when their hearers receive it as the word of God, and not as their own.

I. Let us consider what is implied in preaching the pure gospel. The commission, which Christ gave to his apostles just before he ascended to heaven, runs in this form: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' Agreeably to this commission, they confined the subject matter of their preaching to the plain, pure gospel itself. So they expressly and solemnly declare. "As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts. We are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.-But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." Paul makes these declarations in the name of his fellow-apostles; and speaking in his own name, he says to the Corinthians, "I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech, or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." But to the Galatians he speaks in plainer and more solemn terms. "I marvel that ye are so 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 pervert the gospel of Christ. 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.' Thus the apostles preached the pure gospel, and all their successors in the ministry ought to follow their example, and preach the gospel, and nothing but the gospel, as plainly, as fully, and as extensively as they did; which implies,

1. Preaching that scheme of salvation, which God has devised and revealed in his word. The Bible contains a scheme of grace, which was formed before the foundation of the world, and never began to be revealed till after the fall of man. This plan of redeeming love comprises the whole gospel. It summarily contains all that ministers have to preach, and all that faithful ministers do preach. The apostles made this wise and gracious scheme of salvation the sum and substance of their preaching. Look into the second chapter of Acts, and there you will find Peter representing the gospel as a scheme, which

God has been pursuing and unfolding for ages. Read the seventh chapter of Acts, and there you will see Stephen tracing the means and instruments God employed from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Solomon, and from Solomon to Christ, to develope and carry into effect his eternal purpose of saving sinners through the sufferings and death of the divine Redeemer. Paul tells us in the third chapter of Ephesians, that he made it his main object in preaching the gospel, to trace it up to that original purpose of God, which involves all the works of creation, providence, and redemption. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." The apostle was conscious to himself, that he had plainly and fully laid open this great and comprehensive plan of redemption, and therefore he could confidently say to those who had heard him preach, "I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." The gospel contains nothing more, nor less than the whole counsel of God; and for this reason it is impossible to preach any part of it in a true and consistent manner, without representing it as a part of the great and extensive plan of redemption. 2. Preaching the pure gospel implies preaching the pure and important doctrines of which it is composed. Every whole is made up of its constituent parts. The whole gospel consists of a variety of great and fundamental doctrines, which are essential to it. And in order to preach the whole gospel, or declare the whole counsel of God, those doctrines are to be exhibited,. explained, supported, and inculcated fully and forcibly. The great and amiable character of God is to be delineated as it appears in the work of redemption. It was devised and adopted by Him, before the world began. He appears to be the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of it. "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things." "He worketh all

things after the counsel of his own will," and in all his operations, he appears not only wise, and powerful, and just, and good; but also as absolutely sovereign. He forms whom he pleases into vessels of mercy, and whom he pleases into vessels of wrath. The glorious character of the Lord Jesus Christ is

to be exhibited in all its beauty and importance. He is to be preached as God and man in two natures and one person; as the only Mediator between God and man, who by his sufferings and death on the cross, made complete atonement for sin; as the present Governor of the universe, and the final Judge of the whole intelligent creation, at the last day. The real character of man in his fallen and perishing state is to be set in the plainest and strongest light. By the first offence of Adam, all men are become dead in trespasses and sins. There is none good, no, not one; they are all by nature under the entire dominion of a carnal mind, which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Upon this single point, that all mankind deserve that eternal death, which the divine law threatens to every transgressor, the whole gospel is founded. Accordingly, the Saviour himself says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The doctrine of regeneration by the special influence of the divine Spirit, the doctrine of justification by faith alone, the doctrine of the final perseverance of believers in holiness and obedience, and the doctrine of future and eternal rewards, are all contained in the gospel, and are to be plainly taught and solemnly inculcated by every minister of Christ. And so long as he teaches these doctrines in their proper harmony and connection, without adding to, or taking anything from them, he will really preach the true Gospel. Let us next consider,

II. What is implied in receiving the preached gospel, as the word of God. The Thessalonians received the gospel preached by the apostles as the word of God, and not as their word. "Ye received it," they gratefully acknowledge, "not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God." But what is it to hear the preaching of the gospel in this peculiar and proper manner? It is, in the first place, to attend to the matter, rather than to the manner of what is preached. While hearers attend entirely to the voice, or the gestures, or the style, or the ingenuity, or learning of the preacher, they do not receive what he delivers as the word of God. For all such things as belong to the manner of preaching are merely human, not divine. But the matter, delivered by one who preaches the pure gospel, is of God, and not of man; and what is human may be as clearly distinguished from what is divine, as the chaff from the wheat. Paul was a real orator, and his genuine oratory consisted in his pure and proper language, his just and weighty sentiments, and in the pathos of his benevolent heart, rather than in his appearance, voice, and pronunciation.

