The means of the Gospel apparently are simple. Water in baptism, bread and wine in the Lord's Supper–how foolish in the sight of the world ! how trifling in the sight of self-idolizing pharisees ! They conclude these simple means cannot be the counsel of God unto man's salvation. They say, What good can these do ? They imagine the grace of God is to come unto them in a superb manner, either by the glorious clouds from heaven, or by their own lofty righteousness. But did not the whole plan of redemption appear vile, foolish and contemptible to the world ? What good can come from Nazareth ? The Jews expected, when their Messiah should appear, he would be clothed with all imaginable grandeur, with civil authority, and be hailed by the rulers. But God wisely blasted their proud expectations. In the fullness of the time, he sends the Messiah ; he is born of a poor virgin ; a manger is his palace ; the hymning seraphs announce his birth to a few shepherds, who kept their midnight watches in the field : he is a poor Nazarene, poorer than foxes and birds ; he is a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief ; he is finally condemned as a blasphemer, by the great men of Jerusalem ; cursed, he hangs on the tree, and expires like a malefactor ! Here proud man startles, and exclaims, Is a condemned and crucified man to be my Saviour, on whom I must depend ! my Jehovah, whom I must worship ! No matter how foolish this may appear ; God " hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and 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." I. Cor. 6, 27–29.

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