the Lord Jesus, for they did not hnow that Jesus was the Christ, and therefore could not he baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ; but, "that they should believe in him who should come after him, that is," says Paul, " on Christ Jesus," who did come after him : for John himself had long been baptizing before he himself knew that Jesus was the Christ, and therefore he could not call on the peo- ple whom he baptized, " to believe on Christ Jesus ; " and many baptized by John had returned home, some to distant countries. Lect. XXII.] Baptisms at Ephesus. 897 and were not presmt at Jordan, when John by special revelation from God pointed to Jesus and said, " Behold the Lamb of God " etc. ; and consequently, like Apollos and these twelve disciples at Ephesus, they did not know that Jesus was the Christ, and could not believe on Christ Jesus, any more than the heathen can who never heard of his name. But now through the preaching of Paul, these twelve heard that " Christ Jesus," that crucified one, that risen one, who had "fin- ished the work which the Father had given him to do, and been received up into glory, until the times of the restitution of all things," was that Saviour who came after John, and on whom John exhorted them to believe. Verse 5 : And through grace given, these twelve persons, " when they heard this " gospel preached by Paul, of which instructive preaching but a little is here recorded, as the substance might be easily gathered from the context — I say, when those disciples heard this, " they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." The historian does not say that these persons were baptized by Paul, for this apostle tells us that he seldom administered the ordinance of baptism. But whether baptism on this occasion was administered by Paul, or b.y some of his fellow-laborers, certain it is, those twelve disciples who had been baptized by John, were now baptized with water in the name of the Lord Jesus. Nor was this a rebaptism^ for the ordinances were distinct: though water was used, yet these believers were now for the first time " baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," and united to the visible Church of Christ. It is then denied that these persons were, at the time Paul con- ferred with them, baptized at all. And how is the plain historical fact attempted to be set aside, by those who wish to make out John's baptism to be the same with the New Testament baptism ? In this strange way : They say that the fifth verse does not belong to the history of the twelve disciples, and are not the words of Luke, but the words of the apostle Paul, and designed by him to describe what occurred at John's baptism ; and therefore to be understood as if it were said, "John said unto the people, that they should believe in him who should come after him ; that is, on Christ Jesus j" and when they, the people collected at Jordan 398 Pastoral Duties. [Lect, xxn. several years before, heard this preaching of John, they the people were baptized by John in the name of the Lord Jesus. Against this hard-sought construction many arguments may be brought, but I shall content myself with a few ; premising. First. That the misinterpretation originates in representing the concluding part of the fourth verse, containing these words, " that is, on Christ Jesus," to be the language of John the Baptist ; whereas they are evidently the words of the apostle Paul, designating who he was who came after John, namely, Christ Jesus; for John baptized many thousands, before he knew, as we have before ob- served, that Jesus was (he Christ : hence he could not have exhorted the people " to believe on Christ Jesus ;" and hence we find also that Apollos and other disciples of John did not know that Jesus was Christ. But, Secondly. That exposition rests upon two false facts : 1. That John said unto the people at Jordan, that they should believe on Christ Jesus ; which he did not and could not do. He said no more on this point, than that the people should "believe on him who should come after him." 2. That he baptized the people in the name of the Lord Jesus. This he never did, and, for the reason^ above given, he could not do. The disciples of John were not baptized in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. It is absurd to think so for a moment ; and such an idea is contradicted by all the facts recorded respecting the minis- try and baptism of John. It Avill not be denied by any, that by " Christ Jesus," no other is meant than Jesus the son of Mary, according to the flesh. Now let us imagine for a moment that John baptized in the name of this person, this Jesus of Nazareth; what would have been the result ? We answer : (1.) That Christ would have been known, and there could have been no inquiry who he was, nor any question proposed to John whether he himself was the Christ. (2.) It would have been foolish in the Lord Jesus to conceal that he was the Messiah ; foolish to say to his disciples, " Tell no man of it," when John the Baptist was proclaiming abroad, every time he baptized, that Jesus of Nazareth was the great Messiah ; when every body must have known it. But every body (not even Lkot. XXIL] Baptism of John and of Christ not identical. 399 John's intimate disciples) neither knew nor believed it ; which is a conclusive proof that John did not say to the people, that " they should believe on Christ Jesus," nor baptize in the name of Jesus. (3.) If John had baptized in the name of Jesus, so many thou- sands would not have come to his baptism. This is evident from all the gospel histories, and from the temper of the Jewish peo- ple when they were told that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. (4.) Add to which, if John, baptizing, told the people to believe on Christ Jesus, he could not say that they should believe on him who should come after him, for then Christ was already come. But on whom did Paul lay his hands ? on the people of Judea ? No, but on the very persons who had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is the natural construction ; every other is forced and contradictory of well-known facts. We conclude then, that the twelve disciples at Ephesus were (and this was the sentiment of all the Christian fathers) baptized with Christian baptism after they had received the baptism of John ; and hence it is plain that there could have been no identity between the one institute and the other. But we shall here subjoin two additional arguments in support of our doctrine, viz : 9. John's ministry and baptism were limited to tim Jews, and to the land of their fathers : for the Gentiles were not called. Hence his baptism could not have been a sacrament of the New Testa- ment Church, etc. 10. The Abrahamic covenant, of which the new economy is a more full dispensation, included infants. But John did not baptize infants. And would their baptism have been strange to the Jews ? By no means. This people circumcised every day male infants ; they baptized the infants of proselytes. Why then did not John baptize them? Because his ministry and baptism had a special object in view. They were merely preparative; and as such, infants could not receive them. Adults alone could, by John's ministry, be prepared for the coming of Christ, who was ready to be revealed. I have done with the arguments which prove that the baptism of John was not the baptism of Christ. If now this doctrine be established, that there is no identity existing between the baptism of John and the baptism commanded to be administered by the 400 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIL Saviour, althougli in all water baptisms of a religious character there must be many points of similarity, then we are led to infer two things of moment, viz : (1.) That the baptism of John was not a sacrament, and espe- cially that it was not a sacrament of the New Testament dispensa- tion and Church. (2.) That no argument can be drawn from John's baptism to determine any fact in relation to Christian baptism ; and that the practice of John in baptizing, whether as to place, subject, mode, or obligation, can be no authoritative example to the Church of Christ in administering that baptism which was instituted by the Saviour for the benefit of the whole Church, as a visible sign and seal of the everlasting covenant. Much of what has been contended for by the enemies of infant church-membership, is drawn immediately from the ministry and baptism of John. But these deductions are unwarrantable. The Lord Christ himself was present in his Church, and it belonged to him as King in Zion to institute in person the sacraments of the New Covenant, which, though positive institutes, are by his will to be standing ordinances of grace, and binding laws of his king- dom. I shall close this lecture with a few remarks on the baptism which our Lord's disciples, by his order, administered before his resurrec- tion from the dead. The record of this fact, that our Lord during his public ministry ordered his disciples to baptize, we find in John iii. 22, etc. : ^^After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them, and bctptized." Verse 23 : " And John also was baptizing in Enon,"etc. Verse 25 : " Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying." Verse 26 : "And they came unto John and said unto him, Kabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come unto him." Also in John iv. 1, 2 : " When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) he left Judea and departed again into Galilee." Let us examine these records. 1. "After these things," says the evangelist — ^that is to say, after Lect. XXIL] Baptism hy Christ's Disciples Temporary. 401 what had transpired at Jerusalem at the passover, (which was the first kept by the Saviour after his baptism and public manifes- tation of himself in his prophetical office,) he determined to let his light shine upon the three parts of the Holy Land, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. "We therefore read of his acts in Judea in John iii ; of those in Samaria, iv. 42 ; of those in Galilee, iv. 43-54. At the city, therefore, Jesus did not remain long after the passover; but "came with his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptized." Here let me remark, that "Judea" at this day comprehended the lands of Judah, Benjamin, Dan, and Simeon, and also Philistia and Idumea, all the country south of Samaria and Arabia Petrsea, and extended in some directions beyond Jordan. (See Matt. xix. 1.) 2, In Judea, and not far from Jordan, our Lord "tarried with his disciples " a considerable time, until John was cast into prison, preaching the Word with much effect : this is proved by the con- fluence of people to his baptism, a confluence so great that it excited the envy of the disciples of John. And there he " bap- tized," not administering the ordinance to any himself, but acting by his disciples. John iv. 2 : " For Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." 3. Now tJiis baptism, administered there by the disciples of our Lord, we contend, was not the sacrament of Holy Baptism after- wards instituted by the risen Saviour as a standing ordinance of the New Testament Church, but a baptism like that of John, merely preparative, administered for a short time, and to those who confessed their sins and professed to look for the Messiah as a spiritual Saviour. Our arguments are the following : (1.) It appears that the faith required in John's baptism had not Jesus of Nazareth for its object, and that it was not administered in Oie name of the Lord Jesus ; for if it had been, John's disciples would have regarded Jesus as the Saviour, would have felt themselves bound to acknowledge him as the Messiah, and could not have spoken and acted as they are stated to have done in John iii., and could not have been surprised "that all men came to him." Equally obvious is it, that in their baptizing, our Lord's disciples did not require that men should believe that he was the Messiah : for this requirement would have been the most formal and sacred 26 402 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIL proclamation of that fact ; would have settled the whole matter at once ; would have made a great noise and serious commotion among the Jews. But this supposition is contradicted by all that the evan- gelists write in relation to the people knowing,' believing, and con- fessing that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ. Our Lord's own words and conduct contradict it. (2.) So many would not have been baptized the first place briefly discourse, I. Of the Doctrine of Holy Baptism. Many truths belong to the doctrine of Baptism, which may be classed under, 1. Its name ; 2. Its Divine institution ; 3. Its visible sign ; 4. Thing signified ; 404 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. xxttt. 5. Union or agreement of the two ; 6. Its partakers ; and 7. Its end. 1. The name. The name is derived from the Greek language, and is scriptural, " PanTiana.^^ (Matt. iii. 7; xxi. 15; Rom. vi. 4.) The verb "/JaTrrt^o)," from "/3a7rTw," is used by the inspired writers in relation to this Christian sacrament, and in relation to various washings with water, both religious and civil. Hence the noun "/3a7rrlopoig ^anTXa^ioX^^ and carnal ordinances, im- posed on them until the time of reformation." In these " baptisms," a word in which the apostle (per metony- miam speciei pro gencre) designs to include all kinds of purifica- tions by water required by the laws of Moses, we find the application of water, not only by immersing the body, but by washing a 406 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. xxm. member of it at the laver. To mention one instance here will be sufficient. Deut. xl. 30, 31: "And lie set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there to wash withal: and Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat." Now this washing of hands and feet at the laver, the Spirit of God calls a baptism in Heb. vi. 2, where he speaks " of the doctrine of baptisms." The apostle is considered by many to refer to these baptisms of various kinds under the law. Lastly, it is agreed that those terms are also used per as a sacrament, and makes the Saviour, not an object of faith, but an article of carnal enjoyment. 