these to the support of all God's wide spread family? "There is the hiding of his power." The weakest instruments, as well as the most simple, are used by the great master builder, that He may thus speak confusion to the shallow pride of man, and show forth his excellent greatness. When the world was to be revolutionized and the banner of the cross was to be planted upon the ruins of obsolete rites and the superstitions of Paganism—what is the character of the instruments employed? Are they the learned philosophers who are chosen? No. Are they rich and powerful? No. But they are the poor fishermen of Galilee, who were to cope with the wisdom of the most acute geniuses, and to preach a crucified Saviour before the bristling spears of a world in arms against what was called the superstition of the Nazarenes. Why was this? The truth of God has declared the reason. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise," and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. Finally, in the varied scenes of this transient life, in trouble or in joy, how constantly, with graphic accuracy, do we see the deep and far-reaching wisdom of our unerring Ruler, directing the events of our life by paths that we have not known-paths full often dark and mysterious-paths leading at one time by the edge of some fearful precipice; at another, beside the dark rolling waters, whose swift and dangerous current our frail bark is called to cross-paths sometimes winding through deep vales of adversity, and at another, raising us to some prosperous mountain-top-mysterious to us full oftenheart-rending at many a place where we are compelled to sink, faint and discouraged, to the dust, and to sigh for a rest from such sorrows, and a refuge from such ills. But, brethren, how often have we seen that "behind a frowning Providence he hides a smiling face." How often are the golden beams of the brilliant orb of day obscured by some passing cloud, and yet there is no harm done to the onward march of his glory. So to the Christian who has set his face like a flint towards the heavenly work of his high calling, the trials and troubles of this short course are passed without detriment to his future and immortal hopes. Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. In every woe that wrung his heart, he could not but acknowledge the just penalty of Sin, and if the wages of this hard master, so disgusting, have had the effect to open his eyes to see the hideous deformity of vice if the smarting of those wounds which a father's hand has inflicted, has driven him from the abyss of sin and misery into which he might have otherwise recklessly pushed, may he not with great reason adore the wisdom of such a discipline, and with gratitude kiss the rod which broke the charm by which his soul was deluded-and set the prisoner free from the galling chains of his cruel bondage? And may he not, when, in thought, he reflects upon the wondrous ways of God's mysterious providence, with great reason feel the striking truth of my text, and say, "There was the hiding of his power?" Thus, brethren, has the great Ruler of heaven and earth seen fit to deal with his creatures in the dispensations of his providence and grace; and we may truly say of all this arrangement of his infinite wisdom, so simple and yet so efficacious for its grand and ultimate end-"There is the hiding of his power." Let us, then, while we admire and adore this wisdom, so worthy of our utmost admiration— while, in the holy ordinance now to be administered, we with reverence contemplate the stupendous power which lies hid beneath symbols of such small comparative importance-while we rejoice that to us is offered a share in those benefits which our good Master has purchased by his own most precious death-let us examine our hearts, and see that there we maintain a fixed, unalterable and supreme love for Him who hath so loved us—a lively gratitude for all his unmerited favors-a sincere penitence for all our past transgressions—a lively faith in his great atoning death, and a universal charity for the whole far-extending human family. Thus what in one sense is the "hiding of his power," shall be to us a "manifestation" of his power. Our life, though hid with Christ in God, shall be a manifestation of the power of God unto salvation, and thus after all symbolical representations shall cease to be needed as communications with the author and finisher of our faith. In the great day when he shall come with his angels-when he shall come to judge the earth-when Christ, who is our life, shall appear-then shall we also appear with him in glory. |