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"You must, my brother, side with God against an ungodly world. You must
follow the windings of their evil hearts; you must detect them in all their refuges of lies, that they may flee
to the only refuge set before them in the gospel." [p. 495]
The Nature of the Gospel, and the Manner in Which it Ought to be Preached
By Andrew Fuller
[p. 494]
"Praying, for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, - that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak." - Colossians iv. 3, 4.
MY dear brother, I have chosen this passage, on the present occasion, as expressing not the whole of your
work, but an important part of it - preaching the gospel. For the discharge of this, an apostle besought the
prayers of his brethren, and so should we.
The words imply that, to do justice to the gospel, or to preach it as it ought to be preached, we need
a special Divine influence, and consequently the prayers of our brethren. I wish at this time to call your
attention to the work itself - the manner in which the gospel ought to be preached; and then to offer a few
motives to your consideration.
I. I shall call your attention to THE MANNER IN WHICH THE GOSPEL OUGHT TO BE
PREACHED.
It is not my wish to dismay your spirit, but yet I desire to impress you with a sense of the importance
of the work of the ministry, that, like the apostle, you may cry to Him who alone can give you strength to
discharge it. That we may form some idea of the manner in which the gospel ought to be preached, it is
necessary to consider some of its leading properties. We may mention four or five: -
1. The gospel is a message which implies a disagreeable and heavy charge against those to whom it is
addressed, and therefore requires great faithfulness. - It supposes that all mankind are the enemies of God,
and exposed to his righteous displeasure. You will have to do with the wicked as well as with the righteous,
and you must not flatter them. It is at your peril to say any thing soothing to the wicked. It will be very
painful to keep them at a distance, and to exhibit to them the threatenings of God's word against them. They
will be trying to shift the blame, and to invent excuses; but you must follow up your charges. Their hearts
may rise against you, and they may be displeased with your preaching; but you must not desist.
If we could go with a message of approbation and applause - if we could tell our auditory that they are
amiable and virtuous beings, with only a few imperfections, which God will doubtless overlook - it might
be much more pleasing and agreeable to ourselves as men. We can feel no pleasure in accusing our
species. But woe unto us if we speak not the truth! The wicked will perish, and their blood will be required
at our hand! Ezekiel
[p. 495]
iii. 16-21. Then beware of softening matters, either with the unconverted or the
backslider. Beware of giving up the authority of God over the heart, and of allowing either that the heartless
services of the unconverted are pleasing to him, or if not, that the fault is not in them. Beware of
countenancing their own views of themselves, that they are poor pitiable creatures instead of sinners. The
wound must be probed, or your patient will be lost! O! if we preach the gospel as we ought to preach it,
what fidelity is here required! You must, my brother, side with God against an ungodly world. You must
follow the windings of their evil hearts; you must detect them in all their refuges of lies, that they may flee
to the only refuge set before them in the gospel. However it may pain you, or offend your hearers, if you
would preach the gospel as you ought to preach it - you must be faithful.
2. The gospel is a message in which we have truth and justice on our side; and therefore see ought to
be firm and fearless of consequences. - Speak boldly, Ephesians vi. 19, 20. If a man's cause be bad, it must
render him timid; but to be timid in the cause of God and truth is unworthy. When, however, I recommend
boldness, I do not mean that which is opposed to modesty and respectful feeling, nor yet that dogmatical
rant which deals in assertion without evidence; but that which is opposed to mercenary fear and cowardice.
You must not calculate consequences as they respect this life. If you would preach the gospel as you ought
to preach it, the approbation of God must be your main object. What if you were to lose your friends and
diminish your income; nay, what if you lose your liberty, or even your life - what would this all be,
compared with the loss of the favour and friendship of God? Woe unto us, if we shun to declare any part
of the counsel of God! He that is afraid or ashamed to preach the whole of the gospel, in all its implications
and bearings, let him stand aside; he is utterly unworthy of being a soldier of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, if
you would speak the whole truth, you may be reproached as unsound and heterodox. But you must not
yield to popular clamour. If you have truth on your side, stand firm against all opposition.
