SECTION V. 110;9 together with the growing errors of the times, have always Smile weight with you to bend your ministry a little more the one way or the other': And never affect to preach thesematters in a disputative and controversial way, but rather in aplain and'prac- tical form, except the temptations of the age and nation, or of particular churches Or christians seem to demand it. And indeed this seems to be one great reason, why scripture itself in dall'e- rent parts of it sometimes manages the argument in a way of dis- pute, and at other times gives a different practical turn to the same truth, and uses so different language in the representation of the same doctrines. For the several books of scripture were written according to the various necessities of the church of God, and to obviate temptations of contrary kinds, and toprevent the dangerof errors arising, by running to extremes on either side- In the last age, in the times of the civil wars, antinomianhnt and errors of that nature, were very cowman in the nation : This turned the labours and study of many pious men to vindi- sateand preach tip the duties of the gospel, and works of hob.. 'ness, as the proper business of the day. In this present age, the popish and pelagiandoctrines of justification by works, and sal- vation by the power of our ownfree-will, are publicly maintain -' ed and preached'abundantly through the land : the socinianand arminian errors are revived and spread exceedingly, whereby :Jesus Christ is robbed ofhis godhead, or his satisfaction, or both, and theblessed Spirit denied in the glory ofhis offices : For deism and natural religion, in opposition to christianity, daily prevail. Now, perhaps, some may think it the duty and business of the day to temporize, and by preaching the gospel a little more conformably to natural religion, in a more rational or legal form, to bring it down as near as may be to their scheme, that we may gain them to hear and approveit, or at least, that we may not offend them. But I am rather ofan opinion, that we should in such aday stand up forthedefence of the gospelin the full glory of its most important doctrines, and in the full freedom of its grace ;' that we should preach in its divinest and most evangelical form, that the cross of Christ, by the promised power of the Spirit, may vanquish the vain reasoningsof men, and that this despise doctrine triumphing in the conversion o{' souls, may confound the wise and the might, and silence the disputers ofthis world. This was the bold and glorious method St. Paul took at, Corinth, where learning and reason and philosophy flourished in pride ; but they yielded several trophies of victory to the preaching of the cross. Paul could use the wisdom of words whensoever he had occasion for it, and had the excellency ofspeech at command when he pleased : This appears in several parts of his writings ; yet in his sermons at Corinth he disclaimed it all, and deter- mitied to know, nothing among them but Jesus Christ and him. crucified ; 1 Cor. ii. 2.
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