1. A sacrament has a visible sign ; remove the visible sign, and the sacrament ceases to exist. Now the doctrine of transubstan- tiation would take away the visible signs of bread and wine, and render the thing signified alone visible. 2. " Christ," says the apostle Paul, " lives in the hearts of be- lievers by faith ; " but transubstantiation renders him visible to sense, and "faith is the evidence of things 7iot seen.^^ It makes the Saviour to exist in the mouths and bellies of Christians Leot. XXVII.] Tlie Lord^s Supper — Transuhstantiation. 459 by carnal enjoyment. This is worse than Mahomet's sensual paradise. VIII. If the bread and wine be changed into the body and blood of Christ, then is there a miracle wrought; and the frequent observance of the Mass produces a series of astonishing miracles. Yet these miracles excite no astonishment among the Romanists : they create no talk, and have no special effect. "Why is this? Because they are miracles of the priests' making, not the works of Omnipotence. The priests profess to make " the body of Christ in the Mass," and their manufacture is very much like themselves, good only to deceive poor souls. Other arguments might be here adduced, but I shall add this only: IX. That the history of the Lord's Supper^ and the sentiments of the primitive and ancient Fathers in the Church, are opposed to the doc- trine of transuhstantiation. 1. The history we shall give hereafter. 2. The sentiments of the Fathers cannot be detailed here. Let it suffice to say, (1.) That Irenseus (lib. iv., c. 34) says, " The Supper, called the Eucharist, is composed of two things, an earthly and a heavenly bread. (2.) Tertullian says, (lib. iv., Contra Marc :) "He made the bread which he distributed to his disciples his body, saying. This is my body ; that is, a figure of my body." (3.) One of the canons of the Council of Nice (not to call up the sentiments of Clemens, Cyprian, Augustine) says: "Let us not rest at the divine table as children, on what is set before us, bread and wine, but lifting up our souls on high by faith," &c. If, now, the bread and wine were changed into the real body and blood of Christ, these objects should arrest our chief attention, and no bread and wine could be before us. We shall dismiss the doctrine of transuhstantiation with this remark : that when the words of our Lord, " This is my body," are considered in connection with the subject, we are those who un- derstand them literally: while, to give them the meaning of tran- suhstantiation or consubstantiation, words must be added. What was our Saviour doing when he said, " This is my body"? Was he crucifying himself, or dying as a sacrifice ? No ; he was insti- 460 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVII, tuting and administering a sacrament. Thus employed, lie said : "This is my body," in the sacrament, or sacramentaUy. My body, exhibited not in its flesh and bones, and mangled members ; but by the broken bread, as a visible sign of it. But the Papists, to make out transubstantiation, must add: " This bread is no longer bread, but my body." And the ubiqui- tists must add : " This is my body, in and under the bread." Let us now direct our attention to the loords of our Lord, (4.) Eespecting the cup. These are, again, either preceptive or explanatory. First. The preceptive words are, "Drink ye all of it:" emphati- cally, all must drink of it. The end for which this must be done is expressed : " This do, as often as ye drink of it, in remembrance of me." (1 Cor. xi. 25.) The command could not be misunderstood; and, as we shall see, it was neither misunderstood nor disobeyed. But I must now call your attention to the Komish prohibition of the cup to the laity. "With this express injunction of the Eedeemer before us, we cannot but condemn the robbery of Popery in taking away the cup from the lay believers, and despise the deceit with which the priests attempt to cover that robbery, by saying that "the blood, under the figure of the bread, is associated with the body," which they call " concomitantia." But the principal reason which the Eomanists offer, to justify their disregard of the command of the Eedeemer, is, "that this command was given to the disciples who were present, and who were all priests, and 7iot laity P We answer, 1. That the disciples were as yet neither priests nor ministers of the New Testament, but ordinary believers. 2. That if the disciples were clergy, and not lay believers, then, as every command which the Saviour gave in the institution of the Supper was addressed to them alone, it follows, that the Sup- per was appointed for the clergy alone, and that the Eomanists abuse this ordinance by permitting the laity to commune in eating the bread. But the very defense which the Eomanists make of their wicked prohibition of the cup, shows that they violate a law of God. Bellarmine (de Euch. 1. iv.) says : " We need not follow all that Lect. XXVIl] The Lord^s Supper — To he received in both kinds. 461 Jesus did : in the first Supper he did many things which do not reach us." We answer, 1, This is discovering at once the true spirit of the Roman Ohurch — that mystical Babylon and mother of harlots. The laws of the Pope must be obeyed, but the commands of Christ may be departed from. The Pope is exalted above God. 2. But the institution of Christ is a law to us. His command is binding; it cannot be violated by his Church; he said, "Drink ye all of it;" and knowing that the "Man of Sin" would arise at a future day and corrupt this ordinance, he reiterated this law of communion in both kinds, by special revelation through the apostle Paul, " He took the cup, saying. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." Did Paul restrict the cup to the clergy ? No : addressing himself to all the members of the Christian Church, he says : " But let a man examine himself, and so let him cat of that bread, and dri^ik of that cup^ (1 Cor. xi.) " But the Church," says another Roman Catholic writer, "has the power to make any change. Has she not baptized in the name of Christ alone, when Christ commanded that baptism should be admin- istered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? Has she not changed the Sabbath day? Has she not abolished the law respecting ' the eating of blood and of things strangled'?" We answer, 1. It is then confessed, that the original law respecting commu nion in both kinds has been changed in the Church, after the days of the apostles. 2. But the change of the Sabbath day Avas made by the inspired apostles. 3. If it is recorded that the apostles and other ministers baptized in the name of Christ, in order to distinguish his baptism from the baptism of John ; yet in applying the water, they all performed the act " in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ;" if they baptized in the name of Christ, they then baptized as Christ commanded them to baptize. 4. " The prohibition of blood and things strangled," related to a Jewish law, and had in view the prejudices of the Jews. See 1 Cor. x. 25. But any Christian may observe this law : the gospel will not restrain liini. But will the Romanists permit any layman 462 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. xxVTT. in their communion who wishes so to do, to partake of the cup ? No. 5. But we deny that the Church has power to repeal the laws of God, and change the institutions of Christ : if she can take away the cup, she can take away the bread, and can then abolish the institution of the Supper and also of baptism ; and where shall her power terminate ? We treat with contempt the exposition of Bellarmine, who says that by the words, " drink ye all of it," Christ meant that the first disciple should not drink the cup out ; but so drink of it, that every one should have a portion of it. We shall not pursue the Catholic writers further ; but proceed to state the arguments which evince the existence of the law requiring communion in both kinds. (1.) The command of the Saviour is express ; it is incorporated with and inseparable from the whole institution, and that insti- tution a sacrament of the everlasting covenant. To say, as the Bomanists do, that in partaking of the hread^ the communicants do partake of the cup, and thus drink of the blood, is not true ; for the bread was not made a sacramental sign of the blood of Christ : the cup was appointed to be the visible sign and seal of the new covenant in the blood of the Lord Jesus, and not the bread: these signs have their appropriate meaning, and must not be confounded, though they relate to the same grand object. If the laity do par- take of the cup under the bread, why should the cup itself be withheld from them ? (2.) The disciples did all drinh of the cup. The primitive Chris- tians did the same ; the prohibition of the cup is a daring inno- vation, unknown to the Fathers. (3.) We argue, from the relation which all believers sustain to Christ, if they repent and believe the gospel, that lay Christians have as much an interest in the Saviour as the clergy : and they obtain by the blood of the Lamb as full remission of sins as ministers of the Word do. There is nothing in the whole institution of the Supper, excepting the administration of it, that pertains to the clergy exclusively. (4.) In 1 Cor. x., xi., Paul declares that all believers,- as such, have a right to the cup : for is not the cup of blessing a sign of com- munion in the blood of Christ ? Lect. XXVILJ The Lord^s Supj^er — To he received in botJi hinds. 463 (5.) It is difficult to conceive how the Corinthians could have abused the Supper by excess in drinking, unless they had by law access to the cup. Second. Let us now attend to the explanatory ivords of our Saviour, in relation to the cup; they are these : " This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you : for many, for the remission of sins." 1. Here let me remark, that if the Eomanists insist upon the literal sense of our Lord's words, what will they do with the word cup, in the text ? A cup is a material vessel ; it is not ivine : must we then say, that the cup itself is changed into the blood of Christ ? No, say the Eomanists; there is a metonomy in the words: the cup is used for that which it contains. This is true ; but, if the language be figurative in one sentence, why may not a figure exist in another, relating to the same object? 2. Admitting, however, that by the cup the wine is meant, how can this wine be the new covenant'? and yet our Lord as plainly declares, "This cup is the new testament," as he does, "This bread is my body." Here then, again, the adversaries are obliged to come to our interpretation of our Lord's explanatory words, and to say "that the cup, that is to say, the wine in the cup, is the sign and seal of the privileges and blessings of the new covenant, procured by the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus. But say that the wine (dreadful thought !) is converted into the blood of Christ ; what then ? the result is nonsense : for the blood of Christ is not the new covenant, nor is it the mere sign of it ; but can only be the procuring cause of its blessing. After what has been said, a few remarks on the words of the Saviour will exhibit their true sense. (1.) " This cup is the new testament." The Jews in the pass- over had been used to call the loine which they drank the cup ; this phraseology our Lord adopts : it was well understood. (2.) The wine then is the symbol of the New Testament, better translated here " the new covenant," in contradistinction to the old or Sinaitic covenant, of which Moses was the mediator, which was ratified by the sprinkling of the blood of beasts, and which had appended to it, for gospel purposes, the sacraments of circum- cision and the passover. 464 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIL But tliis old covenant must be set aside ; a new one must be introduced, of wMcli the incarnate Son of God sbould be the Mediator; wliicli should be ratified and sealed by bis own precious blood, and the blessings of which should be many and rich, corre- sponding with its better jDromises ; not of an angel going before, but of the Sj)irit of God dwelling in the hearts of his people ; not of rest in Canaan, but of heavenly rest and glory : promises which speak plainly and openly of salvation, of pardon, of eternal life. Now the wine in the Lord's Supper is the symbol of the new covenant in the blood of Jesus ; for that new covenant derived its existence, according to the purpose of God, from the manifestation of the sufferings and death on the cross, attended with the shed- ding of blood, of the Saviour, Hence, (3.) Our Lord said, "in my blood, which is shed for you and for many." His blood was shed, he tells them, not for them alone, but for many others : for Gentiles as well as Jews, even for all who should believe in his name : that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ; he therefore adds, " for the remission of sins." Accordingly, the cup as well as the bread are signs of Christ crucified, and to all who believe, seals of pardoning mercy and eternal salvation. This will be brought up again when we speak of the thing signified in the Lord's Supper. Just now we must attend. Second^ to the actions of the disciples, who were the first commu- nicants at the Lord's table. These actions were three, viz : (1.) " They took the bread and the cup as their Lord commanded, for the union of both these gives the idea of a full feast : the Sup- per having both meat and drink, is symbolical of that spiritual feast which the Lord Jesus has provided for his people, and in which his crucified body is " meat indeed, and his atoning blood is drink indeed." (2.) The disciples "ate the bread;" they did not keep any part of it in reserve for superstitious uses. We are told indeed that, under heavy persecutions, the early Christians reserved pieces of the bread to give to their brethren, who could not, in consequence of their imprisonment, be present at the celebration of the Supper. But we have no direction for this practice, whatever pious affection it may discover, and no intimations of such a custom in the Scrip- tures of the 'New Testament. Lkct. XXVII] The Lordh Supper — The Things Signified. 