A SERMON
DELIVERED AT THE INSTALMENT
Ttor. 301IX W. BOAR, B. B,
PASTOR i • 5 ■ . LEM AND LEESBURG;
Rev. SAMUEL W. DOAK, A. M,
Pastor of Mount Bethel and Providence Churches,
Salem, April 28, 1820.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST1
"hold fast tiie form of sound words. '
" let all things be done decently and in order-
IIEISKELL AND BROWN,
trinters^ .
KNOXYILLE, TENNESSEE.
1820.
wmm smiDiaiBo
0
The author has received warning that if this sermon be published, he shall
meet with public opposition. It is contrary to his nature and habits to seek
controversy, or to disrespect the rights and privileges of any Christian or
Christian denominations. To those who conscientiously differ from us in
the fundamentals of religion, we say, let us alone and we will let you alone,
leaving you to your own master to stand or fall only by his judgment. De¬
mand not of us that encouragement, support, recommendation and aid
which we cannot, in conscience, give you, and we will not be under the
necessity to refuse; then a contest will he avoided. Opposition cannot
reasonably be expected from any Presbyterian minister or elder; because,
all such, in this connexion, have solemnly declared, on condition of their
regular ordination, that they do receive and adopt the Confession of Faith
of the Presbyterian church, as containing the system of doctrines taught in
the Holy Scriptures, and do approve of the government and discipline of this
church. And every minister has solemnly promised to be zealous and faith¬
ful in maintaining the truths of the gospel, and the purity and peace of the
church. There is nothing here inconsistent with either the spirit or letter
of those standards. 1 cannot therefore imagine from what part of Chris ion-
dom opposition may rationally be expected.
However, you are requested to take the Confession of Faith and Cate¬
chisms of our church, and especially the Holy Scriptures to be your rule when
you pass sentence on the integrity of the author, or on the truth of thn e
doctrines contained in his sermon. That this sermon may be instrumental
in promoting th«, purity, peace and happiness of the church and the salvation
®f precious souls, is the ardent wish and sincere prayer of yours, Ac.
THE AUTHOR.
The profits arising from this publication, after defraying the
expenses of printing it, shall he appropriated to the theological
seminary at Princeton.
1 Cor. IV. 16. " be ye followers of me."
TO follow Paul and the other apostles, who arc set
before us as examples for our imitation in the gospel minis¬
try, is to follow Christ who sent them, and from whom they
received immediately, their instructions and authority. We
are required to imitate them, as far as they followed Christ.
They were men subject to like passions with other men.
They were fallible, and their failures are as faithfully re¬
corded for our admonition, as their virtues for our imita¬
tion. The apostles are not as men, nor yet exclusively as
christians, to be considered as the foundation of the chris¬
tian church ; but as apostles, laying down a necessary sys¬
tem of faith and practice, according to the instructions
Christ gave them before his ascension, and those they receiv¬
ed afterward by immediate inspiration. Whilst as men
and imperfect saints, they exhibit an example both for our
warning and imitation ; yet we, as ministers of Christ, are
particularly required to follow them in their strict adher¬
ence to the christian system of faith and practice.
1. I will mention some respects in which we are required
to follow the apostles.
2. Conclude with some inferences.
1. We should follow Paul and the other apostles, in the
cordial belief of gospel truths.
For a minister iof Christ publicly and solemnly to adopt
a system of faith and practice which he does not cordially
believe, is a glaring absurdity, and is incompatible with
christian honesty.
u Truth is in order to goodness, and no opinion can be
more absurd or pernicious, than that which puts truth and
falsehood on a level, and represents it as of no consequence
what a marfs opinions are. Between faith and practice,
truth and duty, there is an inseparable connection; other¬
wise, it would be of no consequence either to discover truth
or embrace it and a leading design of the bible, which is
to discover to man the truth, and direct him in his duty,
would be useless. Should ministers adopt, believe and
teach a false system of religion, and should their hearers
embrace and encourage it, and bid them " God speed," both
are chargeable with insult offered to the great head of the
church, and both are in danger as the blind leading the
*Porm of government, introduction.
6
blind, and the blind led by the blind, of falling into a pit of
ruin. Nor is it enough to believe part of Christ's gospel, if
we misunderstand, disbelieve and pervert other parts, which
we cannot reconcile with our popular and pre-conceived opi¬
nions ; but if we would avoid the guilt of adding to, or tak-
ingfrcpi, the gospel of Christ, or of preaching any other gos¬
pel, we should embrace the whole truth as God has reveal¬
ed it, relying on the veracity and wisdom of its author, with¬
out setting ourselves up as judges of the fitness, propriety
or consistency of his Word; He, who would faithfully de¬
clare the whole council of God to perishing fellow men,
must believe the whole system of revealed truth, and be able,
with Paul, to say, in' truth, "We also believed, and therefore
speak ;"f or with Peter and John;}; " We cannot but speak'
the things which we have seen' and heard;" or with Jere¬
miah,§ " His word was in mine heart as aburning fire, shut
up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I
could not stay."
If ministers do not cordially believe the whole gospel, it
must be supposed that they will shun to declare the whole
counsel of God, or, at least, will speak the truth in such a
manner as will not recommend it to the sincere attention of
their hearers. Yet, if they should boldly preach the whole
rcHbrd God hath given of his Son, and not truly believe that
record, they would be guilty of making God a liar, and in
danger of being themselves cast away. The apostles cor¬
dially believed, and the object of their faith was that system
of divine truth which they taught. This system embraces
the law and the gospel of God.
