Wesley Corpus

Let a man descant upon these in ever so lively a manner, let him describe his sufferings ever so pathetically; if he stops there, if he does not show man’s duty, as well as Christ’s sufferings; if he does not apply all to the consciences of the hearers; he will never lead them to life, either here or here after, and therefore is no Gospel Minister. Not every one who deals in the promises only, without ever showing the terrors of the law; that slides over “the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness,” and endeavours to heal those that never were wounded. These promise-mongers are no Gospel Ministers. Not every one (very nearly allied to the former) who bends all his strength to coax sinners to Christ. Such soft, tender expressions, as “My dear hearers, My dear lambs,” though repeated a thousand times, do not prove a Gospel Minister. Lastly. Not every one that preaches justification by faith; he that goes no farther than this, that does not insist upon sanctification also, upon all the fruits of faith, upon universal holiness, does not declare the whole counsel of God, and consequently is not a Gospel Minister. 4. Who then is such? Who is a Gospel Minister, in the full, scriptural sense of the word? He, and he alone, of whatever denomination, that does declare the whole counsel of God; that does preach the whole gospel, even justification and sanctification, preparatory to glory. He that does not put asunder what God has joined, but publishes alike, “Christ dying for us, and Christ living in us.” He that constantly applies all this to the hearts of the hearers, being willing to spend and be spent for them; having himself the mind which was in Christ, and steadily walking as Christ also walked; he, and he alone, can with propriety be termed a Gospel Minister. 5. Let it be particularly observed, if the gospel be “glad tidings of great salvation which shall be unto all people,” then those only are, in the full sense, Gospel Ministers who proclaim the “great salvation;” that is, salvation from all (both inward and outward) sin, into “all the mind that was in Christ Jesus;” and likewise proclaim offers of this salvation to every child of man.