fied the Lord of Life, but the proud Teachers of the Law, and Masters of Ifrael, to whom the humility of Chrift's preaching was as foolishness, and a rock of offence. Whence the many herefies that have in all ages corrupted the Church? but from the ambition and conceit of men better furnished with learning and fubtleties, than the more Christian ornaments of a meek and quiet fpirit. In a word, whence that infidelity, and difregard to the worship of Almighty God, so justly to be lamented in these our days? but from the refined parts and opinionative intuition of those, who difdain to fubmit their reafon to any thing, in fpiritual matters, that furpaffeth it's comprehenfion : Though at the fame time the most obvious and minute things in nature do indeed furpafs it; and every object of their fenfes rifes up in judgment against that very reason, and condemns it's weakness.-Let it not therefore

therefore be thought any valid objection to what is here advanced, that proud and impious men have apprehensions as capable of judging what is true and what falfe, as the meek and godly; that their faculties are oftentimes greater, and their parts brighter, than those of better men; and their external advantages equal: Since it cannot, be denied, affectation and felf-conceit, lufts and vices, have an unavoidable bias upon the judgment.

But further-Befides the natural tendency of all kinds of fin to obftruct the entrance of truth and found knowledge into the mind; it is moreover a dreadful confideration that God in his juftice hath threatened to infatuate, and doth often infatuate, the understandings of the wicked. The fcripture expreffly declares that every one shall not understand. "None of the wicked fhall understand," faith the Prophet Daniel. And God

speaks

fpeaks by Ifaiah, faying," Forafmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me; therefore, behold! the wif dom of their wife men fhall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men fhall be hid." "Unto you, (faid our Blessed Lord to his Difciples) it is given to know the myfteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given." Unto you, who are as babes and fucklings, are these things revealed, but from them, who are the wife of this world, are they hid. And to this purpose is that his affectionate as well as authoritative admonition, fo repeatedly inculcated" He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." From all which confidered it has been reasonably enough inferred, that the proof given us of Chriftianity was lefs than it might have been for this very purpose, thereby to try fuch as

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were of a curable difpofition. Thus we find our Bleffed Saviour unveiling those truths to his well-intentioned Disciples, which to the Scribes and Pharifees, his inquifitive but refractory hearers, He wrapt up in parables.

Neither is the juftice of God impeached, though the evidences of the gospel were originally defigned and left fo, as that those who are defirous of evading moral obligations fhould not fee them, and that honest-minded perfons fhould For it was upon this account that the preaching of Chrift was concealed from those blind and bigoted Rulers; not that He difliked their defire of knowledge, but their want of fincerity. Belief itself in matters revealed, as well as a practical conformity to that belief, are both articles of trial unto men; and the integrity of the heart to be demonftrated by the one, no less than by the other: For as

there

there must be a fincerity of the will in order to practice, fo there must also be a fincerity of the judgment in order to belief. If then prejudiced and carnal minds become fo blinded by the God of this world, as not to fee those holy. truths, which are only fpiritually dif cerned; upon whom is the fault chargeable but upon themselves? It being as just a punishment in the spiritual sense, as it is a neceffary confequence in the natural-" If the eye be evil, the whole body fhall be full of darkness."-It is indeed by the divine influence of the Spirit (who is no refpecter of perfons but as they are more or lefs virtuous) that faith and hope are kept alive within us: Yet is it owing to our unworthiness if that blessed Spirit withdraws his assistance; who is of too pure a nature to dwell with the fenfual and prophane; and too jealous of his honour to guide and direct thofe who will not abide his councils.

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