But what are those rules that every ])reacher is to observe in his preaching of Christ to the 'people ?
I answer. These eleven :
[1.] First, Jesus Christ must be preached j9?am?7/, perspicuously, so as the meanest capacity may understand vjhat they say concerning Christ. They must preach Christ for edification, and not to work admiration, as too many do in these days. Paul was excellent at this kind of preaching, 1 Cor. xiv. 18, 19. He had rather speak five words to edification than ten thousand words to work admiration in ignorant people. So in 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5, ' And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power ; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the povver of God ;'-' as if he should say, such preach with little power who come with the excellency of speech, or with the en- ticing words of man's wisdom. Ah ! many there are, — I speak it with grief, and to their shame, — that delight to soar aloft in obscure dis- courses, and to express themselves in new-minted words and phrases, and to shew high strains and flashes of wit, and all to work admiration m the ignorant. Such kind of preachers are as clouds, and painted glass windows, that hinder the light from shining in upon souls, that hinder the sun of righteousness from breaking forth in his beauty and glory upon the spirits of poor creatures. Woe unto these men in the day when such souls shall plead against them, when they shall say, Lord, here are the persons whose office and work was to make dark things plain, and they have made plain things dark and obscure, that we might rather wonder at them than any ways profit by them.* Aaron's bells were of pure gold. Our whole preaching must be Scripture proof, or we and our works must burn together. The profoundest pro- phets accommodated themselves to their hearers' capacities.^ Holy Moses covers his glistering face with a veil when he was to speak to the people. Yea, it is very observable that the evangelists spake vulgarly many times for their hearers' sake, even to manifest incongruity, as you may see in John xvii. 2, Rev. i. 4. But above all, it is most observable concerning God the Father, who is the great Master of speech, when he spake from heaven, he makes use of three several texts of Scripture in one breath : Mat. xvii. 5, ' This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
» Cf. Sibbes, vol. iv. 309, 485.— G.
* 2 Cor. ii. 16, ' Who is sufficient for these things?' Almost every upstart in these days thinks himself sufficient. ' Who am I ?' says Moses. Who am 1 not? saith every i;roen-head in these days.
' Preaching is not a matter of parts, words, or wit ; it is Scripture demonstration tliat works upon the conscience, and that God owns and crowns.
* It was a saying of Luther : From a vain-glorious doctor, from a contentious pastor, and from unprofitable questions, good Lord deliver his church ! [' Table Talk,' as ■jefore. — G.]
* Si vis fieri bonus ccncionator, da operam ut sis bonus Biblicvs. If you will be a good Treacher, study to be well acquainted with the Scripture, said one in the monastery.
212 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
pleased, hear him ;' 'This is my beloved Son,' that scripture you have in Ps. ii. 7 ; ' In whom I am well pleased,' this you have in Isa. xlii. 1 ; ' Hear him," this you have in Deut. xviii. 15 ; all which may bespeak them to blush, who through curious wiseness disdain at the stately plainness of the Scripture ! Oh how unlike to God are such preachers, that think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence with their own infancy, vanity, novelty, and sophistry ! Yea, Jesus Christ himself, the great doctor of the church, teaches this lesson : Mark iv. 83, 'And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it ;' not as he was able to have spoken. He could have expressed himself at a higher rate than all mortals can ! he could have been in the clouds. He knew how to knit such knots that they could never untie, but he would not. He delights to speak to his hearers' shallow capacities. So in J ohn xvi. 1 2, ' I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.' He that speaks not to the hearers' capacities is as a barbarian to them, and they to him.
' He is the best teacher,' saith Luther, ' that preaches vulgarly, that preaches most plainly.' He is not the best preacher that tickles the ear, or that works upon the fancy, &c., but he that breaks the heart and awakens the conscience. It is sad to consider how many preachers in these days are like Heraclitus, who was called ' the dark doctor,' because he affected dark speeches. Oh how do many in these days affect sublime notions, uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard ! ' They darken counsel by words without know- ledge,' Job xxxviii. 2. But how unlike to Christ, the prophets, and apostles these dark doctors are, I will leave you to judge ; nor would I have their accounts to make up for all the world ; I will leave them to stand or fall to their own Master. God loves, owns, and crowns plain preaching. Though some account it foolishness, yet ' to them that are saved, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God,' 1 Cor. i. 20-30. I have stayed the longer upon this first direction, because of its great usefulness in these deluding days.
[2.] Secondly, As they must preach Christ plainly, so they must preach Christ faithfully, Prov. xiii. 17, xxv. 1 8, Job xxxiii. 23. Ministers are stewards, 1 Cor. iv. 2 ; and you know it is the duty of a steward to be faithful in his stewardship, to give to every man the portion that is due to him, cheering up those hearts that God would have cheered, and weakening tho.se wicked hands that God would have weakened, and strengthening those feeble knees that God would have strengthened. Ministers are ambassadors ; and you know it is tlie great concernment of ambassadors to be very faithful in their master's messages. God looks more, and is affected and taken more, with a minister's faithful- ness than with anything else. A great voice, an affected tone, studied notions, and silken expressions, may affect and take poor weak souls ; but it is only the faithfulness of a minih'ter in his ministerial work that takes God, that wins upon God : Mat. xxv. 21-23, ' Well done, good and faithful servant ; enter thou into the joy of the Lord :' a joy too big to enter into thee, and therefore thou must enter into it. This was Paul's glory, Acts xx. 27, that he 'had not shunned to declare unto thera the whole counsel of God.' Neither fear nor favour swayed him one way or another, but he was faithful in his Maister's work, and usually God
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 213
crowns him and his labours most, and sends most fish into his net, that is most faithful, though he be less skilful ; that hath more of the heart in the work, though he hath less of the brain.^