the heart which dwells upon the offices of Christ, on his atonement as its only hope, on his intercession as daily needed before God, will regard his ministers with the esteem to which they are entitled, and no more. For "who is Paul, or who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed?" They hold the

torch which leads to the palace gate, and we honour them for their office sake; but those who have entered within the portal, must pay no homage but to the king.

LECTURE XLVIII.

THE WISDOM OF THE GOSPEL NOT UNDERSTOOD BY THE UNBELIEVER.

1 COR. i. 18-25.

18. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.1

Paul had been saying, that his commission was, to preach the gospel. It was not his usual custom even to baptize, that he might seem to claim no special honour to himself. Nor did he use wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect: i. e. lest the simple truth should be obscured, by the eloquence in which it was clothed: or lest that attention should be directed towards the messenger, which ought to be devoted to his message only. If a man

2 Ch. iii. 1.

1 Is. xxix. 14.

has saved his country, ingenious arguments are not needed to prove him a great man. And therefore Paul had done no more than proclaim the cross of Christ to men, as their refuge from eternal death. They that perish because they will not repent and leave their sins, deem it foolishness. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God: it is the fulfilment of his truth: for he has left it written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. This has been now accomplished; God has hid the mystery from the wise and prudent, and revealed it unto babes. The simple have taught those truths and the simple have received them, which philosophy never discovered, and the wisdom of this world despises.

20. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

The world had made much advance in knowledge; the faculties of the mind were enlarged, many excellent arts had been attained; poets wrote well, and orators pleaded well: but with all its wisdom the world knew not God: God in the wisdom of his counsels and his providence did not interpose to hinder it; so that the world by wisdom knew not God: knew not his nature, his will; nay, not even his being. Whether there was a God, or no, whether there were many gods or one, was matter of debate and uncertainty to the most learned. Where then is the scribe, where is

2 Matt. xi. 25.

the disputer of this world? What has he done to benefit mankind, by removing the darkness which encompasses them? To reconcile them to God, or God to them?

But then, when these had failed, it pleased God by that preaching which some call foolishness, to save them that believe: to bring those who credit the glad tidings of his word to know him, and to be known and favoured by him. Of all the places famous in ancient times for learning, none was more celebrated than Athens. Yet when Paul came to Athens, as he entered into the city, he "found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God." 3 "Whom they ignorantly worshipped, him he declared unto them.” The mean despised Jew now taught the learned and proud Athenian what with all his wisdom he never had discovered; and what, if he received it, would bring salvation to his soul.

If he received it.

opposed an obstacle.

But to this the hearts of men

22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The Jews, too many of them, reject our message, and require a sign. No doubt they had a right to a sign which might prove to them that Jesus was the Messiah, and that Paul was his apostle. But the

3 Acts xvii. 22, &c. &c.

Lord had given them signs, and demanded that if they believed not his word, they would at least believe his works.* "God also wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul," and "gave testimony to the word of his grace." They, however, required a sign of their own choosing, and closed their eyes against the proofs before them. The Greeks, again, seek after wisdom. They have a wisdom of their own, and try all things by its standard. Meanwhile, says St. Paul, we preach Christ crucified. We affirm that all men are guilty before God; that Jesus Christ has made atonement for that guilt, by dying the death of sinners; and so has reconciled to God all that commit themselves to him. This is to the Jews a stumbling block; an offence. They expected a Saviour, who should deliver Israel from temporal weakness and national degradation, and reign upon the throne of David: Messiah crucified "has no beauty that they should desire him."8 And the Greeks treat our doctrine as foolishness. It tells them of things which are strange to their ears, and they will not hear. This was proved at Athens. When Paul spake "of the resurrection of the dead; some mocked; others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." It was to them that perish foolishness. "Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed." To them who were called, whether Jews or Gentiles, Christ was the power of God, and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God, who had provided a way in which sin might be pardoned, yet not encou

4 John x. 37, 38.

6 Matt. xiv. 39.

8 Isa. liii. 2.

5 Acts xix. 11; xiv. 3.

7 Isa. ix. 7.

9 Acts xvii. 32-34.

raged: the wicked received into favour, yet the holiness of God maintained. The power of God, who changed the hearts of men, and made the proud hum ble, the sensual pure, the covetous liberal, the lovers of this world, lovers of God. For the foolishness of God, i. e. what men call foolishness, when God is with it, is wiser than men; wiser than all man's devices and the weakness of God, i. e. what would be weak if God did not support it, is stronger than men: does that which man in his highest state can neither achieve by his strength nor devise by his wisdom.

Such is the Gospel in itself, the wisdom of God; in its effects, the power of God. If we accept it, in dependence on his wisdom, we shall feel it to be the instrument of his power: and learn by happy experience that "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; that the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."1

LECTURE XLIX.

THE POWER OF GOD MANIFESTED IN ESTABLISHING THE GOSPEL.

1 COR. i. 26-31.

26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

One proof that the Gospel was not of man, but of God, was the nature of its doctrines. We preach,

1 Ps. xix. 7, 8.