465 (3.) The disciples "drank of the wine," Markxiv. 23: "they all drank of it." A record which intimates to ns, that the Omnis- cient Spirit foresaw the deeds of Antichrist in forbidding the cup to the laitj : for the taking of the bread has not this record of it in the writings of the Evangelists. It is to be noted, then, that in all the actions of the disciples at the first Supper, (which actions we are now to imitate,) we discover no opening of the mouth to have the bread inserted ; no kneeling and worshipping of the symbols ; no abstaining from the cup. "We must now direct our attention, 4. To the things signified and sealed by the visible signs in the Supper. These have, in the statements just made to refute serious errors, been anticipated in a great measure ; so that our remarks on this branch need not be many. First. The signs^ in general, signify, 1. The one sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered up on the cross for sinners. 2. The blessings procured by this all-sufiicient sacrifice. 3. Our participation of those blessings by faith. 4. Our union to the Saviour, and our communion with one another in love. In particular, the bread broken signifies, (1.) The suffering Saviour, his body broken and crucified, etc. (2.) The broken bread taken, signifies Christ received by faith. (3.) The bread eaten nourishes and feeds the body ; this signifies the nourishment and strength derived from Christ, received into the heart by faith, or from the spiritual eating of the " true bread which came down from heaven." (4.) The bread eaten together, the communion of saints in the enjoyment of the common salvation. The wine signifies in particular, the blood of Christ shed for us. (1.) Wine refreshes the animal spirits, satiates thirst, and renews the strength of the body ; so the grace^ or Spirit of grace procured by the blood of Christ, revives, strengthens and satisfies the soul of the believer. See the effects of this grace expressed in these terms, John vi. 14 ; Ps. xxxvi. 9 ; Isa. xxv. 6. (2.) As wine is pressed with violence from the wine-press, so our Lord was pressed down in soul, until the blood flowed from the pores of his body, etc. 30 466 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIL It appears, then, that both, tlie bread and tbe wine signify the same thing, holding up to view, symbohcallj, Christ crucified for us ; and that they are both given to strengthen our faith, in look- ing irnto Jesus, as the source of pardon and salvation. Why then, it may be asked, should the symbols in the Supper be doubled ? We answer : i. To exhibit the semblance of a feast. ii. To show the importance of the institution, the richness of the new covenant; and, iii. To speak longer and more forcibly to the external senses, with a view to aid the mind, and to give the stronger assurance of the Saviour's love, and the certainty of the promised blessings. Second. The visible signs in the Lord's Supper are also seals of the covenant. (1.) They seal and confirm the grand revelation of the gospel, that there is salvation through a crucified Jesus ; that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved. (2.) They seal to all communicants the enjoyment of the inesti- mable privileges to be found in the visible Church, etc. (3.) But many communicants eat unworthily, and are con- demned. Many commune with impenitent and unbelieving hearts ; not being wilhng " to submit to the righteousness of God our Saviour." Yet their unregeneracy cannot destroy the proper character of the sacrament, though they only eat the bread of earth and drink the wine of earth. (4.) The Lord's Supper was instituted for true believers, and to them it seals the right to all the blessings procured by the Saviour, and dispensed under the new covenant, and exhibited in its promises, viz : The Holy Spirit, remission of sins, suf&cient grace, peace and communion with God, adoption, heirship and glory. The deed of gift is the written Word ; the Spirit of sanctifica- tion enables us to find and to read our names in that deed ; the Lord's Supper is a visible seal to that deed, with all its bequests. 5. The agreement between the sign and the thing signified, is sufficiently plain from what has been said. We shall therefore proceed to inquire respecting, 6. The lawful 'partakers of the Holy Supper. We are not inquiring who, in the sight of God, partake ac- Lectt. XXVIL] The Lord's Supper — Lawful I\irtakers. 467 ceptably of tlie Lord's Supper, and derive from it spiritual benefit ; for it is well known that in this ordinance God accepts only the penitent, the truly humble, who believe with the heart unto righteousness, and take up their crosses respectively to follow Christ. For his promises are made to such alone. " If any man love me, him will my Father love, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." But here we are inquiring who are, in the judgment of the Church — governing herself by the laws of her King, but unable to read the hearts of men rightly ^ — to be admitted to the table of the Lord? H^re the Erastians are ready to answer, that all the baptized are lawful partakers. Here churches of various names tell us that the Lord's Supper, like the Word preached, is a converting ordi- nance^ and therefore that none who belong to the Christian com- munity ought to be excluded ; that if they are unconverted, they may, in the participation of this affecting ordinance, be converted ; that if they are wicked, they may be renewed and sanctified in eating the bread and drinking the wine ; and that all that is required of partakers is, baptism, a discerning of the I-ord's body in the Supper, and devout observance of it. If one is unbap- tized — if another does not perceive the relation which the Supper sustains to Christ crucified — if a third will not use this sacrament religiously, but convert it into a carnal feast for the gratification of the lusts of the flesh, let such he excluded, but no other. But against this doctrine, viz : that the Lord's Supper is a convert- ing ordinance, we set ourselves, and contend that the Lord's Supper is not a converting ordinance, and therefore not to be administered to all who profess to belong to the Christian Church ; we mean, not to be dispensed to those who give no evidences, in their afiections and lives, of faith nnd godliness. Our arguments are these : 1. The institution of the Lord's Supper shows that it was de- signed for oonfirming faith, eliciting love, and promoting intimate communion with the Saviour, and communion in love among be- lievers. (i.) Our Saviour did not invite all the Jews who believed the Scriptures and attended public worship, to eat this Supper, in the hope that they might be converted; no, he administered this ordi- 468 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. xxvn. nance to his' disciples, wlio by the mouth of Peter had before said, " "We beheve that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (2.) In stating the design of this sacrament, he declared that an affectionate remembrance of his death, as the atoning sacrifice for sinners, was the grand object in his view. But can one who does not embrace this Saviour by faith, who gives no satisfactory evi- dence that he loves him, affectionately remember his death ? Can the habitually irreligious show forth his death ? No. But it is objected, "Did not the Saviour administer the bread and the wine to Judas Iscariot ? Who is a greater sinner than he was ?" We answer, first, there is no proof that Judas Iscariot ate the Supper. But admitting he did, we observe, second, that be was secret in his iniquity and treachery ; he had maintained a respect- able profession hitherto, and committed no overt act till that night, after eating the passover and discovering that the Lord Jesus knew his inward vileness. But, third, though he was known to be a bad man by the omniscient Saviour, yet that omniscience could not be acted upon here, inasmuch as a rule was to be pre- scribed for the administration of the Supper to his ministers ; and his ministers could inspect only the external conduct of professors. 2. The apostle Paul states that law, by which the visibly impen- itent and habitually irreligious are excluded. He describes those who lawfully partake (2 Cor, vi.) as being professedly " the tem- ple of the living God." He states that the Lord's Supper requires spiritual u.nion, in order to that spiritual communion for which that sacred ordinance was instituted. 1 Cor. x. : " The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ?" Hence he enacts that " a man shall examine himself, whether he be in the faith ; and so, when he hath faith- fully examined himself, let him eat of that "brea.d and drink of that cup." These passages speak plainly, and forbid us to admit to the Lord's Table not only hypocrites and secret sinners, bat also those who by their temper and conduct show that they are not " the temple of the living God," that their souls desire no communion with true believers in the body and blood of Christ, and that they do not examine themselves whether they be in the faith ; for their unbelief is manifest. Lect. XXVII.] The Lord's Supper — Infants Excluded. 469 3. The symbols of the Lord's Supper show that it is " a feast^^^ and so the apostle Paul calls it ; and that it is designed to administer spiritual nourishment and growth. But shall we put the known dead to feast at this table ? Can there be growth where there is obviously no seed of grace, and no principle of life ? Do we feed the corpse, to make it grow and to nourish it ? Finally, we ask : 4. Who Avere the primitive partakers ? They were those only who continued in the apostles' doctrine, and who were "of one heart and of one soul " with those who openly professed to believe in Christ, and to love him in sincerity. And shall those now be admitted who give every evidence that, instead of gathering with Christ, they are scattering abroad ? 5. ^^ Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord !" The whole sys- tem of the Christian religion has this in view. But the table of the Lord is one of the mysteries of that religion ; and if a promiscuous multitude be admitted, the mystery must be profaned, the charac- ter of the religion be lost, the Church injured, and discipline sub- verted. This is enough : you can see our doctrine well stated in the eighty-first Lord's Day of the Heidelberg Catechism, where, against Lutheran laxity, it is denied that the Lord's Supper is a con- verting ordinance ; and also in the Westminster Catechism, against the practice of the Church of England. Objection, But did not all the Israelites eat the passover? Answer. This argument we set aside, in stating the doctrine of the passover. It has been asked, whether the Lord's Supper cannot be law- fully administered to children^ as the . children of believers are in the covenant, and as they were, under the ancient dispensation, permitted to eat the passover ? We answer : (L) Children are subjects of baptism, but cannot partake of the Holy Supper ; because, in relation to this sacrament, there is an express law which, in its enactments, excludes them. This law requires those who sit at the Lord's table to ^ ^discern the Lord's body, and to examine themselves." Now, children are physically incapable of these acts. (2.) The passover, we have said before, was a memorial feast^ as well as a sacrament. Hence the children of the Israelites could eat of it. We conclude, then, with observing, that baptized adults^ who 470 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIL give credible evidences of Christian piety, and are not under sus- pension, are alone the laivful partakers of the Holy Supper. But we do not hereby design to exclude young persons, say of seven or nine years and more, who show that God has effectually called them by his grace. Yet those of this tender age ought not to be hastily admitted, especially as the sacraments are not absolutely necessary to salvation. It remains that we state, Y. The end for which the Holy Supper was instituted, as from the end we may ascertain the obligations which it imposes. (1.) The great end is, the glory of God. (2.) Immediately in connection with this is the glory of Jesus Christ, as the procurer of the redemption of his people by the sacrifice of himself on the tree of the cross. Hence this sacra- ment proclaims with a loud voice, that the incarnate Son of God came to save sinners ; and that he died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God : ye who believe in his name are bought with a price. Hence the observance of this sacrament has in all its rites a direct reference to the death of Christ, as the procuring and meritorious cause of salvation ; it exhibits the Lamb that was slain ; it holds up the grand doctrine of Christianity, that Jesus gave his life a ransom for many, and that through his blood also there is remission of sins. It shows who is Lord of the redeemed, while it engages them to avow all their indebtedness to him ; to commemorate the wonders of his love, and to say, as John did, " Unto him that loved us, etc., unto him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Amen. Such being the end of this institution, those, as the Unitarians, who deny the divinity of the Saviour, and salvation by his blood as the ransom price, may, as they do, attach no importance to the observance of this sacrament; and those who, like the Eoman Catholics, seek to make good works, or obedience to the priests or the Church, the condition of pardon, may well hide the strong features of this great institution under the mummery of the Mass ; for they know, that while this ordinance is kept with the words of Christ annexed to it, it will and must speak truths of vital import- ance to sinners. If the preacher teaches another gospel, this sa- crament will contradict him when he stands at the communion table. (3.) Another end of this institution is, to confirm our faith, by Lect. XXVII.] Tlie LonVs Suppefi- — Obligations^ etc. 471 giving to his promises of pardon and eternal life, visible signs and seals that he did die for us, that he does love us, that he will save us, and that the promises shall be fulfilled, (4.) Another end is to promote our communion with him, by calling us to remember him in his death and blood-shedding for our