The gospel of Christ which Paul preached, we remark,
1. Plainly pre-supposes that man, who was first created
in the image of God originally, has fallen ; has lost his ori¬
ginal title to favor with God; has lost his original rectitude
of nature, and has involved himself in guilt and ruin. 'That
all mankind have sinned in Adam as their head and repre¬
sentative, in a covenant of works ; that, as he became ob¬
noxious to the penalty of the broken covenant law, so all his
posterity have become obnoxious to death inhim.|| That all ■
have fallen into such a state, not only of guilt, but of sinful¬
ness ; that they are conceived in sin, and brought forth in
iniquity ;1T that their nature is defiled in every member, fa¬
culty and capacity, so that the whole man is carnal and
enmity against God; that all men in a state of nature are
f2Cor. 4. 13 fActs, 4. 20. §Jeremiah, 20 9. jjltomans, 5.
TfPsalm, 51. 5.
7
included unde? sin ; that there is none righteous, there is
none that doeth good. That all men are equally unworthy
of God's favor, and all hy the imputation of their federal
sin,f and by the degeneracy of their nature, and their per¬
verse conduct, are condemned by the holy, just and unalter¬
able law of God, to everlasting misery. That in this state
of sinfulness and guilt, all are helpless, and without any
ground of hope in themselves, and must be entirely depen¬
dent on a God of mercy to do all for them, and work all in
them, that is necessary to their salvation.
These truths Paul taught, illustrated and proved without
equivocation ; without accommodating his lessons to the
natural prejudices of men, and without even the-appearance
of the fear of contradiction from self-conceited hearers.
The apostle appears to have deemed these truths necessary
to a sinner's conversion, as the effectual means by which he
obtains the knowledge of his condition, is cut off from all
false hope, and is shut up to the faith, or is driven to seek
relief on the ground which the gospel presents.:}: Christ's
.proverb on this subject^ is this, " They that are whole have
no need of the physician, but they that are sick."§
The gospel of God we remark, .
2. Represents God as resolving from eternity on the re¬
covery and complete salvation of some of fallen mankind of
every nation, kindred, tongue and people. This purpose
of God respecting the salvation of men, Paul calls " the
election of grace,"|| because he determined to save his cho¬
sen people graciously, and not for any foreseen good in
them, nor done by them, to merit salvation. Paul believed,
and therefore taught, that a remnant, according to the elec¬
tion of grace, whom God foreknew and predestinated
to the adoption of sons, and to eternal life, would certainly
be justified and glorified.1T Christ,in his intercession for his
people on earth, familiarly speaks of them, as those whom the
. Father had given him out of the world.* For them he prays,
and not for the world ; he prays fof- saving blessings for
them, and declares that power is given him over all flesh,
that he might give eternal life to as many as the Father had
given him. He calls them his sheep for whom he laid
down his life, including all those whom he had brought, and
those whom he promises to bring intohis fold,f and declares
" all that the Father giveth me, shall come to me ; and him
fltom. 5. See Confession, Chap. 6.
fClal. 3. 22—24. Rom. 3. 20. §Luke, 2. 17. ||Rom. 11. 5. TRom. 9.
27. Rom. 11. 5. Rom. 8. 28—39. *John, 17. fjohn, 10. 15, 1G.
8
{hat eometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. And this
is the will of him that sent me, that of all which he hath gi¬
ven me, I should lose nothing, hut should raise it up again
at the last day."* Paul taught that they were chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world ; that in him, in
time, they obtain an inheritance according to the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the coupsel of his
own will.f It was not only the purpose of God that they
should be accepted in the beloved, but that they should per¬
form good works also; that they should be " Created in
Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before or¬
dained, that we should walk in them."J Hence, as many as
were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,
and were ordained to eternal lite, come to Christ believing,
and shall be raised up in the last day.§ The elect are not
nominally distinguished amongst mankind by the gospel;
it is therefore impossible for either ministers or others, to
know who belong to this happy number, independent of
their believing and maintaining good works. This stirs up
all the gall and enmity in the convicted but unhumbled
heart, against the sovereignty of God, exercised in the elec¬
tion of grace ; which opposition the unhumbled heart conti¬
nues to justify, calling the sovereignty of God's grace,tyran¬
ny, partiality, and by a thousand opprobrious names, and
thus regains, confirms and increases its former obduracy.
But the truly humbled soul, allowing God to do as he will
with his own favors, to bestow freely salvation on whatso¬
ever ill-deserving creatures he may have freely chosen in
his son, loathes and abhors himself on account of that ob¬
stinacy, and rejoices that his salvation depends on the grace
of God, who knows them that are his, who worketh all
things after the council of his own will, and whose works
are all known to him from the beginning.
3. That gospel which Paul believed and taught, repre¬
sents the Triune God as entering into an agreement, com¬
pact or covenant, to sate his chosen people, not on a plan
which would require the sacrifice of any attribute of his na¬
ture ; of any claim of his law, government or punitive jus¬
tice, established against them as sinners, or would require
1 im to act counter to any threatening he had ever denoun¬
ced ; but on a plan, the execution of which would magnify
and honor the law, satisfy every every demand of law and
^John, G. 37—39. fEph. 1. 4—11. JEpli. 2. 10- §Acts, 13. 4S. ||Isa.
