A Serious Address to the Pulpit; Being an Essay, for the Reviving and Restoring the Great Work of a Christian Ministry, Call'd Preaching the Gospel (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1730 Excerpt: ... T o preach Chrift, is to preach the Go/pel-of Chrift, which Gofpel is fignificantly cxprefs'd, as. above, by Repentance and Forgivenefs of Sins being publifti'd in his Name, and, without entring into a long Detail of the Meaning of thefe great Articles, we may by Advance offer it to the Confideration of the Minifters of Chrift, how they can preach Repentance in the Name of Chrift, without including a ftrift Morality, feeing to repent of and forlake Sin, are lynonimous Terms in the Gofpel-Stile: At leaft preaching Repentance muft include all moral Duties in their utmoft Perfe&ion, with this particular Diftin&ion, namely, that being thus preach'd as a Branch of Repentance, they are preach'd in the Name of Chrift, and fb become a Part, an efiential Part of preaching Chrift, or the Gofpel of Chrift. To preach Repentance in the Name of Chrift, is of courle to preach up Holinefs of Life, W//&. out which none Jhall fee the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. But there may be many ways of preaching up moral Duties, nay though we were to call it Holinefs or a Holy Life, which cannot be ftriftly called a preaching Chrift, becaufe not prefs'd in the Name qf Chrift, not recommended to be accepted on account of his Merit, and as the Purchafe of his Blood, wrought in us by his Spirit, and aflifted by Grace. I F' Moral Duties were preach'd up thus, with a Gofpel Spirit, I muft take the Liberty to lay, they would be preach'd with more of the Energy and Efficacy Efficacy of a Golpel Mannerj not in a cold declaiming Way with the Manner and Air of the Theatre, rather than the Pulpitj not with the ftieer empty Jingle of Words, and fet off with the Sound of Things, rather than the Meaningj but of that hereafter. Doubtlefs a true Gofpel-Preaching would be attended with the lame Earneftnels, and...