Though controversial because of his desire to unify the Baptists and Congregationalists, his expositional preaching earned Alexander MacLaren the reputation as "the prince of expository preachers." Dr. MacLaren's method of expositional preaching is widely used by many preachers today. Yet, he was very silent about the use of any method at all with regard to his expositions. In a letter sent to the Rev. John Edwards in compiling information for his book, Nineteenth Century Preachers and Their Methods, Alexander MacLaren had this to say:
"I have really nothing to say about my way of making sermons that could profit your readers. I know no method, except to think about a text until you have something to say about it, and then to go and say it, with as little thought of self as possible."
Therefore, Alexander MacLaren leaves for us a very interesting way to learn from him on how to preach. We are to read his expositions and draw from them, not the way in which the sermons are presented, or even the format of the 3-point message that he is quite noted for, but for the content behind the Scripture text itself.
The Cross of Christ, the Person of Christ, and the love of God in Christ was the very heart of every one of his expositions. This quote from MacLaren captures one of the great truths behind his preaching: "We believe that the history of the world is but the history of His influence and that the center of the whole universe is the cross of Calvary."
"The Glory of the Cross" presents to us an excellent example of the content of Alexander MacLaren's expositional preaching. The very picturesque and compassionate declarations concerning the Scripture text truly express the depth of the love and mercy of God, while exalting the holiness and sovereignty of God in Christ. Dr. MacLaren's word pictures are very reminiscent of the kind of compassionate preaching that went forth from the pulpits of Andrew Bonar and Robert Murray McCheyne.
"The Glory of the Cross" also expresses a very harmonious view of two seemingly opposing things, i.e., the glory of Christ at the Cross, and the shame of Christ at the Cross. In this way, this message is very similar to Andrew Bonar's "The Cup of Wrath," whereas Dr. Bonar exquisitely presents the hearer with the justice and wrath of God at the Cross side-by-side with the mercy and love of God at the Cross.
Yet, still drawing another comparison between Dr. MacLaren's "The Glory of the Cross" with Dr. Bonar's "The Cup of Wrath," the hearer is left with a wondrous awareness that these messages have not exhausted the marvelous truths of God in Christ; that there is much, much more, and that heaven and earth cannot contain it all, and eternity could not tell it all.
