who are not concerned in this redemption as man is; for they continued in their fidelity to their Creator, and were always happy in his favour; and where there is no alienation between par. ties, reconcilement is unnecessary; yet they are students with us in the same book, and unite all their powers in the contemplation of this mystery: they are represented stooping to pry into these secrets, 1 Pet. 1. 12. to signify their delight in what they know, and their desire to advance in the knowledge of them. With what intention then should we study the gospel, who are the subject and end of it!

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CHAP. VII.

We

The simple speculation of the gospel not sufficient without a real belief, and

cordial acceptance. The reasons why the Jews and Gentiles conspired in the contempt of it, How just it is to resign up the understanding to revelation. God knows his own nature and will, and cannot deceive us must believe the things that are clearly revealed, though we do not understand the manner of their existence: although they are attended with seeming contradictions. No article of faith is really repugnant to reason. We must distinguish between things incomprehensible and inconceivable, Between corrupt and right reason. How reason is subservient to faith. Humility and holiness qualify for the belief of the gospel-mysteries. A naked belief of supernatural truths is unprofitable for salvation. An effectual assent that prevails upon the will, and renders the whole man obsequious, is due to the quality of the gospel-revelation.

THE simple speculation of this glorious mystery, will be of no profit without a real belief of it, and a cordial acceptance of salvation, upon the terms which the divine wisdom prescribes. The gospel requires the obedience of the understanding, and of the will; unless it obtains a full possession of the soul, there is no saving efficacy derived from it. And such is the sublimity and purity of the object, that till reason is sanctified and subdued, it cannot sincerely entertain it. I will therefore distinctly consider the opposition which carnal reason hath made against it; and show how just it is that the human understanding should, with reverence, yield up itself to the word of God, that reveals this great mystery to us.

The apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 1. That Jews and Gentiles conspired in the contempt of the gospel. Reason cannot hear without great astonishment, for the appearing contradiction between the terms, that God should be made man, and the eternal die. The Jews esteemed it an intolerable blasphemy, and without any process of law were ready to stone the Lord Jesus, “ that being a man, he should make himself equal with God.” John 10. 33, And they upbraided him in his sufferings that he could not save himself. “ If he be the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross,

and we will believe on him.” Mat. 27. 42. The Gentiles despised the gospel as an absurd ill-contrived fable, 1 Cor. 1. 23. For what in appearance is more unbecoming God, and injurious to his perfections, than to take the frail garment of flesh, to be torn and trampled on? * Their natural knowledge of the Deity inclined them to think the incarnation impossible, There is no resemblance of it in the whole compass of nature. For natural union supposes the parts incomplete, and capable of perfection by their joining together: but that a being infinitely perfect should assume by personal union a nature inferior to itself, the heathens looked on it as a fable, forged according to the model of the fictions concerning Danae and Antiope. Orig. cont. Cels. And the doctrine of our Saviour's death on the cross they rejected, as an impiety contumelious to God. They judged it inconsistent with the majesty and happiness of the Deity, to ascribe to him that which is the punishment of the most guilty and miserable. In the account of carnal reason, they thought more worthily of God by denying that of him, which is only due to the worst of men. Celsus, (Orig. contra Cels. lib. 1.) who, with as much subtilty as malice, urges all, that with any appearance, could be objected against our Saviour, principally insists on his poverty and sufferings, the meanness and misery of his condition in the world. It was fit, saith he, “ that the Son of God should appear as the sun, which renders itself conspicuous by its own light:" but the gospel having declared the word to be the Son of God, relates, that he was a man of sorrows, that had no power to defend himself, and was deserted by his father and followers, scourged with rods, and shamefully executed. * He could not reconcile so many things that seemed utterly incompatible, as sovereignty and servitude, innocence and punishment, the lowest of human miseries, death, with the highest of divine honours, adoration. Briefly, nothing was more contrary to flesh and blood, than to believe that person to be the Redeemer of the world, who did not rescue himself from his enemies; and to expect immortality from him that was overcome by death. Now the causes of this infidelity are,

1. The darkness of the mind, which is so corrupted by original pravity, that it cannot behold heavenly mysteries in their proper light, so as to acquiesce in the truth of them. “The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Cor. 2. 14. The apostle takes notice of the disaffection of the heart, and the incapacity of the mind, not prepared and illustrated by grace, to embrace and discern spiritual things in their verity and beauty. There is a great disproportion between the natural understanding, though elevated and enlarged by secular learning, and supernatural truth. For though the rational soul is a spirit, as it is distinguished from corporeal beings; yet till it is purged from error, and vicious affections, it can never discover the divinity of things spiritual, so as to embrace them with certainty and delight. As there must be a spirit of revelation to unveil the object, so of wisdom to enlighten the eye, that it may be prepared for the reception of it.

