ut the spirit of God. With whatever strength he external evidences of the gospel may appear to he understanding, the internal life and spirit of it

st ever remain in impenetrable mystery and arkness, unless the spirit of Christ make them inelligible, by his own teaching and culture. It as for this purpose that he promised to send him o his disciples, after his departure, to teach them ll things, and to bring all things to their rememrance, that he had said to them. And in this important and most benevolent office he is still employed, in favor of all who seek him, and rely on him, for that purpose.

This circumstance forms a peculiar excellence of the gospel, as the effectual knowledge of it does not depend on strength of talents, or attainments of education; and therefore, the unlearned, who form the great mass of mankind, are as capable of understanding it, as the wisest and most cultivated in human science. In fact, talents and science do nothing at all, in producing that practical sense of divine truth which constitutes the christian: It is solely the gift of God. So, the apostle directs the Corinthians, who set too high a value on those advantages which had no effect in promoting the gospel, to take notice how things stood with themselves. Look at your calling brethren, that is the state of the church among you; there are not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not

many well-born.

the case,

And this has generally been

in all times and places.

The gospel is a mystery farther, in respect of the manner in which God saw proper to dispense it to the ancient church.

From the first promise of Jesus Christ, under the character of the seed of the woman, it has been constantly preached to some part of mankind, down to the present day. But, previous to hist manifestation, this was done by obscure and figurative representations of his personal character, and offices; the sufferings he was to endure; the kingdom he was to set up; and the benefits he was to bestow on all who should become his faithful subjects; these were shadowed forth to the Is-. raelites, by various things in the service both of the tabernacle and temple; and spoken of in a great variety of passages in the writings of the prophets. Though the faithful undoubtedly understood them, so far as was needful to their salvation; yet, their ideas of the Messiah were attended with much obscurity; and the body of the people understood every thing respecting him, in a secular sense, and remained under this mistake to the very last. They earnestly longed for him; but it was for sake of the temporal prosperity and glory they expected he would confer on the whole

In the original (Eugeneis.)

nation. And so strong, and universal was this delusive prejudice, that the disciples themselves appear to have labored under it, till after the resurrection and probably, in some measure, till the day of Penticost. To this I may add, that the circumstances of the birth of Christ; the obscurity in which he lived for thirty years; his entire rejection of the advantages of the world, from mak ing any part of his scheme; the private and unlettered character of most of his first disciples, and apostles; and the reserve he generally used, in speaking of himself, even to his disciples; are all so entirely the reverse of what human wisdom would have contrived, and adopted, as apparently calculated to defeat the ends of his coming into the world, rather than to promote them, that they are only to be resolved into the sovereign counsel of God, who had arranged the whole plan, and fully relied on his own measures, for carrying it into execution. Thus, the foolishness of God is wiser than men *, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. It may be remarked further, that there are two events in the history of the gospel, which the apostle several times calls a mystery; I mean the rejection of the Jews from their visible relation to God, and the introduction of the Gentiles to all the privileges and benefits of the gospel. God,

As men judged, on human principles.

D d

1

says he, by revelation, made known to me the mys tery which, in other ages, was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to us his apostles and prophets by the spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel. They were certainly included in the promises respecting the Messiah, previous to the formation of the Israelitish church; and their ga, thering to him had been frequently mentioned by the prophets. But, these promises and predictions were understood to mean nothing more than their becoming subjects and tributaries to the Jews, under the temporal reign of their Messiah Prince. So that, when Peter was directed, by a special revelation, to go to Cornelius, he complied with some reluctance; and it was several years after this event, before the Jewish converts could be reconciled to receive the Gentiles, in a free and brotherly manner. It proved, indeed, the cause of much animosity and schism in the church, and gave the apostles a great deal of trouble. And with respect to the other event, the rejection of the Jews, the apostle says to the Romans, I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, that blindness, in part, hath happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. This also had been foretold, as early as the time of Moses. But, both events took place, in a manner so con

trary to outward appearances, and previous circumstances, that they could not be accounted for, on human principles; but were necessarily referred to the secret and sovereign counsel of God; who doeth what seemeth good to him, both in the armies of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth.

There are some particular applications of the word mystery, with noticing which, I shall conclude this head.

1

After our Lord had delivered the parable of the sower, and retired from the multitude, his disciples requested him to explain to them what he meant. He replied, to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. That is, the peculiar doctrines of the gospel, which were then disclosing to the world, from that secrecy in which until that time, they had lain. In this instance, his parable intended the method of God's dispensing his grace to mankind, and the different effects the gospel would have, according to the different tempers of those who heard it. While he thus explained himself to his disciples, who were desirous of instruction, he left the others to put their own sense. on his discourse; knowing that a more explicit declaration of his doctrine would only have strengthened their prejudices against him, increased their guilt, and involved him in unnecessary difficul ties: A principle on which every attentive reader