looked not to the powers of language, to impress the minds of his hearers, but to the Spirit of the living God ; whose energy needed no artificial aid, and whose power was amply sufficient to carry conviction to the soul. He was taught to expect from God such attestations to his word. He was enabled, indeed, to confirm his word with signs and miracles : but it was to the mighty working of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men that he chiefly looked ; and, in dependence upon that, he laboured both in public and in private. " His speech," when conversing with individuals, and " his preaching" before assem- bled thousands, were both of the same character. To make known the mystery of redemption through our incarnate God was the office committed to him : and he determined to exe- cute it with all simplicity of mind ; " knowing nothing amongst his people but Jesus Christ, and him crucified."]
In this he had respect to the best interests of mankind —
[The very aim of the principal philosophers was to esta- blish dogmas of their own, which were to be received by their followers as characteristic of the sect to which they belonged. But St. Paul would not have the faith of his hearers to stand on the dictates of human wisdom. The word was God's : the power that alone could make it eflfectual was God's : nor could it be of any real service to the souls of men, any further than it was applied with power from on high. However the people might accede to it as a truth, that they were corrupt and help- less creatures, they could not feel it aright, unless they were taught it by God himself. And, however they might be per- suaded that Jesus Christ was the Saviour of the world, they could not believe in him to the salvation of their own souls, unless that faith should be wrought in them by the Holy Ghost. In like manner, every truth of Christianity must be experimentally received, and divinely communicated : and therefore the Apostle would not run the risk of having any of its efficacy imputed to his statements : he would have the faith of all its adherents to be purely and undeniably the ofi- spring of a divine power ; so that God alone might be glorified in every believing soul.]
Such was the character of St. Paul's ministry. Let me now suggest,
II. The hints which we may derive from it in the relation in which we stand — If St. Paul was an example to us as a Christicm, he was not less so as a M'mister. Now, from his mode of ministering, some important hints arise,
56 1 CORINTHIANS, II. 4, 5. [l935.
1. To those who preach —
[We have the very same message to deliver as that which was committed to the Apostle Paul. And, though we cannot hope, like him, to have our word confirmed with miracles, we may hope that it shall be accompanied with power from on high, to the conviction and consolation of those who hear us. On us, therefore, the same obligation lies, to wave the use of all rhetorical ornaments, and of artificial statements that savour of human wisdom ; and to look to the influences of the Holy Spirit to render our word effectual for the good of men. The same holy watchfulness should be found in us respecting the honour of God in the work of man's salvation. Were our talents ever so great, we ought to deem the exercise of them, in dispensing the Gospel, a matter of extreme care and jea- lousy. I mean not that they are to be laid aside ; for they may be employed to good purpose : but they are not to be employed for the purpose of display, or to exalt our own wisdom : they must be improved only for the purpose of un- folding moi'e clearly the great mysteries of the Gospel, and of rendering them more intelligible to the meanest capacity. The object which we should ever keep in view should be, to have our word accompanied with a divine unction to the souls of men, and to see faith wrought in their hearts with a divine power.]