redemption, and to know again the love of Christ which pass- eth knowledge. In this ordinance we stand removed from a busy and deceitful world, and very near his cross, and hear him say, "This is my body, which is broken for you; this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for the remission of your sins." (5.) Another end is to promote the communion of believers with one another in love. It is a social ordinance. We drink of the same cup and eat of the same bread ; believe in the same Saviour, and partake of one Spirit, and are therefore called to be of one heart and of one soul; forbearing, forgiving, comforting one another, and uniting our efforts to do honor to our Redeemer. (6.) Another end is to afford additional external means by which the Holy Spirit can consistently operate as a Comforter, sealing us unto the day of redemption. (7.) Another end is to bind us ever and anon to obedience ; for the Holy Supper is a sacrament of the everlasting covenant — a covenant in which we engage to serve the Lord Christ, to follow him through good report and evil report, and to maintain a con- versation as becometh his gospel. I study to be brief here, and therefore hasten to observe, That, from one of the ends aimed at, in the institution of the Iloly Supper — viz : communion with one another — we must pro- nounce all private and individual observance of the Supper to be, wrong : for, first, it is not communion ; second, there is no showing forth the death of Christ ; there is no public Eucharistia or thanks- giving by the Church. It is contrary to the practice of the primi- tive Christians. It is easy, after what has been said, to perceive the obligations which this sacrament imposes on believers. * i. It binds them to make Christ crucified the object of their faith, his sufferings and death to be the subject of their meditations. ii. It binds them to show forth the death of Christ and the con- 472 Pastoral Duties. [Lect, XXVII. straining influence of his love, by living in the cultivation of the graces of the divine life, and in the practice of godliness. iii. It binds them to cherish that brotherly love which shall indicate that they belong to one divine family, and to exhibit those sacraments of the Divine Image which shall manifest a family resemblance. iv. It binds them to do all things and suffer all things for Christ's sake. Other truths in relation to the Lord's Supper will be presented in speaking of its history and pastoral administration. LECTURE XXVIII. THE LORD S SUPPER — THE SUBJECT CONTINUED. HISTORY OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. Some facts may be obtained from tbe history of the Lord's Sup- per : and therefore we now call your attention, II. To that HISTORY. We shall leave what relates to that late corruption, the Popish Mass, to form the subject of a separate lecture. A Popish writer tells us, without sufficient authority, that our Lord supped three times on the eventful night in which he was betrayed : first, he ate the passover ; secondly, an ordinary sup- per, at which he presented Judas with a- sop ; and he instituted and solemnized the Holy Supper. It is to be observed in reading the history of the Supper, that the ancients did not sit at table as we do ; but in eating at meals, reclined on couches, or on the floor with a pillow under the elbow. Hence John could lie upon the bosom of the Saviour, and the woman could wash and anoint his feet as he sat at meat : for the feet were not under the table, but, in the reclining posture of the body, extended backwards. The Popish writers further attempt to sport with the creduhty of the ignorant, by fabling that it was a square table at which our Lord administered the Supper; and that this very table is in preservation at Eome. So also they say that the cup of bless- ing was a silver one; and they say further, that the silver cup shown at Jerusalem, at two places in Italy, and at Douay, is the original one. Their fables and superstitions with respect to other articles are innumerable. To detail all the fabulous stories which the adherents of Rome 474 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVni have invented about Peter celebrating mass at Antioch, and other apostles at other cities ; and about the forms composed bj the apostle James and his associates for the saying of mass, would be a waste of time. Let us occupy our attention with facts. It was not to be expected that the apostles would keep the Lord's Supper, until after they received their commission to act, and received the Holy Spirit as their Master promised, in especial communications. Nor did they. For what is recorded, Luke xxiv. 30, was not an administration by the Saviour of the Holy Supper, but an ordinary supper, at which he made himself known to his disciples after his resurrection. But immediately after the day of Pentecost, the apostles, now enlightened in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, set themselves immediately to observe, among other ordinances of the Christian religion, the Holy Supper. After the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of the Saviour, they understood the full meaning and the gracious design of this sacrament : accord- ingly we read, Acts ii. 42 : " They [the converts] continued sted- fastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." In pursuing the history before us, let us attend, First, To the apostolic age. In examining, then, into the history of the Holy Supper during the lives of the apostles, we find the following facts : 1. The administration of the Supper loas frequent: on every Lord's day, which on this account was called " the day of the breaking of bread;" and on other days of the week, so often as Christians came together. This frequent observance of the Sup- per arose, (1.) From the copious effusions of the Spirit, and the power of the Word, producing strong faith and fervent holy affections ; so that believers were in a state of mind qualifying them to show forth the death of the Lord Jesus as the price of their salvation. (2.) From the rapid increase of converts, who after baptism were successively brought to enjoy the communion of the Lord's table, and to testify that they were of one heart and of one soul. (3.) From the persecutions to which Christians were exposed ; for the endurance of which, the Lord's Supper was an external means of grace well adapted to qualify them. Lect. xx\aiL] The Lord^s Supper — History — Apostolic Age. 475 (4.) And also, from the circumstance that the Jews and Gentiles were daily in the observance of some of the mysteries of their religion. Highly expedient in such circumstances was it, that the Lord's Supper should be often celebrated, in order to wean the converts from their former observances, and engage them in an important and deeply affecting service. 2, There was also in the breaking of bread, a publication and avowal of the most interesting doctrines of the gospel ; doctrines relating to the character, love, and death of Christ, and to the blessedness of an interest in him. To these doctrines. Christians would give their practical testimony. But it is to be observed, that we are not bound to do in this res^^ect, exactly as the primi- tive churches did : for the circumstances in which we are placed are different; and there is no divine law, prescribing the par- ticular times and number of times that, in a given period, we are to eat the Lord's Supper. This matter is left to the discretion of the Church, and belongs to the rules of order. 8. The administration of the Supper in the primitive Church was very simple in its rites. Agreeably to the original institution, the apostles and ministers took bread and wine in ordinary use, (and if the wine was strong, they mixed water with it ;) they con- secrated these material substances, brake the bread, and distributed portions of it ; took the cup and presented it, with thanksgiving and prayer; instructing those around the table in the design of this sacred ordinance, and encouraging their hearts to believe in and follow their Lord and Saviour ! Nothing could be more remote from carnal exhibition and pompous display, than this sacrament was. Hence its frequent observance was easy, while the blessing attending its administration was rich ! When the Supper was ended, the Christians, without any s]3e- cial direction from God, observed a feast of charity or love. These "agapoe" consisted of bread and water distributed around, and were held often at night in Christian assemblies, and some- times on occasions when it was not convenient to administer the Lord's Supper. Connected with the Lord's Supper, as well as with the ordinary worship of God by Christians, was the "holy kiss, or kiss of charity," by which they expressed their mutual and pure affection for one another. Kissing Avas much in use among the ancients, as 476 Pastoral Duties. [Lkct. XXVIII. a token of esteem; and when in our times it is laid aside, this affords no evidence that vicious lusts are more repressed. The nominally refined manners of fashionable society cover very slightly gross impurities. Let us however proceed with our history. The numerous con- verts to Christianity included many who were struck by the force of the extraordinary testimony given from heaven to that religion, without being truly humbled and renewed in the temper of their minds. The natural consequence of this unregeneracy of heart would be, as it actually was, gradual attempts by such persons (some of whom were Jews, and others Gentiles) to corrupt the doctrines of the gospel, by their favorite tenets of Eastern philo- sophy and of Pharisaical Judaism, and to modify or alter the ordi- nances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper by their innovations. First. Accordingly, we find that as early as A. D. 94, (Epiphan. Haeres. 80,) the heretic Ebion, who was a Samaritan, and rejected important parts of the New Testament Scriptures, taught in rela- tion to the Holy Supper, these erroneous sentiments : 1. That unleavened bread alone must be used in the Holy Supper ; 2. That Vine must be dispensed with, and water alone be used; 3. And that the Lord's Supper must be solemnized but once in the year, as the passover could be kept but once in a year. The Ehionites^ however, were insignificant in number and influence, and, on account of their various heresies, were not considered to be Christians by any but themselves. Second. But in the Christian Church at Corinth, abuses were connected in practice with the celebration of the Lord's Supper, which obtained the special notice of the apostle Paul, and led him, under the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, to administer that re- proof and that doctrine to which we must now direct our atten- tion. In adverting to these early abuses and corruptions of the Holy Supper, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle says, chap. xi. 20: "When ye come together, therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper." Verse 21st : "For in eating, every one taketh before the other his own supper, and one is hun- gry, and another is drunken," Yerse 22d: "What! have ye not Lkct. XXVIII.] The Lord's Siqipei- — History — Apostolic Age. 477 houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not ? What shall I say to you ? shall I praise you in this ? I praise you not." 1. The apostle here states, that soine among the Corinthians, when they came together in one place to celebrate the Lord's Supper, disregarded the end for which this ordinance was insti- tuted; treated it as a common meal ; ate it without holy preparation and examination : consequently, this corruption was to destroy the sacrament, and bring iniquity and condemnation upon their own souls. This, he says, "is not to eat the Lord's Supper" to any spiritual benefit, but to eat and drink judgment unto themselves : "for in eating, some took before their own supper;" and became, at this preceding entertainment, "drunken." Others, who had no previous feasting, came " hungry" to the Lord's table, and sought to satisfy their carnal appetite. "The one," he says, "is hungry, and another is drunken." In exhibiting the sense of these words, we must observe, (1.) That the word "other," in our English version, has not any corresponding word in the Greek, and ought not to have been in- serted. The original reads thus: "for in eating," or in celebrating the Holy Supper, "every one taketh before his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken." (2.) That in keeping the passover among the Jews, it was cus- tomary among that people to eat a hearty meal, and thereby remove all hunger just before they ate the passover. "Canon pas chalis hie est," says one, "pascha sivc agnus paschalis non come- ditur nisi post saturitatem, hoc est, in ipso fine coenae. (Maharil in suo rituali. Vide Talmud Pesachim, fol. 70.) As the carnal appetite was satisfied by that previous meal, the paschal lamb was eaten in a religious manner, and each one took but a small quantity of it. (3.) Now, as the first converts at Corinth were principally Jews, they introduced a similar custom in observing the Lord's Supj^er. They had a feast prepared in the place where they assembled, to go before the celebration of the Supper. Of this meal, furnished b}'- the rich, and sometimes quite sumptuous, all who were invited partook ; and in partaking of it freely, one became drunken, while another communicant at the Lord's table, who had not eaten of that previous feast, (probably because they were either poor persons " Gentile converts,) came hungry, or without being filled, to the 478 Pastoral Duties, [Lect. xxvill. Supper. This explains the apostle's words: "for in eating" the Holy Supper, "every one taketh before his own supper, and one is hungry," who has not eaten this previous supper, "and another," who has had that entertainment, "is drunken." "Judaica pars ecclesiae nuUo modo voluit, ad eucharistiam accedere absque coena, atque convivatione proecedanea atque paschativa, ubi laute et affluenter excipiebantur, et ederunt et biberunt koX e^iQvov^ atque ad saturitatem et hilaritatem sunt provecti : cum Gentilitia pars h contra istam Judaizationem horrens, et procoenia talia refugiens, TTHva adhuc, et jejuna ad sacramentum accedit, hoc est, non coenata." (Lightfoot.) Well then might the apostle say, "What! