imagined concerning him," it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, as they think fit to style it, and "which is, indeed, destitute of that kind of wisdom of which they boast," to save them that, with honest simplicity of heart, believe what is credibly testified to them, and taught by a superior authority. For the Jews require a sign, some token from heaven, to introduce a Messiah to appear with external pomp, and to establish a temporal kingdom, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, a depth of philosophy, or the ornaments of eloquence, as inducements to believe. "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

In these words, we have,

I. The doctrine which the apostles preached, and which their successors in the ministry, in every age, must preach, if they wish to be instrumental in reforming and saving mankind. We preach Christ crucified.

II. The reception which this doctrine met with, and which, in every age will attend it, from, certain descriptions of mankind, whether professors of the true religion, or profane: To the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness.

III. The light in which this doctrine is viewed by all that obey the call of God, and are made his people, of whatever name or nation, and the effect it has upon them: But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

I. We must consider the doctrine of the apostles, as here set forth.

1. We preach Christ. Christ was the great subject of their preaching and not Socrates, nor Plato, nor Aristotle, nor Tully, nor Seneca, nor Epictetus, nor any other of the heathen Philosophers and Moralists. It was not the practice of the apostles, nor of the other first messengers of Christ, as it is of many teachers of Christianity in our day, to extol the wisdom or virtue of these ancient heathens; to retail their opinions, inculcate their precepts, or hold them forth as patterns for imitation. Much less did they ground the doctrine which they preached on their fallible authori

ty, or draw their information and knowledge from the scanty sources of unenlightened reason: but they preached Christ. It was their desire and endeavour to extol Him, to expound His doctrines, enforce His precepts, and hold Him forth as an example to be imitated. To His authority they appealed for the truth of their doctrine, and from His divine wisdom, as from an exuberant and pure fountain, they derived those streams of truth and grace, wherewith they watered and refreshed the dry, disconsolate, and barren earth, and rendered it fruitful to his praise and glory. And herein, my brethren, I trust, they will be constantly imitated by all who, from time to time, shall hereafter address you from this pulpit.

2. Nay, the apostles not only made Christ the chief subject of their preaching, but even of their study and conversation. "I am determined," says Paul, to these very Corinthians, "to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." As if he had said, "Famed as your city is for Arts and Sciences, Politeness and Learning; for Philosophers, Logicians, Historians, Poets, Musicians, Painters, Statuaries, and learned men of every description; I waive all admiration of them, all attention to them, and acquaintance with them: nay, I will not so much as be at the trouble to inspect their works; I will know nothing comparatively, even among you, renowned as you are for knowledge of every kind, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. In this also, my brethren, I trust your ministers do, and will follow his example.

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3. To be more particular. This declaration of the apostle, "We preach Christ crucified," must not be construed to mean, that they did not preach him in any office or character, save in that of a suffering and dying Saviour. They preached him in all his offices and, 1st, as a Teacher come from God, and that with an extraordinary commission, and with qualifications and attestations such as no other messenger of God to man ever had or will have. They proclaimed him to be, "The seed of the woman," that "bruises the serpent's head:" "The seed of Abraham, in whom all nations of the earth shall be blessed:" The Shiloh of Jacob, "to whom the gathering of the people shall be," and the Prophet like unto Moses, concerning whom it is announced,*" Unto him shall ye hearken -and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." They preached him as the "Servant

* Deut. xviii. 15-19.

and Elect of Jehovah, in whom his soul delighteth," and "on whom he put his Spirit; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," or of true and genuine religion: who, being filled with that Spirit, " brought forth judgment to the Gentiles," yea, "set judgment in the earth," and for "whose law the isles wait:" commissioned by Jehovah himself as his own Messiah or Anointed One: "Thus saith God, the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it, he that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that dwell therein; I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light to the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." So qualified was he, according to their testimony, even as man, that he had the Spirit of God without measure, as indeed had been foretold by divine inspiration: "God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows;" a prediction, the accomplishment of which was witnessed by his forerunner John, when he said, God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." Nay, they proclaimed him as the Wisdom and Word of God incarnate, the Wisdom of God and Power of God, as God manifest in the flesh, and Immanuel, God with us. I hope all who shall here address you in his Name, will be careful to speak of him in the same scriptural and important language.