42 1. 1 Pet. 1 19. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 5.
9
justice, and gloriously display all the essential attributes
and properties of God.
According to this covenant, God the Father chose his own
eternal Son, to be the mediator, who should redeem his peo¬
ple from the guilt and bondage of sin, and with his Son's
consent, laid on him their iniquities,* and when bearing
their sins thus by imputation,*the Father spared him not,
but required 01 him the full satisfaction which his law and
justice required of us for our sins, and wounded him for our
transgressions, bruised him for our iniquities, put him to
shame, and delivered him up to endure ignominy, derision,
contempt, cruel buffeting and scourging, and the most pain¬
ful and shameful death, and the want of sweet intercourse
and communion with him, which was worse than death.f
The Son, on condition he would humble himself to the con¬
dition of a surety, and redeemer of his people, and should
fulfill all righteousness in their nature, and law place ; had
the promise of the joy set before him, the joy of bringing
many sons into glory, that he should see his seed; he should
prolong his days ; the pleasure of the Lord should prosper
in his hands, and that he should see of the travail of his soul,
and be satisfied.! With full reliance on the Father's faith¬
fulness, pledged in the gift of a people to him, and promise
made to him respecting them, the Son in due time actually
complied with the stipulated terms ; § he was made a little
lower than the angels ; took humanity in connection with
his divine person, assumed our law place,|| and bearing our
sins, as our surety, substitute, or representative in law, pre¬
sented to the law a spotless nature, untainted with original
pollution, and obeyed its precepts perfectly, and suffered
its awful penalty. He offered himself as our sin-offering,
our peace-offering, our ransom and sacrifice, to satisfy the
claims which divine justice had established against his peo¬
ple, on the ground of their sins. He became the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth, rendering
to it that perfect righteousness, which, as a covenant of
lifp it required of us. He thus secured for his people all the
blessings of eternal life, by purchased Hence, by his
righteousness, he justifies many, and God can now be just
when he justifieth the ungodly; yea, is a just God and a Sa¬
viour. Agreeably to this covenant, the Holy Ghost, proceed¬
ing from the.Father and the Son, convinces and converts
*Isa. 63. tMat. 27. 46. JHeb. 12. 2. Isa. 53. .10—12. IjPsalm, 40.
C—8. ||Heb. 2. 10— IS. Web. 9. 11—16.
B
10
sinners.* By his teaching, regenerating and sanctifying
operations, he produces and increases all the christian gra¬
ces, and personal holiness in Christ's people, and thus pre¬
pares them for, and brings them to, the full enjoyment of all
the purchased blessings of salvation. This work he has
undertaken,(and in many instances has already perfected
it) and he is faithful to carry it on, until the whole church,
for which Christ gave himself, shall be presented to him a
glorious church, not having spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such
thing ; holy and without blemish.f
That part of the condition of this covenant, which each
person in the God-head is represented as performing, is es¬
sentially necessary to our salvation, and no one can, accord¬
ing to the gospel, say, he is more indebted to one person,
in the divine essence, than to another ; or can, without pre¬
sumption, ascribe less gratitude, praise and glory, to one
than to another.
4. The gospel which the apostles believed and taught,
brings to our view also, the terms on which the whole of
salvation is received and enjoyed, by those for whom it is
provided, and to whom it is applied. Though the salvation
of sinners, cost God the Father, the gift of his Son, and
God the Son, all the labors he performed, and all the suffer¬
ings he endured, and God the Holy Ghost, the exercise.of
his omnipotence and care ; yet, their salvation is represent¬
ed in the gospel as free; free not to those who merit it by
sincere obedience,j; nor to those who apply it to them¬
selves by their own faithfulness ;§ but to the sinner who
feels his ownunworthiness, poverty, guilt and helplessness ;
who is willing to receive it, as it is freely offered, without
money and without price ;|| and receives it not as one per¬
sonally holy, hut as a sinner JIf relying on Christ's mediatorial
righteousness, as the' only meritorious ground, and the
agency of the Holy Ghost as the applying cause. The
righteousnessof Christ, our second Adam, the gospel styles
emphatically, the gift, the free gift, the gift of righteousness,
and the gift by grace, and represents it as the ground on whieh
grace reigns to the production and perpetuation of eternal
life in men.* This gift is a title to eternal life; is at¬
tainable by us, only by faith in Christ, without the deeds
of the law ; and by God's imputing, or accounting, or rec-
*Tit. 3. 5, 6. fEph. 5. 25—27. JRom. 3. 20. ,§Eph. 2. 1—10 Tit.
3. 5. ||fsa. 55. 1. Mat. 11. 28. ITMat. 9. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Rom. 5.
(i—8. Rom. 4. 5. *Rom. 5.