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in ? or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this ? I praise you not." These words reprehend those who connected with the Holy Supper convivial entertainments, which, from the manner in which they were conducted, cast reproach upon the Church of God, and contempt upon its poor members. To maintain therefore the holy character and important design of the Holy Supper, the apostle then proceeds to state, 2. What had been made matter of S23ecial revelation to him, in relation to this sacrament, verse 23d : "For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread ; and (verse 24th) when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said: Take, eat ; this is my body, which is broken for you : this do in remem- brance of me." Some have thought that this revelation was made to Paul when he was caught up into the third heaven in vision, 2 Cor. xii. ; and that he had this vision at Damascus, when "he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink." (Acts ix.) Be this however as it may, what was revealed to him he faith- fully delivered to the churches, and had in the course of preach- ing the Word delivered to the church at Corinth. In addition to what we have before said, respecting the insti- tution of the Holy Supper on that night in which our Lord was betrayed, we would here observe, (1.) That between the eating of the passover and the institution Lbct. XXVIII.] The Lord's Supper — History — Apostolic Age. 479 of the Supper, our Lord washed the feet of his disciples. See John xiii. 4: " He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments," etc. (2.) That after this act of washing his disciples' feet, and after " he had taken his garments, and was set down again at the same table," (see John xiii. 12,) he proceeded to institute the Supper; (3.) And that in this institution he took bread, which had not before been broken, but a new and whole loaf; and when he had given thanks, brake it. To which the apostle refers (1 Cor. x. 17) in saying, "for we, being many, are one bread and one body." 3. The apostle proceeds with his account of the institution, verse 25: "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying. This cup is the new testament in my blood : this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." Verse 26 : " For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (1.) These words express clearly the design of the Lord's Supper, viz : the remembrance of the Saviour's death, until he shall come again in the day of judgment: but at Corinth, many regarded this Supper as an ordinary thanksgiving feast, and thought only of their ancient deliverance as Jews, while they were solicitous to excite in their minds cheerfulness and mirth. But "this," says the apostle, " is not to eat the Lord's Supper." (2.) Paul's words also imply, that the Church shall continue to exist, and by her, that the Lord's Supper must be observed till the Saviour come. The Holy Supper is then a most sacred and important ordinance, intimately connected with the Lord Jesus, and the sublime doc- trines of redemption by his blood, and with that holiness of heart and life which alone can fit Christians for a joyful meeting with their Saviour as judge of quick and dead. Hence the apostle proceeds, 4. To fence the "table of the Lord," by affixing heavy guilt on unwortJiy partakers. Verse 27 : "Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." It is of moment to determine the subject to which the word " avafiw^- " particularly applies. For there is a sinful participation of the Supper, which is either before God and his Church, or before the Supreme Being alone. 480 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIIL (1.) "We partake of fhe Supper univorthily when, witli a pro- fession of faith before men which is unexceptionable, we have not in our hearts a holj principle or holy affections. But this defect is known to God a,lone ; the Church cannot perceive it, and therefore it is "not that eating and drinking unworthily" of which the apostle here speaks. (2.) Again : Those partake of the Holy Supper " unworthily," who, while they understand the doctrine of the sacrament, and discern in it the Lord's body, do not live up to their recorded vows, but lead ungodly lives; such persons are the proper subjects of Christian discipline, yet they are not so immediately before the eye of the apostle in this passage. We therefore remark, (3.) Again, that the apostle has here more particularly in view, not the unregenerate state of the hearts of the communicants, but the open profanation of the Holy Supper itself. This profanation is com- mitted, first, by destroying the holy character of the sacrament, and converting it into a hind of religious feast^ at which, by eating and drinking the bread and wine as common food, we are to make ourselves merry with thanksgiving ; and second, by perverting its end, not regarding its visible signs as referring directly to a cruci- fied Jesus ; not using them in a holy manner, as visible tokens of his death, as the substitute of his people in law ; but considering it as an institution designed to distinguish Christians from idolaters, and to unite them in a kind of visibly affectionate and joyful com- munion at a common table. Now this profanation of the Holy Supper is that " eating of the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord unworthily," of which the apostle here speaks, and of which some at Coriuth were justly charged. It is an awful profanation : and while it implies in those who commit it, no renewed mind, no living faith in Christ, no dis- cerning of the proper character and work of the Saviour, it expresses a wilful contempt of the authority of him who instituted the Supper ; an abuse of its rites and perversion of its end : accord- ingly, the apostle declares that such persons are " guilty of the body and blood of the Lord !" These words are designed to say, that as the Jews from wicked motives rejected Christ, killed and crucified his body and shed his blood; so those who in that manner "eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unwor- thily," do virtually commit the sin of rejecting Christ as an aton- Lect. XXVIII.] The Lord's Supper — History — Apostolic Age, 481 ing sacrifice, and crucify him afresh. "They tread under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant, wherewith they professed to be sanctified or set apart as a redeemed people, an unholy or a common thing, and do despite unto the Spirit of grace." (Heb. x. 19.) We might now proceed to the duty which the very character and end of the Holy Supper render incumbent on those who partake of it, were our course not arrested here by the abuse which Bellarmine and some of the Lutheran doctors have made of the words in this 27th verse. Bellarmine says, " The body of Christ is in reality present in the Mass, and is received into and eaten by the mouth ; for in any spiritual eating the very body of Christ is not eaten unworthily : besides, in eating mere bread we cannot eat judgment to ourselves : yet it is plainly said that we are guilty of the body of the Lord himself" We answer, i. The bread and wine are not in the Supper comynon bread and wine, though they remain the material substances which they were before their consecration ; but these substances in the sacra- ment acquire a new character and new relations ; they are made, by Divine appointment, to be visible signs and seals of the body and blood of Christ, and to sustain to the Word, honor, and glory of this Saviour, an intimate and special relation ; even as the wood of the ark of the covenant in ancient times was connected with the worship, name, and glory of God. If this be so, then it is easy to perceive, that contempt of Christ may be sho-wn by a contempt of the Holy Supper ; and that we can render ourselves guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, by profaning the ordi- nance, or by eating the bread and drinking the wine unworthily. But, ii. Again, if the bread and wine be the real body and blood of Christ, then, by eating and drinking, we cannot be guilty of that sin ; on the contrary, wc do the very act that is required. iii. The ungodly, then, in the Holy Supper, must have life: for they actually eat the flesh and drink (if the priest will let them) the blood of the Son of man. (John vi. 54.) iv. Lastly, let it be observed that the apostle says, that men are guilty of the body and blood of Christ, not by any improper eat- 31 482 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIIL ing of the one and drinking of the other, but by eating the bread and drinking the wine unworthily. But the doctrine of the apostle is sufficiently plain : let us then, 6. Attend to the duty which he enjoins, as standing in opposi- tion to the sin of profaning the Holy Supper : verse 28 : " But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup." (1.) Here is a special law enacted in relation to the Holy Sup- per. This sacrament must not be administered, save to those who are physically or mentally capable of self-examination; and it must not be partaken of, but by those who have examined them- selves in the required manner. (2.) But what is included in this self-examination ? The apostle here speaks of self-examination, as a duty which is calculated to keep those who are professors of the Christian religion from an open profanation of the Holy Supper. In this relation, the duty of self-examination comprehends the following things, viz : i. An inquiry, whether we are so far advanced in the know- ledge of what God reveals in his Word, as to be persuaded that we are lost and undone sinners in ourselves ; sinners who need a Saviour who hath given his life a ransom for many, who hath died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. ii. An inquiry whether we seek and desire salvation through Christ, and rely by faith upon his sufferings and death, as the meritorious cause of the remission of our sins. iii. An inquiry whether we understand the holy nature and design of the sacrament of the Supper. That it is an ordinance, not instituted to gratify any carnal appetite, but to feed the soul by satisfying its holy desires, and strengthening its graces : not intended to commemorate any temporal deliverance, like the pass- over was, nor merely to constitute any badge of distinction ; but especially to commemorate the death of Christ, and redemption by his blood. If self-examination on these points shall lead to satisfactory results, there loill be no open profanation of the Holy Supper. But considering the design of this sacrament, we should aim at something higher, viz: acceptance with God, and spiritual bene- fit ; so that the visible signs and seals shall signify and seal to Lect. XXVIII.] The Lord's Supper — History — AjMstolic Age. 483 our souls all that they can signify and seal. With this object in view, the duty of self-examination is to extend farther and em- brace additional points. On this subject you can read Henry's Communicants' Companion, Certain it is, we should examine, first, whether we have truly repented of our sins ; second, whether we are in the faith, cordially believing the gospel ; third, whether we act living faith, receiving Christ in all his offices ; fourth, whether we are resolved to follow, serve, and honor God our Saviour ; fifth, and if we have professed religion some time before, whether we have exhibited evidences of conversion in our lives, and grown in grace ; sixth, whether we do now hunger and thirst after righteousness. 6. So important is this duty of self-examination, that the apostle is careful to add, verse 29 : " For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drink- eth damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." (1.) The sin of eating and drinking unworthily, as it violates gospel obligations to the Eedeemer, and sets mercy at naught, is one of a deep dye, and excites, in a higher degree, the Divine dis- pleasure! Those who commit it, eat and drink judgment (Kpina) unto themselves. Their deed is condemned by the Most High ; they sin grievously, and render their condemnation the heavier ; but it is not meant, as some suppose, from the word "damnation" in the English version, that sinners are irrevocably damned, and that the door is henceforth closed against them. This error, as it troubles many, both among the awakened and among timid Chris- tians, the pastor should be careful to correct. Such, if they un- derstand the design of the Lord's Supper, and are disposed to par- take of it agreeably to the end of its institution, cannot eat and drink unworthily, in the sense of the apostle's words. In England and other countries, where a participation of the Holy Supper is required to qualify men for civil offices, there are, no doubt, thousands who do not discern the Lord's body ; and those minis- ters of the Word are treacherous to their Divine Lord, who ad- minister the Supper tp such. For it is to be inculcated, that such profanation of the Supper is the greatest pardonable sin that can be committed, "What renders that sin peculiarly great, is, that those who com- mit it do not in the Supper " discern the Lord's body." 484 Pastoral Duties. [Lkct. XXVIIL i. They do not believe tliat the bread and the wine are visible signs of the Saviour's body broken for sin : but common bread and wine, used in a religious feast of thanksgiving and praise. ii. And consequently they do not believe that Christ suffered and died to satisfy Divine justice, as the substitute for sinners. Hence they are enemies of the cross of Christ, and reject the sal- vation procured by his blood. With sentiments resembling these, the Unitarians partake of the Lord's Supper, and are those who do " not discern the Lord's body." 7. Let me add, that in the apostolic day, this sin, in certain places, was followed by extraordinary judgments: at the intro- duction of the new dispensation, miracles of mercy and of j ustice were wrought, in confirmation of Divine truth ; and it was seen fit, in evidence of the holy nature and design of the Lord's Sup- per, to afflict many among the Christian professors at Corinth who profaned that ordinance, with sickness and death, in a way which indicated that they had, in this matter, incurred the Divine dis- pleasure. The apostle therefore says, without describing par- ticularly the sickness or plague in its name and course, verse 30 : "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" in death. I have now done with the times of the apostles. "We have seen that Christians then observed the Lord's Supper by assembling in one place, sometimes in the day, and sometimes, or often, in con- sequence of persecution and the pressure of worldly occupations, at night ; that on such occasions the Word was preached, and bread and wine (without a thought that these material substances were changed into real flesh and blood) were both dispensed, with prayer and thanksgiving, in remembrance of the Saviour's death, and in evidence of their deliverance by it. Most simple was the administration of the Supper. This, Cardinal Bessario is obliged to confess. "Paul," he says, "delivered to the churches what he had received, (de Euch. t. 6, Bibl. Patr. ;) but while he deliv- ered that alone which is recorded in the Epistle to the Corinthians, it is certain that he received no more, and that he saw the apostles in the administration of the Supper do no other things ; for if he had seen them do other things, he would have delivered that also. Afterwards Clemens, or James, or somebody else, added prayers. Lect. XX VIII. j The Lorcfs Supper — HisUynj — Apostjolic Fathers. 