what I never could till I had acquaintance with its heavenly truths. This is to know the truth as it is in Jesus, Eph. iv. 21. If gospel truths work not effec- tually on thee for thy renovation and sanctification, thou art a lost man ; the}' will undoubtedly.be a savour of death to thee. How can you then rest till you find them transforming your hearts, and assimilating your lives to their hea- venly natm-e? Thus Paul endeavoured to know the power of Christ's resurrec- tion quickening him to a holy life here, without which he could not attain to a joyful resurrection hereafter, Phil. iii. 10, 11. The gospel is a glass, but not like that in which we see our face ; this only shews what our feature is, and leaves it as it was, but that changeth the very complexion of the soul from glory to glorj-, 2 Cor. iii. 18.
CHAPTER VIII.
SHEWS IT IS THE MINISTEr's DUTY TO MAKE KNOWN THE GOSPEL.
You have had the sublime nature of the gospel set forth ; it is a mystery : now follows what the minister's duty is in reference to the gospel ; and that is to promulgate and publish this mystery to the sons of men ; ' To make known the mystery of the gospel.' Here the minister's work is laid out; he is, with all possible clearness, to open this mystery, and expose it to the view of the people. Mark, the gospel is his subject, and to make it known is his duty : so runs the minister's commission for his office, ' Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature,' Mark xvi. 15. We hear people some- times saying. The preacher is beside his text ; but he is never beside his errand so long as it is the gospel he makes known. Whatever is his text, this is to be his design. His commission is to make known the gospel ; to deliver that, there- fore, which is not reduced to this is beside his instructions. Nothing but the preaching of the gospel can reach the end for which the gospel ministry was ap- pointed, and that is the salvation of soids : ' After that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach- ing to save them that believe,' 1 Cor. i. 21. The great book of the creation had lain long enough open before the world's eyes, yet they coidd never come to the saving knowledge of God by all that divine wisdom which is written with the finger of God in every page thereof: therefore it pleased God to send his ser- vant, that, by preaching the gospel, poor souls might believe on Christ, and believing, might be saved. No doctrine but the gospel can save a soul ; nor the gospel itself, except it be made known.
Section I. — No doctrine but the gospel can save a soul. Galen may teach you to preserve your health, if you will follow his rules ; Lyttleton and other lawyers will teach you how to save your estates; Plato and other philosophers will learn you how to save your credit among men, by an outwardly just, inoffen- sive life. Their doctrine will be a means to save you from many gross sins, by which you may be applauded by your neighbour on earth, and perhaps less tormented in hell ; but it is the gospel alone whereby you can be taught the salvation of your souls. But what do I speak of tliese .' It is not God's own law (the moral, I mean,) that is able to save you. God would never have been at such a vast expense (in the death of his Son) to erect another law, namely, the law of faith, if that would have served for this purpose : ' For if righteous- ness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain,' Gal. ii. 21. Why then do ministers preach the law ? If they preach it as they should, they preach it in subserviency to the gospel, not in opposition. He that knows how to distinguish well between the law and the gospel, let him bless God, and know that he de- serves the name of a divine. We must preach it as a rule, not as a covenant of life. Holiness, as to the matter and substance of it, is the same it ever was. The gospel destroys not the law in tliis sense, but adds a strong enforcement to all its commands. Again, we must preach the law as the necessary means to drive souls out of themselves to Christ in the gospel. But sinners lie in their lusts, as fish in the mud, out of which there is no getthig them, but by laying hard upon their consciences with the threatenings of the law. Rom. v. 20 : ' More- over, the law entered, that the offence might abound ;' that is, in the conscience by conviction, not in life by commission. The law shews what sin is : I mean, it tells when we commit a sin, and what a hateful and dangerous thing we do in
gQg TO MAKE KNOWN THE JMYSTEUY.