ness. But, by an ufual figure, he confiders the extraordinary conduct of Providence manifested in this new inftitution, under the denomination which the adverfaries were pleafed to give it; and affirms, that the measures which the ruler of the world had adopted, and which to them were foolishness, would be found to have more wisdom in them than the wifeft plans of human contrivance; and that the means employed by Heaven, however weak they might be reckoned, would be ftrong enough to baffle all the most vigorous efforts of the fons of earth. Nay more, however fhallow the measures, and however impotent the inftruments may be, not in appearance but in reality, when attended only by natural and ordinary means, they will prove perfectly efficacious when attended by fuch as are fupernatural and extraordinary. God, when he is pleased to interpofe miraculoufly, can effect his purpose, not only without the intervention of man, but by fuch human agency as feems better calculated to defeat the end than to promote it. This, we learn from the context, was, in feveral important refpects, the cafe with the first promulgation of the gospel.

To throw light on this doctrine, and to point out the ufe we ought to make of it, fhall, with the aid of Heaven, be the ultimate fcope of this difcourfe. The argument couched in my text, and illuftrated in the concluding part of this chapter, and the beginning

of

of the next, may be thus expreffed: "The human and natural means originally employed for the propagation of the gospel, would, without the divine interpofition, have proved both foolish and weak, and therefore utterly incapable of anfwering the purpose. The purpose was nevertheless by these means fully answered. Confequently they must have been accompanied with the divine interpofition, and our religion is of God, and not of man." I fhall first therefore endeavour to evince the truth of the first proposition, and show the utter inability of the natural means employed in promulgating the gofpel, to effect the end. I fhall next evince the truth of the fecond, pointing out the rapid and unexampled fuccefs of the means that were employed; and fhall conclude with obferving the influence which the obvious confequence of these deductions ought to have upon us, and the improvement we ought to make of this doctrine.

I BEGIN with the unfitnefs of the means, that is, the natural and ordinary means admitted by infidels, as well as Chriftians, to have been employed; for it is of fuch means only I am here fpeaking. Let it be obferved, that under this I comprehend the genius of the doctrine taught; becaufe, whether fupernatural in its origin or not, it may have in it a natural fitnefs for engaging attention and regard; or, on the contrary, a natural ten0 2 dency

dency to alienate the minds of men, and render them inattentive and averfe. In this view the fpirit and character of the inftitution itfelf ought to be regarded as natural means, either of promoting, or of retarding, its propagation. Let us then examine briefly the two principal circumftances already fuggested, the doctrine, and the publishers. It is to the former that the term foolishness is more efpecially applied, as weakness is to the latter.

The doctrine of the crofs, in particular, the great hinge of all, was, in every view, expofed to univerfal diflike and derifion. Confidered as an article of faith in this new religion, as exhibiting the expiation of fin, and confequently as the foundation of the finner's hope of divine pardon and acceptance, to men principled as they were, it both fhocked their understanding, and was humiliating to their pride. Confidered as a practical lef fon, and a warning of the treatment which the difciples might expect, when fuch hor. rible things had befallen their mafter, to follow whom in fuffering they were specially called, nothing could tend more powerfully to alienate their will, being oppofed by all their moft rooted paffions, love of life, averfion to pain, and horror of infamy. And even confidered only as a memorable event in the hiftory of him whom all the profelytes to this inftitution were bound to acknowledge as their lawgiver and king, it was exceedingly difguftful, being contradictory to all the notions to

which from infancy they had been habituated, in regard to the protection of Providence, and the marks whereby Heaven diftinguishes its favourites deftined for honour and autho rity.

Paul, accordingly, takes particular notice of the bad reception which this doctrine met with from both Jews and Gentiles, in confequence of the inveterate prejudices entertained against it. The preaching of the cross, says he, is to them that perish, to them who reject and defpife the gofpel, foolishness; but to us who are faved, who by faith give it a grateful reception, it is the power of God *. However much the Jews and the Greeks differed from each other, in their religious principles, as well as cuftoms, they concurred in a moft hearty deteftation of this, which made fo fundamental an article of the Chriftian difpenfation. They viewed it differently, according to their different national characters; but the effect, an indignant rejection, was the fame in both. Our apoftle, who perfectly underftood the difference, has marked it with the greatest accuracy. The Jews require a fign, an evidence of the interpofition of omnipo tence, which may overpower their minds, and command an unlimited affent; and the Greeks feek after wisdom, the elaborate productions of oratory and ingenuity, which may at once convince their reafon, and gratify their curiofity but we preach Chrift crucified

:

I Cor. i. 18.

03

a doctrine fo far from fuiting the inclinations of either, that to the Jews it is a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness. Both agree to reprobrate this doctrine: they differ only in the manner. To the Hebrew, it is an object of abhorrence; to the Grecian, of contempt. He adds, but to them who are called, thofe who are divinely inftructed, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift the power of God, and the wifdom of God".

Nor can we justly wonder that fo strange a doctrine as this of the cross, fo repugnant to flesh and blood, fhould, upon the trial, prove fo unwelcome to carnal men. If we inquire but ever fo little into the circumftances of the cafe, we fhall find, that its reception could not have been any other than it was. The Jewish nation was at that time split into fects, which in many things entertained opinions opofite to one another. Nevertheless, all who expected the Meffiah, of whatever fect, concurred in the belief that he would be, what the world calls, an illuftrious prince, a mighty conqueror, who would fubdue kingdoms, and eftablish for himself a new univerfal monarchy, or fecular empire, (for of a spiritual kingdom they had no idea), wherein his own nation would be exalted above all the nations of the earth. From thefe fentiments the Samaritans (however much they differed from the Jews in other refpects) feem not to have diffented; in thefe fentiments all our Lord's

I Cor. i. 22. 23. 24.

disciples

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