4. Again, they preached him as so attested, that by him, and even through the instrumentality of his messengers, the blind received their sight, the dumb their speech, the deaf their hearing, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, and the dead raised: yea, they bore witness, that his own body was brought back from the dead, and that the divine seal was so set to the truth of his word, that many of the predictions which he uttered, were punctually fulfilled before the eyes of those that heard him utter them. They, therefore, represented his doctrine as no way doubtful, but infallibly certain, sealed with the blood of Christ crucified, confirmed by his resurrection, and attested by prophecies fulfilled, and miracles many and mighty. They exhibited it also, as deeply important, giving us information in subjects of the utmost consequence to us; as concerning ourselves, what we are, whence we came, and whither we are going; our state by nature, and the state we are or may be brought into by grace: respecting God, his

being and attributes; his nature, word, and works; what he is in himself, and what he is to mankind in general, and to his own people in particular; the Mediator between God and man ; his person and offices, his incarnation, life, and death; his resurrection, ascension, and intercession at God's right hand; his humiliation and exaltation, his cross and crown, his grace and glory. This doctrine, they testified, gives us information also concerning the way of salvation through this Mediator, and that will of God to which we must be conformed here, if we would reign with him hereafter: concerning earth, heaven; this world, the next; time, eternity; the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body; the conflagration and dissolution of this whole visible system of things; the future judgment, and the eternal state! No wonder Christ was crucified to sanction such doctrine as this! And the very same doctrine, I doubt not, will frequently be sounding in your ears in this place, which we this day dedicate to this important purpose.

5. Further: This declaration, We preach Christ crucified, does not imply, that they omitted to preach him as a pattern whom we are to imitate. It is certain, 2dly, they bore witness to what he did, as well as to what he taught, as St. Luke speaks ;* to his life as well as to his doctrine, yea, and to the Spirit in which he acted, "setting us an example, that we should follow his steps." "Let that mind be in you," they cried, "which was also in Christ Jesus." "He that saith he abideth in him," they testified, "ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

'Brethren, be ye followers of us," they exhorted, " as we also are of Christ."§ And in what degree they were followers or imitators of him we are sufficiently informed, when we hear them declare, "As he was, so are we in this world;" and when we attend to their solemn and important testimony, that all those who would "see him as he is," and resemble him in glory, must here “ purify themselves as he is pure." Holding him forth, therefore, as an harmless, useful, holy, perfect, and familiar example, and setting this mark before their hearers, they exhorted and urged them all to aspire after it, declaring "God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son ;" and that an expectation of dwelling with him after we die, without being conformed to him while we live, is a vain expectation. This, my brethren, is another branch of that doctrine, which you may expect frequently to hear in this Chapel.

*Acts i. 1. † 1 Pet. ii. 21. Phil. ii. 5. 6 1 Cor. xi. 1. and Phil. iii. 17.

6. Add to this, 3dly, The Apostles preached Christ as the Governor and Judge of his people. They proclaimed him as the King God hath set upon his holy hill of Zion," to whom all must be subject on earth, that would reign with him in heaven who "died, and rose, and liveth, that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living," who, "when all were dead, died for all, that they who live," who are quickened by his death, and made alive to God, yea, and that all mankind, universally, being thus quickened, "might not live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again." They preached him as the "one lawgiver, able to save and to destroy," and as "the author of eternal salvation only to those that obey him." And they announced him as the universal Judge, who, when he is "revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, will take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;" while, to "those who do his commandments, he grants a right to the tree of life: : so that they enter in through the gates into the city." I am persuaded, my brethren, that in these offices and characters also, the Lord Jesus will be exhibited to such as attend here on the ministry of the word.

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7. But, 4thly, the apostles considered mankind as lost sinners, immersed in guilt and wretchedness, and, therefore, especially preached Christ as a Saviour, crucified for our sins. They preached a suffering Messiah, "growing up before Jehovah as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; having no form nor comeliness, and no beauty" externally, "that men," who generally judge only by outward appearance, "should desire him:" 'despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;" as a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people." "He gave his back," they said, "to the smiters, and his cheeks to those that plucked off the hair; and hid not his face from shame and spitting." He was "stricken," they testified, "smitten of God, and afflicted;" "bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows; with a visage more marred than that of any man, and a form more than the" form of any of the " sons of men." He was He was "led," they declared, "as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb; so opened he not his mouth :" He was "bruised, put to grief, and cut off out of the land of the living, although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth ;"" cut off, but not for himself," "numbered with transgressors, and poured out his soul unto death," company with the wicked. These, and such like things, were

in