' And if Galen could say tliat in anatomising a man's brain, physicians must carry themselves as men do in the temple, how much more must miuisters du so iu dividing the word of life !
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 219
ments threatened, miseries promised, and Christ freely and fully offered, they would apply all to their own souls ! This is the misery of many in our days ; they come to sermons as beggars come to banquets, carry- ing nothing but the scraps away with them.
[10.] Tenthly, They must preach the word acceptally, as well as rightly : Eccles. xii. 10, ' The preacher sought to find out acceptable words ;' or words of delight, as the Hebrew has it, ' and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. '^ Ministers' words should be divinely delectable and desirable ; they should divinely please, and divinely profit ; they should divinely tickle, and divinely take both ear and heart. A minister should be a weighty speaker ; he should clothe his doctrine in such a comely, lovely dress, as that he may by it slide in- sensibly into his hearers' hearts. Ministers should clothe their matter with decent words. The leaves give some beauty to the tree. Good matter in an unseemly language, is like a bright taper in a sluttish candlestick, or like a fair body in unhandsome clothes, or like a gold ring on a leprous hand. ' Truth,' saith one, ' loves to be plain, but not sluttish.' As she loves not to be clad in gay colours, like a wanton strumpet, so not in lousy rags like a nasty creature. Aaron's bells were golden bells, dulce sonantes, sounding pleasantly, and not as sounding brass, or tinkling cymbals. Holy eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts xviii. 24, and may doubtless, as well as other gifts of the Spirit, be made prudently useful to the setting forth of divine truth, and the catching of souls by craft, as the apostle speaks, 2 Cor. xii. ] 6. Surely where it is, it may be made use of as an Egyptian jewel to adorn the tabernacle.^
Lactantius [De falsa Sap. lib. v. cap. 1] hath well observed, that philoso- phers, orators, and poets, were therefore very pernicious, in that they easily ensnared incautious minds with sweetness of speech ; therefore his advice is, even in delivering the truth of Christ, to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ, who will neither hear, nor read, nor value, nor regard the truth, except it be polished and trimmed up in a lovely dress.'
[11.] In the last place, and so to add no more, as they must preach the word acceptably, so they must preach the word constantly.* They must not lay down the Bible, to take up the sword, as some have done for worldly advantages, 1 Cor. vii. 10, 24 ; they must not leave the word to serve tables. Acts vi. 1, as others have done upon the same account ; they must not change their black cloaks, for scarlet cloaks ; they must abide and continue in their places and employments ; they must neither change their work nor their master : Acts vi. 4, ' But we will give our- selves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.' They would not assign their charge to some surrogates or deputies, that themselves might hve at ease. No ! they were peremptorily resolved to hold on, to continue in these two choice duties, prayer and ministry of
' E'p3 in Pihil, from JSakash, signifies an earnest, vehement seekinpf, &c.
* It was a fine commendation given by Quintilian of Tliucydirles : Tluicydides writes thick and quick, close and clear ; he is solid and succinct, sententious and judicious.
' Basil and Bucer were curt and concise, full and clear, in their discourses.
* The shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord, to shew that preaching is not out of season on any day.
220 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EpH. III. 8.
the word. So in chap. xxvi. 22, ' Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, say- ing no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.' 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16, ' Meditate upon these things ; give thy- self wholly to them, [iv rodroig 'fsdi, spend thy time in them], that thy pro- fiting may appear to all, or in all things. Take heed unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine ; continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee;' 2 Tim. iii. 14, 'But [Mii-s. abide, keep thy station, thou mlt be put to it, thou wilt meet with earthquakes] continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them ;' Eccles. xii. 9, ' And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge ; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.'
Hosea was fourscore years a prophet in Israel, and yet did not con- vert them ; yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued con- stant, and that with abundance of freshness and liveliness.
Chrysostom compares good pastors to fountains that ever send forth waters, or conduits that are always running, though no pail be put under. [Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. xv.]
Erasmus saith of Jerome, Minima 'pars noctis dabatur somno, minor cibo, nulla otio, He allowed least time for sleep, little for food, none for idleness. It best becomes a minister to die preaching in a pulpit.
Now if this be so, then by way of use let me say, That this truth looks very sourly and wistly upon all those that preach anything rather than Christ.
The Lord be merciful to them ! How have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised, to wit, the bringing in of souls to Christ, and the building up of souls in Christ. Where do we find in all the Scripture, that Christ, his prophets or apostles, did ever in their preaching meddle with businesses of state, or things of a mere civil concernment ? ' My kingdom is not of this world. Who has made me a judge ? ' says Christ.
I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few rules for such to observe that are willing to preach Christ to poor souls. I will only propound three.
[1.] And the first is this, // you tuould preach Christ to the people, according to the rides last mentioned, then yau must get a Christ within you.