I. As verified at that day —
The darkness of the Mosaic dispensation was then dispelled —
[That was a dark and shadowy dispensation altogether. God himself was not made known by it as the common Father of all, but as the friend only of one peculiar people, whom he favoured above all others. The way of acceptance with him was very indistinctly seen in the sacrifices which were offered ; there being but little spoken to direct the attention of the offerers to that great Sacrifice, from whence alone they derived all their efficacy. Nor were the requirements of the moral law
c I John iii. 16.
by any means clearly revealed ; the very commandments them- selves consisting only of prohibitions, and those prohibitions extending, for the most part, only to overt acts. Hence Paul himself, educated as he was by the first master of his day, and pre-eminently conversant as he was with the Mosaic writings, did not, till his eyes were opened by the Spirit of God, under- stand the spiritual import of the law, or the extent of the command, " Thou shalt not covetd." Besides, there were many enactments for the direction of magistrates in the admi- nistration of justice, which, when erroneously construed as rules of duty in private life, seemed to authorize revenge ; as, " an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."
But our blessed Lord threw the true light on the whole of
that economy. He declared plainly, that he was " come to
fulfil the law," and " to give his life a ransom for many." He
directed the people to look to him as " the way, by which alone
any one could come to the Father ; as the truth" in whom all
the types and shadows of the law were realized ; and " as the
life," by whom alone any sinner in the universe could livee.
He explained also the moral law, and freed it from all the
glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, by which it had been
obscured ; declaring, that it extended to the thoughts and
desires of the heart, no less than to the overt act. In particular
he made known the great duty of love, as comprehending
the whole law in all its branches, and in its utmost extent.
Thus in relation both to doctrine and morals it might be
truly said, that " the darkness was past, and the true light
then sinned."]
The darkness was also dispelled from their minds —
[All by nature are in darkness; and, even though the light shines around them, they are not able to apprehend it; " the eyes of their understanding being altogether darkened." Of all whilst in a state of unbelief it is expressly said, that " the God of this world hath blinded their eyes'." But by the Gospel, accompanied with power from on high, they had been " turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto Godg." They now acknowledged Jesus as their Saviour ; and had obtained " reconciliation with God through the blood of his cross." They had now an insight into that stupendous mystery, which all " the angels in heaven are desiring to look into," the redemption of the world by the sacrifice of our incarnate God ; and, together with that, had acquired just views of the state in which a redeemed sinner ought to live. In a word, they had been " brought out of
d Rom. vii. 7, 9. e John xiv. 6.
f 2 Cor. iv. 4. » Acts xxvi. 18.