Thomas Boston

“ They ought also to have the experimental and practical knowledge of Christ crucified; least, while they preach him to others, themselves be cast aways, as the Apostle's phrase is. The most precious truths fluctuating in the head, but not descending into the heart, nor sanctifying it, prove no better than the manna of old, which when kept over night, stank and bred worm: however distinctly we apprehend evangelical truths, yet if they are unmixed with faith, and indigested by practice, they will breed the noxious humours and crudities of pride, self conceit, hypocrisy and profaneness. ”

“ The knowledge of Christ crucified excels all other knowledge in point of pleasure and satisfaction: "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace (x) [17] . The discovery of truth, absolutely considered, is accompanied with an intellectual, and therefore with a manly pleasure, vastly superior to all the delights of sense: and the more important and interesting the truth is which we discover, the joy arising from it is so much the greater. ”

“ A man who has read Geography, may describe the complexion, religion, laws, customs, commodities, and curiosities of different countries which he never dwelt in, nor travelled through: but the man who has lived in those countries, and seen all these things with his eyes, and often conversed with the inhabitants, must have an idea and an impression of them, which the man who has only read or heard of them knows nothing about.
How necessary then is the experimental knowledge of Christ to ministers of the gospel? ”

“ Real religion, my brethren, does by no means consist in the merely speculative knowledge of its truths; otherwise, the devils themselves would have more religion than the best of us, for albeit they have lost their purity and holiness, we have no ground to think they have lost their knowledge and sagacity. ”

“ Lastly, We that are ministers of the gospel should learn hence both the matter and manner of preaching. Let us preach Christ crucified. This was Paul's subject: and that man is certainly an ignorant, proud and useless preacher, that refuses to follow Paul's example, and manages his ministry as if he had determined to know any thing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.—Let us endeavour to understand, and to make our people understand, how all the truths of the gospel meet in Christ, as so many lines in their centre. ”

“ But, then faithful preachers of the gospel, in urging duty and obedience upon the people, will be sure to remind them of their utter insufficiency of themselves for so much as a good thought, and the necessity of an entire dependence upon the Spirit and grace of the Lord Jesus, for assistance and acceptance in every good work. When these things are duly observed, duty cannot be too much urged, but the pressing of duty without them a most criminal neglect of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a piece of cruelty to poor sinners ”

“ Paul slides himself "an apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father." They took not the office upon them of their own accord nor were they called to it by the votes and suffrages of the people. It was a new religion they were to propagate in the world; therefore Jesus Christ, the author of it, chose a set of men whom he called Apostles, to preach it among all nations. ”

“ Let this then commend the knowledge of Christ unto us, that it directs us in matters of the last consequence and moment, viz. how we shall obtain the favour and friendship of God, and how we should steer our course for a blessed and happy eternity. In fine, this knowledge is profitable unto all things:—it is profitable for prosperity, and for adversity:—for sickness, and for health:—for life, and for death;—for time, and for eternity. ”

“ We all know these good men lived but short while in the world: however, the promise originally made to them, extends to faithful ministers of the gospel in their several generations, to the end of time. Therefore, whatever be pretended, it appears to me a very unfriendly office to Jesus Christ and his religion, to depreciate a public ministry——It is an attempt to blast what the Lord has most certainly blessed in all ages to the conversion of souls. ”

“ Let us then shake of sloth and indolence;—let us sequestrate ourselves from the bustle and noise to a vain vexatious world, and betake ourselves more closely to the study and contemplation of the most glorious object ”

“ Angels, who excel in knowledge as well as strength, delight themselves at present, and will do so through eternity, in contemplating this wisdom. It is in the studying of Christ as in the planting of some new discovered country: at first men sit down upon the shirts and borders, and there they dwell, till they search farther into the heart of the country. And indeed, my brethren, those who have made the greatest progress in the study and knowledge of Christ crucifice ”

