In short, it is proper to take this method, with all exhortations to piety, charity, &c. which are found in Scripture. In order to persuade people to the practice of them, their fitness must be shewed, by opening the grounds, reasons, and principles of our obligations to the practice of all these virtues.

XX.

REMARK THE GOOD AND BAD IN EXPRESSIONS
AND ACTIONS.

This topic is of very great use in explaining the histories recorded in the Gospel, where you will frequently find actions and words which may be called mixed; because, in general, they proceed from some good principles, and, in particular, they have a good deal of weakness and infirmity in them. If you would explain Matt. xvi. 22. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee; you may observe what there is good and what bad in this expression' of St. Peter. 1. You see herein his love to his master; for his not being able to bear the discourse of Jesus Christ concerning his sufferings at Jerusalem could only proceed from his ardent affection to him. 2. Herein appears not that cold and lukewarm regard which most men have for one another, but a most lively affection, interesting him, for his master, an affection full of tenderness, which could not even bear to hear a word or entertain a thought about the death of Jesus Christ. 3. You may observe an honest freedom, which put him upon freely addressing Jesus Christ himself, using that familiar access which his condescension allowed his disciples, without a mixture of mean and despicable timidity. 4. You see, in fine, a strong faith in his master's power, as by addressing him he seems persuaded that it depended only on himself to suffer or not to suffer; Lord, be it far from thee; this shall not be unto thee. Now all these are good dispositions: Here follow the bad ones. 1. Peter discovers gross ignorance of the ways of divine wisdom in sending Jesus Christ into the world, for he does not seem yet to know that Jesus. Christ must needs suffer; and with this ignorance the VOL. I. Lord

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Lord reproaches him in the next verse, Thou savourest. not the things which are of God, but those which are of men. 2. His love to his master had something merely human and carnal in it, since he only considered the preservation of his temporal life, and concerned himself only about his body, instead of elevating his mind to that superior glory of Jesus Christ, which was to follow his sufferings, or considering the great work of man's salvation, to perform which he came into the world. 3. You may also remark a troublesome and criminal boldness. He means to be wiser than Jesus. Christ. Peter took him, says the Evangelist, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee. Rash attempt! as if Peter were called into the counsel of God and Jesus Christ his Son, to give his opinion concerning this grand affair. 4. It even seems as if Peter, hearing Christ speak of his sufferings, imagined this discourse proceeded only from his fear of death, and from a mean timidity; for he aims to encourage and comfort him as we do persons whose fears exceed the bounds of reason. Lord! says he, be it far from thee; this shall not be to thee: as if he had said to him, Do not afflict yourself, your apprehensions of death are groundless, nothing of this is like to happen to you.

XXI.

SUPPOSE THINGS.

This topic is principally used in controversy. For example: When you are speaking of the merit of good works, you may take this way of supposition, and say, Let us suppose that Jesus Christ and his apostles held the doctrines of the church of Rome, and that they believed men merited eternal life by their good works: let us suppose that they intended to teach us this doctrine in the Gospels and Epistles. Tell me, I beseech you, if upon this supposition (which is precisely what our adversaries pretend) they ought to have affirmed what they have. Tell me, pray, do you believe yourself well and sufficiently instructed in the doctrine of the merit of good works, when you are told, When you have done all these things ye are unprofitable servants 2 Again, when the example of a miserable publican is proposed to you, who

prays,

prays, God be merciful to me a sinner! who smites his breast, and dares not lift his eyes to heaven; when he is placed in opposition to a Pharisee glorying in his works; and when you are informed, the first went down to his house justified rather than the other-when you are told, If it be by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace; if it be by works, it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work-when you are told, You are saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God-when you are assured, you are justified freely by grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, not of works, lest any man should boast-when you hear, that to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righte ousness when you are taught to believe the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life-tell me, I once more intreat you, can you persuade yourself that Jesus Christ and his apostles, by all these means, intended to teach you, that man acquires justification, and a right to eternal life, by the merit of his works?

