the most part of the worst fort; and though fome perfons who have been very wicked may become very good, and fuch were found amongst the first Chriftians, yet where the exceptions are few, the general obfervation is not affected by them; for thus much is certain, that an honeft mind is a great help to understand the truth, that the practice of Morality leads to the practice of Christianity, and that, fince converfion is brought about by steps, and revealed religion is founded on natural religion, he who is moved to embrace the Gospel muft be firft fenfible of the difference between good and evil, truth and falfehood, virtue and vice, muft love the one and abhor the other, must repent of his former tranfgreffions and receive the facred knowledge, which is offered to him, with gratitude and a firm resolution of performing his duty. He therefore who can call evil good, and good evil, who is totally corrupted in heart and understanding, is removed at an infinite diftance from God and righteoufnefs, has no ears to hear, and no eyes to fee, not even to fee miracles, fo as to be inftructed and amended by them.

To this general cause the unbelief of the Jews may be afcribed, as also to several prejudices which they had against the person of Chrift, and the doctrines of the Gospel.

The Jews were offended at Christ, because he was not received and followed by those of the most learning and authority amongst them. Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharifees believed on him?

We may then suppose that a Jew who rejected the Gospel would have argued thus: It becomes a private man not to lean too much to his own understanding, but to suppose that they who have ftudied the laws of God more than himself, and are appointed of God to be his inftructors, are better judges in religious controverfies than he can poffibly be. Our fpiritual guides are all of opinion that Jefus is not the Meffias. It is therefore the most modeft, rational, and safe way for me, who have not their leifure, learning and abilities, to submit and truft to their decifions.

Here is a prejudice founded upon the doctrine that private perfons, especially they who are ignorant and illiterate, should follow the judgment of the Church, of

their

their guides and teachers. This doctrine hath fomething plaufible in it, and under certain limitations and restrictions may be admitted.

d

The vulgar ought indeed to pay a great regard to their teachers, and are often under a neceffity of admitting many things upon their authority; but then we must except things plain in their own nature, in a word, every thing in which the reafon of one man is as good a judge as the reason of another, in which a man knows that he wants no guide, and therefore should submit to none.

Every few in Jerufalem was as competent a judge of a miracle as the high priest, and if he faw Chrift raise a man from the dead, and perform a variety of wonderful works, might conclude with full affurance, and without any danger of mistaking, that God would never fuffer a deceiver to do fuch works in his name, who taught nothing contrary to common sense.

In fuch a cafe as this, a few who submitted to the authority of the Scribes and

d See Whitby Serm. on John viii. 37. in his Comment. vol. I.

Pharifees,

Pharifees, of the chief priests and rulers, against plain evidence, abfolutely renounced all use of reason, after which it would have been ridiculous in him to talk of the reafonableness of following his guides, the reasonableness of rejecting private judgment; for what had fuch an one to do with reason?

e

The Jews were offended at Chrift, because he was not a temporal prince and a conqueror. They were all perfuaded that the Meffias fhould be a great king, under whom they fhould rule over the Gentiles, and live in wealth and pleasure.

When therefore they found that Christ was poor and defpised, and died an ignominious death, and that his kingdom, as his Apostles taught, was a fpiritual kingdom established in the hearts of men, a kingdom not of this world, the cross of Christ proved a stumbling-block to them, and they were difpleafed at a doctrine that fuited neither with their prejudices nor with their inclinations.

They had indeed feveral arguments to offer in behalf of this prejudice, which,

See Wollafton Rel. of Nat. fect. iii. p. 49. first ed.

though

though they are weak if they be compared with the fuperior evidences of the truth of the Gofpel, yet have a fair appearance when they are confidered by themselves, and therefore deserve to be answered.

1. In the first place, as their law contained several promises to the obedient, and those promises were temporal, it was not to be thought strange that the Jews fhould have accounted prosperity a mark of God's favour, and adversity of his displeasure. This laid a foundation for a prejudice against Christ and his Apostles.

2. Almost all the great and good men recorded in the Scriptures, whom God had raised up from time to time to be their princes and leaders, were miraculously bleffed with fuccefs in their undertakings. The Jews therefore expected that the Meffias, when he appeared, fhould furpafs Mofes and Joshua, and David, and the Maccabees, and other of their victorious kings and leaders, as much in fplendor and felicity, as in dignity and authority.

3. To confirm them in this expectation, there were feveral prophecies applied by all the Jews to the Meffias, which represent

him