The Condefcenfion of the Eternal Son in be- 2. Cor. viii. 9.... For ye know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he became poor. The Holy Ghoft the great Agent in our regen- eration, and his mercy illuftriously manifeft- EPHES. ii. 4, 5.... But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us; even His future Felicity and Glory. COL. iii. 4....When Chrift, who is our life fhall THE RUIN AND RECOVERY OF MAN. Sermon I. The Doctrines of Revelation, although mysterious, ought to be Preached. 1 COR. ii. 7. WE SPEAK THE WISDOM OF GOD IN A MYSTERY. THE recovery of man from the reproach and wretchedness of his apoftacy is a work not more interefting in its confequences than myfterious in its nature. The contrivance and the execution of a plan, by which tranfgreffion is punished, and yet the tranfgreffor pardoned; the majefty of the Sovereign vindicated, and yet the rebel admitted to his favor and friendship; fin expofed in all its malignities and horrors, and yet the finner restored to a greater elevation of bleffedness and glory than he had forfeited, furnishes a difplay not only of power omnipotent, but of wisdom the most profound and unfearchable. These things the angels defire to look into, THE very prophets and apoftles, who were divinely inspired to reveal the method of human redemption, neither did, nor could fully comprehend it; although their lips, directed unerringly by the fpirit of wifdom, announced the doctrines of falvation, their understandings were unable to trace them in all their connections and confequences. Of which falvation the prophets have enquired, and fearched diligently, who prophefied of the grace that should come unto you : Searching what, or what manner of time the fpirit of Chrift which was in them did fignify, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that fhould follow. The fovereignty of Jehovah in paffing by the nobler nature of angels, and determining the recovery of man; his wifdom in concerting a scheme by which the honors of his government are fecured, and our perishing race restored; his love in procuring our reconciliation at an expence fo great as the death of an ONLY SON; the refloration of the finner to fpiritual life, and his perfeverance in grace; amidst legions of adverfaries, more powerful than himself, were to thefe infpired men fources of fublime aftonishment and praise. THE author of this epiftle, although the chiefeft of the apostles, although enlightened beyond any by a more abundant unction of the Holy Ghoft, is frequently loft in attempting to explore this fathomlefs depth: he acknowledges these myfteries of godliness as furpaffing all expreffion and comprehenfion; Which none of the princes of this world knew; as it is written, eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered the heart of man to conceive them. But was he afraid or afhamed to announce what he was unable fully to understand? Did he esteem it any reproach to confefs that the movements of the INFINITE, ETERNAL MIND lay beyond the reach of the finite, contracted conceptions of mortals? No: The confideration that his meffage was myfterious ferved only to excite his rejoicing and glorying. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift. We speak the wifdom of God in a mystery. By this wisdom of God in a mystery, fome understand the introduction of the Gentiles to the privileges of the gofpel. It was a mystery to the Jews, that the nations of the world, who had been long and deeply funk in idolatry; who had been permitted, during the period of many thousand years, to continue aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and strangers from the covenants of promife, fhould now be brought within the pale of the church, placed in all respects on a level with the offspring of Abraham, and become equal sharers with them in all the privileges of grace and glory. The apostle thus addreffes himself to the Ephefian church, He made known to me the mystery; That the Gentiles should B |