, As heaven is only seen by its own light, so Christ is by his own spirit. Divine objects, and faith that discerns them, are of the same original, and of the same quality. The natural under

, standing, as the effects declare, is like the funeral lamps, which, by the ancients, were put into sepulchres, to guard the ashes of their dead friends, which shine so long as they are kept close, a thick moist vapour feeding them, and repairing what was consumed: but, in opening the sepulchres, and exposing them to the free air, they presently faint and expire. Thus natural reason, ,

* Κέλσος ονειδιζει τώ Σωτηρι επι τω πάθει, ως μη βοηθεν το ναο τα πατρος, και μη δυνηθέντι εαυτώ βοηθήσαι.

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whilst conversant in things below, and watching with the dead; that is, in the phrase of the ancients, studying the books of men who have left the world, it discovers something, although it is rather twilight than clear; but when it is brought from the narrow sphere of things sensible, to contemplate the immensity of things spiritual and supernatural, its light declines, and is turned into darkness,

2. The pride of the human understanding, which disdains to stoop to those great and heavenly mysteries. * It is observable, that those who most excelled in natural wisdom, were the greatest despisers of evangelical truths. † The proud wits of the world choose rather to be' masters of their own, than scholars to another. They made reason their supreme rule, and philosophy their highest principle, and would not believe what they could not comprehend. † They represented christians under scornful titles, as captives of a blind belief, and derived their faith as the effect of folly; and rejected revelation, the only means to convey the knowledge of divine mysteries to them. They presumed by the light and strength of their own reason and virtue to acquire felicity, and slighted the doctrine that came from heaven, to discover a clear way thither, and divine grace that was necessary to assist them. Therefore the apostle, by way of upbraiding, enquires, 1 Cor. 1. 19, 20. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of the world? God hath made the wisdom of the world foolishness.” As those who are really poor, and would appear rich in the pomp of their habits and attendants, are made poor by that expence; so the philosophers, who were destitute of true wisdom, and would appear wise in making reason the judge of divine revelation, and the last resolution of all things, by that false affectation of wisdom, became more foolish : by all their disputes against the apparent absurdities of the christian religion, they were brought into a more learned darkness.

3. The prejudice which arose from sensual lusts hindered the

* Porphyrius, Juliarus, Maximus, Hierocles. Soli rationi cedo. * Έγω τοιοτG- ο ποιο ε'δένι αλλά και τω λογω πείθεθαι. Plato.

1 Ψυχικός εςιν το πάντοϊς λογισμούς της ψυχης διδας, και μη νομιζων αναθέν τινα δειθαι βοηδειας. Chrys est.

belief of the gospel. As the carnal understanding rebels against the sublimity of its doctrine, so the carnal appetite against the purity of its precepts. And according to the dispositions of men from whence they act, such light they desire to direct them in acting. The gospel is a mystery of godliness, and those who are under the love of sin, cherish an affected ignorance, lest the light should enflame conscience, by representing to them the deadly guilt that cleaves to sin, and thereby make it uneasy. This account our Saviour gives of the infidelity of the world, John 3. 19. “ That men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” And that this was the real cause whatever was pretended, is clear, in that the Gentiles, who opposed Christ, adored those impure deities, whose infamous lusts were acknowledged by them. And with what colour then could they rejeet our Redeemer because crucified ? As if vice were not more incompatible with the Deity, than sufferings.

Now, though reason, enslaved by prejudice, and corrupted by passion, despises the gospel; yet when it is enlightened by faith, it discovers such a wise economy in it, that, were it not true, it would transcend the most noble created mind to invent it: it is so much above our most excellent thoughts, that no human understanding would ever attempt to feign it, with confidence of persuading the world into a belief of it. How is it possible that it should be contrived by natural reason, since no man can believe it sincerely when it is revealed, without a supernatural faith? To confirm our belief of these great and saving mysteries, I will show how just it is, that the understanding should resign itself to divine revelation, which hath made them known.

In order to this, we must consider, (1.) There are some doctrines in the gospel, the understanding could not discover; but when they are revealed, it hath a clear apprehension of them upon a rational account, and sees the characters of truth visibly stamped on their forehead. As the doctrine of satisfaction to divine justice, that pardon might be dispensed to repenting sinners. For our natural conception of God includes his infinite purity and justice; and when the design of the gospel is made known, whereby he hath provided abundantly for the honour of those attributes, so that he doth the greatest good without encouraging the least evil, reason acquiesces and ac