cts xiii. 15, 27, and xv. 21; 2 Cor. iii. 14. 3. Public
reading of the scriptures is as necessary and profitable now as ever it
was. See Deut. xxxi. 11-13.

2. The public preaching of the word is an eminent ordinance of Christ.
This is evident many ways, viz:

1. Christ hath commanded that the word shall be preached. "Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15.
"Go ye, therefore, and disciple ye all nations; teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you," Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. "As
ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt. x. 7.
See also Mark iii. 14. "I charge thee," &c. "Preach the word," 2 Tim.
iv. 1, 2. "Necessity is laid upon me, yea, wo is unto me if I preach not
the gospel," 1 Cor. ix. 16, 17. "Christ sent me--to preach the gospel,"
1 Cor. i. 17; with which compare also Acts xx. 28, and 1 Pet. v. 1-4.

2. Christ hath appointed who shall preach the word. "How shall they
preach except they be sent?" Rom. x. 15. The qualifications of preaching
elders see in 1 Tim. iii. 2-8, and Tit. i. 5-9.

3. Christ hath appointed how the word shall be preached. "Be instant, in
season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering
and doctrine," 2 Tim. iv. 2. "That he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort and convince gainsayers," Tit. i. 9. "He that hath my
word, let him speak my word faithfully: what is the chaff to the wheat,
saith the Lord?" Jer. xxiii. 28.

4. Christ hath made many encouraging promises to the preaching of his
word, which he would not have done, were it not his own ordinance.
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,
and lo I am with you every day to the end of the world," Matt, xxviii.
20. "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," Matt.
xvi. 19, and xviii. 18. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained," John xx.
23. Both these are partly meant of doctrinal binding and loosing,
remitting and retaining. "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy
peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee,
for I have much people in this city," Acts xviii. 9, 10.

3. The catechetical propounding or expounding of the word, viz. a plain,
familiar laying down of the first principles of the oracles of God, is
an ordinan