[The very appearance of our Lord amongst them was such as to lay a stumbling-block in the way of his immediate attendants. How could they conceive him to be the Saviour of the world, whom they saw exposed to hunger and thirst, and destitute of " a place where to lay his head ?" Or, if from his miracles they entertained a hope, what must they think when they beheld him seized, condemned, crucified, entombed? Though he had often told them that he should be put to an ignominious death, and shed his blood as an expiation for sin, they never could comprehend his meaning : nay, they would not endure the thought of his being so treated. They were, like all the rest of their nation, deluded with the expectation of a temporal Messiah, who should deliver them from the Roman yoke ; and, even after his resurrection, they could not divest themselves of this erroneous hope. On the day of Pentecost, indeed, their views were rectified in a considerable degree : but not even the Apostles themselves, for a very long period, were able to understand the design of God in his Gospel to save the Gentile world, nor the extent of the com- mission which they themselves had received to " preach the Gospel to every creature." When Peter was prevailed upon, by a series of special visions and express directions, to go and shew the way of salvation to Cornelius, the whole college of Apostles called him to an account for it, as though he had transgressed a positive command of God. And for many, many years did an opinion prevail very extensively through the Church, that the law of Moses was still obligatory on those who embraced the Gospel ; so contracted were their views of Christ, as having fulfilled the Law ; and so imperfect their knowledge of his salvation, as excluding ever}' ground of hope, except that which was founded on his atoning sacrifice.]
But to us is the Gospel preached under every ad- vantage—
[Neither Jewish prejudice, nor Gentile philosophy, have any longer a footing amongst us, to distract and darken our views ; at least, such delusions are found only amongst those who love to indulge them, and who wish for an excuse to re- ject the pure Gospel. We see the whole plan of salvation in one entire view, as concerted between the Father and the Son, as carried into effect by the incarnation and death of the Lord Jesus, and as applied to the souls of men by the Holy Spirit. We see all the types fulfilled in Christ, and all the prophecies accomplished. We behold the perfect model as delivered to Moses, and can compare it with the structure itself which is now completed. We behold the Person of Christ, as God and man ; his work, as obeying the Law, and enduring its penalties for us ; his offices of King, Priest, and Prophet ; and the office