485 psalms, and thanksgivings, for the sake of ornament, not from any- divine law." Let us now detail the history of the Lord's Supper in the days, Second, Of the Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers, who wrote, and who are so denominated because they lived while the apostles were yet alive, are iive, viz : Hcrmas, Polycarp, Ignatius, Clemens, and Barnabas. Their writ- ings are few in number, being principally epistles to Christians, and the Avritings of some of these Fathers contain no remarks that relate to the subject of our present inquiry. But the ancient Fathers, Irenosus and Justin Martyr, immediately follow them, and these furnish us with several important facts. During their lives, the Holy Supper, in its doctrine and admin- istration, was still pure. They have left us a few records on this subject. 1. Justin says, (in his 2d Apology:) "We take this not as com- mon bread and as common wine ; but as holy food, through the word of prayer and thanksgiving." In his dialogue with Try- phon, he says : "So has Christ instituted it, and so have the apos- tles delivered it unto us. The bread is given to us, to remember the body which our Saviour took up, and his sufferings ; and the cup in remembrance of his blood, which must be received with thanksgiving." In another place he says: "Christ gave it in remembrance of his sufferings, which purify the souls of men from all sins ; and we give thanks to God not only for creating the world for the benefit of man, but for redemption, by which we are delivered from sins." 2. Irenoeus says: "When the cup is mixed, and the holy bread receives the Word of God, then it is the eucharist of Christ's body and blood." 3. Ignatius says: "As there is one flesh of Christ, and one blood which is shed for us, so there is one bread broken for all, and there is one cup for the whole congregation." Here you observe that the primitive Fathers knew nothing of withholding the cup from the lay believers. This daring innova- tion upon the sacred institution belongs to a later and corrupt age. 486 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. xxviil "We break the bread [A. D. 110; Epist. ad Ephes.] wliich is the medicine of immortality, and a means of escaping death, and of living to God, through Jesus Christ." 4. Irenaeus says: "God requires that we offer the gift upon the altar ; but the altar is in heaven. Thither we direct our prayers and offerings." 5. Clemens says of the effect of the Supper, arising from the divine promise of blessing : " The Eucharist is a good grace, of which those who partake by faith are sanctified in soul and body." Certain it is, the primitive Church held the ordinance of the Supper in high estimation, and were zealous in the observance of it, having no thought of any transformation of the bread and wine ; though they often spoke of the spiritualities of the ordi- nance in language which seems to us unguarded, and this they did because no one entertained the idea of transubstantiation. Of the manner in which the Supper was observed among them, Justin says, (A. D. 136; Dial, with Try phon :) " Coming together, we pray that we may be found, by pure doctrine and good works, observers of the commands, and obtain everlasting salvation. After prayer, we greet one another with a holy kiss : then to the chief brother (or minister) is brought bread and wine mixed with water ; which, having received, he blesses, and thanks the Father of all, in the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit, exercising himself some time in thanksgiving. After prayer and thanksgiv- ing is done, the whole assembly says, 'Amen,' which word, in the Hebrew language, signifies, 'So be it.' The thanksgiving being ended by the preacher, and the benediction given, the deacons then give to each one a morsel of bread and the common cup which has been blessed ; and it is allowed to carry the bread and wine to those members who are not jDresent. That nourishment we call the Eucharist., of which no one is permitted to partake but those who receive our doctrine as the truth." In another place this Father gives other circumstances which are omitted in this accoimt, "On Sunday," he says, "we meet. The Scriptures of the apostles are first read ; after the reading, the minister delivers an exhortation, stirring up believers to practise those worthy things of which they heard in the reading; then we all stand up and pray ; then the bread and wine are brought, as has been said." These brief notices of Justin express many important facts. Lkct. XXVIII.] The Lord'' s Supper — History — Apostolic Fathers. 487 (1.) They show us that the Lord's Supper was observed by Chris- tians in a very simple and holy manner, without those ceremonies and superstitions which afterwards corrujjted this ordinance. (2.) They exhibit the fact that the primitive Christians believed in the Trinity of persons in the Godhead ; and when Justin speaks of giving thanks to the Father in the name of the Son and Holy Ghost, he means for the merits' sake of the Son our Saviour, and under the influences of the Holy Spirit ; for no primitive Christian believed that the Holy Spirit has died for him, or that he was par- doned for the Holy Ghost's sake. (3.) The extracts also show in what light they regarded the writings of the apostles, which they possessed, for these were read as being part of the Word of God. (4.) They state that the holy kiss was given in their assemblies ; but then it is observed, that in their assemblies males and females sat apart, and that the males kissed the males, and the females kissed the females. It was afterwards that this primitive usage was corrupted by promiscuous kissing, and therefore soon discon- tinued in the Church, (A. D. 155.) With the age of the apostolic Fathers I shall here terminate the history of the Lord's Supper. Other interesting facts will be pre- sented in the next lecture, on the Popish Mass. Here it will be sujBEicient to observe, First, That the words, "offering," "sacrifice," and "altar," as they were terms which the Jewish and Pagan systems of religion had brought into ordinary use, were frequently employed in some relation to the Holy Supper. This use of those terms in this ser- vice arose from the circumstance that, on occasion of keeping the Supper, which was almost every Lord's day, and when rehgious societies had no funds, every believer brought with him to the place of meeting, bread and wine : this was called the offering or sacrifice ; it was received by the deacons and placed upon the table, which was called the altar ; of these provisions, a portion was taken for the use of the Supper ; the rest formed the feast of charity, or parts sent to needy Christians. Now of the innocent use of those terms, the Eoman Catholic writers take advantage, to maintain their superstitions of the Mass. But the doctrine and doings of the Christians are clearly exhibited by the Pagan Avriter Cascilius, in Minutius Felix, who 438 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXVIIL thus reproaclies them: "Ye have no altars, no temples, no im- ages!" Second. Again, corrupt additions and imprudent expressions were soon after begun to be connected with the Supper. Thus : Christians did not believe that the bread and wine were changed into the real body and blood ; yet to express the reality of their Eedeemer's spiritual presence, they often expressed themselves in incautious terms, as if he were bodily present, Tertullian and Origen were very imprudent in this respect ; though they at some times explain their own language, so as to make it accord with the form of sound doctrine. Many ceremonies were added ; a ritual was composed for the administration of the Supper. Pope Gregory was famous for adding new ceremonials to this holy ordinance. LECTURE XXIX The Popish Mass. I NEED not observe to you, that in the Roman Cathohc Church there is an ordinance designed to hold the place of the sacrament of the Iloly Supper, and that the observance of this ordinance is now considered in that Church to be a mark of membership in it, and of course to operate upon the well-being of souls hereafter. This ordinance is called the Mass^ in English. It is celebrated in the Popish churches, to procure pardon for the living, and espe- cially to deliver souls out of purgatory ; and no person is accounted a Christian, by the Eomish priests, who does not partake of the Mass at least once in the year, and does not believe the doctrines inseparably connected with this abominable corruption of Chris- tianity. This general description of the Popish Mass will easily account for the following well-known facts : 1. That every thing in the Roman Catholic Church is con- sidered (with the exception perhaps of the supremacy of the Pope at Rome) to be of inferior monient to the observance of the Mass. 2. Tl^t great visible solemnity and 'porajp are thrown around the Mass, where it can be celebrated in due order. At Rome it forms a gorgeous spectacle. The Pope and his cardinals in their splen- did habiliments, keep or say High Mass on festivals, in circum- stances of great apparent devotion and magnificence ; and in the chambers of the sick, private Masses follow the confession and ab- solution, and are made to be a kind of certificate to the dying sin- ner, that it shall be comparatively well with him in the invisible world; not that he shall go immediately into the "third heaven," 490 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIX. (for this would deprive tlie priests of mucla gain, in saying Masses for the souls of the dead,) but, that his pains in purgatory will not be so severe and so long as they might otherwise be. 3. That the observance and the doctrine of the Mass form one of those grand characteristics, by which the Roman Catholic Church is distinguished from the true Church of Christ, existing among the various denominations of Protestants. The Popes will tolerate (as they have done) most of the doctrines of grace as taught by Augustine, however disagreeable some of those doc- trines may be, provided the Masses be observed. But the rejection of the Mass is viewed by them as being a sin and heresy of the deepest dye, and leading to speedy excommunication. If, there- fore, Popery shall expire, the celebration of the Mass must first decline and die. Every Christian, therefore, should have some knowledge of the Popish Mass. Especially every theological student should inform himself on this subject. With a view to the communication of such knowledge as may be useful to the Church, the Popish Mass is made one of the particular subjects of discussion in our Heidel- berg Catechism ; and with a view to state some facts that may aid you in explaining that section of the Catechism, I have written this lecture, in which I shall speak, I. Of the Mass in general, and, 1. The name by which this ordinance of Catholic worship is known and distinguished. The proper name of the Mass is the Latin ^^Missa," corrupted into Ifass. (1.) The Origin of the name of this rite. With regard to the origin of the Latin name "Missa," we must here observe, that some Popish writers have sought to derive it from the Hebrew word " Missah," which signifies a free-will offering. This word is to be read in Deut. xvi. 16 : " Missah nidbat jade- cha ;" " Thou shalt keep the Feast of Weeks unto the Lord thy God, with a tribute of a free-will offering of thine hand." Instead of a "free-will offering," some render the word, "a sufficiency;" that is to say, that the Israelites should give so much as would he sufficient : then they say, that the " Mass, or Missa," is so denominated, be- cause it is a free-will offering, offered up to God by the Church, sufficient every w^j for the living and the dead. LrcT. XXIX.] The Popish Mass. 491 But it is absurd to think of this Hebrew original of the Latin ■word " Missa." It is true that the Christian Church has borrowed some words from the Hebrew Scriptures, as "Satan," " Osiana," " Sabaoth," " Halleluja," " pascha." But these words came to the Latin Church through the Greek language, and are to be found in the Greek New Testament Scriptures : whereas, if we search the Greek ancient Fathers carefully, we shall no where find that they used the word " Missa." The origin and first use of the word " Missa," we trace to the Latin Fathers and the Latin language. These were accustomed to call the forgiveness of sins, "remissa peccatorum:" so Tertullian, in his 4th Lib. against Marcion, says, " We have spoken of the Remissa," that is, the forgiveness of sins. So Cyprian^ " De bona Patient;" and in his 14th Epistle : " He who blasphemes the Holy Spirit has 'no remissa,' " no forgiveness of sins. Now as, instead of " remissio," they used "remissa," so, instead of "missio" — send- ing— they used "missa." Certain it is, the "af^saig-," by which Christians were dismissed from social