Ps. cxix. 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law !
THE necessity of Divine teaching, in order to a spiritual acquaintance with the truth of God, is by many denied ; and all expectation of the Holy Spi- rit's influence for that end is derided as enthusiasm. But, however the profane ungodly world may scoff at the idea, it is *' by the Spirit of God alone that we can know the things which are freely given to us of God^:" and the wisest of men, as much as the most ignorant, has reason to adopt the petition in our text, ** Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law !"
From these words we shall take occasion to shew,
I. What
' l.Cor. ii. 12,
I. What wondrous things are contained in Gods law —
If we understand the law here spoken of, as im- porting the Law of Moses, it certainly is full of won- ders: the moral law, being a perfect transcript of the mind of God ; and the ceremonial law, being a shadow of all those good things which are revealed to us in the Gospel. But we apprehend that David is speaking rather of the Gospel, even of that " law which is come forth from Zion, and that word wdiich has proceeded from Jerusalem." No one of the Pro- phets, scarcely excepting even Isaiah himself, had clearer or richer views of Christ, than David ; and as he speaks of Christ in almost all his psahns, we may justly suppose, that in this place he refers to the wonders that are contained in the Gospel of Christ.
Consider the Gospel generally —
[In it is revealed salvation, salvation purchased by the blood and righteousness of God's only-begotten Son. What a mystery is this ! The God of heaven and earth assuming our nature, that in that nature he may exjDiate the guilt of a ruined world ! We are accustomed to hear of this, and therefore hear of it without emotion : but what should we think of it, if it now reached our ears for the first time ? Truly " Great is this mystery of godli- ness !" We, through unbelief and indifference, think little of it: but " the Angels," though infinitely less interested in it than we, " desire day and night to look into it," and to comprehend, if it were possible, the heights and depths of love that are contained in it^]
Consider it more particularly —
[Mark well the character of this salvation ; its J'reeness, its fulness, its siiitableness ! It is asj^ree as the light we see, or the air we breathe. It has come to us unsolicited, unsought : and it is given to us ^' without money and without price'." The whole world are invited to come to Christ as to an overflowing fountain, and to " take of the water of life freely'^.'' So full is it, that it neither wants, nor is capable of, any addition. Nothing is left to be supplied by man : he gives nothing, but receives all. " All is treasured up for us in Christ'," "who is of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and complete re- demption ^" If only we are content to receive out of his fulness, we shall never lack any thing that is necessary either for our.pre-
6ent
" 1 Pet. i. 12. -^ Isai. Iv. 1. "^ Rev. xxii. ];.
' Col. i. 19. ^ 1 Cor. i, 30.