with those especial doctrines, in their nature and application, for which their minds have been studiously prepared,—to lay the foundation, and neglect the superstructure.

Arguments, however, such as these, connected with the influence, or the respectability, or the consistency of the ministerial character, would be deserving of small regard, if they stood alone; in many respects indeed they are of weight, and therefore they have been adduced: but we may dismiss them somewhat abruptly in order to consider,

2. What mode of preaching is best calculated to promote the simple object for which it was appointed the edification of the Church of Christ, the salvation of the souls of men.

In answer to this question, we shall all at once reply, practical preaching: of this I think there can be no doubt; but there is a doubt whether all may be equally agreed in the meaning they affix to the term practical.

That there is a mode of preaching the gospel which is confessedly not practical, we need scarcely stop to observe. But the style to which I here allude has never perhaps been extensively prevalent in this part of the Reformed Church; we seldom hear, and seldom read an English sermon purely speculative and theological. Neither am I willing here to entertain any question of the relative value of faith and works; I would assume that no one thinks of imputing any Chris

tian character to good works, unless they come of faith; since the very essence of good works in a Christian is faith. The question is simply, how are they both most judiciously and effectively preached?

Do we, for example, successfully promote good works by preaching good works chiefly? In other words, do we thus preach most practically?

Let it be granted that our great object is to lead our people to the practice of good works— to do good-to become holy-meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

For this purpose we tell them of this inheritance, its happiness, and its glories, and its holiness; we disclose to them the dreadful consequences of neglecting to acquire this holiness; we explain and enforce every particular virtue; warn them against every particular vice; we entreat, and, in the name and with the authority of God, command them not to neglect their salvation; not to forsake the assembling of themselves together; to be scrupulously observant of all the duties which they owe to God, to their neighbour, and themselves; in short, we exhort them, according to a celebrated definition of moral virtue,"to do good, in obedience to the will of God, and for the sake of everlasting happiness."*

Paley, Moral Philosophy, Book i. ch. 7.

Now this, upon our present hypothesis, is practical preaching. Will it then issue in the practice of virtue ?

First, let us inquire what is the source of any opposition to these several injunctions. Is it not the love of the world, of pleasure, of ease, of self? Love then is to be expelled or subdued; a strong bent, that has in most cases grown with the sinner's growth, and strengthened with his strength; a pervading and predominant principle; it is not merely a preference, but a passion; something that gives a colour of its own to every object; it makes the present in all its nothingness surpass in magnitude the grandeur of eternal glory. And shall a precept prevail against this? Shall a description of the danger affect him who neither sees nor can see any danger? Shall the promise of a reward move him who, in his natural state, cannot even comprehend the value or the nature of the reward? As soon should we expect to arrest the progress of a wasting malady, by exhorting, by commanding, or by warning the patient to cease from the exhibition of the symptoms.

In fact, in all this we are but preaching the law: and we are expecting that to be done, which the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh.”* This is the testimony of

*Rom. viii. 3.

an inspired apostle, and it is the testimony, I doubt not, of experience, and will be so wherever this is the mode in which the gospel is preached.

How then are we to preach the gospel? What is practical preaching?

To relieve the mind from the influence of a powerful passion, it is manifest that some principle must be implanted strong enough to communicate a bias in some other direction. In the commonest cases, we should in vain attempt to expel a favourite and cherished inclination, if we merely argued against its retention, without employing the "expulsive power" of some new affection; and upon this principle or law of our common nature is constructed the whole of that peculiar scheme, which is developed in the gospel.

Indeed, if we take the lamp of the word of truth, and by the aid of its clear, strong light, look closely at the sinner, we behold him dead in sin, therefore he must be quickened; guilty and at enmity with God,-therefore he must be pardoned and reconciled; powerless to do good, therefore he must be strengthened with might in the inner man.

Now all these wants are to be supplied out of the fulness of Christ, and in all these cases our duty is to preach Christ in his various characters and offices; in other words, the peculiar doctrines of the gospel.

H

Is the sinner's mind in darkness and deadness as to his spiritual condition? And must we awaken him to a sense of his danger? No reasonings on the subject will avail us, if they do not directly appeal to the express declarations of holy writ. We must have recourse to the weapons of the sanctuary, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and we know that "the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”*

Must he then be led to feel the greatness of his sin? No arguments of human invention can accomplish this; but when we conduct him to the cross on Calvary, and point to the incarnate God pouring out his soul an offering for sin,-this fact speaks to his heart in language which he does feel; he acknowledges in the depths of self-condemnation the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and he comes trembling," and says, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? "†

Would we then allay his fears, and still the troubles of his awakened and accusing conscience? No earthly topics can be urged with success, or have a power to soothe him; no general declarations of God's mercy will avail, however earnestly reiterated. He sees himself a guilty creature, he sees the Lord of life bleed

Heb. iv. 12. † Acts xvi. 29, 30.