Christ to pardon yon, and grace in Christ to heal you, and goodness in Christ to relieve you, and happiness in Christ to crown you, and what would you have more ? Oh that you would believe !
[9.] Ninthly, Let this principle be rooted in you, That the surest ivay, and the shortest cut to mercy, and to get an interest in Christ, is by a peremptory casting of the soul hy faith 07i Christ.
There is no way under heaven to be interested in Christ but by be- lieving. There is no way to get an interest in the riches of Christ but this, ' he that believes shall be saved,' let his sins be never so great; ' and he that believes not, shall be damned,' let his sins be never so little.^ And so much shall suffice to have spoken concerning this o-reat and weighty point. I shall follow what hath been said with my prayers, that what has been said may work for your internal and eternal welfare, &c.
Unto one, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace givey, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, Eph. iii. 8.
There are other two observations that arise from these words. I shall, by divine assistance, speak something to them, and so finish this text. And the first is this, viz.,
Doct. That it is the great duty of preachers to preach Jesus Christ to the people.
' To 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.'
It is the great duty of ministers to preach the Lord Christ to the people.
I shall prove it, and then open it to you.
I. In Acts V. 42, ' And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach.' What ? Jesus Christ. So in Acts iii. 20, ' And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.' So in 1 Cor. i. 23, 24<, and 2 Cor. iv. 5, ' We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.' So in Acts iv. 2, and ii. 85, and ix. 20. As soon as Paul was converted, straightway he preached Christ in the synagogue, that he was the Son of God.
Now for the opening of the point, I shall only attempt two things.
(1.) Give you the reasons why it is the great duty of ministers to preach Christ to the people.
(2.) Which will be the main, to shew you hoiv they are to preach Christ to the people.
I confess this a very useful point in these days, wherein many men preach anything, yea, everything but a crucified Jesus. Well, Christians, remember this, as it is your duty to take heed how you hear, so it is as much your duty to take heed who you hear. Many there are that count and call themselves the ministers of Christ, and yet have neither skill nor will to preach Jesas Christ, to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip
' John iii. 16-18, 36, and viii. 24, and xvi. 9, and iv. 50, 53, and v. 24, and vi. 35 40 and vii. 38, and xi. 25, 26, and xii. 46 ; Acts x. 43 ; Rom, iii. 26 ; 1 John v. 10-12. '
208 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
or life, in word or work. A sad reckoning these will have to make up at last.
II. But to come to the reasons of the point, why it is the great work and duty of ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the people.'
[1.] First, Because tliat is the only ivay to save and to win souls to Jesus Christ
There is no other way of winning and saving souls, but by the preach- ing of Christ to the people. In Acts iv. 10-12 compared, 'Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' You may preach this and that, and a thousand things to the people, and yet never better them, never win them. It is only preaching of Christ, that allures and draws souls to Christ : John xvii. 3, 'This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' Ah, nothing melts the hearts of sinners, nor wins upon the hearts of sinners, like the preaching of the Lord Jesus. It is true, the teaching of this and that opinion, may please many a man's fancy, but it is only the preaching of Christ that changes the heart, that conquers the heart, that turns the heart, &c. Peter, by preaching of a crucified Christ, con- verts three thousand souls at once. Acts ii. 14-42. Were Christ more preached, men would be more enamoured with him. He is only pre- cious to them that hear of him, and that believe in him. Chiist is in all respects incomparable ; and therefore, as you would lionour him, and win upon others, make him more and more known to the world, 1 Peter ii. 7, &c.
[2.] Secondly, They are to preach Christ to the people, because it is the choicest and the chiefest way to ingratiate Christ with poor soids.
This brings Christ and the soul together, and this keeps Christ and the soul together. Nothing endears Christ to the soul like this. We see, by woful experience, Christ neglected, despised, scorned, and trampled upon by most ; and no wonder, for many preach themselves more than Christ, and they preach men more than Christ, and their own notions and impressions more than Christ. Surely Christ is but little beholding to such ministers, and, I think, the souls of men as little ; and oh that they were so wise as to consider of it, and lay it to heart ! Surely a real Christian cares not for anything that hath not aliquid Christi, something of Christ in it. There is a strange and strong energy or forcibleness in hearing Christ and his beauties and excellencies dis- played and discovered.^
The daughters of Jerusalem, by hearing the church presenting Christ in so high a character, and by describing and painting liini out in such lively colours, are so enchanted and inflamed that, might they but know where to find him, they would be at any pains to seek him. When Christ is set forth in his glories, with much aflfection and admiration, others fall in love with him, as you may see by comparing Cant. v. 10, seq., with chap. vi. 1.
' Jewel, Cowper, and others, had no such pleasure or joy as they had in preaching Christ unto the people. [The ' Bishops ' of these names.— G.l
2 Martian, archbishop of Constantinople, said once of Sabbatius, a wretclied and un- worthy man, whom he had ordained to be a presbyter, We wish we had rather laid our liands ou the briars than on such heads.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 209
[8.] Thirdly, It is their great duty to preach Jesus Christ to the people, because the preaching up of Christ is the only way to preach down antichrist, or whatever makes against Christ.