In these there were visible defects. These his candid hearers overlooked, and attended to the divine truths which he delivered in the demonstration of the spirit and of power. This was the conduct of the Thessalonians, who regarded the matter, rather than the manner of his preaching; and all who receive the word preached as the word of God, and not as the word of man, do always hear it in the same manner. Their attention is fixed upon the treasure, and not upon the earthen vessel that contains it. Their minds rise higher than to the man, and ascend to God whose word they hear. This was the resolution of those who came to hear Peter preach at the house of Cornelius. "Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God." They meant to hear God speaking by Peter, and all who come to hear the gospel preached ought to hear and embrace it, as the word of God, and not as the word of man.

In the second place, to receive the gospel as the word of God, implies hearing it with a sense of its divine authority. As it is God who speaks in the gospel; so all its precepts, prohibitions, admonitions, invitations, and even promises come clothed with all the authority of the Creator and supreme Sovereign of the universe. The word of God is unspeakably more binding than the word of man, and it loses nothing of its sacred authority by passing through the lips of a feeble mortal. God may send his gospel by whom he will send, and to whomsoever he sends it, it comes sanctioned with his own infinite authority. This all who hear the gospel as the word of God realize to be true. They feel not at liberty to hear, or to forbear; but bound by infinite authority to regard the will of God conveyed to them in his own way. If this obligation be not realized, by those who hear the pure gospel preached, they will not receive it as the word of God, but merely as the word of man. It alters not the case whether people pay a greater or less attention to what is preached. For they may pay as great attention to the word of man as to the word of God. It is necessarily implied in hearing the pure gospel as the word of God, that men believe and realize the infinite authority with which it is clothed.

It must be further observed, in the last place, that to receive the preached gospel as the word of God, implies a cordial subjection to it. People may hear the gospel preached, and realize their obligations to embrace it, while at the same time, they inwardly hate and reject it. This is hearing, but not properly receiving the gospel as the word of God. The Thessalonians cordially embraced the gospel preached by the apostles, as the

word of God, and not as the word of man. They heard it with an obedient ear, or as it is expressed in another place, they obeyed the truth which they heard. On the day of Pentecost three thousand gladly received the word. The whole gospel is worthy of all acceptation. All who properly receive the gospel as the word of God, take a peculiar pleasure in the precious and important truths contained in it. They delightfully hear all the doctrines and duties of Christianity explained and inculcated. When they hear God speaking to them in the gospel, they feel as David did when he said, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb." Or rather they feel as the disciples felt under the teaching of Christ himself. "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures ?" word of God is an expression of his heart; and those who receive the gospel as his word, receive him in it. Hence says Christ to his faithful ministers, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.' Receiving the gospel as the word of God implies, not only a belief of its truth and a sense of its divine authority; but a supreme love to God himself, who has displayed all his glory in the gospel way of salvation. In this manner, the Thessalonians received the gospel preached by the apostles, as the word of God, and not as the word of man. And all who hear the pure gospel preached ought to hear it as the word of God, and not as the word of man, and to receive it into a good and honest heart, that it may bring forth fruit unto eternal life. It now remains to consider,

The

III. Why those who preach the pure gospel are thankful, when their people hear it as the word of God, and not as their own. The apostles were sincerely thankful when they found, that any who had heard them preach the gospel, heard it, not as their word, but as the word of God. They say to the Thessalonians, "For this cause thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God." There are two or three very good reasons why those who preach the pure gospel sincerely, should be thankful when it is heard, not as their word, but as the word of God. And,

1. Because they attain an important end, which they have in view in preaching the gospel. It is with them a great object to exhibit divine truth in all their public discourses.