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THE

NATIONAL PREACHER.

Go....Teach all Nations....Matt. xxviii. 19.

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2 Cor. x. 4.-The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

A CONTEST is going on in this world, between holiness and sin; religion and infidelity. The earth is a revolted province of Jehovah's empire, and bears many unequivocal marks of his displeasure. Yet he has not abandoned it to all the ruinous consequences of this unnatural rebellion : nor has he dealt with our race according to the demands of unmitigated justice. He is a father, as well as a sovereign; and has adopted measures of grace to bring back his disobedient children to allegiance and love.

But man-and this shows the foulness of his revolt in the darkest colours- man has slighted this mercy, and even set himself in opposition to the "Lord's Anointed."

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The pride of the human heart rejects the offer of salvation, as a free gift: an unpurchased heaven" is scorned by creatures who have no money, and can bring no price to their offended Creator.

The pride of human reason is offended with that truth which reason alone could not discover, and refuses to submit to the wisdom of the omniscient God. Man, in the blindness of his self-sufficiency, will not receive the testimony of the Holy One; but demands a religion which he can demonstrate by his own ingenuity.

The worldliness and sensuality of man rejects and opposes a religion which places happiness in purity of heart, in love to God, and commu

nion with him: which requires forgiveness, where the false honour of the world enjoins revenge; humility, where the world talks of dignity ; mortification and self-denial, where the world permits indulgence.

These, and such as these, are the strong holds of which the Apostle speaks; the high things which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and which it is the object of all, who are engaged in this warfare, to pull down, and bring into captivity, and completely to subdue to the obedience of Christ.

But with what weapons girded, are the soldiers of the cross to go forth to the assault of these fortresses? And how are they to accomplish their great work? "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." When men, in the proud spirit of the world, undertake to subdue their enemies, the first thought ordinarily is, to employ force. They love to see their adversaries quailing, and bowing down under their superior strength. But not so do the servants of Jesus Christ, when engaged in his work.

The men of the world endeavour, also, by authority, to bring the understanding and the will of their fellow-men into subserviency to their wishes. And nothing is more grateful to the human heart, than to gratify its desires, and to execute its devices, by commanding the obedience of others. But Christ does not permit his ministers so to fulfil his purposes.

When force and authority fail, corrupt men next resort to stratagem ; and endeavour to overreach by cunning, those whom they can neither subdue by force, nor overawe by authority. Or, when all these measures fail, they employ the bait which tempts avarice; and bribery accomplishes what neither power, nor authority, nor policy could effect.

These are the arts to which ambitious and wicked men have recourse, and for the successful practice of which, they receive the applause of the world. But all these are carnal weapons; and religion rejects their use with holy indignation.

True, indeed, men who have worn the garb, and borne the title of Christ's ambassadors, in utter disregard of "the great Master's law," have been forward to adopt the forbidden measures of worldly policy; and even to seek alliance with the adversary, for the purpose of obtaining carnal weapons, wherewith to maintain their unholy warfare. The arms of the soldier, the authority of the king, and the wiles of the statesman, have been employed by ambitious clergymen, to accomplish their selfish designs. Heaven has seen with horror, and hell with joy, the misnamed and misbelieving heralds of the Prince of peace, propagating a pretended Christianity by the dungeon and the sword, by fire and

fagot, by fraud and chicanery, and every trick of sordid policy. Men have been cheated, and bribed, and beaten, and imprisoned, and burned, to make them Christians !-Inexpressible wickedness! And absurd as wicked.

But where the power of a wise government, or the progress of knowledge among the people, or, what is most efficient of all, the influences of vital religion, have prevented the practice of such abominations, unholy ministers of the gospel have resorted to other expedients, under the pretext of promoting Christianity; but in reality for the purpose of extending their own influence, and securing their own interests. Sectarian zeal has kindled its unhallowed fires; and they who had little regard for genuine piety, have been roused to most vigorous efforts in advancing the cause of a party. "The Church”—“ Orthodoxy”—“ Water”"Fire"-and the like, have been the watchwords, or rather the war-cry, of different sects of Christians, and have roused them, as the notes of the trumpet, which has often called the old warrior to battle. But all measures of this kind are disowned by the religion of Christ. His ministers, imbued with his Spirit, and pursuing the course prescribed by him, do not need, and cannot employ them.

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The reason is obvious :- True religion has its seat in the soul; its influences bear on the heart and conscience. But not one of all these measures has the least power to awaken and regulate the conscience, or purify the heart. And until this is done, nothing is done :-not one effectual step is taken in the great work of saving sinners. Force, indeed, can confine or crush the body :-authority may restrain the actions, and even overawe the mind;-wealth can bribe ;--party-spirit may kindle up fiery zeal; but the heart remains unsanctified; the sinner is still in his sins. One may as well think to bind the tempest in chains, and lightning in fetters of iron, as by the use of carnal weapons to subdue men to the faith of Christ.

