trinal and argumentative preaching. But if doctrines are not to be preached, the office of a public Christian teacher is at an end. What is left for pulpit exhibition and instruction? Surely those who make the objection, are living witnesses to the necessity of such preaching. They furnish in their own persons, the strongest proof that such instructive preaching is greatly needed. For it may, with great confidence, be laid down as a general rule, that such objectors are either ignorant of Gospel truths, and of the design of the Christian ministry, or that they are opposed to the doctrines inculcated. The carnal heart rebels against the humbling doctrines of grace, and is of course uneasy and restless under the faithful exhibition of them. But this objection is not made by men of the world only; it is sometimes heard from the lips of professed learners at the feet of Jesus. How unseemly is such an objection from such a source!

It ought, however, to be observed, that perhaps an injudicious mode of doctrinal preaching may have given rise to this objection in some instances. A controversial and criminating style, is by no means the happiest or most profitable. This may be offensive even to the most intelligent and pious hearers. Even the didactic style becomes uninteresting, and but slightly edifying, if it be cold and dry, to the neglect of animated exhortation, earnest reproof, and faithful warning. A wise discretion must here be exercised. But it is idle to assert that the doctrines of the Gospel ought not to be preached. If truth be in order to godliness, there is a connexion between faith and practice, too intimate to be unobserved, and too important to be overlooked.

T. Erskine, Esq., in his Remarks on the internal evidence of the truth of revealed religion, thus states this connexion between doctrines and practice, or the influence of doctrines on the hearts of men. "In the Bible we uniformly find the doctrines, even those that are generally considered most abstruse, pressed upon us as demonstrations or evidences of some important feature of the Divine mind, and as motives tending to produce in us some corresponding disposition, in relation to God or man. This is perfectly reasonable. Our characters cannot but be, in some degree, affected by what we believe to be the conduct and the will of the Almighty towards ourselves, and the rest of our species. The history of this conduct and this will, constitutes what are called Christian doctrines: if then the disposition or character which we are urged to acquire, recommend itself to our reason and consciences, as right and agreeable to the will of God, we cannot but approve that precept as morally

true: and if the doctrine by which it is enforced, carries in it a distinct and natural tendency to produce this disposition in character, then we feel ourselves compelled to admit that there is at least a moral truth in this doctrine. And if we

find that the doctrine has not only this purely moral tendency, but that it is also most singularly adapted to assert and acquire a powerful influence over those principles in our nature to which it directs its appeal, then we must also pronounce that there is a natural truth in the doctrine-or, in other words, that however contradictory it may be to human practice, it has however a natural consistency with the regulating principles of the human mind. And further, if the doctrine be not only true in morals, and in its natural adaptation to the mind of man, but if the fact which it records coincides also, and harmonizes with that general idea of the Divine character, which reason forms from the suggestions of conscience, and from an observation of the works and ways of God in the external world, then we are bound to acknowledge that this doctrine appears to be true in its relation to God.

"In the Bible, the Christian doctrines are always stated in this connexion: they stand as indications of the character of God, and as the exciting motives to a corresponding character in man. Forming thus the connecting link between the character of the Creator and the creature, they possess a majesty which it is impossible to despise, and exhibit a form of consistency and truth which it is difficult not to believe. Such is Christianity in the Bible."

Mr. Erskine illustrates his position by a reference to the doctrine of the atonement, thus:

"The common sense system of a religion consists in two connexions:-First, the connexion between the doctrines and character of God which they exhibit; and, secondly, the connexion between these same doctrines and the character which they are intended to impress on the mind of man. When, therefore, we are considering a religious doctrine, our questions ought to be, what view does this doctrine give of the character of God? And what influence will it have on the mind of man? Now, the Bible tells us, that God so loved the world as to give his Son for it. He tells us also that he did this, that he might show himself just, even when justifying the ungodly: and that he might magnify the law and make it honourable. The mercy and holiness of the Divine character, therefore, are the qualities which are exhibited by this doctrine. The effect upon the character of man, produced by the belief of it, will be to love Him who

first loved us, and to put the fullest confidence in his goodness and willingness to forgive-to associate sin with the ideas both of the deepest misery and the basest ingratitude— to admire the unsearchable wisdom, and the high principle which have combined the fullest mercy with the most uncompromising justice-and to love all our fellow-creatures, from the consideration that our common Father has taken such an interest in their welfare, and from the thought, that as we have been all shipwrecked in the same sea, by the same wide-wasting tempest, so we are all invited by the same gracious voice to take refuge in the same haven of eternal rest."

The doctrines of the gospel must be faithfully preached, if we desire the duties of religion to be effectually inculcated. Without this, a minister need not be surprised that his ministrations are attended with but little or no success.

Those who object to doctrinal preaching, do in fact object to instructive preaching, for doctrine is instruction: it is something taught. And the objection is, in effect, saying, that we know enough, we are sufficiently well informed, and we only need to be excited to the practice of what we know. Vain and deluded mortals! We have read of those, who professing themselves to be wise, became fools.

