is evident from ver. 4. “ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. iii. 21, 22. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe;" i. e. as appears, ver. 25. the righteousness of Christ, "set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood." The Jews were not ignorant of the righteousness of the moral and ceremonial law, but were sensible of their obligation to both. They were zealous against the Heathen nations, zealous in defending the unity of God, his attributes, and his law, and were many of them men of great knowledge about these things; yet, as they were ignorant of this righteousness of Christ, Paul reckoned their zeal not according to knowledge, and accounted them under the most miserable spirit of sleep and slumber; hereby teaching us, that while we know not this great object, we know nothing of the Scriptures and of the mystery. of God's will. When Paul was in such heaviness for the Jews being thus ignorant of Christ, surely we have reason to be deeply concerned for our own ignorance, and the ignorance of others amongst us. Let it be our continual prayer, that the Lord may keep us from such dreadful blindness as that miserable nation was left to. When we are considering. their wilful infatuation, let us consider at the same time, how, on account of it, divine providence has made them examples to all the nations of the world. Though they are not Atheists, nor idolaters, nor believers in any such impostor as Mahomet, and though they profess the greatest respect for the law of Moses; yet for their rejecting the knowledge of Christ crucified, and his righteousness, these seventeen hundred years, they have been dispersed through the world, the most miserable spectacle that ever the sun saw. Never was any nation made such a remarkable instance of the justice of God, and that for so long a time, near the third part of the age of the world>

The use we ought to make of this we learn, Isa. Ixvi. 24. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me." The prophet had been prophesying of Christ, his gospel, and his subjects; and here speaks of the enemies of these, and the vengeance that awaited them. We ought to look upon the carcases of these men, the carcases of the Jewish nation, as one proof what an inexpressible danger it is to neglect the great salvation

But then we are not to think, that it is only in the Jews that such ignorance, unbelief, and contempt of this knowledge, is dangerous. It is affirmed in general, that if this gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; if to some it is foolishness, it is foolishness to them that perish; and where it is not the savour of life to life, it is the savour of death to death.

4. The knowledge spoken of in the text is represented as the chief end and design of the enlightening grace of the Spirit of God. One of the most glorious promises in the Old Testament concerning the times of the New Testament, is, that then, in a special manner, all the children of the true Israel, the church of God, should be taught of God. Promises to that effect are frequently repeated in such a manner, as to teach us to look upon that enlightening as one of the most glorious benefits God could bestow *. The Old Testament does not mention so particularly or clearly as the New, what it is the Lord would, in such a glorious and merciful manner, teach his people; but the New Testament explains it very clearly. Thus John vi. 44, 45. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, They shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh to me." Here

See Isa. xliv. 30. Jer. xxxi. 34. &c.

we see, that that teaching of the Father, foretold and promised in the writings of the prophets, is teaching us the knowledge of Christ, that knowledge which is requisite to make us come to him, " who is the way, the truth, and the life." In the New Testament we learn, that one great design of sending the Holy Ghost is, that he might guide God's people into all truth; yet scarce ever is the enlightening grace of the Spirit of God mentioned in the writings of the apostles, where the knowledge of the mystery of redemption is not spoken of as the end and design of it. It is for this end he gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation, Eph. i. 17. and downward. It is for this end he shines into the hearts of sinners, 2 Cor. iv. 6. It is for this end he strengthens with might, by his Spirit, in the inner man, Eph. iii. 16. And when be converts a persecutor, as Paul was, it is by revealing his Son in him.

This enlightening grace of the Spirit is scarce ever mentioned, particularly by Paul, without his breaking out into a prayer, that those to whom he writes might be blessed with it, in order to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge, to know the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, to know the riches of his inheritance, the unsearchable riches of his grace, and the like. And we ought not to overlook the very earnest manner in which these petitions are put up. It is his prayer for all those to whom he writes, that they might be filled with the knowledge of God in Christ, the knowledge of the mystery of Christ, the knowledge of the mystery of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding And that work of enlightening the mind of a sinner in the knowledge of the mystery of redemption, is compared to that glorious act of omnipotence at the creation of the world, in bringing light out of darkness.

5. On the other hand, it is represented as the great design of the prince of darkness, to withstand, oppose, and hinder this knowledge of Christ: 2 Cor.

iv. 4. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine into their hearts." The light of the glorious gospel of God is the same thing spoken of ver. 6. "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." And accordingly the synagogues, where the knowledge of Christ was opposed, rejected, neglected, are called synagogues of Satan; and the false apostles that corrupted this doctrine, are called apostles of Satan. Though there be many things hard to be understood concerning the operations of evil spirits on the minds of men, yet that fury and rage with which this blessed doctrine has been opposed in all ages of the world, is a confirmation, from experience, of what the word of God teaches us so plainly, of their influence on the hearts of the wicked, their being nothing in the history of the world in all ages, comparable to that hellish malice and cruelty exercised against them that professed this knowledge of Jesus Christ; first by Pagans, and afterwards by the whore of Babylon; besides the persecution that the Apostle Paul speaks of that obtained in all ages, even in the bosom of the visible church, Ishmael born after the flesh persecuting the Isaacs born after the spirit. Now that knowledge which the prince of darkness makes it his business to oppose and hinder, must be a knowledge of unspeakable importance to us. We may learn what it is we ought chiefly to study, by considering what it is the devil endeavours chiefly to divert our minds from; and the warnings given in Scripture, should teach us, when we find high thoughts in our corrupt hearts rising against this blessed mystery, to be suspicious whence they come. We ought always to be on our guard against these evil spirits in all matters belonging to our souls; but especially lest our faith fail through the fiery darts of Satan thrown into our minds. He cannot force us to reject this blessed mystery; yet, in a manner to us inconceivable, he

may dart in many thoughts and suggestions, tending to lessen our esteem of it, and divert our thoughts, and draw away our affections from it.

6. There is something very singular and surprising in the way and manner that the apostles express their esteem of this knowledge, and their contempt of all other knowledge in comparison of it. Thus, Phil. iii. 8, 9. the apostle twice or thrice repeats it," that he counted all things but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and him crucified," that he might know him, that he might win Christ, that he might be found in him. Though he had more knowledge of this mystery than most of the world, yet he counted not himself to have apprehended as yet, but was still "pressing forward to the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," and directs all others to be like-minded with him in this. There are several other ways by which also they express the highest esteem of this knowledge; and we ought still to consider, that their example in that is laid before us as a pattern which we ought to follow. Thus, for example, what earnestness do they express for communicating that knowledge to all the world! Paul, Rom. i. 14. professes himself debtor to Jews and Gentiles, debtor to all mankind, if it were possible, to make known to them the glorious knowledge of Christ Jesus. And 2 Cor. ix. he says, that for that end he became servant to all men; that necessity was laid upon him to publish this glorious knowledge; and wo unto him if he did it not. It would be a high degree of wretchedness to him not to be so employed, in communicating that knowledge, and that esteem he had of Christ, to others. And yet he adds, that he had nothing to glory in notwithstanding; because, that all the acknowledgments he could make, were infinitely short of the obligations he was under, So well did he love to see the doctrine of the cross