SERMON IV.

THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH, THE END OF

PREACHING.*

2 CORINTHIANS 4: 2.-But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

In the preceding chapter the apostle is describing the excellency of the gospel. He compares it with the law; and though he allows that that was glorious, yet he asserts that the gospel exceeds in glory. This is the glorious gospel which was committed to Paul and the other apostles. Hence he begins this chapter in the manner he does: "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not." As if he had said, Since we have so glorious a gospel to preach, we faint not in preaching, defending, and propagating it; but under all persecutions, we persevere in this work. Nor is that all; but we have preached and propagated the gospel with integrity or honesty, not practising, in the prosecution of our ministry, any dishonest or shameful arts. The word rendered dishonesty, more properly means shame; and indeed all dishonest, crafty, deceitful arts, are truly shameful; especially in a minister of the simple gospel.

As the several expressions of dishonesty, craftiness, deceit, are but exegetical of each other, they need not be considered distinctly; the sum of what is intended by them all is included in the hidden things of dishonesty or shame.-I shall therefore,

I. Mention some of the hidden things of dishonesty probably intended in the text.

II. Inquire what it is so to manifest the truth, as to commend ourselves to the consciences of men.

III. Show that such manifestation of the truth is the proper and immediate end of preaching the gospel.

Preached November 5, 1783, at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Timothy Dwight, to the pastoral office over the church in Greenfield; and published at New Haven.

I. I am to mention some of the hidden things of dishonesty, probably intended by the apostle in our text.

These comprehend all the deceitful, covert, underhand practices, into which a minister may fall.

1. One of these hidden things of dishonesty is, to keep back a part at least of the truth, when it is necessary or profitable, that the whole, or that part, should be made known. This is sometimes done in order to avoid offence. The truth is often extremely unpopular; or at least displeasing to a number. They find their own tempers and practices condemned by it, and their whole characters set in an odious point of light. This is hard to be borne. At the same time perhaps, they find all their fond hopes of the favor of the Deity in this life, and of eternal felicity in the life to come, shaken or totally overthrown; and find themselves left in a state of painful apprehension, or absolute despair, as to their eternal safety. This is a state so disagreeable and intolerable, that few men will be easy under that preaching, which is the occasion of it, or feel a friendly disposition toward the preacher. In these circumstances men will generally soon grow uneasy, and whatever professions of friendship they may have made, they will soon become his enemies, and at first perhaps secretly, afterwards openly, oppose him.

But for a minister of the gospel to make any, and especially a considerable number of his hearers, and those perhaps the chief and most influential of his whole congregation, enemies to himself, is extremely undesirable. He naturally wishes to live in perfect friendship with them all, and therefore to please them all. This is for his interest, as well as for his tranquillity. From these sources arises a very strong temptation to suppress, in his preaching, those truths of the gospel, which are unpopular, disagreeable, or mortifying to the depraved hearts of mankind.

Or

Under the influence of this temptation, he may altogether omit to preach some doctrines, though he really believes them; such as the doctrines of God's eternal, absolute and immutable decrees; of human depravity; of the necessity of regenerating grace, and the divine sovereignty in the dispensation of that grace. if he do not totally suppress any truth; if he declare a part of it only, he may as really teach error, as if he were directly to assert it. For example: if he preach in general terms the goodness or mercy of God, and explain not the nature and object of it, nor show that it consists in seeking and promoting the general good of the created system and his own glory; not the good of every individual, wherein it is inconsistent with the general good; if he say nothing of the holiness and justice of God, which are indeed

but branches of the divine goodness, and which in a proper explanation of goodness, will naturally come into view; I say, by discoursing in general terms of the goodness and mercy of God without descending to proper particulars, a minister will naturally make his hearers believe, that God by his goodness is seeking and will secure the eternal happiness of every individual of mankind. By this mode of preaching, thousands have been brought into this belief; this is the rock on which multitudes have split. This seems to be the main pillar of deism; the men of that class groundlessly concluding, that because God is indeed aiming at the good or happiness of his creatures, therefore he is aiming at the happiness, not merely of the system in general, but of every individual. Whereas it remains to be proved, that the greatest happiness of the created system implies the happiness of every individual; and nothing is more evident, than that if God is aiming at the greatest happiness of every individual, he entirely fails of his end; inasmuch as individuals, even in this life, are extremely miserable.

Again; by dwelling only on the sufficiency of gospel grace, and saying nothing of the conditions on which the promises of the gospel are suspended, a minister may impress on the minds of his hearers, the idea, that those promises are wholly unconditional. By preaching up the necessity and efficacy of faith, without explaining the nature of it, the hearers may be led to think, that the justifying faith of the gospel is a mere assent of the understanding, without any right temper of heart. By insisting abundantly on good works, the excellency and necessity of them, and leaving the matter thus; people may conceive, that they may obtain justification by their own good works. These may serve as instances of error taught, not by direct and positive assertion; but by a partial exhibition of the truth; and they all belong to the hidden things of dishonesty, or to the handling of the word of God deceitfully.

