of God in the disposal of his gifts is clearly asserted. But you may say, ' True ; God gave to some what he withheld from others: but he gave to those who he knew would duly improve his gifts : and the persons from whom he withheld them, were involved in no responsibility on account of them. In order to prove the doctrine which has been insisted on, you must shew me, that God has bestowed the means of salvation on those who would not improve them, and withheld them from those who would have improved them : shew me this, and I grant that the point is established beyond a doubt. Look then at what our Lord asserts in the context respecting Tyre and Sidon, and Bethsaida and Chorazin. To these latter were means of conviction afforded, which were withheld from the former. "Were these latter better than the former ? Quite the reverse : had our Saviour's miracles been wrought in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes ; but when done in Capernaum, they had no other effect than thrusting her down the deeper into hell2. Now all this must have been foreknown to God, else Jesus could not so positively have asserted it: yet here is evidence, that God withheld from some the very means which they would have duly improved, and imparted to others those very same means which he knew they would abuse to their own more aggravated condemnation. What shall we say then to these things ? God himself tells us what to say : " Be still, and know that I am Goda," who " have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and have compassion on whom I will have compassion V]
2. Our gratitude for it as an act of mercy — [Suppose that the Gospel were to be understood only as the deeper sciences are, by men of erudition and learning, in what a deplorable condition would the poor be ! They have no time for laborious investigations, nor any of the endow- ments necessary for philosophical researches. They therefore could have no hope of ever attaining the knowledge of sal- vation. From absolute necessity their days must be consumed in making provision for the body : and unless they were so occupied, the whole world must be in a state of stagnation and want. But God has shewn no such partiality for the rich as to confine the knowledge of his Gospel to them. Earthly comforts indeed he has given in richer abundance to them ; but spiritual blessings he has rather reserved for the poor: as St. James hath said; " Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love himc." Thus, where most there
z ver. 13—15. a Ps. xlvi. 10.
b Rom. ix. 15, 18. c Jam. ii. 5.