worship, was called in Latin "missio," or "missa." This dismission was twofold, viz : The first^ that which was made after reading, singing, praying, etc., and before the Supper was administered, when the catechumens and strangers were sent away ; The second^ that by which, after the whole worship was finished, the congregation was dismissed. When the rites and prayers were ended, the deacon cried out : " Ite, missa est ;" Go, the as- sembly is sent away. As the Lord's Supper was frequently cele- brated, and as the word of dismission, "missa," was used just before, and in preparation for that ordinance, so the illiterate began to apply it as the name of the ordinance itself. Some are of opinion that the name "missa" is derived from the alms collected at the administration of the Supper, and sent to the poor of the Church. This opinion has little to support it : it would be probable, had the word "missa" been applied to the alms and collections, as things sent. But what shall we say of the foolish sentiment of Lombard, lib. iv. dist. 13: "The missa," he says, "has its name from the circumstance that a heavenly messenger comes to consecrate the life-giving body, according to the priest's words, 'Almighty God, 492 Pastoral Duties. Lect. XXIX. command that this be borne bj the hands of thy holy angel on thy high altar.' Therefore it is called ' Missa ;' either because the sacrifice is sent away, the remembrance of which is preserved in this ordinance, as it is said, ' Ite, missa est,' follow this sacrifice, which is sent to the heavenly places, or because one is sent from heaven to consecrate the body of Christ." This savors sufficiently of those dark ages in which the Scrip- tures were not read by the priests, and not seen by the people. (2.) But let me hasten to remark, that it is an historical fact of moment that the very name " missa," as applied to the Holy Supper, loas not knoiun in the apostolic age : nay, for the space of three hundred years after Christ, this name of the Supper was not heard of. Baronius disgraces his learning as much as his integrity, by saying that this naming of the Supper "missa" has, among the Hebrew Christians, the apostle James for its author; and among the Gentiles, the apostles Paul and Peter. This ridiculous assertion drew down upon Baronius the severe animadversions of Casaubon, and very deservedly too. Who must not smile with contempt, of a writer who tells us that a Hebrew or Syriac Jew employed a Latin name, and that one, too, altogether insignificant to distinguish the Lord's Supper ! But Baronius appeals, as proof of his assertion, to the " liturgy of James :" and as that liturgy is at this day to be read both in the Latin and Greek languages, he would make us believe that the Latin is the work of James ; the Greek, that of some translator. It is sufficient to observe here, that this "liturgy of James," and the "liturgies of Matthew and Mark," are contemptible forgeries. Mornfeus and A. Rivetus have exhibited this fact in a strong light. Having now shown that the name of the "Mass" is probably derived from the Latin word "?n?isa" used in the Latin churches, when Christian congregations were dismissed from the places of public worship ; let me next direct your attention to the Mass itself^ as a religious ordinance in its materials, and in its adminis- tration. 2. The visible signs and ceremonies of the Mass. The Lord's Supper, we know from the Scriptures of the New Testament, where its divine institution and first administration are recorded, is an ordinance of great simplicity, and adapted to the spirit and glory of the new and present dispensation. Lect. XXIX.] The Popish Mass — Ceremonies, etc. 493 (1.) The common table, on which the passover was eaten, was used by the Saviour, when he instituted and first dispensed "the Holy Supper :" nor does he give the least intimation to his disci- ples that other furniture should be provided for the celebration of this ordinance. Accordingly, no other than a common family table was ever used by the primitive Christians. Hence the Supper itself came to be called "the table of the Lord." But, for the saying of Mass, an altar must be erected in the churches; and it must be richly ornamented, so that in this appur- tenance of ancient sacrifices, under the Old Testament, truth might be obscured under the New, and the priesthood at the altar sustain in the view of the common people a richer dress, and an office resembling that of Jewish and pagan priests in their temples. Do the New Testament Scriptures intimate that Peter and Paul ever administered the Lord's Supper at an altar ? Far from it. (2.) In the Lord's Supper, the external and visible signs are bread and vnne, of ordinary use ; but in the Popish Mass there is no bread, but wafers, (an article unknown and unused as a means of human sustenance ;) usually a little flat, round cake, bearing an image of the Saviour : a wafer, not even broken by the minister, but given as it is manufactured and prepared elsewhere.; not placed on the table, as bread in a common supper, but concealed from view, and deposited in a richly ornamented box or chest, called the pix; not received by the hands of the communicants, but put into their mouths by the finger of the priest. Also in the Mass, there is no wine for the use of communicants : they do not see or perceive it by any sense, as a visible sign. What there is in the cup (and, for aught the church knows to the contrary, there may be none at all) is reserved for the use of the priests alone, in opposition to the very design of the institution. But on this fla- grant violation of tlie Divine law, we cannot here dwell. (3.) The prescribed actions of the minister, in dispensing the Lord's Sapper, are few, though solemn. He takes the bread and breaks it, and distributes it, giving thanks: he takes the cup, gives thanks, and presents it to the communicants, explaining the meaning of the visible signs; the nature and end of the ordinance; and speaking of the relation of Christians to their Saviour, their duties, the sources of their consolation amid the trials of this world, and their authorized hopes of a better state of existence. 494 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIX. But wlio can describe the acts of a Komisli priest, in celebrating the Mass, without astonishment at the daring spirit of unhallowed innovation ? There, he inclines his body on one side ; then he bows ; then he turns himself around ; then he advances ; then he stands still ; then, with his hand, he makes the sign of the cross ; then he raises his arms on high ; then he imitates one who sleeps ; then he seems to wake up ; then he breathes upon the bread and cup ; then he mumbles certain Latin words in a low voice ; then he speaks and sings aloud; then he elevates the bread and host, as they call it ; (but, according to their doctrine, he has lifted up, with no effort, the real body of Christ above his head ;) on which act, the congregation idolatrously prostrate themselves, in adora- tion of a little paste-bread ; then he lays the host down ; then he kisses the cup, with other superstitious rites, entirely foreign to the sacrament of the Holy Supper. (See an account of the whole in Sleydan's Hist. lib. xxi.) To which let me add, that the Mass is usually enjoyed by the priest alone ; while the people look on, and fall on their knees and worship the bread-god. Certain laymen are favored with the wafer-communion at special times ; but the multitude partake usually once a year, and always on their knees, with their eyes closed, in evidence of their adoration. Sufficient has now been said to give a correct idea of the Popish Mass in its pompous and idolatrous celebration ; that Mass, in which Pagan idolatry still continues to triumph over Christianity, from the light of which it once fled, like darkness before the rising sun. Let me next direct your attention to, 8. The doctrine of the Popish Mass, from a statement of which you will more clearly perceive how far the Mass is removed from the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Council of Trent has settled the doctrine of the Eomish Church concerning the sacrifice of the Mass. It is this : (1.) The Fathers of that Council teach, " that our Lord Jesus Christ has once offered up himself upon the altar of the cross, a sacrifice in his death unto God the Father, that he might thereby procure eternal redemption ; yet that," (2.) " Because, by his death, his priesthood was not to cease, he has left to his Church, in the Supper instituted in the night in which he was betrayed, a visible sacrifice, by which that bloody Lkct. XXIX.] Tlie Popish Mass — Ceremonies^ etc. 495 one of the cross miglit be represented, and its memory preserved down to the end of the world, and its saving virtue be applied for the remission of sins which we daily commit." (3.) " That by this very institution he declared that he was con- stituted a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek ; and that he offered up to God the Father his own body and blood, under the forms of bread and wine." We remark here, that the Saviour never did offer up to God \m own body and blood under the forms of bread and icine ; the Scrip- tures teach no such absurd doctrine : the real sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ is symbolically exhibited under the forms of broken bread and wine, but was really exhibited on the accursed tree. But let us proceed with this cunningly devised fable of the Man of Sin. (4.) "That under the symbols of the same things, he delivered to his apostles, whom he constituted priests of the New Testament, [this, by the by, he never did, but made all his. people, clerical or lay, kings and priests unto God,] and to their successors in office, himself as a sacrifice, and commanded them to take and offer him in these words, ' Do this in remembrance of me/ as the Catholic Church hath always understood and taught." Here we remark again, that our Saviour never did deliver him- self as a sacrifice to be offered up by his ministers : he could not do it ; and there is nothing of the kind ex23ressed in the words, "Do this in remembrance of me ;" and we shall prove presently, that it is false, that " the Catholic Church has always understood and taught " that such doctrine was contained in the words, ' Do this in remembrance of me." To go on with the Fathers of Trent : that it might be known what kind of sacrifice these blind leaders understood that to be which is offered up in the Supper, they explain themselves more clearly by affirming that, (5.) "As in this divine sacrifice of the Mass, that same Christ is contained and bloodlessly sacrificed, who once offered up himself by a bloody death on the altar of the cross ; so that sacrifice in the Mass is tridy a propitiatory sacrifice^ and that by it it is effected, that if, with sincerity, faith, and repentance, we draw near to God, we shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." For by this oblation God is propitiated, so as to give the grace and gift of penitence, and to pardon tlie greatest sins. " The victim," they 496 Pastoixd Duties. [Lkct. XXIX, saj, "is one and the same, and lie is now the same offering, by the ministry of the priests, who once offered himself upon the cross." Let me just remark here, that the Scripture terms "sincerity, faith, and repentance," sound well, and are excellent qualifica- tions in those who draw near to God in worship ; but what the Eoman Catholic priests understand by those terms, may be learned from their admission in their churches to the Mass, of multitudes of ignorant, unsanctified, and ungodly men. Such is the doctrine of the Romish Church concerning the Mass. It is not our design here to enter into a full examination of this doctrine, with a view to refute it. The refutation of it may be found in systems of didactic theology. "We shall just remind you here, i. That the whole doctrine of a propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass, is founded upon the monstrous doctrine of transubstantiaiion. Por if the bread and wine remain, after consecration, the material substances which they were before, then it is obvious that there is nothing to form a propitiatory sacrifice of: there is no suitable victim to be offered up in sacrifice to divine justice. You must therefore change, in fancy, the bread and wine into the real body and blood of Christ, as the Romanists teach is actually done in the Mass, before you can get a proper subject for a propitiatory sacri- fice! Accordingly, the doctrine of the Mass followed upon the introduction and the reception of the doctrine of transubstantiation. The Mass and its doctrine, we say, came into a corrupt Christian Church at a late day, after the opening of the new dispensation : for transubstantiation was not the received doctrine till centuries after the death of the apostles had elapsed. The proof of this fact, is what we shall exhibit in this lecture ; for it is one that be- longs to the history of the Church in her declensions from original purity. Meantime we remark, ii. That the doctrine of a propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass, amounts to a denial of the full atonemen-t for sin, made by our Lord Jesus Christ when he was visibly upon earth, and stands in direct opposition to the doctrines of the inspired writers on this subject. Christ once suffered and was obedient unto death. This sacri- fice of himself on the tree of the cross, was a sufficient atonement, or it was not. If it were a sufficient sacrifice, there is no need of Lect. XXIX.] The Popish Mass — Doctrine. 