Christ! The Diamond Of Diamonds Who Outshines Them All!

Bishop Reynolds wrote:

Studiously and conscientiously apply yourselves to this heavenly skill of spiritual preaching. So convince of sin - the guilt, the stain, the pollution of it, the curse and malediction whereunto the soul is exposed by it, that your hearers may be awakened and humbled and effectually forewarned "to flee from the wrath to come."

So convince of

the all-sufficient righteousness and unsearchable riches of Christ,

the excellency of His knowledge,

the immeasurableness of His love,

the preciousness of His promises,

"the fellowship of His sufferings,

the power of His resurrection,"

the beauties of His holiness,

the easiness of His yoke,

the sweetness of His peace,

the joy of His salvation,

the hope of His glory,

that the hearts of your hearers may burn within them, and they may "fly, like doves unto their windows," for shelter and sanctuary into the arms of such a Redeemer, who "is able" and willing "to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Him," that they may with all ready obedience, and by the constraining power of the love of Christ, yield up themselves to the government of this Prince of Peace, by whom "the Prince of this world is judged and cast out," his "works destroyed," and we for this end "bought with a price," that we should "not be our own," but His that bought us, nor "live any longer unto ourselves," but unto him that loved us, and died for us, and rose again.

"Preach Christ Jesus the Lord." "Determine to know nothing among your people but Christ crucified." Let His name and grace, His Spirit and love, triumph in the midst of all your sermons.

Let your great end be

to glorify Him in the heart,

to render Him amiable and precious in the eyes of His people,

to lead them to Him,

as a sanctuary to protect them,

a propitiation to reconcile them,

a treasure to enrich them,

a physician to heal them,

an advocate to present them and their services to God,

as wisdom to counsel them,

as righteousness to justify,

as sanctification to renew,

as redemption to save.

Let Christ be the diamond to shine in the bosom of all your sermons.

Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry (Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2006), 258.