3. The gospel is a message full of importance, and therefore you must be in earnest. - If your message
respected the health of your hearers, or their temporal interest, or their reputation, it would be thought
important. But what are these compared with the salvation of their souls! Salvation by Jesus Christ is God's
last remedy - his ultimatum with a lost world, Mark xvi. 16; Acts iv. 12. There remaineth no other sacrifice
for sins. Then do not trifle on such subjects as these, lest you lose your own soul. What can be thought of
you if you employ your time in making pretty speeches, and turning elegant periods, instead of endeavouring
to "save yourself and them that hear you!" What if, instead of beseeching sinners to be reconciled to God,
you should crack jokes before them, to excite a laugh! What can be thought of you if you trifle with
principles, and join the sneer of the poet, when he says,
"For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;
He can't be wrong whose life is in the right!"
Your hearers will doubtless conceive that you are insincere, and that you do not believe the message you
are appointed to deliver.
4. The gospel is a message that abounds with deep wisdom, and therefore we ought to possess a deep
insight into it, and to cultivate great plainness of speech. - The gospel is "a mystery," and a mystery that
requires to be made manifest. A mystery is something hidden, or secret. Such are the great things of God.
They are "hid from the wise and the prudent, and
[p. 496]
revealed unto babes." - "Unto you it is given to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of God." Much of it, indeed, was hidden from Old Testament believers, Ephesians
iii. 5. Nor is it known even to New Testament believers but by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians ii. 7. Nor is it fully
comprehensible to any; for it is called "unsearchable riches." "Great is the mystery of godliness." Even
angels make it their study. Then to make these things manifest must require great insight into them, and great
plainness of speech. Do not be content with superficial views of the gospel. Read and think for yourself on
every subject. Read the Bible, not merely for texts, but for Scriptural knowledge. Truth attained in this way
is like property - it will wear the better for having been acquired by dint of industry. To preach the gospel
as we ought to preach it requires, not the subtilty of the metaphysician, but the simplicity of the Christian.
5. The gospel is a message of love, and therefore it ought to be preached with great affection. - Never
were such messages of love announced to the world before. "God so loved the world," &c. "Come ye out
from them, be ye separate," &c. This is fitly called "the glorious gospel of the blessed God." It is an
overflow of his blessedness. To preach these things with an unfeeling heart is not to preach "as we ought"
to preach. Cultivate the affectionate. Not indeed an affectation of feeling, but genuine feeling. Christ wept
over sinners, and so must we. If we trifle with men, or be careless about their salvation, or deal forth
damnation with an unfeeling heart, we do not preach "as we ought."
II. Let me offer A FEW MOTIVES to this duty of preaching the gospel as it ought to be preached.
1. Consider the examples held up for your imitation. You have Peter . . . Paul . . . John . . . in each of
whom these things are exemplified. Nay, more - you have Christ. Nor have you examples in distant ages
only; but you have seen some, even among you, . . . Peace!
2. Consider the examples exhibited for your warning. Some have sunk into indolence and self-indulgence;
sauntering about and gossiping, instead of preaching, from house to house; and there has been
an end of them. Some have risen into pride and priestly insolence, and there has been an end of them. Some
have trifled with the truth, and God has given them up to destructive error. Others have plunged into
political speculations, which have eaten up all their religion: aiming to govern the world, they have lost the
government of their own souls, and of their peculiar charge.
3. Consider the effects that may follow. - If you were deputed to negociate a peace between the
contending powers of Europe, you would tremble lest the curses of many should fall upon you. My brother,
be faithful, and you shall receive a crown. If you be not, the eternal curse of God awaits you!
==============
[From Joseph Belcher, The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, Volume I, 1845; reprint, 1988. Document provided by David Oldfield, Post Falls, ID. Scanned and
formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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