11
koning it to us.* When the omniscient judge, who sees
things as they are, is about to justify his redeemed people,
he proceeds not on the ground of personal holiness, but of
Christ's mediatorial righteousness, which he views as unto
and upon them, by a real imputation, and as removing all
the legal obstructions out of the way, and entitling them to
acceptance as righteous ;f he then views them as complete in
Christ. Hence, he acting in the capacity of the righteous
judge, pronounces on them according to his own law and in¬
finite justice, and the works performed, and sufferings en¬
dured by their surety, the sentence of justification unto
life and with his own band he gives to them the crown of
that righteousness, viz : Justification, adoption, sanctifica-
tion, and all the benefits accompanying or flowing from
them, in time and in eternity.
Thus the believer is justified by grace, by faith, freely
and perfectly, according to all the claims which law, dis¬
tributive or remunerative justice (or any other kind of jus¬
tice that can be named) ever had against him. He is thus
justified? whilst he is viewed in himself as ungodly, but in
Christ's, righteousness, which is given to him by imputation,
and received by faith alone, as complete.§ Whilst the gos¬
pel ascribes the whole of man's salvation to the grace of
God reigning through righteousness, unto eternal life, by
Jesus Christ our Lord; it also points out the means by
which the Holy Ghost operates on the heart, and produces
faith, and all its, train of christian gra'ces, and applies all
saving blessings. They are not such as are adapted to the
restoration of a destroyed, inanimate world to its former ex¬
istence and beauty ; but such as are calculated to influence
a soul, possessing rational faculties, and an innate or con¬
stitutional desire of happiness, and dislike to misery. The
word of God is the means.|| This word includes the law of
God, by which sinners are alarmed, and the gospel by which
they are allured and drawn. By these means he effectually
convinces them of sin, and enlightens their minds in the
knowledge of Christ, and persuades and enables them to
embrace Jesus Christ as offered to them in the gospel._
Thatthe word may prove effectual to our salvation, it is ne
cessary that we attend to it. Though the bible brings to our
*Rom. 3. 21, 22. Rom. 4. 6, 23—25. f2 Cor. 5. 19—21, Phil. 3. 9.
Rom. 5. 9. John, 1. 12. Rom. 8. 3, 17. J Gal. 4. 4. 1 Tim. 2, 6. Rom.
4. 25. 2 Tim. 4. 6. See Confession, Chap. 11. 5Rom. 4. 5, Col. 2,8—15,-
jJRom. 10. 17. 1 Pefc 1. 23. John, 17, 19, 20,
12
view truths of vast importance and eternal interest, yet
such is the blindness and perverseness of man by nature,
that he reads and hears them, without suitable attention, and
corresponding emotions.* Thus, men if entirely left to
themselves, will ever view the bible as a dead letter, and
Christ as possessing no comeliness. God has not only given
us his word," but has also appointed the reading,f the
preaching of the word, and the administration of gospel or¬
dinances, that our attention may be directed to it. Though
to the superficial free-thinker, this appointment, in this
view, may appear foolishness, yet it hath pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.
Moreover, God has appointed prayer (though, as a moral
cftitv, it is incumbent on all God's rational and dependent
creatures) particularly in the name of Christ,| and it is one
of the most effectual means by which the spirit engages the
attention to the truths of God's word. The sinner, when
contrasting his own character, with the character of God
in prayer, and acknowledging the truth respecting his ob¬
ligation, unworthiness, dependence, helplessness and need,
and seeks for saving blessings from that fulness that is
treasured up in Christ, is perhaps in the most favorable si¬
tuation for the divine spirit to engage his attention to these
truths, and impress his heart with a view of his deplorable
condition, and to constrain him with all the heart to believe
in Christ unto righteousness. • God invites us as sinners, and
requires us as moral agents, to be diligent and persevering
in the use of these means (by which the sanctifier directs
the sinner's attention to the word, and then applies the
word) ever bearing in mind that the efficacy of the means is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that sheweth mercy; and looking beyond the means to God,
who worketh by those means in us, to will and to do of his
good pleasure.
5. The gospel characterizes those who are personally in¬
terested in the great salvation; they are described as per¬
sons who have been born of God ; born not of corruptible
seed, but incorruptible by the word of God, in whom the
word ever livef" .d abideth, and who abide in the truth.
They are sub > of all the christian graces, faith, love, rer
pentance, &V.', they are not of the world; they war not
after the flesh, they are spiritually minded ; they seek in
*1 Cor. 2. 14. John, 6. 44, 45. fActs, 17. 11, 12. Mat. 18. 19, 20.
J1 Tim. 2, 8. John, 16. 23, 24—26.
13
preference to alkother objects, the. kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; they take God to be their God, Christ to be
be their redeemer, and the Holy GhosCfbr their sanctifier
and comforter. They take God's word to be a light to their
feet, and a lamp to their path ; his revealed law as their rule
of duty, and his gospel as their directory in the way to hea¬
ven. They seek their most desired treasure in heaven,
where, (they are assured) neither moth nor rust corrupteth,
and thieves do not break through to steal; and as their
treasure is in heaven, their hearts are there also ; they live
the life of faith on the Son of God ; they esteem Christ pre¬
cious, the chief among ten thousand, and altogether love¬
ly ; they crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts ;
they deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ;
who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross,
and despised the shame. They endure persecution for
righteousnes sake ; if they are heralds of the gospel, and
with watchfulness, wisdom and boldness, stand up for the
truth as it is in Jesus, they must expect persecution. Infi¬
dels, schismatics and heretics, with united efforts and infer¬
nal policy, will oppose the truth and vilify its defenders,
and with secret machinations, with insidious courtesy, with
contemptuous ridicule, or with open violence, and pom¬
pous threats, will strive to deter, and drive the shepherds
from their flocks, or to starve them ifrto a relinquishment
of the truth, or at least to an abandonment of their fidelity
tb their master's cause. But, fathers and brethren fear
them not, their utmost power is to destroy your character
amongst men, and to kill your bodies ; God's word they
cannot bind; his kingdom shall prosper, and the wrath of
man shall praise him.