Yet religion has weapons, which are mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, and humbling high thoughts. The character of Christianity clearly indicates their nature. It is a religion which consists not in external form and observance : for "the kingdom of God is within you"-in the soul. And the high enterprise of the Christian minister, is to win over the soul to the obedience of the just. In order to this, truth must shed its light on the understanding, and exert its sanctifying influence on the heart. But it is truth only, as invested with God's authority, which can do this. The reasoning of man is in vain for such a work. There must be " the demonstration of the Spirit and of power." And this may be expected only when the truth is delivered as God re

vealed it, and in the spirit and manner prescribed by the great Head of the church.

The truth is preached as God revealed it, when the meaning of the Bible is stated, and proved, and pressed on the sinner's heart;-when sinners are made to understand just what God tells them, and that they are bound to believe and obey, because God has told them. If man assumes authority, his fellow feels that he has a right to refuse obedience; if man reasons, his fellow feels that he has a right to reason on the other side of the question, and to withhold belief:-but if Gov speaks, and the meaning of what he says is clearly exhibited, then there is no subterfuge;-man must obey, or come to the direct and fearful determination, that he will disregard the authority of Heaven.

But much, according to divine appointment, is made to depend on the spirit in which the truth is preached. God, in employing human instrumentality to promote religion, determined to carry on the work of grace, in accordance with the nature which he had originally given to man. He did not, therefore, propose truth in abstract forms to the understanding-cold as an icicle in the bosom-but with its light intermingled the genial warmth of love. God is love: truth is an emanation of Deity; and it is the warmth and energy of love, which carries it to the heart, when torpid and cold in spiritual death. It was, therefore, a wise and gracious determination of our compassionate Redeemer, to use all the kindly and generous feelings of human nature, every thing in man that has power to melt and subdue the heart of man, to extend the influences of his religion. The Christian minister, then, in his warfare, not only opposes truth to error, but blessing to cursing; gentleness to violence; pity to contempt; humility to haughtiness; patience to insult; forgiveness to injury; and love to hatred.

But it was manifestly the design of the Saviour, to give to the instrumentality employed in promoting his religion, the moral influence acquired by the association of numbers in one body. It is true, that one man, like Paul, highly endowed with genius, ardent in feeling, full of courage, unshrinking in fortitude, versatile in talent-taken up to the third heaven, and sent thence, like a comet from the sun, beaming with light from the ineffable glory, and burning with the fires of heavenly love, will exert a mighty influence on the moral condition of the whole world. But even Paul, after all his visions and celestial raptures, still derived aid and courage from the faithful men, who, through his instrumentality, were brought into the church. And he manifestly relied much, under God, on the zeal, and love, and effort of Christans acting in unison.

Hence we see the nature and extent of the instrumentality to be

employed in propagating the gospel. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, both ministers and people, enlightened by divine truth, and moved by holy love, exert all their influence to impress this truth on the hearts of their fellow-men, softened and subdued by this love. THIS IS THE LEGITIMATE METHOD OF PROMOTING THE RELIGION OF CHRIST. There is no other. No case, either of individual or associated enterprise, can furnish an exception to the rule. When one, in the true spirit of the gospel, makes his first attempt to bring sinners to Christ, he dare not, for his life he dare not, adopt any other measure than in love to speak the truth which God has revealed. And when he makes his last and greatest effort, he can do nothing more. He has no weapons of higher temper, or more celestial force, with which to assault and pull down the strong holds, and the high things, which exalt themselves against the law of Christ. If he resort to other means, he at once throws himself out of the list of approved warriors of the cross, and fights under false colours. He uses carnal weapons. His success is not that of the cause of Christ. The places which he wins, he does not annex to the kingdom of the Redeemer. Nothing but truth and love can make men real Christians. God blesses nothing else.

Once, when the church, though a very feeble band, went forth against the whole world, with no defensive armour but that of righteousness, under no protection but that of God, wielding no weapon of offence but the sword of the Spirit, our doctrine was fully recognised, and carried out into action. And the strongest holds of the powers of darkness felt the first shock, to their deepest foundations: and the first clash of the opposing weapons, showed that the church wielded the sword of Michael, the touch of which "neither keen nor solid could resist❞—and one high thing after another was brought down, and subdued to the obedience of Christ. At length, in an evil hour, this armour was laid aside; one of earthly fabrication and temper was used in its stead; and the enemy recovered much of his lost dominion.

In these latter ages, there has been a revival, in some measure, of the spirit of primitive Christianity; and the church is again heard to declare, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." Her ministers are seen going forth, as in the beginning, protected by the shield of faith, and wielding only the sword of the Spirit; and just in proportion as they do this, the kingdom of God is extended among men.

From this brief discussion may be drawn some principles of great importance to the general cause of Christian benevolence; and of course to those particular interests which claim our attention on the present occasion.

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