Essay 02

(Same source)
The ministry

There is a great need that ministers should be careful as to the matter and manner of their sermon, and that the people should mind what and how they hear. There is great danger lest the preachers should be worldly and light, and the hearers should be carnal and indifferent.

1 The situation of ministers is awe-ful, and their office most responsible as to endless consequences. A poor insignificant man standing up to address multitudes of his fellow-creatures, as a messenger from God, to make known God's mind; yea, all His revealed will to man, and nothing else but this manifestation; yea, publishing it to men, who are creatures accountable to God, transgressors of His law, enemies to Him every way, who are under condemnation already, and to be judged by Him in the last day. This messenger is to tell these people, honestly and faithfully, their awful state before God, and also the way in which He has in His sovereign grace contrived to save such creatures. He is to call on them to repent of their dreadful rebellion, and to invite them to reconciliation with God. He is to make known to them the way to be reconciled; and he is to preach the Lord Jesus Christ, publishing His death, the doctrine of the cross. But he is not to preach with words taught by human wisdom, but by the Spirit of God. Indeed, he is to make known to his hearers all the counsel of God, and to teach Christians how to walk and please God. He should most earnestly seek wisdom and strength from the Lord to enable him to fulfil his ministry and to make it useful to his hearers. He is to remember always that he is nothing in himself.
There is a great defect in the manner of many preachers. It can scarcely be said that the Gospel is preached by them. Their sermons are very confused; they contain many expressions which are not taught by the Holy Ghost; and subjects are so clothed with new words, that it is difficult to know what is meant. Though these preachers may not be accused of saying what is false, yet, alas, they neglect stating weighty and necessary truths when opportunities offer. By omitting those important portions of truth in their natural connection, the Word is made subservient to subjects never intended. The hearers are led to deny the truth which the preacher leaves out of his sermons. Omitting any truth intentionally in a sermon leads to the denial of it. Indeed, there are several deficiencies in many ministers; some acknowledge and lament them. There is room to suspect that those defects are intentional in others. I will name some things I consider as deficiencies in preachers.
There is need of shewing more of the greatness, purity, and justice of God, and the purity and spirituality of His law. It is impossible, without this, to shew the great evil of sin, and the demerit of sinners in suffering eternal punishment for sin. The great depth of the fall, and the total depravity of man, and his awful misery, are not exhibited in many sermons in scriptural language. It is not plainly declared that all the human race are by nature, 'the children of wrath,' and that the 'sentence of condemnation' is passed on every one; that none can save himself; that no one deserves to be rescued, and that none will come to Christ to have life. There are but few ministers that fully show that salvation springs entirely out of the sovereign grace of God, and that grace shines illustriously in the plan, work, and application of salvation. Salvation, we know, is entirely, in every respect, for the praise of the glory of his grace. There is too much of some dark, human mixture in many a sermon, under the name of preaching Christ. He is not, alas, preached clearly and scripturally as a complete Saviour. The glory of His person, the appointment of Him in the place of sinners, the performance of His mediatorial offices according to the covenant of redemption, the completeness of His atonement, the perfection of His righteousness, are not clearly set forth. The expressions respecting the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them that believe are often very dark, confused, and wretched.
Few ministers speak clearly of the necessity of the Spirit's work in order to save sinners, and of the nature of His operations on those that shall be saved. How seldom do we hear of dying to the law, in sermons, and of the necessity of being born again, and being partakers of the divine nature, and that man does nothing that is truly holy, except it proceeds from a pure principle! There is but little said respecting the necessity of being taught, led, and strengthened by the Holy Ghost in everything, and the need of His blessing the means of grace. Ministers should tremble for fear their hearers deceive themselves under their ministry, and lest their sermons should give them ease and strength in their delusions. It is a great thing for a minister to be 'free from the blood of all men' that have heard him. One thing necessary for this, is declaring 'all the counsel of God' revealed to us in His holy Word. And the way for a minister to 'save both himself and those that hear him' is by 'taking heed unto himself and unto the doctrine, and continuing in it.'

2. It is a matter of the greatest importance that people observe what and how they hear. Hearing the Word of God is an ordinance of His appointment for the reception of faith and life. Isaiah 55.3. Romans 10.17.
Hearers should consider what they hear, for there are false teachers, and diverse and strange doctrines. Therefore they ought to search the Scriptures daily, like the Bereans, and see whether those things are as the preacher says.
They should also observe how they hear, what is their end and frame of mind in hearing. There are several kinds of hearing that are not for the glory of God nor the benefit of the hearers; such as to hear for the sake of the gifts, eloquence, and fluency of the preacher, or to feed the desires of their own conceited curiosity, or for the sake of carnal gratification. But they ought to hear with reverence what the Lord saith, trembling at His Word, understanding and receiving it, believing His testimony, obeying His commandments, keeping and hiding His sayings in their hearts.
There is nothing more proper and becoming for a preacher and hearer, than to converse about the doctrines of the Gospel in an humble spirit, willing to be taught of God, taking His Word to settle every dispute.
Shun the idea of submitting the Word of God to the judgment and reason of corrupt man. Avoid asking about anything God says in His Word, saying, 'Is that reasonable, proper, or correct?' To know what the Lord says respecting everything is enough for us; all His words are solid truths: there is infinite wisdom and perfect consistency in them all.

Fron, January 16 1840