2. We should follow Paul and the other apostles in the
manner of preaching the gospel.
1. They preached with plainness.
The first and principal object of preaching gospel truths,
is to inform the hearers. We know of no way of producing
salutary impressions on the heart, or operating on the will
of man, but by enlightening the understanding with the
knowledge of divine truth. It is by convincing a sinner of
his sin and misery, and enlightening his mind in the know¬
ledge of Christ, the divine spirit renews the will, and per¬
suades and enables him to embrace Christ in his effectual
calling.
With this end in view, the apostles and their master, ex
14
}/ed and explained the most grand, sublime, and infe¬
cting truths, and unfolded the most stupendous mysteries*
■"In the most plain, simple and intelligible language and man¬
ner.
Religion may in some respects be considered as a sci¬
ence. In order to communicate it intelligibly and profita¬
bly to others, we must speak plainly, without bewildering
circumlocution, avoiding the use of ambiguous language-
and equivocal terms and statements, and all sophistical ana
unfair reasonings; and we must not content ourselves with
preaching the truth by insinuating and hinting it. Said
Paul, Cor. XIY. 19. " In the church I had rather speak five
words with my understanding, that by my voice I might
teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown,
tongue." We must begin with the first principles and most
important truths, and then enforce those principles on the
attention of our hearers, by motives addressed to their
hopes and fears. Paul preached to the Corinthians first of
all, " how that Christ died for our sins, wasburied and rose
again," according to the scriptures, and from these first
principles of the gospel, he proves the general resurrection
and final judgment. To aim first at raising the fancy and
inflaming the passions, without establishing the heart in
the first principles of religion, is at best to encourage (es¬
pecially in men of lively imaginations and warm passions)
a blind enthusiasm, which can hardly fail to drive the sub¬
jects of it to wild extravagancies of thought, and superstiti-"
ous practices, and to disqualify them for serious, so¬
lemn, sober and humble reflection on the first principles of
religion.
" I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hither¬
to ye were not able to bearit." The apostle did not mean
by milk here, fanciful speculations on divine subjects, nor
yet the pre-conceived maxims or doctrines of corrupt na¬
ture, but the sincere milk of the word, the first principles of
the oracles of God.*
2. Paul preached the gospel with wisdom and prudence.
The end of preaching is, not only to inform the understand¬
ing, but also to reform the heart, and so to save the soul.
In pursuit of this important and good end, he judiciously
selected and employed means, in their nature calculated to
accomplish it. In matters of indifference he became all
*
•Cor. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 1—5. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Heb. 5. 12.
15
things to all men.* To the Jews he became as a Jew in the
observance of days and times, and in abstaining from cer¬
tain meats, in which it was lawful for him to differ from
them, but not expedient; and to the Gentiles he became as
a Gentile, omitting the Jewish ceremonies and privations,
and directed " Whatsoever is set before you eat, asking no
questions for conscience sake." To the weak he became
as weak, accommodating his company and his manner of
instructing them in the fundamental principles of Christia¬
nity, to their understanding, but not to their prejudices
against the gospel. To the wise he became wise, not speak¬
ing the wisdom of the worl'd, nor of the princes of this
world, but unfolding to their view the unsearchable riches
of the wisdom and knowledge of Christ ; he discovered no
particular fondness for terms, phrases or words, which the
wisdom of the great, the noble or the renowned amongst
men teacheth ; but was contented with the words which the
Holy Ghost taught.' Whilst Paul accommodated himself to
the different conditions of men, and their various prejudices
concerning matters of indifference, he explicitly, affection¬
ately and solemnly inculcated on them all the distinguish¬
ing doctrines of .Christianity ; he equally opposed and con¬
demned the errors of the Jews and Gentiles, of the wise
and unwise.
3. We should, like Paul, aim at preaching the gospel ful¬
ly, definitely and unequivocally.
Paul made no attempts to split the difference between
the Jews and Gentiles, nor between Christianity and any
other religion ; nor did he attempt to combine different sys¬
tems, and to unite different sects and parties, so as to make
one plausible system and church, embracing every faith,
and men of every kind ; nor does it appear that he was ever
careful (when his life was in danger amongst the Jews or
Gentiles, or amongst false brethren brought in unawares)
to express gospel truths in language that might be used by
men, holding different sentiments, or that might be under¬
stood by them differently. Such equivocation, dissimula¬
tion and want of decision, the apostle abhorred and con¬
demned. Hence, on a certain occasion he withstood Pe¬
ter, a beloved fellow apostle, to the face* publicly. Let us
be warned, though all the brethren in our connection
should prove false brethren and dissemblers, that we should
•Col. 9. 19—27. 1 Cor. 10. 27.
