"

"keeping back any thing that may be profitable" to their hearers. This is the duty required of them; a duty which, by the most powerful motives, they are constrained to discharge. St. Paul tells us, for his part, that necessity was laid upon him; yea," he adds, "woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel."* The unwillingness of men to hear the truth will be no excuse for keeping it back from them. However unpleasant it may be, still they must hear it. Attend to the commission, which the Lord gave to his servant Ezekiel: "And thou, Son of Man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words. Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, And thou, Son of Man, hear what I say unto thee: Be not thou rebellious, like that rebellious house." And in another place, "Son of Man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee, receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears and go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." While in another passage the danger which the Prophet would incur by not

* 1 Cor. ix. 16.

delivering the message committed to him, is thus forcibly declared; "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die: and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity: but his blood will I require at thine hand." And to revert again to the case of St. Paul, he calls the elders of the Church at Ephesus to witness, that he was "pure from the blood of all men ;" "for," says he, (and mark the reason) "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." + His faithfulness in having delivered the message entrusted to him, was the ground of his confidence, because it was the proof of his integrity. Of such vast importance is fidelity in this great office. I observe,

III. That if men refuse to attend to the message thus delivered to them, it is at their own peril. This inference naturally springs from the foregoing observations. For if the Ministers of the Gospel are God's messengers, and are required to be faithful in delivering their message; then doubtless those, to whom it is sent, are equally required to receive it with attention and sub

* Ezek. ii. 6, 7, 6.iii. 10, 11. 18.

† Acts, xx. 26, 27.

mission; and cannot reject it without the greatest danger to themselves. Our Saviour has put this matter beyond all doubt: for he expressly said, to his Apostles, when he sent them to preach the Gospel, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me.' But, on the other hand, "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words; Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement, than for that city."* And though this declaration was made immediately to the Apostles themselves, yet from what has been already said, we may clearly infer, that it is in a great degree applicable to all other Ministers of the Gospel. For since the word which they preach is the same which the Apostles preached, so, not to receive them, nor to hear their words, will equally expose those, who are liable to such a charge, to the righteous anger of God. Hence it is, that these admonitions are so frequently given." He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." "Take heed

how ye hear;" seeing that to hear the word of God without receiving and profiting by it, will sink persons into so much deeper condemnation. And hence also it is, that the preaching of the Gospel is called not only

* Matt. xiv. 15.

"the savour of life unto life," but also "the savour of death unto death." All this indeed must be plain and level to the meanest understanding. Who does not see, that to reject, or, which is the same thing, to refuse to attend to a message sent from God, is of itself a sin of a crimson dye, and greatly adds to a man's guilt? It is a principle strongly laid down by Christ himself, and no less strongly confirmed by reason, that "to whomsoever much is given, of him much will be required:" that is, every man will be called to account for the privileges and opportunities which he has enjoyed. And what greater privilege can be conferred on any one than that of hearing the word of God? What opportunity more important and valuable can be vouchsafed to him, than that of becoming wise unto salvation? On every ground, then, if he reject the mes-sage of God, he rejects it at his peril; and cannot, if he persist in the rejection, but be punished with a more aggravated punish

ment...

From these observations, I shall now pro ceed to a more direct application of the words of the text: "I have a message from God unto thee."

It appears, from what has been said, that the Minister of the Gospel has a message

from God to his hearers: that he must be faithful in delivering this message; and that it deeply concerns them to see how they receive it. It may then be reasonably asked, What is the message which he brings?

In general, the substance of it is this, "That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners;" that "God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them *;" that the Almighty, in infinite pity to our souls, has provided a way of access unto himself; a way, in which we may draw near to him with confidence now, and may be assured of a glorious entrance into his presence hereafter; a way, in which our sins may be pardoned, our souls may be made holy, and the Kingdom of Heaven laid open to us;that this way is by faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood has been shed to atone for our sins, and to purchase for us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a title to eternal life and glory; that whosoever now comes to God by this way, shall be graciously received; but that whosoever refuses to come, shall bring on himself greater condemnation.

This, in general, is the purport and sum of that message, which the Minister of God brings to his hearers. It is the message,