heart confessed to be the seat of all iniquity, to lay them at the foot of Christ's cross, to melt in sorrow there. Oh! may God's people indeed believe these things. May they see the light of these earthen vessels, lightened by the Spirit of God, and bearing the heavenly treasure, such as by the sound of the trumpet made the walls of proud Jericho fall down, and such as joined with the gospel trumpet make the hearts of sinners fall down, at the mention of the name of the Lord of Hosts. Now in these things ministers are to be heard patiently and to profit, that honor may be ascribed to their Lord. Now if any man preach another gospel what shall we say? shall we follow him, and believe his report? No, for says St. Paul " But though we, "or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached *unto you, let him be accursed. As we said be"fore, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have "received, let him be accursed," Gal. i. 8, 9. If we consult the context and particularly the next chapter, we shall find that Paul had preached, as a main point in the doctrines of his gospel, justification by faith without the deeds of the law; nor "Gave (he) place by subjection, no not for an "hour," to those "false brethren, who came in privily to spy out our liberty, (says he) which we “hape in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us "into bondage," Gal. ii. 4, 5. Hence Christ is honored in the reception of those who preach justification by faith, without the deeds of the law to the exclusion of all who preach any other gospel. And to preach any other is a proof of the want of regard and love to Christ, and " If any man love "not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha," 1 Cor. xvi. 22. But we allow not the absolute perfection of saints here below, for the church of Christ is still in its wilderness and militant state. Their love is not yet perfect toward their Lord, and of God's chosen church, the beloved disciple and apostle John 66 says, If we say that we have no sin we de-"ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” 1 John i. 8. Hence 3dly. God's people should bear> with and endeavour to profit by the admonitions of God's ministers, warning them of their breaches of duty-of their frailty and liableness to sin, from which they are kept only by the power of God-of the imperfection of their faith, love, and all graces, and of the continual wandering of their hearts from. the only true source of lasting bliss. And here a minister hath much to do: where mildness bids him forbear, the honor of God bids him speak. God's people under his charge, must be corrected and admonished for known sins, yea more, he must try to get at the fountain of iniquity within them, that by so preaching, that their secret sins may not be quiet in secret, but rise up and stare them in the face, that so the streams thereof may be stopped and cleansed from pollution. A few particulars may be noted, in which ministers may, and ought often to admonish God's people. As 1st. That they give a stated and constant attendance on the ministry of the word, "Not forsaking the assembling of our"selves together, as the manner of some is," Heb. 2d. That they give a devout attendance on the same-1 -that they come into the House of God, with a solemn awe and reverence of that God, who filleth his house with his presence. x. 25. The earthly tabernacles of God's worship, are more honored by God's presence, than even the private retirements of the devout Christian; for "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all "the dwellings of Jacob," Psalm lxxxvii. 2. And we may adopt the language of the pious patriarch Jacob, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the House of God, and this is the gate "of Heaven," Gen. xxviii. 17. And 3d. God's - ministers may often admonish their people to apply themselves diligently to private prayer and self-examination, that hereby they may know whether the ministry of the gospel is blessed unto them. And thus St. Paul exhorted his hearers; In a every thing by prayer and supplication with a thanksgiving, let your requests be made known " unto God," Phil. iv. 6. and again," Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your 66 own selves; know ye 'not your own selves, how that "Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates," 2 Cor. xiii. 5. I speak not these things to admonish any minister of his duty, for I am not a teacher of God's teachers. Those whom the Holy Spirit hath put into the ministry, are well instructed in the duties of their calling, I rather speak these things, that my fellow lay-men may have clear, sound scriptural views of the arduous nature of the ministry, and may be filled with affection, and all due obedience towards their pastors, remembering the kind admonition which Paul hath given to pastors and people; to the latter, "We beseech you, bre"thren, to know them which labor among you, "and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love " for their works sake ;" and to the former, "Now "we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are un 66 * ruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the "weak, be patient towards all men," 1 Thess. v. 12, 13 and 14. But I must briefly observe, 2dly. That God the Father is honored in the reception of Christ, as Christ hath himself said, "He that re"ceiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." Many have argued it as a proof of Christ's humility, that he gives more honor to God the Father than he takes to himself. But why have they.complimented him thus? Because they considered it indeed a proof of extraordinary humility? Nay ra ther, but because they dared from this to deny the Essential Divinity of our adorable Lord. If Christ were not a divine character, little praise would be due to his humility; for many men of probity and virtue, possess that sterling honesty and ingenuousness of heart, that they can by no means stand easy on the pinnacle of another's greatness: and if he be a divine character, then how shall we account for this? Not surely as a denial of divinity, but as a declaration, that in his mediatorial and human natures only, and not in his divine, he is inferior to the Father as to any degree of divinity. The humility of Christ is voluntary, but with it, is connected the greatest good; yea without it no good can accrue to man ; did he condescend to humble himself to the dignity of a man? it was to raise us to the enjoyments and privileges of the Sons of God. Did he submit to sorrow, punishment, and pain; to desertion from men, from angels, and from God? It was to prove that we deserved all these, yet that he suffered them instead of his people. But what doth the Father say of his Son? "When he bringeth in the first "begotten into the world, he saith, And let the "angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 6. Is this a mere let, a mere suffer this to be so, if angels will be willing to pay the homage? Nay-for lo, it is spoken in the imperative mood; a sovereign commandment couched indeed in terms of mildness and love, because those bright spirits delight to adore the Lord Christ, and execute his commission |