2. To deliver the truth in general and equivocal terms, is a practice of dishonesty, similar to that just mentioned. This is one way of suppressing the truth. The most pungent and mortifying truths will be tolerable, if delivered in general terms. In this case, every man may understand and receive it, in a manner agreeable to his own taste or wishes. But should the preacher explain himself and descend to some particulars, he would no doubt offend some, and perhaps all his hearers. By the use of only general terms, the real truth is kept out of sight. Thus a man may preach, in general terms, the sovereignty of God, and say nothing but the truth on this subject; yet his hearers shall

not know whether he mean a sovereignty over the natural, or over the moral world; a sovereignty in ruling the sun, moon and stars, or in ruling the hearts of men. Or if the preacher speak expressly of God's sovereignty in the moral world, still it may not be clear, whether he intend merely a sovereignty in ruling the nations and kingdoms of the world, or in ruling individuals. Or again; if he shall explain himself so far, that it shall appear, that he means a sovereignty over individuals, still it may be doubtful, whether he would teach a sovereignty which is absolute and efficacious, or one that is merely suasive, and efficacious only so far as men will be drawn by arguments and motives.

Again; a preacher may say much of the depravity of the human heart; nay, may declare it to be universal, affecting every faculty of the human mind; yet he may never teach that this depravity is entire and total, and his hearers may never know what his ideas are as to this point. He may say much of regeneration, and of the grace of God in it; yet it may never be discernible by his preaching, whether he suppose it to be wrought by the immediate power and agency of God, or by light and moral suasion. He may say much of justification by faith; yet it may not be clear, whether he means, that we are justified by the gospel, the object of our faith and by the obedience of it; or by the exercise of faith in Christ, and by his righteousness which is apprehended by faith. It may be equally uncertain, whether by justifying faith he mean a bare speculative assent of the understanding, or such a view of the truth as implies a reconciliation of heart; a belief that Christ died for me in particular, or a cordial belief and reception of Christ as a glorious and all sufficient Savior, without any persuasion that I have already an interest in him. He may say much of love to God, and to Christ; but it may not appear, whether this is to be exercised on interested or disinterested principles; whether it must be a love of God's character, or only of his benefits. He may say much of repentance and the necessity of it; yet it may be altogether uncertain, whether he would teach a repentance, which may be excited merely by a dread of punishment, or one which arises from a heartfelt sense of the vileness of sin. He may say much of holiness; but leave it in the dark, whether true holiness consist in mere external morality, or primarily in supreme love to God and universal love to men, and secondarily in that general obedience which arises from his temper of love.

Thus the whole system of divine truth may be misunderstood or perverted, by being exhibited in too general terms. This is general preaching, and is opposed to that which is particular

and plain. As men are naturally inclined to understand divine truth in a manner agreeable to their own wishes; there is on that account the greater danger, that error will be received instead of truth, and therefore the greater necessity that the preacher be most plain and particular.

3. To coincide, in preaching or discipline, with the groundless prejudices of the people, with regard to things important, is another hidden thing of dishonesty, and an instance of walking in craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully. A man who undertakes to preach the gospel, may have no principles at all, or at most, none but such as he may be willing to give up, in order to serve his interest. Therefore, if it be most for his interest to be silent as to any particular subject of doctrine or discipline, he will be silent; or concealing his own belief, he will preach according to that of his hearers. No class of men are under so strong temptation to sacrifice their own sentiments to others, as ministers of the gospel; especially because in general they are so dependent on their people. It is generally disagreeable to a man to be singular and to oppose his neighbors, though he be entirely independent of them. But if he be dependent on them for his daily subsistence, then to oppose them, and openly to avow sentiments by which they are offended, and perhaps condemned in their moral conduct, or spiritual estate; this is often too much for frail human nature.

Yet this must be done by a minister of the gospel, if he will regard either his duty, his honor, or a consistency of character. Can we pretend it is our duty to give up evangelical truth, on which the salvation of the souls of men depends, or to keep it out of sight, and to preach the contrary errors, which may lead them to eternal death, in order that we may maintain friendship with them, and thus procure our daily bread? Is this acceptable to God? Will it stand the scrutiny of him, whose eyes are as a flame of fire? Is this fulfilling the contract which we have made with men? They on their part contract to support us, not that we may humor and flatter them, with regard to their spiritual concerns; not that we may preach errors to them, even although those errors may be adopted by themselves; but that we may preach the real truths of the gospel. And if we do not honestly preach the truth, according to our knowledge and understanding; I see not but that we practise the hidden things of dishonesty, grossly violate the contract into which we have entered, and on that very account are justly amenable to them, at the common human tribunals.

4. Nearly allied to the foregoing particular, is preaching or VOL. II. 6