led by it to know and seek our personal sanctification and perfection? Let us realize the connection into which it introduces us with the Son of God. Of what avail to us his mediation, his law, his example, his encouragement, if we follow him not into the spiritual life, and fail of becoming joint heirs with him of the kingdom of heaven, and the eternal benediction of the Father?

Let the servants of Christ take heed how they speak; let the people take heed how they hear. Let them go hand in hand, following "the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," and helping each other onward till they arrive together, perfect in Christ Jesus, to take their place with the redeemed and glorified in heaven.

SERMON XVI.*

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER A DEFENDER OF THE

GOSPEL.

PHILIPPIANS I. 17

I AM SET FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL.

In the act for which we are now assembled, we commemorate the grace of Almighty God in making to mankind a revelation of his will, and in establishing through Jesus Christ those institutions which shall conduct to salvation and heaven. We do something, in this act, towards perpetuating those institutions and rendering them effectual. When Jesus, their founder, left the world, he committed them, and with them the hopes of the human race, to his eleven apostles. They were his ambassadors to the world. They were guardians for him of the dispensation which he had set up. And when they went to their rest, some by fire, and some by crucifixion, and one by a good old age, they transmitted the holy charge to other hands, and thus sent it down from age to age. The race of those who have taken it up has never become extinct. Every man who

* Delivered at the ordination of Rev. Chandler Robbins, over the Second Congregational Church, in Boston, December 4, 1833.

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER A Defender oF THE GOSPEL. 259

joins himself to the company of the preachers, and takes charge of one of the Savior's little flocks, is one more added to the band of those who are "set for the defence of the gospel." Another joins that sacred band to-day; and as we help him to gird on his armor, and lay upon him the hands of charge and congratulation, it may not be unseasonable to speak of the nature of his enterprise and office, under the point of view presented by the apostle in our text. What is it that he is to defend? Against what enemies? With what modes of action and influence? These are the three points of my discourse.

I. What is it which he has undertaken to defend? Of what is he the minister? The answer is, A REVELATION FROM GOD; a revelation of truth, duty, and eternal life. This he is pledged to proclaim and advocate. He is to propound its doctrines, enforce its law, excite by its sanctions.

Herein lies the peculiarity of his position. Other men have taught truth, have inculcated duty, have argued for immortality. But he speaks of them as matters of revelation; he speaks as bearing communications respecting them from God. And thus he is set apart from all other teachers, as the gospel is set apart from all other systems. He does not advocate it, because he judges it to be upon the whole a better doctrine than that of the Stoics or Epicureans; or as one which is very likely to be true, or, if not, so useful that it may be well to teach it to common people as true. But he takes it, explicitly and absolutely, as the revealed truth of God; not as human opinion, but as divine law; not as what he has reasoned out, but what he has received. This is the circumstance to which it owes its value. It would be worth little more than the venerable philosophy of the ancient sages, if it were, like them, the mere offspring of human opinion. To this, too, it owes its power; for its

doctrine comes with authority; not as the intuitive wisdom of this man, or the plausible theory of that, dependent on the logical skill of him who advances it, having, therefore, no more weight than is derived from his power of reasoning, and which may be reasoned down as it was reasoned up; but an authoritative message from the infinite Father of truth.

Undoubtedly there are propositions relative to the gospel which are mere matter of opinion, and which must be discussed as such, if discussed at all, with great self-diffidence. But that the gospel itself is a revelation of truth, a law of duty, and a promise of life, is not one of those propositions, and ought not to be so regarded by him who has undertaken its ministry. Hence, in preaching its doctrines, they are to be treated in the way of explanation and application; not to be taught as the instructions of human intellect, and shown to be probably true according to the light of nature; -but simply proved to have been taught by Christ, and then from other sources illustrated. Its duties he will treat in the same way, as binding, because the commandment of God, not simply as what is advisable and expedient for the good of man, and the sanctions of a future state, — not, like the arguing of the old sages, as being probably thus and thus, according to the best light we have, but as being certainly thus, because we have absolutely the best light. This is what is done by him who defends THE GOSPEL. And he, who, instead of this, puts the whole up to debate, states it all as so much matter open to discussion, on which either side may with almost equal propriety be defended, — that man betrays the cause which he undertook to advocate; he treats as an unsettled question what he engaged to enforce as divine truth, and places the whole at the mercy of his own didactic skill. And what can be the result in the minds of

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-no

his hearers, but a state of indifference and uncertainty? There can be no strong faith, therefore no strong interest - therefore no strong influence of Christian principle high action of Christian hope. There are grand but simple verities, through whose power the soul becomes mighty; but if they are regarded only as theses for discussion, problems for theoretical solution, they have lost their soul-moving and life-giving energy. Faith is powerful just in proportion as it becomes assurance. If ever Christian truth has reformed the sinful and strengthened the tempted, given comfort to the desponding and triumph to the martyr, overcome the world and regenerated kingdoms, it has been because it was received as the certain declaration of God, because his voice was heard uttering the law, proclaiming the promise, and issuing the threat. If the minister is ever to see the fruit of his labors in conversion from sin, in the growth of holiness, in the consolation and peace of a heavenly hope, it must be, it can only be, by persuading his hearers to receive what he delivers as the disciples received the preaching of Paul, "not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God." And if, with intent to redeem the world, ambassadors should go forth merely declaring to men what are their own opinions on great subjects of truth and duty, instead of announcing the message as from God, the disciples of Plato or Confucius would convert the nations as soon as they. No; Christ has taught us better. "I have given to them the words THOU gavest to me, and they have known surely that thou didst send me." And therefore they are not to take a place among the wise and the disputers of this world. They are to be preachers of a revelation.

II. Against what enemies is the minister to defend this revelation? This was our second question; and the answer