Some preachers affect rhetorical strains ; they seek abstrusities, and love to hover and soar aloft in dark and cloudy expressions, and so shoot their arrows over their hearers' heads, instead of bettering their hearers' hearts. Gay things in a sermon are only for men to gaze upon and admire. What are high strains and flashes of wit, new-minted words and phrases, but like gay weeds and blue bottles to the good com. Truth is like Solomon's spouse, 'all glorious within.'^ She is most beautiful when most naked, as Adam was in innocency.
The oracle would have Philip of Macedon use silver lances in winning an impregnable fort, &c., but ministers must not use golden sentences, strong lines, froth of wit. It is iron, and not gold, that killeth in the encounter. It is the steel sword, not the golden, that Avinneth the field, &c.^
(2.) Secondly, Judge of it by its revealing the whole counsel of God, the whole will of God, revealed in his word.*
In Acts XX. 27, ' For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God.' Some there be that make it their business only to advance the glory of Christ, and to darken the glory of the Father ; and some cry up the glory of the Father, and yet cast clouds and dark- ness upon the glory of the Son. And what dirt and scorn is cast upon the Spirit by many vain, blasphemous persons in these times is notoriously known ; and if these men are not far from declaring the whole counsel and will of God, I know nothing. Christ must be held out in all his offices, for they all tend to the enriching of poor souls, to the adding of pearls to a Christian's crown. And clearly it is sad to consider how many there be that cry up one office and cry down another. Some cry up the kingly office of Christ, but mind not his prophetical office ; and some cry up his prophetical office, but trample upofl his kingly office ; and some cry up both his kingly and prophetical office, and yet make slio-ht of his priestly office. Christians, fix yourselves under his ministry that gives the Father his due, the Son his due, and the Spirit his due ; that makes it his business to open the treasures and the riches both of the one and the other, and to declare to you the whole will of God ; for many there be that 'withhold the word in unrighteousness,' Rom.i. 1 8, and that will only acquaint you with some parts of the will of God, and keep you ignorant of other parts, whose condemnation will be great as well as just, &c.*
(3.) Thirdly and lastly. You may judge of it by its coming nearest to the ministry of Christ and his apostles.*
' Manv ministers are like empty orators, that have a flood of words and a drop of matter. Malta loquuntur et nihil dicttnl.
2 Rather Tlie Spouse, the Church : Ps. xlv. 13.— G.
' Nun quanta eloquentia sed quanta evidentia. — Augustine.
* Optimua textuarius est optimus theologvs.
•"* A"lutaida.s never relished any dish better than what was distasted by others. So do serious e.xperienced saints relish those very truths best that such corrupt teachers dis* taste most, &c.
« Melius est xU nos reprehmdant grammatici quam ut non intetligant populi. — Augnstine in
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 175
There was no ministry so soul-enriching and soul-winning as the ministry of Christ and his apostles. Oh ! the thousands tliat were brought in by one exercise ! Let men of frothy wits say what they will, there are no preachers to these that come nearest in their ministry to Christ and his apostles, Loquamur verba Scripturce, &c., said that incomparable man, Peter Ham us : ' Let us speak the very words of Scripture, for so did Christ, the prophets, and apostles ; let us make use of the language of the Holy Ghost, and for ever abominate those that profanely disdain at the stately plainness of God's blessed book, and that think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence with their own infancy' and sophistry.' God's holy things ought to be handled with fear and reverence, rather than with wit and dalliance. Spiritual nice- ness is the next degree to unfaithfulnes.s. No ministry to that which comes nearest to Christ, &c,
[3.] The third direction is this. If ever you U'ould he rich in grace, he rich in spirituals, tlien keep humble.
Ps. XXV. 9, ' The humble he will teach his wa3', and the meek he will guide in judgment ; James iv. 6, ' He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' ' He sets himself in battle-array against the proud," as the Greek hath it, ' but he gives grace to the humble.' He pours grace into an humble soul, as men do water or wine into an empty ves- sel Of all souls, humble souls do most prize spiritual riches ; of all souls they most improve spiritual riches ; of all souls they are most fear- ful of losing spiritual riches. In Isa. Ivii. 15, 'Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity. With him will I dwell that is of an humble and contrite spirit, and that trembles at my word.' The word there rendered divell is an Hebrew participle, and signifies dwell- ing. ' Thus saith the high and lofty One, dwelling with him that is of an humble and a contrite spirit.' Humility, as the violet, though the lowest, yet is the sweetest of flowers. The word notes to us thus much : that God will not dwell with an humble man as a wayfaring man dwells with his relations, a few nights and away. Dwelling notes a constant and not a transient act of God. God will for ever keep house with the humble soul ; when once they meet, they never part. There is no such way to be rich as to be poor and low in our own eyes. This is the way to enjoy his company in whom all treasures are.
[4.] Fourthly, Improve the riches that you have.
Improve that knowledge, that faith, that light, that love that you have. Those that had two talents did, by the improvement of them, gain other two ; and those that had five did, by the improvement of them, gain ten : Prov. x. 4, ' The diligent hand maketh rich.' Take hold of all opportunities to enrich your souls with spiritual riches. Men will easily, readily, greedily, and unweariedly close with all opportunities wherein they may get earthly riches ; and why should not you be as diligent in taking hold of all opportunities to enrich your precious souls ?'' Is not the soul more than raiment, more than friends, more
Psalm cxxxviii. Christ and his apostles laboured to make men' Christians, and not critics. ^ = ' Childishness': another Shakesperean word : Titus Andron., v. 3. — G.
' The Radix, ITarats, is to dig in the ground for gold, whence Harats, fino precious gold, Prov. xvi. 16 [piriD]. The neglect of golden, soul-enriching opportunities, hath made many a man's life a hell, yea, many a courtier s life a hell, as all know that know anything of history, &c.
176 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.