Under that character he has visited our benighted
world —
[A dawning of his appearance had been long visible in the promises of God, and in all the prophetic writings, as also in the whole of the Mosaic ritual. But at his incarnation he began more clearly to illumine this horizon. He diffused a light around him by his doctrine and example : and they who could see through the veil of his flesh, " beheld his glory k." And those who now will receive his truth, and " follow his steps," shall surely be as much distinguished from the world around them, as they who are groping in midnight darkness are from those who are walking in the light of the noon-day sun ]
This will lead me to speak of,
II. The end of his advent —
The whole world were in utter darkness —
[How little did even the wisest philosophers know re- specting any thing pertaining to the eternal world ! Truly " the world by wisdom knew not God1." Nor are we in reality more enlightened in reference to spiritual things than they. I grant that, so far as speculative knowledge is concerned, we have the advantage of them : but in respect to saving know- ledge, we are as dark as they. Take the sentiments even of the world at large, and compare them with the word of God ; and they will be found as far from the truth as if they had no inspired volume to instruct them. And where their mere sen- timents are correct, how faint are their apprehensions of the truths which they profess to hold ! How inadequate is their sense of the evil of sin, of the majesty of God, of the excel- lency of Christ, of the beauty of holiness, or of any one spiritual truth whatever! The truth is, that we are looking for "peace" " in the ways" of sin, as much as the heathen themselves, and,
e John viii. 12. f Rev. xxi. 23. s Gen. i. 3.
h Job xxxviii. 36. ' Jam. i. 17. k John i. 14.
1 1 Cor. i. 21.