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over his Church, and the powerful Application of the Redemption purchased by him fo that if we knew what it were to preach Chrift Jefus the Lord, we would find, that under thefe three comprehenfive Words are contained all the Truths that we are commanded in Scripture to believe concerning God, and all the Duties which God requires of Man. 3dly. You have the laborious Office of the Miniftry defcribed, in these Words, ourselves your Servants for Jefus Sake. Minifters are Servants, which imports Faithfulness and diligent Labour; they are employed in ferving Sinners of Adam's Family; fays the Apoftle here, we are your Servants, to ferve you with all the Bleifings of the new Covenant, to Spend and be Spent in your Service. The Names in Scripture given to Minifters, fuch as Paftors, Stewards, Watchmen, Labourers, all import a Service, excluding any Thing like Domination, or lording it over God's Heritage, but including Humility, Industry, Fidelity, Love and Helpfulnefs. Chrift only hath Domination and Pre-eminence, all his Office-Bearers are but Servants or Minifters; like the Priests and Levites, they are to ferve the Lord and his People Ifrael, 2 Chr. XXXV. 3. But then they are Servants for Jefus Sake, which imports the great Love that Chrift has to loft Sinners, and that

this

this Love is fhed abroad in the Hearts of his faithful Servants, who, upon that Account, befeech Sinners, in Chrift's Stead, to be reconciled unto God.

Having thus explained the Words, I fhall effay, as the Lord fhall affift, to difcourfe upon them fuitable to the Occafion of our Meeting, in the following Order. 1. I Thall fpeak of the Matter of Gofpel-Preaching, as it is here expreffed in our Text, both negatively and pofitively. 2dly. Of the Manner in which Chrift Jefus the Lord is to be preached. 3dly. Of the Office of Gofpel-Minifters, as they are Servants, first of Chrift, and then of Sinners, for Jefus Sake. 4thly. Deduce fome Inferences for the Application.

I. I am to effay to offer fome Thoughts upon the Matter of Gofpel-Preaching, as it is here expreffed in our Text, both negatively and pofitively; it is not to be ourJelves, but Chrift Jefus the Lord; and upon this Head I fhall,

First, Speak of what is not to be the Matter of our Preaching; we are not to preach ourselves.

Self is the great Rival that the Lord Jefus has in the Hearts of the Children of Men; it not only prefers finful Pleasures, and the lawful Comforts of Life, unto him, but wants to share with him in our most

fo

folemn Duties and religious Exercifes! There is no Need for crying up this Idol of Self, and exalting it above the Authori ty of God in his Word, as is done at this Day; for I make no Doubt to affirm, that Self-Love is the leading Principle of Action to all Men in a natural State. It was SelfLove that made Pharaoh opprefs Ifrael, left they should become too many and strong for him; it was Self-Intereft that made Feroboam fet up the Calves at Dan and Bethel, left Unity of Worfhip fhould reduce the Ten Tribes to the Houfe of David again. It was nothing but Self-Love that made Demetrius and the Craftsmen cry up Diana, and cry down the Gofpel of Christ, Acts xix. 24, 27. fo that Self is the chief End of every natural Man; therefore, that which conftitutes the Difference between a natur ral and renewed Man, is this, Self is the End of the one, Chrift is the End of the other. The natural Man ftudies nothing more than to gratify his Self-Love, that is, Love to himself is that which moves him on to all the A&tions of Life, whether natural or moral; his Happiness is only in himself, and therefore he must live to himself, and can have no higher End than to gratify Self one Way or other. But the Defire of the new Creature is to be denied to Self, to he denied to finful Self abfolutely, without ស

any

any Referve or Exception; to have the Ocean of Corruption, and all the Streams that flow from it, quite dried up in the Soul, crying with the Apostle, Rom. vii. 24. Who fhall deliver me from the Body of this Death. The Believer defires alfo to be denied to natural Self conditionally, or upon Suppofition of a Call in adorable Providence, that is, he defires, thro' Grace, to part with outward Eafe, Reputation, Houfes, Lands, Wife, Children, yea, Life itfelf, or whatever is dear to him in this World, when it stands in Oppofition to, or in Competition with the Glory of the Redeemer, and the Interest of his Kingdom. Thus the Apostle Paul, Acts xxi. 13. Iam ready, not to be bound only, but to die at Jerufalem for the Name of the Lord Jefus. And then, as to religious Self, the Believer defires to be denied to all his Duties and Graces, in Point of Righteoufnefs or Juftification before God, and to rely upon the Righteoufnefs of the Lord Chrift alone, as the fole Ground of his Pardon and Acceptance in the Sight of God. In a Word, as the Believer's Happiness lies without himself, fo he defires to aim at the Glory of God, and of the Redeemer, as his greatest and chiefeft End; agreeable to this is the Exhortation of the Apostle, I Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the Glory of God;

and,

and, in order to this, we find that it was one great End of the Death of Chrift, to take Sinners off from Self, to reft only on a God in Chrift, as the All of their Happiness and Salvation, 2 Cor. v. 15. He died for all, that they which live fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him which died for them and rofe again. As Adam's Sin hath fet up Self, in Oppofition to the Authority of God, fo the Death of Chrift hath put down Self, and advanced God in the Soul to his Right of being our chief End. Since then Self is fuch a beloved Idol, that Men naturally want to exalt it above all that is called God, to the Ruin of their own Souls, we ought all of us carefully to be aware of it, especially we that are Minifters, in delivering God's Meffage to loft Sinners, anent their eternal Salvation. The Apoftle here disclaims it in his own Practice; We preach not ourselves, fays he; and fo ought every Minifter of the Gofpel, thro' Grace, to endeavour to guard against Self, in the Discharge of his paftoral Office.

In fpeaking therefore to what the Apostle here difclaims, as the Matter of his preaching, when he fays, We preach not ourselves, it will be native to enquire, when Minifters may be faid to preach themselves.

1. When they run unfent, and obtrude themselves upon the Lord's Heritage, not B only