upon the face of the deep." But while mankind were involved in this spiritual obscurity, "The WORD was made flesh." That eternal Word, "by whom all things were made, and without whom was not any thing made that was made," John i, 3; by whom "God made the worlds," Heb. i, 2; that same Almighty Word which spake at the first creation, said a second time, "LET THERE BE LIGHT;" and there was Light. "I am come," said our Savior, "a LIGHT into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness," John xii, 46. Christ came to reveal "the MYSTERY which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest; and by the scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commandment of the Everlasting God, made known to all Nations," Rom. xvi, 25. What then was this Mystery which Christ came to reveal?

"God

He revealed the Love of God the FATHER. SO LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii, 16.

He revealed the ATONEMENT of God the Son, in assuming the human nature, and offering himself up a sacrifice for the sins of men. "My flesh," saith he, "I will give for the life of the world," John vi, 51. “A BODY hast thou prepared me. Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," Heb. x, 5.

He revealed the INSPIRATION of God the HOLY GHOST; which was now to descend from heaven, and to "abide with men FOR EVER," John xiv, 16; even the spirit of truth which should "reprove THE WORLD of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment," John xvi, 18; the Holy Spirit, which should "be given by our heavenly Father to them that ASK HIM," Luke xi, 11. These were the doctrines which were to give LIGHT to

the world. They are comprehended by the Apostle Peter in one sentence. He addresses believers as being "elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the FATHER, through sanctification of the SPIRIT unto obedience; and sprinkling of the blood of JESUS CHRIST," 1 Pet. i, 2.

These doctrines our Savior embodied in a short Commission or Charge, which he delivered, after his ascension into heaven, to one of his Apostles. It was given to that Apostle, whom our Lord called "the CHOSEN VESSEL, to bear his name to the Gentiles," Acts ix, 15. For when Paul was proceeding on his way to Damascus, "a light above the brightness of the sun shone around him;" and our Savior spoke to him from heaven in the following words: "I send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith, which is in me," Acts xxvi, 18.

This Charge our Lord delivered AFTER his ascension into heaven, expressly for the instruction of his Ministers, in regard to the DOCTRINE they were to preach, and to the EFFECTS which should follow. It may therefore be considered as a summary of the doctrine of the four Gospels; and every Minister of Christ ought to engrave it on the tablet of his memory, and comprehend it well; whether he preach "to Greek or to barbarian, to learned or to unlearned, to bond or to free."

Here is first established that fundamental truth, which ought ever to be present with us in all our counsels concerning the promulgation of the gospel, That the Gentiles are "under the power of Satan." "I send thee," saith our Lord, "to the Gentiles, to turn them

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from the power of Satan unto God." This is a truth which the wisdom of this world "will not receive;" and it is assaulted by a false philosophy continually. But, like a rock assailed by the restless waves, it will remain for ever IMMOVEABLE. For what we call a revelation from heaven, is properly a revelation of this, That all men are by nature "in darkness, and under the power of Satan;" and that Christ hath come "to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God."

The second part of our Savior's Charge declares the EFFECTS of preaching the Gospel, namely, That the Gentiles should receive "forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ," and that "their eyes should be OPENED.” These are the effects in this world.

The third part declares the consequence in the world to come; that they should receive a glorious "INHERITANCE among them which are sanctified;" that is, among them which are made MEET "by the Holy Ghost to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," Col. i, 12.

These were the doctrines of Light "which were now made manifest, and, by the commandment of the everlasting God, were to be made known to all nations." And our Savior said unto his Disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel unto every creature." They accordingly went forth. Though unlearned men, they went forth with confidence, to CHANGE THE RELIGION OF THE WORLD. The darkness of paganism receded before them; and in process of time there was a general illumination.

In the course of three hundred years "THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" was published generally throughout the habitable world; and a great company were gathered out of many nations, who became partakers

of "the INHERITANCE among them which are sanctified." But, during that period "the children of light" had to maintain a fiery conflict with the powers of darkness. For a new thing appeared upon the earth. The pagan religions, though they differed from each other in form, yet agreeing in principle, had existed in amity together; because they were of the same kind, and members of the same family. "The strong man, armed, kept his palace, and his goods were in peace," Luke xi, 21. But they no sooner beheld the religion FROM HEAVEN, than they all united against it, and persecuted it. They hated its purity, its humility, its spiritual worship, its renunciations of self-glory, and its contemplation of eternal life. "The light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not," John i, 5. The heathen governments devoted multitudes of their fellow-subjects to death, not for crimes which they had done, but "for righteousness sake;" wondering themselves at their own new and strange work, of which there had been no example in the records of nations. And these multitudes met death with cheerful hope; because they knew that there should be "a resurrection from the dead." At length the great conflict was ended, and the Christian faith obtained the dominion.

But, as Adam, the parent of the human race, fell from his high estate by withdrawing from communion with God; so his descendants follow his sin, in perverting the truth, and renouncing the gift of heaven. As the chosen race who had communion with God upon earth at Sinai, turned away afterwards and sought salvation by other gods: so that peculiar people, yet more highly favored, who had "communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," turned away "from him who spake unto them from heaven." Heb.

xii, 25. No sooner had the religion of Christ become the religion of the world, and been invested with dignity and power, than it began to be corrupted. Men began "to hold the truth in unrighteousness;" and "Satan himself was transformed into an Angel of Light," so as to deceive the nations. They sunk gradually into the abyss of ignorance and superstition; and "darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." What added to the horror of this darkness, the Bible itself, the fountain of Light, was taken away; and, for some ages, the Revelation of God, which had been given by the hand of a Mediator, and by the ministry of Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, was hid from the world. tianity hath two principal enemies to contend with, SUPERSTITION and INFIDELITY. It was Superstition which first shut the Bible. The age of Infidelity had not yet come.

Chris

In that dark period of which we speak, even the chief Seats of learning became fountains of error to the world. From those very Seats it was maintained, That Christianity was little more than a moral code, and that the Faith by which we should be saved, consisted principally in "a mere historic belief." The doctrine asserted amounted in substance to this, that a man might almost, if not entirely, qualify and entitle himself by certain good actions to receive the grace of God; and that thus he might purchase heaven by his own merit. So thick a mantle of darkness had covered the minds of men!

At length there appeared a dawn of light. BRADWARDINE of Oxford combated these errors of doctrine with great energy and eloquence. He was Archbishop of Canterbury, and the most profound scholar of his age. And as he was first in the Church in learn