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Riches.'-Christ and His unsearchable riches

of grace, mercy, righteousness, &c.-' God is my Shepherd, I shall not want.'

IV. Ministers' duty.

1. To preach this Mystery.

2. To warn every man of his danger, in a state of sin, nature, unbelief.

3. To teach every man, the way of faith, bliss, and glory; in all wisdom from above.

V. End of Preaching.

1. 'Presenting every man.'

To God, to the church, to the assembly of the firstborn.

2. Perfect in Christ Jesus.'

So acquainted with, and living in Christ, that he may be dead, and his life entirely hid with Christ in God. Perfection in Christ, by dwelling in Him.

APPLICATION.-Sinners!-Unacquainted with this Mystery, how miserable, guilty, ruined! Sin, the world, Satan, in you,-the fear of death, judgment, and hell; not hope of glory. You we warn to fly from the wrath to come. Attend to Christ in your conscience, warning, wooing you. Change the mystery of sin, for this rich and glorious mystery.'

Mourners. This mystery is now mauifested to you. Refuse not the hope of glory. Christ is near; in you, if you believe. You we teach the way of faith, in Scripture wisdom, in the very words of Christ:-He is the true wisdom.

Believers.-Grow in the knowledge and enjoying of the mystery, till you are perfected, adult Christians.

OUTLINE XVII.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, and they came near, and he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.-Gen. xlv. 4.

INTRODUCTION.-Search the Scriptures, they testify of me in types.

1. The behaviour of sinners towards Christ, the beloved Son.

1. They hated Joseph, and could not speak peaceably. 2. When he went in love, they conspired to slay him. 3. They stripped him of his clothes, cast him into the pit.

4. They sat down to eat and drink.-Stupidity after sin.

5. They sold him for twenty pieces of silver.-Judas, Esau.

6. Skill in hiding their crime, and contentedness. 7. Jacob's grief.—I will go down to the grave mourning.

II. Christ's humiliation and exaltation.

1. Jacob said, 'I will send thee to them;' and he said, 'Here I am.'-See if it be well with thy brethren. 2. Hated. He came to his own, and they received him not.'-Cast into a pit.-Sold.-All prospers in his hand.

3. A guilty woman accused Joseph. He is condemned, imprisoned.

4. No help from the Butler.-Christ's Apostles forsook him and fled.

5. No friend but Jesus.-Thief.-Butler forgetful. 6. Joseph exalted, arrayed as the King, rides in his

chariot. Bow the knee.-Without thee shall no man lift up his hand, in all Egypt!-Gave bread to all, bought all

III. Christ's heart is towards sinners, and how He manifests Himself to them after many trials.

1. A famine once brought his brethren to beg of Joseph-Again, a famine brings sinners to beg of Christ.

2. Joseph saw, knew; yet, at first, made himself

strange.

3. 'Ye are spies; not true men.-Ye shall be proved three days. Bring forth Benjamin,' fruit meet for repentance.-Delilah.

4. They said, 'We are guilty.'-This distress comes, his blood is required, Joseph heard, turned, and wept. 5. Simeon bound, corn given freely, no money required.

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6. Except you bring Benjamin,'-Delilah,-ʻ you will see my face no more.'-He is brought.

7. They must eat bread with Joseph, they bowed, Joseph made haste, retired, wept.

8. The last pang of distress :-'How shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of his servants.'

9. Joseph refrains no longer.

All are dismissed-Joseph manifests himself, weeps: 'I am Joseph, your brother,' (I AM Jesus, whom thou persecutest,) come near: God sent me to preserve life. Kissed them; fatness of Egypt, Goshen.

OUTLINE XVIII.

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.— 1 COR. i. 23.

'And straightway he preached

INTRODUCTION. Christ.'-(Acts ix. 20.)

I. What the true preaching?
Not morality-but Christ.

INSTANCES.-God in Paradise. (Gen. iii. 15.)—God to Abraham. (Gen. xii. 3.)-Jacob to Sons. (Gen. xlix. 10.)-Moses. (Deut. xviii, 15, 18.)—(Job. xix. 25.) -David. (ii. 1.)-Solomon. (Prov. iii. 8.) (Cant. v. 9.)— (Isaiah liii.) (Jeremiah xxiii. 6.) (Ezekiel xxxiv. 23.) (Daniel ix. 24.) (Hosea iii. 5.) (Joel ii. 28.) (Jonah ii. 9.) (Micah v. 2.) (Zechariah ix. 9; xii. 10; xiii. 7.) (Malachi iv. 2.)

