obscure and inapplicable sermon you ever heard be a witness for or against you, to testify what regard you had for GOD’S message, what humility, what teachableness, what readiness to receive and to do what was clear, what anxious diligence and pains to understand what was obscure. Brethren, you may choose what subjects you will hear discussed in the secular lecture-hall, and if you do not like the entertainment you may refuse to be entertained by it, and resolve to hear no more of it, to dismiss it altogether from your thoughts. But you do not come to church to be entertained; you have no option there of selecting or rejecting. It is your misfortune (though it may be his fault) if the preacher does not interest you, or the sermon immediately commend itself to your mind, and to your heart; but, being there, you must hear whatever is said, and however it is said; and having heard, be sure you must give account to GOD of the hearing! Settle this in your minds, impress yourselves with the solemn authority of the preacher, and with the importance and responsibility of heeding him, and it will be very seldom that you will object even in thought, “Doth he not speak parables?” But there are particular complaints, about which I would say a few words specially. First, there is a complaint against the preaching of mysterious and profound truths. If the preacher dwells upon such a subject as the Incarnation of CHRIST, the nature of CHRIST’S presence with His Church, of the Spirit’s indwelling, or the rationale of the efficacy of the means of grace; or if he attempts to explain any difficult text, no matter what pains he may take to simplify the subject, how he may labour to show its importance and to recommend its consideration, he is met at once with the objection that he speaks parables, and so with a tacit refusal to heed. “Why puzzle one’s brains,” it is urged, “with such matters, when there are so many simple themes and easy lessons in the Gospel. I cannot understand such things. They are too profound. The preaching of them may be clever, but it is thrown away upon me. I do not want to work and task my mind, but to warm my feelings.” Such is the reward the preacher often gets for taking unusual pains to edify his hearers! Such is the wilful, the determined ignorance of many of GOD’S people respecting those truths, the understanding of which most concerns them, and honours Him. It ought to be sufficient to correct these unwise and unwilling, to remind them that whatever GOD has revealed He requires to be accepted, and that as there can be no acceptance of that which is not understood, it is a foremost duty of the Christian preacher and the Christian learner to employ themselves in the solution of Scripture difficulties, and the comprehension of revealed mysteries. Such objectors do not intend it, but they grievously slight GOD when they refuse to heed so much of His teaching, yea, they even cast a slur upon His wisdom in striving to teach