no less wonderful than the creation of the universe out of nothing; " he commanded the light to shine out of darkness." While Satan is endeavouring to blind men, Jehovah exerts himself to enlighten their minds. He could indeed effect his purpose in an instant ; but he is pleased to make use of means, and to form his new^ creation in a gradual manner. He sends his ministers to declare his truth, and his Spirit to seal it on our hearts. Thus, by fixing our attention to it, by making us to see its correspondence with our experience and our wants, and, finally, by giving us to taste its sweetness and excellency, he shines into our hearts, and dissipates the darkness wherein we were enveloped.]
The contrasted representation of these great powers exhibits to us also,
II. The ends and purposes they are endeavouring to accomplish —
Satan strives as much as possible to hide Christ from our eyes —
[Satan is aware that no one, who has a discovery of Christ's glory, will ever continue submissive to his government. Let a soul be favoured with a ray from heaven, whereby it shall have a glimpse of the glory of God in the face of Jesus, and it will instantly cast off its allegiance to Satan, and take up arms against him. But, while the veil continues on the heart, and this heavenly light is concealed from the view, the soul will be satisfied with its state, nor ever exert itself in earnest to break the yoke imposed upon it. This therefore it is the great work of Satan to accomplish : he cares not what we know or what we do, if he can but keep us from beholding the Divine image in the face of Jesus. As every thing short of this will be ineffectual for our salvation, so he is willing that we should have every attainment in knowledge or morality, if he can but succeed in this one point. This is the very marrow of the Gospel, if we may so speak ; it is that which infuses life into the dry bones : in vain will each kindred bone resume its proper station in the body ; in vain will the flesh and sinews be superinduced upon them; the body will be no other than a breathless corpse, till a spirit of life be infused into it^ : so will the soul, however exactly fashioned as to the outward appear- ance, be altogether destitute of spiritual life, till Christ be revealed to it, and formed within it. While " the Gospel is hid from the soul, it is, and must be, lost."]
God, on the other hand, strives to reveal Christ unto us —
^ Ezek. xxxvii. 7 — 0.