This treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which in scripture is represented to us under various images borrowed from human things. Sometimes it is called a light, the day-spring from on high visiting us when we sat in the region and shadow of death: Sometimes it is called life: Sometimes a resurrection: Sometimes a net cast into the sea: Sometimes a seed: Here it is represented under the image of a treasure:

1. On account of its worth and excellence; for what canbe so valuable as this gospel of Jesus Christ? &c. 2. Because of its abundance; for here are infinite riches, &c.

3. For its truth and reality; for it is indeed a heavenly treasure, which this world cannot afford, which grace only gives, and gives only to the elect. In this sense the Gospel in the parable is likened to treasure hid in a field, and to a pearl of great price, &c.

4. Treasure, which cannot be possessed without joy, without jealousy, without caution, &c.

5. The apostle, in the preceding verses, had called the

It may be considered also as a ministry of Shadows, as opposed to Truth.

[It held out Promises of what was afterwards to be accom. plished

It exhibited in Types the mercies which God had in reserve for them

It imparted the Beginnings of that salvation, which was to be afterwards more largely bestowed

Yet it could only be called "Law," because, however the Grace of the Gospel was blended with that economy, the legal part was predominant-]

The author, or dispenser of this law was Moses.

[God indeed was the first and principal author of this lawMoses was only the Mediator by whom God dispensed it→ Nor as a Mediator was He a real, but only a typical Medi

ator

y Gen. iii. 15. and xlix. 10. Deut. xviii. 15.

z To prevent entirely the idea of his being really the Mediator of the Covenant, Divine Wisdom has recorded his sins and failings: and it is worthy of observation, that the priesthood was assigned, not to him, but to his brother Aaron; and that not He, but Joshua, had the honour of leading the Israelites into Canaan.

Gospel, light, glory, and knowledge; The light (says he) of the glorious Gospel of Christ; the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This treasure, then, is a treasure of light, a treasure of glory, a treasure of knowledge; and, what is more, of the light, the glory, and the knowledge of God.

6. The Gospel may be considered either as received and possessed by simple believers, or as it is deposited in the hands of the ministers of the Gosple. I own, it is worthy of being called a treasure in both considerations; but most in the second: for this Gospel is found in ministers in a more full and abundant measure than in others; they have accumulated much more light, much more knowledge. But if it be thus with ordinary ministers, how much more does it deserve to be called a treasure as the apostles possessed it?

The apostles had the Gospel, 1. In all its extent, not being ignorant of any of its mysteries, &c. 2. In all its degrees, penetrating even to the bottom of divine mysteries, &c. 3. In all its purity, without any mixture of error.

As the dispenser of it He was greatly honoured by God. [He was the Interpreter of the Israelites to God, and of God to thema—

He was employed to shew forth the Mighty power of Je

hovah

He was inspired to transmit in writing the history of his own nation-]

II. The ministry of the Gospel.

"Grace and truth" are here put for the Gospel of

Jesus Christ

The Gospel is called Grace in opposition to the Rigours of the Law.

[God manifested himself in it, not as on Mount Sinai with thunderings, but in a gentle manner, under a veil of human flesh

In it he reveals his mercy and parental love

It is his free Gift, according to his own good Pleasure—
It is accompanied with a Divine Efficacy to the souls of

men

It operates on us, not enthusiastically, but in a rational manner-]

a Exod. xx. 19.

This treasure in them was, as it were, in a public magazine; or as the waters of a fountain are in its bason, &c.

7. Farther, the Gospel is called a treasure in opposition to the false treasures of the earth, which are nothing in comparison of this. If David said of the revelation of the law, The judgments of the Lord are more desirable than gold, yea, than fine gold; what would he have said of the mysteries of the Gospel, had he lived under a revelation of them?

8. This treasure was once hid in God's decrees; but now it is a treasure set forth and displayed in the Gospel; for which reason St. Paul, speaking of the Gospel, says, In it are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: as if he had said, those treasures, which were formerly hid in God, are now revealed in the Gospel. In the same sense he said, The mystery hid from ages and from generations is now made manifest to the saints, Col. i. 26.

But this treasure (says the apostle) is in us, as in earthen vessels. You may introduce this article by observing the use of Gideon's pitchers and lamps; and you may farther It is called Truth in opposition to Falsehood.

[It is the accomplishment of what existed only in Promises before

It is the Substance of what was before exhibited in Types— It is the Completion of what, under the law, was only begun-]

The author of this Gospel was Jesus Christ.

[He, like Moses, was an Interpreter between God and Men

His Ministry also, like Moses's was accompanied with miracles[tual ruleHe moreover caused his Gospel to be written for a perpeAs such He was honoured infinitely above Moses.