“ Of six petitions that are in that prayer, the first three relate to the Redeemer's interest in the world "Hallowed be thy name;—thy kingdom come;—thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It is common with us to bring in these great affairs towards the end of our prayers, as it were to spin out the time, when the warmth and vigour of our spirits are well nigh spent. ”

“ However, they ought not to insist always upon these, but to open up the particular doctrines of Christianity, such as concern the person, natures, offices, and grace of the Lord Jesus. They should endeavour to convince sinners of their lost state by nature, their absolute inability to recover themselves, and the indispensible necessity of coming to Jesus Christ as the one and only Mediator betwixt God and man. ”

“ And I apprehend, the knowledge of the principles of religion, which generally obtains amongst the commonalty in Scotland is in a good measure owing to the laudable custom of catechising practised by their ministers: whereas in the countries where it is neglected, the commons are for the most part grossly ignorant.
Sermons are addressed to a whole assembly, and by the far greatest number of the audience very little attended unto. Besides, the subject of a sermon is probably but one single point or doctrine of Christianity ”

“ Suppose the picture of a man drawn as lively, and as near to the original as possible; yet they who have seen the man himself, and conversed with him, will have another sort of idea of him than those possibly can have, who never saw him but in the picture. ”

“ Let them have the richest cargo of gifts and learning you can suppose, yet, without this, they are but very poorly furnished for their office, and the discharge of it is more likely to be the drudgery of their lives, than the delight of their souls. ”

“ It is true, indeed, there are in the scriptures; things hard to be understood, difficulties that will exercise the judgment of the greatest scholars: but then, these are remote from the essentials of Christianity, and people may remain ignorant of them without endangering their eternal salvation: whereas the things absolutely necessary to be know are expressed in such plain terms, that he who runs may read them. ”

“ The gospel is the history of God acting in triune economy for the recovery of mankind:—it contains the grandest plot, plan, and contrivance that ever bred in the breast of God, and which lay hid there from all eternity:——it is "the mystery God, and of Christ ”

“ Ministers should lay before their people the evidences of the truth of Christianity in a way suited unto their capacities, that so they may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them, and be fortified against the attacks of Deists and Infidels, who abound every where in this degenerate age. ”

“ They should open up that grand transaction betwixt God the Father and God the Son, in behalf of mankind sinners, called the covenant of grace, with all the blessings and benefits contained therein, as effectual calling, justification, adoption, regeneration, sanctification, the inhabitation of the Spirit, perseverance in grace, and the heavenly kingdom.
Farther, ministers of the gospel should declare the ordinances and institutions of Christ. Our Lord's last words, when he was leaving the world, were, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," &c. ”

“ Ministers should make Christ known among their people by exemplifying his life in their own lives. Paul tells the Thessalonians,—"Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, justly and unblameable we behaved ourselves among you that believe (m) [12] ." Mankind have in all ages been more easily influenced by example than by precept. And this is thought to be one reason why the Heathen philosophers had so little success in reforming the world, viz. ”

“ The truth is, these good men laboured under the prejudices of a Jewish education; and they never awaked fully out of the dream of a temporal kingdom, until the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Ghost came down upon them, and cleared up the mystery of the cross unto them ”

“ In our preaching, let us accommodate ourselves to the capacities of those with whom we have to do: let us chuse such measures as are adapted to the great end of preaching, which (illegible text) ing the hearer to the knowledge (illegible text) for Christ (illegible text)
↑ †A DIVINE of considerable note both in the learned and religions world, in his Commentary upon these words hath this objection; "Ought then ministers to use no study, but talk whatsoever comes first into their heads?" His answer is ”

“ Several great and worthy men, both in the earlier and later periods of the church, have employed much of their time in this sort of exercise among the people, and have found it exceeding profitable unto them. ”

“ He did not indeed appear publicly before the Jewish nation after his resurrection, as he had done before his death: but the whole college of the apostles, men of sufficient abilities for discerning,——men of untainted candour and integrity, go to death, one after another, maintaining the same thing, viz. that they saw with their eyes Jesus of Nazareth alive ”