There is but one means by which the darkness of nature can be scattered, and that is by the light of God’s truth; but one means by which the evil spirit of the natural man can be cast out, and that is by the Spirit of God. The blessed Jesus came into the world to reclaim and redeem it from the grossness in which it was sunk; to open a new scene of things; to impart a new life; to banish the thick cloud of error and of sin, in which the world hopelessly and irrecoverably lay; and to raise it to the knowledge and service, the favour and blessing of an offended God. This is the description of the happy effects which the gospel is intended and fitted to produce; “the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” {4} All, without the gospel, are in this miserable condition, whatever they may think of themselves: all who sincerely embrace it, are enlightened and happy, however poor and humble, and of whatever else they may be ignorant. Poor and humble did I say? It is to them, that this light is the most easily, and frequently, and effectually communicated. The prosperous and the great too often resemble the wealthy Ephesians, “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;” {5} revelling in the self-sufficiency of their earthly comforts, proud of their acquirements, fond of their own way, they disdain to be taught the humbling truths of the gospel from a fellow-creature like themselves: and often has the minister of the gospel to be thankful to his Lord and Master, that, when he finds his message rejected and despised by his wealthier hearers, it still makes its way into the hearts of some of the poor: grieved he is indeed, that those, who ought to know it best and love it most, should be so deluded by worldly vanities and follies, as to continue, amidst all their advantages of education, in spiritual darkness and death; set against the messenger, because hating the truth of his message: yet, is it a comfort to him, sincere and unspeakable, that he meets with more success among the ignorant, as they are called, and the children of the poor: that there he finds wisdom, “the wisdom which is from above;” and there he finds friends among the friends of God. It was so in the Apostle’s day; and with some bright exceptions, it has been the same in every day: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but 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 that 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.” {7}