[Moses was only the Dispenser of the law, but Christ was the Author of Grace and Truth

Moses did not procure the Covenant of which he was Mediator; whereas the Covenant of Grace was given, not only through Christ, but on his account

Moses could only report God's will to men; but Jesus Christ both reported it to them, and became a Guarantee for their performance of it

Moses was not the Source, nor even the Dispenser of the Spirit, that accompanied the legal economy; but Christ communicates the Spirit out of his own Fulness"—

b Heb. x. 1.

e Rom. viii. 15.

d John i. 16.

observe, that when the Lord committed the dispensation of his word to angels, he put it into precious vessels; when he was pleased immediately to reveal it himself, either in visions, dreams, or familiar interviews with his saints, it was in its source, without vessels; when he declared himself by the sun, moon and starry heavens, the treasure was indeed in vessels, but in vessels grand and glorious: for which reason, when David, in the xixth Psalm, said, The heavens declare the glory of God, he displayed at the same time the grandeur of the heavens, and particularly of the sun. When God committed his word to Moses and the prophets, he might be said to put the treasure into vessels of iron and brass: but when he committed it to the apostles, it was put, properly speaking, into vessels of earth.

The apostles are, 1. vessels, not authors of the Gospel, nor founders of the benefits of it, but simple instruments; vessels which contain the treasure, but do not give it its value; for the excellence of the Gospel is not derived from their dignity; we do not believe it on their account; on the contrary, it is the treasure which they contain that gives them authority and value.

2. Earthen vessels. 1. For the meanness of their condition; they were poor sinful men. St. Paul himself a tent-maker, intoxicated with self-love, a persecutor, &c. 2. Earthen vessels, for the afflictions to which they were subject. They were exposed to all sorts of accidents; to accidents of nature as other men; to calamities which

e In the first edition we here omitted an Illustration, which the Translator, with too much justice, calls " very far-fetched:" and in the subsequent editions we have endeavoured to consult the benefit of the Reader, by abridging or expunging such parts as tended to mislead the judgment, and to divert his attention from the main scope of the argument.

Moses wrought Miracles by a foreign power; but Jesus Christ by his own—

Moses was established over God's house as a Servant; but Jesus Christ as a Son, (i. e. a Master and Heir) over his own house-]

IT is hoped that the Skeletons annexed to this Essay will be found to correspond, in some measure, with this Specimen, as far as respects the Discussion: But they will differ in four other respects: they all have an Exordium: all are illustrated and confirmed by a great variety of References to Scripture: all have the Connexion of the different parts suggested: and all have an Application of the Subject to various descriptions of Hearers.

]

belonged to their office, as persecutions, prisons, banishments, &c. 3. Earthen vessels in regard to their own infirmities. St. Peter's dissimulation (which Paul reproved to his face ;) his rashness in dissuading Christ from dying (which drew on him that reproof, in which Christ called him Satan ;) his stupor on mount Tabor; his fall in the high-priest's palace; the unbelief of Thomas; the contention between Paul and Barnabas; the spirit of authoritative pride, which made them dispute who should be the greatest; their spirit of revenge against the Samaritans, on whom they would have made fire descend from heaven, &c.; all these infirmities proved their brittleness and frailty.

You may also remark the wisdom of the apostles. When they were contemned for their meanness, they exalted themselves by their treasure, and called themselves servants of Jesus Christ, ambassadors of God, &c.; they magnified their office (as St. Paul speaks), on proper occasions: but when the excellence of their ministry was likely to make them overvalued, they humbled, and, as it were, annihilated themselves, calling themselves earthen vessels. When Paul and Barnabas were driven from Iconium, and fled to Lystra, to shew the glory of their ministry they wrought a miracle; but when the people took them for gods, they tore their garments, and cried, We are men.

Proceed now to the second part of the text, and examine two things: 1. The excellency of the power of the Gospel. 2. The design of God in putting such a treasure into earthen vessels, that the excellency of that power might be of him, and not of men.

1. The excellency of this power.-This consists, 1. in the happy success of the Gospel in the conversion of men, which may be represented as a victorious and triumphant power, and even as an excelling, that is, a prevailing and almighty energy. Here you may remark the extensive success of the Gospel, and how, in a very little time, the whole earth was filled with Christian converts. You may add the difficulties, which the Gospel surmounted; it rose above obstacles within, the natural corruption of men, prejudices of birth and education, love of false religions, &c.; obstacles without, contradictions of philosophers, persecutions of Jews, calumnies on the Gospel and its VOL. I. L