Some of these objectors plead the feigned ground of benevolence towards their fellow hearers. They profess great anxiety that all should be benefitted by the preaching of the gospel, and, therefore, object to doctrinal discourses, on the ground that the mass of hearers cannot give that attention which is necessary, in order to understand them. Perhaps this want of attention is confined to the objectors themselves. But are ministers to hold back the truth of God, because men will not give to it that attention which it claims and deserves? They must preach the word, whether men will hear or forbear. They must not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. They must do their duty, and throw upon their hearers the responsibility of doing or neglecting theirs.

Some object to doctrinal preaching on the ground, that although they can give sufficient attention to understand it, yet they do not find themselves profited by it. This may be true, and verily, the fault may be their own, and not the preacher's. For this, two reasons may be assigned: 1. The first is, they may have adopted erroneous doctrines, and consequently reject those views of divine truth to which they listen from Sabbath to Sabbath. They may not believe, but cordially dislike them. "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did

not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Here unprofitableness is attributed to the want of faith, and not to the manner in which the word was preached. A repugnance to particular doctrines is easily, and sometimes almost insensibly, transferred to those who hold and teach them. When this becomes the case, the objector need be at no loss to account for his not being profited. 2. But another reason why the class of persons here spoken of, are not profited by doctrinal preaching may be, that their religion consists in frames of mind, and in animal excitement, and where these are not kept up by artificial means, there is a great dearth in the soul; and all preaching which does not minister to this end, is regarded as unprofitable. Solid instruction in divine things affords no aid to their piety, but rather chills the ardour of their volatile and blind affections, dissipates the hallucination in which they joyfully revel, and chastens into sobriety the wild emotions which feed their delusive hopes. Their piety is periodical, and as transitory as the hour during which it is enjoyed; for they depend, for this excited state of animal feeling, upon an empty and boisterous declamation. We do not wonder that such persons object to doctrinal preaching as unprofitable. But it is one thing to fan a flame, and quite another to feed it with appropriate fuel. To fan, without feeding it, is soon to extinguish it. It is well by exhortation, by encouragement, and by pungent appeal, to fan the flame of piety in the Christian's heart; but unless it be supplied with appropriate and solid instruction, it cannot grow in vigorous health. The Christian pastor must feed the flock of God, over which he is made an overseer. "Feed my lambs," was the repeated injunction of our Lord to the confident but penitent Peter.

sermon

The duty and manner of preaching Christ crucified, are thus stated by the Rev. David Bostwick, in a preached before the Synod of New York, in May, 1758: "This includes," says he, "the whole of the doctrines of the gospel, relating to man's salvation by Jesus Christ, through his blood and Spirit: the fall of man, and his consequent guilt and misery; the original purposes of God's love and grace issuing in the gift of his dear Son; the glory of Christ's person; his mysterious incarnation; his holy life; his cruel death; his resurrection, ascension, and perpetual intercession; the complete atonement he has made; the everlasting righteousness he has brought in; the various offices he has sustained, both in his state of humiliation and exaltation; the methods of divine operation; the nature and use of faith; the blessings consequent upon it, as justi

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DOCTRINAL AND

fication, adoption, sanctification, perfection of holiness at death, and the complete happiness of soul and body in the enjoyment of God to all eternity. Christ is to be exhibited as the Messiah, the Anointed of God, the Mediator; the Saviour of men, who saves his people from their sins—from the guilt, the power, and the punishment of them; the Lord, the Head and King of his church, to whom all power is given, and to whom all obedience is due, and to whom is committed the grand and final judgment. Christ is to be preached, not only as the giver of a law, who is to be obeyed; but as having fulfilled the law, and who, therefore, is to be believed in, and relied on, for pardon, righteousness, and eternal life. He is to be held forth to sinners as a surety, who has undertaken to pay their debt, to atone for their guilt, and to work out for them a perfect righteousness. However honourably we may speak of him as a ruler to be obeyed, and a pattern to be imitated, yet if we exhibit him not in this view, we do not properly preach Christ, The ground of all our hopes is, that Christ has suffered for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; that he not only died for our good, but that he died in our room and stead, and "was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

To preach Christ is to display the fulness and freeness of his grace, his power to save, and his willingness to save; to show that in him is to be found every thing that a poor, guilty, helpless, condemned sinner can want, and that all the blessings of his purchase are freely offered without money and without price. He must also be made the centre of every subject. The nature and perfections of the Deity must be considered as they appear “in the face of Jesus Christ."

The strictness and spirituality of the divine law must lead to Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness. threatenings of the law must be employed to bring men to The Christ, that they may be justified by faith. The promises and blessings of the gospel must be held forth as the purchase of Christ's blood, and the gift of his grace. must be viewed as the author and the object. Repentance Of faith, Christ must be treated of as his gift. Obedience must be considered as the fruit of faith in him, and union to him, springing from love to Christ, and performed in his strength and grace. In a word, Christ must be regarded as the fountain from which all is derived, the centre in which all must terminate, as the beginning and the end, as the "all in all.”

To a neglect of doctrinal instruction, we apprehend, may

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