Apostle Paul, that, in the contemplation of it, he exclaimed, " O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out"1!" It is upon that subject primarily that the Apostle is speaking in the whole preceding context. He de- clares himself to have been expressly ordained by God as " a preacher to the Gentiles," that, through him " all men," not Jews only, but Gentiles also, might " see what was the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, to the intent that now unto the angels also might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." Here the mystery which he refers to is the Gospel, in which are contained " the unsearchable riches of Christ," and in which also is pre-eminently displayed " the manifold wisdom of God."
In unfolding this great subject, I shall endeavour, as God may help me, to set forth,
I. The manifold wisdom of God, as exhibited in the Gospel —
Verily, it is wonderfully displayed,
1. In making salvation possible —
[As far as any finite intelligence could see, it was impos- sible for man to be saved, when once he had transgressed the law of God : for the honour of God's law demanded the execution of its sanctions on those who had violated its com- mands. Divine justice must be satisfied ; nor could it in any way relax its claims of vengeance. The truth of God, also, was pledged to inflict on man the penalty of death ; nor could the decree, once passed, be in any wise rescinded. What then could be done ? Shall mercy triumph at the expense of all the other perfections of God ? Shall it be said, that God has no regard for the honour of his law, for the rights of justice, for the sacredness of truth ? Shall the holy God be thus divested of the attribute of holiness, in order that unholy beings may escape the sentence which, by their iniquities, they have incurred? It cannot be: yet how shall man be saved without it ? Here the wisdom of Almighty God found out an expedient, which should at once solve every difficulty,
a Rom. xi. 33.