16
^citly, unequivocally and honestly declare the uncor¬
ded word of God; and especially those distinguishing
doctrines of the christian religion, which harrow up the
hearts of the wicked, arouse their dormant consciences, and
stir the gall and bitierness in them, and which comfort the
heirs of promise. Ministers are most tempted to shun in
their ministrations, those doctrines which have this tenden¬
cy, by the love of popularity, a view of their offensiveness
to the most of mankind, and a want of self-denial still re¬
maining in themselves. Whether men will hear, or for¬
bear, knowing our accountability, we should honestly and
perseveringly aim at preaching the truth as it is revealed,
without alteration or reserve. Paul called the elders of the
church at Ephesus, to record that he had not shunned to
declare unto them the whole counsel of God. Ministers are
sent as ambassadors from God to men, charged to deliver
the whole of that message contained in the scriptures ; it is
not left to them to decide that one part is fit, and another
part is not fit to be delivered, or to keep hack any part; they
are charged to preach the word ; to he instant in season and
out of season ; to lift up the voice like a trumpet, to cry
aloud and spare not, and on pain of their own destruction,
to give-faithful warning when a destroyer of souls is ap¬
proaching, and neither to add to, nor take from, that revela¬
tion which God has given us, and to preach no gospel aside
from that which Paul preached.
4. We should preach the gospel with zeal and self-de¬
nial.
The truths of the gospel are in their own nature impor¬
tant, and deeply interesting both to preachers and hearers ;
when they are delivered in a cold, careless manner, they are
not likely to arrest the attention, or affect the hearts of our
hearers, because, by our manner, we intimate to them, that
we do not believe them to be really important or interesting.
For an ambassador whom God has sent, acting under the
highest authority, the most solemn charge, and the great¬
est responsibility, whilst prea.ching the gospel of salvation
to perishing fellow-men, to be cold and unconcerned about
the success of his preaching, is almost unpardonable ; here
passion, is reason ; to be cold, is madness.
A true desire to promote God's glory and the salvation of
men, will prompt its subject to deny himself of every en¬
joyment, which he knows to be in opposition to the pros-
Christ's kingdom. It leads him to sacrifice his
17
honor for reproach, his ease for labor and tribulation ; his
easily besetting sins and darling lusts, for holiness and du¬
ty ; and even his life to the flames of persecution for right¬
eousness' sake.' " Behold," said a disciple, 1' we have left
all to follow thee." Those who are thus self-denied, have
the gracious promise of their master, of an hundred fold
more in this present life, and in the worjd to come, life ever¬
lasting.* But those who deny Christ before men, to grati¬
fy the old man of sin, are threatened with a denial before
the Father and his angels, and a final rejection. Let us
not be ashamed Of the gospel of Christ, but rather glory in
the cross ; then we will not be easily deterred from faith¬
fulness in the work of the ministry. Paul was sorely tempt¬
ed to abandon the cause of Christ, to give up the truth, or
cease to declare it, by persecution from city to city, by cru¬
el scourgings, by stoning, by imprisonment, by perils on
land and at sea, by perils amongst his countrymen, amongst
the heathen and amongst false brethren, with watchings
and fastings often, and the loss of all things ; though he
knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him in every city,
yet none of these things moved him ; nor did he count his
life dear unto himself, being fully resolved to persevere and
finish his course with joy, and the ministry he had received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the grace pf God.
3. We should follow the apostles in the administration of
church ordinances.
1. Of baptism. There are three things necessary to ren¬
der the mode of administration authentic.
First. That water be used.
Second. That it be applied to the subject in the name of
the Sacred Trinity. And,
Thirdly. That this be done by an apostle, or some one
duly authorised to administer it, according to Christ's ap¬
pointment. It is not essential to the mode, that water be
used in the administration in any one way, to the exclusion
of every other. The institution of this ordinance has not
given any particular direction that requires baptismal water
to be applied to the subject only by sprinkling, or by pour¬
ing, nor by rubbing it on him, nor yet has he particularly
directed that the subject be applied to the water by immer¬
sion ; but the quantity of water to be used, and the particu-
*Mat. 19. 29. Luke, IS. 30
c
18
/€ of applying it, are left to the prudence and discre-
Uf the church.
We are not left to our own discretionary judgment alto¬
gether, respecting the subjects of baptism ; we have no in¬
stance, on record, of the apostles administering this ordi¬
nance to adult persons, until they professed faith in Christ;
hut, said Philip, to one who applied to be baptized, " If
thou believest With all thine heart, *thOu mayest." Hence,
tve infer, that ministers have no right to forbid baptism to
those who malce a credible profession of faith ; and that
they are not authorized to administer it to those adults who
make no such profession,
Paul and Silas baptized the jailor, and his house-hold;
Lydia, and her house-hold, were baptized, and many other
house-holds received that ordinance. But we have no ac¬
count of any profession of faith made by the children, ser¬
vants, or individuals,composing those house-holds, but that
which the parents or heads of#the families made of their own
faith. From these circumstances, wre infer, that ministers
have a right to baptize children and others, belonging to
house-holds, when the parents or heads of those house-holds
are credible professors of faith ; and are themselves ac¬
knowledged to be in the visible church by their baptism.