You may also make such suppositions in morality as well as in controversy, in order to give greater weight to your exhortations.

XXII.

GUARD AGAINST OBJECTIONS.

There are very few texts of Scripture where this topic may not be made use of; and it is needless to mention examples, they will occur to every one without much reflection.

Remark, however, objections must be natural and popular, not far-fetched, nor too philosophical; in a word, they must be such as it is absolutely necessary to observe and refute.

They must be proposed in a clear and simple style, without rhetorical exaggerations; yet not unadorned nor unaffecting.

I think it is never advisable to state objections, and defer the answers to them till another opportunity; answer them directly, forcibly, and fully.

Here it may be asked, whether, in stating objections to be answered, it be proper to propose them altogether at

once, and then come to the answers; or whether they should be proposed and answered one by one? I suppose discretional good sense must serve for both guide and law upon this subject. If three or four objections regard only one part of the text, if each may be proposed and answered in a few words, it would not be amiss to propose these objections all together, distinguishing them, however, by first-second-third;-this may be done agreeably: but if these objections regard different parts of the text, or different matters, if they require to be proposed at full length, and if it would also take some time to answer them, it would be impertinence to propose them all together: in such a case they must be proposed and answered apart.

XXIII.

CONSIDER CHARACTERS OF MAJESTY- MEANNESS

INFIRMITY NECESSITY UTILITY EVIDENCE, &C.

MAJESTY AND MAGNANIMITY.

Take an example of this from John xiv. 1. Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. These words are characterised by a majesty, which exalts Jesus Christ above all ordinary pastors, and above all the prophets; for who beside the Son of God could say, Ye believe in God, believe also in me? These words equal Jesus Christ to the eternal Father, and make him the object of our faith and confidence as well as the Father; for they imply that faithful souls may repose an entire confidence in his power, protection, and government; and that the shadow of his wings will dissipate the sorrows of their minds, and leave no more room for fear:

You see also a character of tenderness and infinite love towards his disciples, which appears in the assurance with which he inspires them, and in the promise which he tacitly makes them, of always powerfully supporting, and never forsaking them. The same characters, or others like them, may be observed in all this discourse of our Saviour, which goes on to the end of the sixteenth chapter: As in these words, I am the way, the truth, and the life-in these, He that hath seen me, Philip, hath seen the Father:-in these, Whatsoever ye ask in my name, I will

do

do it and again in these, I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In general, we see almost in every verse, majesty, tenderness, love of holiness, confidence of victory, and other such characters, which it is important to remark.

MEANNESS AND INFIRMITY.

You will very often observe characters of meanness and infirmity in the words and actions of the disciples of Jesus Christ as when they asked him, Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Acts i. 6. You see, even after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were full of that low and carnal idea which they had entertained of a temporal Messiah.

You also sce a rash curiosity in their desiring to know the times and seasons of those great events which God thought fit to conceal.

Observe again, Peter's vision. A great sheet was let down from heaven, and filled with all sorts of animals; a voice said to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat; to which he answered, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common and unclean. You see in this answer an over-scrupulous conscience, all embarrassed with legal ceremonies; and a very defective imperfect knowledge of gospel liberty.

There is almost an infinite number of texts in the New Testament where such infirmities appear; and you must not fail to remark them, in order to prove-1. That grace is compatible with much human weakness;-2. That heavenly light arises by degrees upon the mind, and that it is with the new man as with the natural man, who is born an infant, lisps in his childhood, and arrives at perfection insensibly and by little and little;-3. That the strongest and farthest advanced Christians ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, since God himself does not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flar. This he was pleased to exemplify in the most ample manner, in the person of Jesus Christ, when he was upon earth.

NECESSITY:

In regard to necessity, you may very often remark this in explaining the doctrines of religion; as when you speak of the mission of Jesus Christ into the world of his familiar

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