iCo R. i. 21.

For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleafed God by, the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

N the seventeenth verse of this chapter the Apostle declares, that the great intention of his being fent by Chrift to the Gentiles was, to preach the Gospel to them; not with wisdom of words; not with that ftudied eloquence, and thofe perfuafive charms of oratory; or, not with that fubtle and acute method of reasoning, which carries in it an air of wisdom, and without which nothing would relish amongst the wife and learned Greeks; least the cross of Chrift should be made of none effect; i. e. leaft the doctrine he preached fhould appear to be a mere human fpeculation, to ftand only upon the common foundation of human oratory and reafoning, to have no original or authority from God, nor any interpofition of his power to confirm and eftablish it.

He well knew indeed, that the effect of his preaching the Gofpel would be very different, according to the different difpofitions and characters of those who heard it, that by fome it would be treated with contempt, by others with an attention and regard, fuitable to the great importance of the doctrine he taught; and that the confequences, with respect to both these fort of perfons, would be anfwerable to the temper with which they received it. The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us who are Saved it is the power of God. And in the view of this glorious and beneficial effect of the doctrine of the cross, the Apostle cries out with triumph: * Where is the wife man, where is the fcribe, where is the difputer of this world? What is the effect of human philosophy? What hath the world gained by the inftructions of the Jewish Scribes, Rabbi's, and Doctors? What good hath been done by all the fubtle, intricate, learned queftions, that have been debated and difputed by the wifeft men amongst Jews or Greeks? Where are the converts they have made to real knowledge, genuine religion, and the practice of righteoufnefs? Even as to the very first article of all religion, the being of one God, the Creator, Preferver and Governor of the world, they have never been able to bring men to the acknowledgment and worship of him; for, as it follows in my text: § After that, or fince, in the

the wifdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleafed God by the foolishness of preaching to fave them that believe. The wisdom of God here is that wisdom, understanding and skill, which God discovers in the frame of nature, and in all the various works and parts of which it confifts. But by all these numerous and convincing difcoveries of the wisdom of God in the creation, the world, by wisdom, i. e. by human wisdom and philofophy, knew not God; were never converted to the knowledge and worship of the one only living and true God. And therefore, because human wisdom had not in fact and experience ever answered this important purpose, it pleafed God, by the foolishness of preaching, by this method of preaching a crucified Saviour, which to the Greeks appeared foolishness, to fave them that believe: which words will naturally lead us to confider the following things.

I. The inefficacy of human wisdom and philofophy to bring mankind to knowledge and falvation.

II. How it pleased God, by his own immediate interpofition, to accomplish this benevolent defign.

III. The method which God made use of for this purpose.

IV. The nature and caufes of that fevere çenfure, which the world paffed on it. Of these in their order.

Thefe

I. These words plainly intimate to us the inefficacy of human wisdom and philofophy to reform and fave mankind. This fentiment is evidently conveyed to us in the words of the Apoftle: By the wisdom of God, viz. manifested in the works of creation, the world through wisdom, i. e. human wisdom and philofophy, knew not God; were not brought to form juft and honourable fentiments of him, nor prevailed with § to glorify him as God; but worShiped and ferved the creature more than, or befides the creator, who is bleffed for evermore. Mankind indeed never were fo far atheifts, as abfolutely to reject the belief of Deity; but ftill they may be truly faid to be without God in the world, as they had too generally formed the most corrupt and unworthy notions of him, afcribed to him the paffions and vices of men, and thought him, in the general, altogether fuch an one as themselves; a local, circumfcribed, temporary, dependent being, fubject himself to want, without perfection and rectitude of nature, deftitute of all dignity of character, and every way unworthy to be placed at the head of the creation, and of the veneration and esteem, the affection, confidence, and truft of every truly rational Being. These were the popular fentiments of God. Many of the philofophers indeed had very different ones, and the more ftudious and thoughtful had formed much more excellent and worthy ideas of the divine nature and attributes, and treated

§ Rom. i. 21. 25.

treated with contempt the gods of the vulgar, and all the ceremonies of their worship as ridiculous and unprofitable fuperftitions. But ftill those gods continued to be the gods of the publick, and all the impieties and follies, that were practifed in honour of them, maintained their ground, were held facred and inviolable, and conftituted the standing religion of the whole Gentile world.

It is true, that this ignorance of God, and the reasonable worship that was due to him, was not owing to any abfolute incapacity in mankind to fearch after and find him out. The powers and faculties of reafon, with which God endowed them, would, had they made the right use and improvement of them, have taught them better; and as there was no defect in the neceffary proofs of the being and perfections of the one true God, God having never left himself without witness in the darkest ages of the world, their ignorance of him was really voluntary, and became their crime as well as their reproach. + So that they were altogether without excufe, because had they but duly attended to the many and clear notices, that God gave them of his being and perfections, they would certainly have found him out, who never was far from any one of them, and paid him that rational reverence and worship, that was due to him, as the Almighty Creator, Preferver, and Sovereign of the world,

† Rom. i. 20.

And