Paul teaches, that wTe are not to refuse this ordinance to
ohildi^n, though hut one of their parents is a believer, and
in this respect a child of Abraham. The unbelieving wife
is sanctified by the husband, and the unbelieving husband
is sanctified by the wife, else, were their children unclean,
but now are they holy. The head of the church has issued
a general command to " suffer little children to come unto
him, and forbid them not."*
Who would have the credulity to believe this command
makes it a duty for parents and others, to permit their chil¬
dren to die, and to use no means to preserve their lives,that
they might die and go to Christ in heaven ? Or who would
imagine that it requires parents, ministers and others, to
permit children to come to Christ by faith, whilst infants,
as if they had .power to prevent them from believing, or
would be prone to forbid them to come in this way ? We can
conceive of no other way that this command is to be obeyed
but by suffering and forbidding not infants to be dedicated
to God in Chiisf, in this ordinance of baptism, and to be
^ Luke, 13. m.
19
marked by baptism, as the Jewish children were by cir¬
cumcision, as members of Christ's mystical body, the visi¬
ble church. It must, therefore, be. an indispensible duty of
believing heads of families to devote their children, in this
ordinance, and of ministers to baptize them.
2. We should follow the apostles in. the administration of
the Lord's Supper,
As in the ordinance of baptism, the quantity p{ water to
be used, and the particular mode of applying it, are left to
the prudence and discretion of the church, so also, it is left
optional what quantity of bread and wine is administered
and received, and whether they be received sitting, leaning,
kneeling, standing or walking ; only the quantity received,
and the position of body, are required to be in consistency
with decency and good order. Yet, we are not left to our
own discretion altogether, as to the manner of keeping this
ordinance ; we are to keep it often, as an exhibition of
Christ's death, and with a grateful and affectionate remem¬
brance of him ;* to keep it not with the old leaven,, neither
with the leaven of ipalice and wickedness, but with the un-
lehvened bread of sincerity and truth ;f nota$ strangers and
foreigners, but as persons brought nigh by the blood of
Christ to keep it with knowledge, to discern the Lord's
body, and faith to feed on him㤠It is the duty of ministers
to urge their hearers thus to keep this feast, and of people to
examine themselves as to their qualifications for keeping it
in this manner, and to act according to the result .of their
enquiries,j| and to assure them, that those who eat-and
drink unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of tlje
Lord, eat and drink judgment to themselves, not discerning
the Lord's body,
The persons who have a right to be admitted to this feast,
are the disciples, friends and followers of Christ, who be¬
lieve the record God hath given of his Son, practically, and
exhibit to the churchy by a confession of fhe truth, and a
walk and conversation corresponding with it, satisfactory
evidence of this ; and also, that they possess so much prac¬
tical knowledge of Christ, especially of his sufferings and
atonement, as will authorize the hope that they may discern
the Lord's body as broken for them, and his blood as shed
for the remission of their sins. They are such as have some
*1 Cor. II. 23—26. fl Cor. 5. 7, 8. JEph, 2. 12—19. §1 Cor. 11.
29. 1| 1 Cor. 11. 27, 2S, 29.
20
It views of Christ's mediation, and have joined them-
Js unto the Lord in a perpetual covenant, and have such
"emotions and feelings toward Christ and fellow-communi¬
cants, as a true faith in the gospel produces.
But those who are enemies to God, tv ho have not learned
from Christ, the words of eternal life; who are far off from
God, and from righteousness; who are ignorant of God, of
themselves and of the gospel plan of salvation, have no right
to partake ofthis feast. It was instituted only for the dis¬
ciples of Christ, and the invitation is only given to those
who are friends, and who are beloved, and to those who
are prepared to keep it with sincerity and truth.. Those,
therefore, who have not Such knowledge of the nature and
efficacy of Christ's death, as would authorize the hope that
the words of institution might (in consistency with truth)
he addressed to them, ought to be debarred for the want of
knowledge to discern the Lord's body. Persons who are
inadmissible on this principle, are all those who are grossly
ignorant of the gospel truths' respecting Christ's death, or
who disbelieve and deny some fundamental truth that is es¬
sential to the existence of a true faith in Christ, in their
hearts- This disposition is applicable to such as believe
that Christ was but a mere man, and deny his atone¬
ment altogether; and it is equally applicable to those
who, though they admit Christ's divinity, and that be made
something called an atonement, consisting merely in a proof
that God will puijish sinners, and satisfaction to the bene¬
volence of the Dejty, and yet deny that Christ made a real
and full satisfaction to the justice and law of God, for the
sins of his people,
4. We-should follow the apostles in the exercise of church
discipline.