497 any other expiatory sacrifice. If it were not, then a sufficient atonement has not and cannot be made, until the last Popish Mass shall have been said ! How remote is all such stuff from the doc- trines of the divine Word! Paul tells us, that the offering or sacrifice of Christ on the cross, was to God of a "sweet-smelling savor ;" that is to say, according to the well-known idiom of the Hebrews, that it was accepted as sufficient. (Eph. v. 2.) In evi- dence of which, God raised him from the dead, and gave him power, etc. Also, Heb. vii. 27: "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's ; for this he did once, when he offered up himself" Heb. ix. 12 : " By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," Verse 26 : " For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world : but now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb. x. : "By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Christ once for alV Verse 12 : " But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God. The heavens must therefore receive him, until the times of the restitution of all things ; he is to appear a second time : but it is without sin, unto salvation ; for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." How thick must have been the darkness that enveloped the Christian world, how great the cor- ruptions that infected the visible Church, when a doctrine contra- dicting the plainest truths and passages of the Bible could be re- ceived ! But at that period, unhappily, the Bible was not read nor understood. iii. The doctrine of a propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass is opposed hy every fact the Scriptures express, in relation to the pre- sent state of the Eedeemer. Where is he in body, who once died on earth, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God? The Scriptures tells us, "He is risen in body; received in his bodily presence up into glory ; seated in body on the right hand of Power;" a condition, the very reverse of that which would leave him to be broken, mangled, and eaten every where, in the Mass; sitting on the throne of supreme majesty; exercising unlimited dominion ; invested with all glory. But this could not be true, if 32 498 Pastoral Duties, [Lect. XXIX. tlie same Jesus is daily offered up a propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass. The two states are inconsistent. Besides, there are short intervals of time, a moment now and a moment then, when the Bomanists no where celebrate Mass. In those moments, where is the body of the Saviour, and what is its condition? He can hardly be glorified in heaven at one moment, and the next be a propitiatory sacrifice on earth, and the next again be glorified in heaven. The fact is, if the wafers in the Mass be the real body and blood of Christ, we must conclude, from the frequency of saying Mass in all hours of every day, that the state of the Eedeemer is now one, not of exaltation, but of the deepest humihation. iv. If Christ be a propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass, who break his real body? luho '•'■crucify him afresh f'' Why, the Eo- mish priests ; they are the executioners, and no other : therefore, they are worse than the Jews ; for the latter killed the Lord of glory hut once; whereas, the priests do it often, and glory in it. This we beheve is a true charge in one sense, but a charge at which every true minister of Christ would startle ! V. But the fathers of Trent tell us, "that the offering up of the real body and blood of Christ in sacrifice" in the Mass, is designed " to represent the bloody sacrifice of the Saviour's body on the cross at Jerusalem." But wherein can such a "representa- tion" exist, when it is the real body of Christ that is offered up in the Mass, and when in all the visible circumstances, the one is so unlike the other ; the one bloody, and the other unbloody, etc., etc. ? vi. Finally, we observe, that the apostles and primitive Christians considered the Lord's Supper to be a eucharistical sacrifice, not a propitiatory one ; and that the mass and its imaginary propitiatory sacrifice of the body of Christ, were things unknown among Christians for many centuries after the ascension of our Lord. This is the fiict which we are solicitous now to establish, and shall therefore proceed to inquire into, 4. The History of the Mass. During the short time of our Lord's continuance here on earth, after the institution of the Holy Supper, and in the age of his apostles, no vestige is to be found of the Popish Mass : and as we have before observed, the name of "missa," as applied to any Lkct. XXIX.] The Popish Mass — History. 499 ordinance of the Christian rehgion, was unknown even among the Latin Christiaus. The Saviour appointed the Holy Supper to be, not a propitiatory sacrifice, for that he could not do ; but a memorial of his death ; (" elg avajivrjoiVj^^ in recordationem ;) and Paul afterwards taught that such was the design of the institution : to preserve the re- ligious remembrance of our crucified Saviour. Now, the Eomanists offer no direct proof from Scripture, that the Lord's Supper was intended to be an expiatory sacrifice of the body of Christ. Surely, the words, "This is my body," cannot constitute the Supper an expiatory sacrifice ; for. First, The Saviour was then in circumstances not immediately of suffering, as a victim : but of worshipping in peace with -his dis- ciples in the passover chamber. He was not then crucified, nor dying, nor dead ; all which is necessary in an expiatory sacrifice : there was no blood of his body shed ; and if he had not yet died, it was impossible that an expiatory sacrifice could exist in the Supper ; for the Council of Trent expressly declare, that the Sup- per was designed "to represent that bloody one on the cross." And if there was no expiatory sacrifice in the first Supper, there could be none afterwards ; for the command given is what is bind- ing on the ministers : " Do this in remembrance of me." Not do more, or something else; but "do this!" and if the Saviour did nothing more than what represented "his bloody sacrifice of him- self on the cross," his ministers can do nothing more than by the same means represent the same bloody sacrifice. Admitting, then, that the miserable Romish priests had the power of " making the real body of Christ," as they say, out of a wafer, yet they have no authority to do it. "Do this in remem- brance of me," does not require them to make an expiatory sacri- fice in the Supper, for the Saviour did it not ! But the Romanists try to sustain themselves principally by Scripture types and allegories : to this course of argument, we must say, with the Lutheran Fathers, in their apology for the Augsburg Confession : " Quod, allegorize non pariant firmas pro- bationes." Second. Again, we observe in pursuing the history, that from the death of the apostles to Gregory I. — that is, from A. D. 100 to A. D. 600 — we shall find no traces of the Popish Mass. 500 Pastoral Duties. [Lect. XXIX. (1.) Justin Martyr, who lived in the second century, affords in his writings no evidence whatever that the Eucharist was con- sidered to be a propitiatory sacrifice ! In his first apology for Christians, he says : "After we have bap- tized him who professes his faith in Christ, we conduct him to the brethren assembled together, in order to offer up common suppli- cations, etc. Prayers being ended, we salute one another with a kiss. Then to him who presides over the brethren bread is brought, and a cup of water and wine ; having received these, he offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, in the name of the Son and Sp^'rit, and gives large thanksgivings for this, that we are favored with these his gifts. When prayer and thanksgiving are ended, all the congregation who are present say. Amen — a Hebrew word, which signifies. May it be so. After this, those whom we call deacons [it appears there were deacons in the churches] dis- tribute to every one bread, wine, and water, [the cup, it appears, was not withheld,] and carry these to absent members ; and this aliment is called among us, 'Eucharistia.' It is permitted to no other to partake of it than he who believes ovir doctiine to be true, and is baptized, and as Christ hath delivered, is alive. Nor do we take that as common bread and drink ; but as Jesus Christ our Saviour by the Word of Grod was made flesh, and shed his blood for the sake of our salvation, so we are taught that the bread and wine, for which thanks are given, and by which our flesh and blood are nourished, [here is no tran substantiation,] are the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus. For the apostles in their writings, which we call the Gospels, declare that Jesus so commanded them ; that having taken bread, he gave thanks and said, 'Do this in remembrance,' etc." Now in this minute description of the Holy Supper, there is not a syllable about that ordinance being a propitiatory sacrifice. A picture is drawn of that sacrament very different from the Roman Mass. i. But it is said, that Justin speaks of oblations, in connection with the Holy Supper .: and we know that Romish writers have snatched at the word "oblations," and, in the absence of proof, have attempted to twist this word into the shape of an argument for their propitiatory sacrifice in the Mass. But to explain what the Fathers mean by these oblations, it Avill be sufficient to observe, Lect. XXIX.] The Popish Mass — History. 501 first, that Christians were generally, in the first age of the Church, persons in very moderate circumstances : " not many wise, not many noble are called," but the poor, etc. Second, that they were persecuted, and had to observe the ordinances of their religion as opportunities offered. Third, that bread and wine, materials for light, alms for the poor, gifts in support of those preaching the gospel, were to be collected when Christians held their religious assemblies. Hence it became a custom in the ancient Church, that on holy days believers should bring with them to the place of worship, their oblations. These oblations were not all of the same kind ; but were made up of bread, wine, new ears of corn, grapes, oil for lights, garments, money, etc. Of these oblations, Irena3us, Cyprian, Augustine, and others speak ; for it was a custom that continued in the Church during many centuries. Now these offer- ings (Gab. albas pinoeus) were used, partly for the immediate ser- vice of the assembly in worship, and partly for the use of ministers of the Word and of the poor. Sometimes certain gifts were dis- tributed to believers assembled, viritim, to signify their union to one head, and their being members of one body. Cyprian and Augus- tine testify to these facts. "We are now prepared to observe, that these oblations were offerings to God, though destined for the use of man. Hence they were called sacrifices^ and under this familiar name spoken of as connected with the Holy Supper; but they did not mean the Eucharist itself, and had no essential connection with it. What, then, has all this to do with the awful doctrine of a propitiatory sacrifice in the Holy Supper ? ii. But the Romanists say that Justin, in his dialogue with Try- pho, affords some proof of the Eucharist being a propitiatory sacri- fice. We answer : It is true that Justin in that dialogue, using the language of the age in his writing to an unbeliever, calls the Eucharist, a sacrifi/x^ and Christians, priests. But what kind of sacrifices he means, he himself tells us: ^'■otl fiev Kal ovv evxal, Kal evxaplortac vno tcjv a^lojv yivofievoc reXeiai fiovai Kai evapearoL eiai, to) 0ea) Ovocac, Kai avrog (Prjiu.^^ "And this I affirm, that prayers and thanksgivings offered by the worthy are the only perfect victims dear to God." His sacri- fices, therefore, in the Eucharist are prayers and thanksgivings, 502 Pastoral Duties. [Lkct. xxix. which we beheve, with all the ancient Fathers, render the Holy Supper a eucharistical sacrifice. iii. But it is said that Clemens Eomanus, in his writings, fur- nishes us with such proof. Let then the proof be exhibited. Where is it ? " It is to be found," say the Romanists, in the "Apostolical Con- stitutions," of which they say that Clemens is the author, and in which he teaches us to offer up sacrifices for the dead, in these words : "er^ 7rpoepofiev act kui vnep navrov to)v arraKOvog evapeoTrjaaVTCdv ooi ayicov T:aTpLapx(^v — TTpo(pr]Tcov — airoarrjXiov ^''^ etc. : " as yet we offer to thee for all the saints who have pleased thee, a seculo, for the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, righteous men, martyrs, confessors, bishops, presbyters, and deacons." In reply to this wretched argu- ment, we observe, that those " apostolical constitutions" which bear the name of Clemens, are not his writings. Even Bellarmine acknow- ledges that they have no name in the Latin Church. Petavius, Baronius, and others, say they are forgeries. Blondel the Pro- testant thinks that they were composed in the third, Coringius in the fifth, Archbishop Usher in the sixth, century. Jortin, whom you can consult, says, " They are forgeries which came into existence after the days of Constantine ; for they are old treatises jumbled together and corrupted without judgment." But admitting those " constitutions" to be the work of Clemens, they prove nothing against us ; for the very words show that " 7r/)oa0fpojuev" is to be translated, " we pray." In the same chapter the writer uses promiscuously " 7rpo(T0£pOjU£v" and ^' -npooKaXoviiEv" in the same sense. Nor can we be at a loss to understand in what sense they ^^ prayed for the dead:^^ not, indeed, as if they thought that their prayers could profit the dead ; but with a view to recall their virtues to memory, and to thank God for raising up such eminent men in the Church ; praying that they themselves might be endowed with the same spirit, and follow the example of those holy men. Evident is it, that those prayers were not offered for the dead, in order to deliver them, as the Romanists would say, from purgatory ; inasmuch as they were offered up for the patriarchs, apostles, and martyrs ivho, it is acknowledged by themselves, never were in purgatory. iv. But the Romanists have brought another passage of Clemens Lect. XXIX.] Tlie Popish Mass — History. 503 Romanus to prove the propitiatory so^rijice in tlie Mass. Tlie proof is drawn from the first epistle of Clemens to the Corinthians, in these words : " nav-a to^el ttoUlv oLcpetXoiiev, baa 6 decrcoTr]^ emreXeiv,^^ etc. "We ought," he says, "to do in order all things which the Lord has commanded us to do at stated times, to perform duties and oblations ; nor has he commanded them to be performed hastily and disorderly, but at set times and hours." And again : " Those therefore who make their oblations at appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for they obey the laws," etc. Now, because Clemens here speaks of oblations^ " 7Tpoo