In comparison of this, the riches of ten thousand worlds were nothing. Possessed of this, a Lazarus were rich ; and in the want of it, the greatest monarch in the universe were poor.]
Most unsuited to this, however, appears to be, II. The character of those to whom it is committed —
We should naturally expect, that those who are appointed to dispense this treasure should be taken from the highest order of creation, and from the very- first rank amongst them. We should imagine that none but angels and archangels should be counted worthy of so high an honour. But God has judged otherwise ; and has committed this treasure to *' earthen vessels."
The Apostles are justly so denominated — [They were men of low origin, a few poor fishermen. They were exceeding frail in their nature, not one amongst them without some great blemish : for in the hour of their Lord's extremity, " they all forsook him, and fled." They were all worthless in themselves, " made of the earth, and earthly :" nor had they any thing in themselves, either to recommend the treasure, or to augment its efficiency. If Paul be thought an exception, on account of his learning and eloquence, he purposely laid aside his eloquence, from a per- suasion that the wisdom of words had no other tendency than to make void the cross of Christ.]
And this is the character of God's most faithful servants at this day —
[It is not from amongst the wise and learned that God, for the most part, selects his most active and eflicient instru- ments. Not that he proscribes learning; but because he is jealous of his own honour, and would " have our faith to stand, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God^" He " chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty ^" Not that any, however eminent, can claim any higher title than that assigned them in the text : for all are guilty, and need the same mercy which they preach to others ; all are weak, and must be upheld by God every moment, lest they fall and perish. And not one amongst them can convert or edify one single soul by any power of his own. However useful any be, they are only like the pitchers which contained the lamps of Gideon "= it was not the pitchers that in
» 1 Cor. ii. 5. " i Cor. i. 26—29
'^ Judg. vii, 19 — 21. God would not suffer Gideon to employ any thing like an effective army, lest they should ascribe the victory to