In the New Testament.-Christ. (Luke iv. 18; xxiv. 27.)-Commission. (Mark xvi. 16.)-Apostles. (Acts v. 42.)-Peter. (Acts ii. 22; x. 43.)-Jews mad. (Acts iv. 18.)-Philip. (Acts viii. 35.)-St. Paul. (Ju the Text, and in Acts xiii. 38; xvi. 31; xvii. 18; 1 Cor. ii. 2; 2 Cor. iv. 5; Eph. iii. 8; Phil. i. 18; Col. i. 23, 28.)-Conclusion.-(Gal. i. 8.)

II. What to preach Christ?

It is to preach,-(1.) His Natures.-(2.) Offices.(3.) Relations.

1. His Natures.

His Divine Nature.-Called 'God' in John i. 1; xx. 2; Isa ix. 6; Zech. xiii. 7; Phil. ii. 6.—He does the works of God, has his knowledge, and is every where. Tremble, adore, trust.

His Human Nature.-(1 Tim. iii. 16; John i. 14.) Lived and died, was born, grew, thirsted as a man. Adore, wonder, praise, draw near, fear not.

2. His Offices.

(1.) Mediator.-(1 Tim. ii. 5; Heb. viii. 6; xii. 24.) (2.) Saviour.-(1 Tim. iv. 10; Luke i. 47; ii. 11; Acts v. 31.) Feel your ruin, believe, apply, be saved.

(3.) Prophet.-(John vi. 14; Luke xxiv. 19; Matt. xi. 29.) Learn, consult, be taught, follow, fear.-He knows all.

(4.) Priest. (Heb. vii. 3; v. 10.) Priest and Victim; He atones and blesses: Wash, be blessed and pardoned. (5.)-King.-(Rev. xix. 16.) King of Saints.-(Rev. xv. 3; John xii, 15; Matt. xxvii. 37.) Wonder at His

condescension, trust his power, fear Him, believe, He can give a Kingdom.—(Rev. i. 5.)

(6.) Captain.—(Josh. v. 15; Heb. ii. 10.)Our David, enlist, be courageous, desert not, fight, conquer.

(7.) Shepherd.—(Zech. xiii. 7; John x. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 25) Follow Him, wander not, eat his flesh, love Him.

(8.) Physician.—(Matt. xix. 12 ; iv. 33; John v. 4.) Apply, tell him your state, trust Him, follow His prescriptions.

(9.) Advocate.-(1 John ii. 1.) Put your desperate cause into his hand, &c.

(10.) Judge.-(Acts x. 42; John v. 22.) Make Him your friend, tremble before Him, rejoice.

3. Relations.

(1.) Father.-(Isa. ix. 6; John i. 3.)

(2.) Husband.-(Isa. liv. 5; 2 Cor. xi. 2 Eph. v. 32.) My Husband.—(Hos. ii. 16.) Take Him, forsake others, be faithful, obedient, loving.

(3.) Brother. (Matt. xii. 48; Heb. ii. 11; Ps. xxii. 22; John xx. 17.) Be co-heirs, obey, love the elder brother.

(4.) Friend.-(Cant. v. 16; Prov. xviii. 24; John xv. 14, 15.) Love Him, tell Him all, apply to Him, betray not.

(5.) Servant.-(Phil. ii. 7; Luke xxii. 27.) Wonder, obey.

(6.) Head.-(Col. i. 18; ii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 3.) Hold Him.

(7.) Life.-(John xi. 25; Col. iii. 4; Gal. ii. 20.) Live now.

(8.) All.-(Col. iii. 11.) Seek, find all in Him.

APPLICATION.-1. Why we preach Christ? No preaching is of service but this: It humbles, convinces, melts, renews.

2 Our duty, when he is preached, to believe, receive. Unconverted! receive Him.

Ye believers! preach Him by your lives.

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