known, and its truths so faithfully promulgated, as some would assert ? A taper would attract no notice by day ; but it is seen at a gi-eat distance at night, by reason of the surround- ing darkness : and, for the same reason, even a very slender exhibition of the Gospel, which would have passed unnoticed in the apostolic age, now calls forth adoring gratitude on the part of some, and provokes inveterate hostility on the part of others ; — a sure proof, that such exhibitions are not so common amongst us as they ought to be.]
To shew how great an evil this ignorance of the Gospel is, I will proceed to mark, II. Its injurious tendency —
In the Jews, it led to nothing less than the cruci- fixion of the Lord of Glory —
[Both Jews and Gentiles concurred in this act. They did not merely refuse to become the disciples of Jesus, but reviled him, and treated him with all imaginable indignities, and at last put him to death, even the accursed death of the cross. And to what but ignorance can we refer it ? Can we conceive, that if they had really known Jesus to be " the Lord of Glory," they would have dared to treat him thus? Me- thinks, if love to him for his condescension and grace had not restrained them, a fear of his displeasure must have disarmed their malice. It would have been impossible for them to pro- ceed to such extremities, if they had had any just conception of his person and character, his work and office.]
In a similar way it operates on us also —
[It is obvious that men of all ranks and orders live in a neglect of Christ and his salvation, and seek their happiness
rather in the things of time and sense But could it be
so, if they really knew what a glorious Saviour he is ? Could they think so little of all the wonders of his love, if they had any just comprehension of them in their minds ? By our ti-eatment of him, we do, in fact, " crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame." I ask, Could we do this, if we knew him to be indeed " the Lord of glory," who had divested him- self of all his glory for us, and become a man for us, and died upon the cross for us, and to be carrying on his work in heaven for us, and coming again to make us partakers of his glory for evermoi'e ? Bad as human nature is, it could not withstand such a miracle of love as this : it must lay down its weapons of rebellion at the sight of this : at the sight of this it would feel " a constraining influence to live to Him" who has so " loved us and given himself for us." From our flrst inquiry, " Who art thou, Lord?" another would instantly succeed, "Lord,