The great end of discipline, is to maintain in the church,
the knowledge of thq truth, and obedience to the laws of
Christ; we know of no means by which the grand adversa¬
ry of Chrjst and his church, can succeed so much in the
accomplishment of his inimical designs, as by the propaga¬
tion of erroneous views on divine subjects ; by these means,
when all others fail, he causes first, a falling away from the
faith, then, from duty, and then from the church. By a
flood of error, the church is driven into the wilderness;
those, who are stationed on the walls of Zion, should maik
the movements of the enemy, and when he cbmeth in like a
flood, not cry peace, peace and safclj, but sound an alarm,
V^nd give faithful warning; by so doing, only, he can clear his
21
skirts of innocent blood * Of all tbe duties, incumbent on
ministers, this is the most difficult, the most disagreeable,
and most unpopular ; it is so, in Consequence of the preva¬
lence of an 1m scriptural and spurious charity, that levels all
distinction between truth and error; yet, they should be
encouraged by the promises of God, that when the enemy
cometh in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a
standard against him* that no weapon formed against'Zion
shall prosper; we should not be unfaithful, though evil
men and seducers wax worse and worse, deceiving, and be¬
ing deceived; and although tfye time be come, when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but will keep to themselves
teachers having itching ears, and though there are many vain
teachers whose mouths must be stopped; who subvert
'whole houses, teaching things they ought not, and although
their zeal be so great, that they creep into widows' houses,
and lead captive silly women, and compass sea and land to
make one proselyte ; yet, it is the indisperisible duty of
thos'e who are appointed the overseers of Christ's flock, to
rebuke them sharply; to reprove, rebuke, exhort and en¬
treat, with all long suffering and doctrine, and to warn
their flocks, that he which biddeth such God speed, is a par¬
taker of their evil deeds. We ar.e no less commanded to
contend earnestly for the faith, than to perfo'rm any other
duty. The ministers of Christ are to watch in all things,
resolved to endure afflictions, to do the work of evangelists,
to make full proof of their ministry, in meekness instructing
those who oppose themselves, if, peradventure, God may
give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth,
and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of
the devil.
Church officers are not to act as lords over God's heri¬
tage, nor as legislators in matters of conscience, but only to
execute against offenders those rules and laws already
enacted by the head of the church, who is lord of the con¬
science. By these rules they are required to purge the
church of those members who teach that the resurrection
is past, or other doctrines as pernicious to the souls of men,
in their tendency, as this ;f also, to mark them which cause
divisions and ofl'ences contraiy to the doctrine which we
have learned, and avoid thcm.|
#Mioah, 3. 5. Ezek. 13. C—11. Ezck. 3. 18—21. Ezek. 33. 1—%
•f 2 Tim. 2. 18—21. fRom. 16. 17.
22
/Tsui's example is Worthy of imitation, though He became.
p. things to allmen, in npatters of indifference, yet he blomv
ed, and publicly withstood Peter, who w as'guilty of dissi¬
mulation, and thus "wrote to the, church of Gallatin; "I mar¬
vel that you are sq soon,'removed from him that called you
into the grace of Christ,'unto. another gospel, which is not
another, but there be some that trouble you, and would per¬
vert the gospel of Christ. "But thougH we, or *an angel
from heaven,,preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have pre&ched unto you, let hiih be accursed."*
He says, also, " I would they were even cut off which trou¬
ble you."f Every instance of discipline exercised against
immorality, is equally to be considered as executed against
some false principle, or erroneous notion, which leads to that
immorality. When Paul directed the church of Corinth to
excommunicate the incestuous person, he condemned the
notion that such a practice was not very sinful; and his
procedure against Peter, went to condemn the false opinion
that it is right to equivocate or dissemble for the sake of
peace, gnd for the propriety of what may be considered the
♦true gospel; and to justify the principle that unequivo-
cating plainness, and strictly honest means, ought always
to be used,
2. From what has been said on this subject, we deduce
the following inferences:
1. That if it be the duty of ministers thus to follow the
apostles, it must be their duty also, by their prayers, coun¬
sels, &c. to encourage the hearts and strengthen the hands
of one another in their arduous- work. Though schismatics
and heretics in all ages, have been most forward to require
their aid, yet they have no right to expect them to disobey
and offend God, and wound their own consciences, to please
any men ; but when they honestly aim at following the apos¬
tles themselves, they are to mark them that wrnlkso, and by
no means discountenance them, but to encourage them to
persevere in well doing.
2. We infer,if it is the duty of ministers thus to follow
the apostles, <. ny opposition they meet with in the discharge
of this duty, is equally made against the apostles who set the
example, and against Christ, wrho requires them to imitate
it.J
3. If this be the duty of ministers, and they honestly per-
^ *Gal. 1. 6—S. J Gal. 5. 12. Cal. 2. 4, fi, ll—lfi. +Lnlc \ U» 1«
23
form, it, they m.ay expect persecution and opposition from
the enemies of* the truth; they are not «nljh,warned that if
they will follow Christ, they must deny themselves and
take up their cross ; and if they .\£ill live godly .in Christ
Jesus, they shall suifer persecution, that those which des¬
pise and persecute Christ, will despise and persecute them
also.
4. If this be the duty of the ministers of Christ, they have
a right to expect that the members of Christ's church will
allow them to perform it faithfully; will be suitably influ¬
enced by such performance; will rejoice in their faithfulness,
and will encourage, support and comfort them in the dis¬
charge of their duty, and that no one will oppose them for
their faithfulness, nor vilify them for their strict adherence
to truth and duty, in the execution of Ihe sacred office.
Should the feelings of any be wounded by the faithful imi¬
tation of the apostles' example, they may be assured those
feelings ought to be mortified, and that charity which " re-
joiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth,"* ought to
be cherished in their room, and that wisdom, which tends
ultimately to introduce envy, strife and confusion into the
church of God, by encouraging errors, and weakening the
hands, and discouraging the hearts of those who follow the
apostles in the defence of the truth, came not from above,
but is earthly, sensual, devilish; but that which is from
above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily to be en¬
treated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
without hypocrisy.
*7tom. 13. 6.