Although, if Men would have laid afide their unjuft Prejudices, they had fufficient reafon to be convinced of the Reasonableness of this proceeding. The truth of this the Apoftle manifefteth, not only by appealing to the Confcience of those who were prefwaded of it, and the secret Effects of that perfwafion in the minds of Men; but unto us which are faved, it is the power of God; but also by other external Arguments, which by any confidering Man, cannot be rejected. As, that it was foretold by antient Prophets, particularly by Ifaiah in xxix. Chapter, Verfe 4. For it is there written: I will deftroy the wisdom of the Wife, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent; that it is abundantly justified by its admirable Succefs in the World, to have been the best and most wife manner of proceeding, being entertained by great numbers of Perfons, and going on apace in procuring its defigned End, the Reformation and Inftruction of Mankind; whereas the Philofophy of the Gentiles, and the elaborate Interpretations of the Mofaick Law, made by the great Doctors of it, gained no confiderable Progress in the World; and being confined to fome fmall number of Sectaries and Difciples only, manifefted by their Unfuccefsfulness, that they were never defigned by the infallible Wisdom of God for the univerfal Difcipline or Religion of Mankind. Where therefore is the Wife? as the Apoftle triumphantly up braids them, Ver. 20. Where is the jcribe?

where

where is the difputer of this world, who after all their laborious Searches miffed of the Truth, and could never propagate their Doctrines with Succefs? Hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this world, Baffling all the elaborate Schemes of thefe opinionated Men, and confounding their glorious Pretences of Wisdom; in appointing a quite different method for pro curing the Happiness of Mankind from what they had imagined; and propofing it Succefsfully by means, in their Efteem, Contemptible, by Perfons illiterate, and devoid of all Philofophy and curious Learning?

And that we may not conceive this way of procedure to be either unjuft or unreafonable, the Apostle proceeds in the 21st Verse to declare the Reafon and Occafion of it. For after that in the Wisdom of God, the world by Wildom knew not God; it pleafed God by the foolifbness of preaching to fave them that believe: Since these Perfons, who had conceived fo great an Opinion of their own Wisdom, had apparently failed of difcovering, by the light of Reason, the true God, and the natural Duties of Religion owing to him, however very eafie and poffible to them; no wonder that the Mysteries of a revealed Religion fhould appear Foolishness to them; and that God fhould, as it were by way of Punishment, confound their Arrogance and mortifie their Self-conceit, by inftructing and faving Mankind by a way directly contrary to their Suppofitions, namely by Preaching, that is, by fupernatural

fupernatural Revelation, not by their own proper Industry and Wit; and by the foolishness of preaching; and that confidered in the matter of the Revelations, which having nothing of extraordinary Abstraction or difficult Contemplation in them, were in their Judgment accounted foolish; or in the manner of propofing thefe Revelations, which being different from their fond Conceptions, appeared foolish and abfurd to them; the Jews requiring a fign, that is, the conftant performance of glorious and pompous Miracles, which might fecure to them the Fruition and increase of that temporal Felicity, which they vainly hoped to receive from the Meffias: And the Greeks feeking after Wifdom, defpifing all Doctrines, which were not recommended with the fpecious fhew of Philofophical Subtilty, and Myfterious Niceties, or not proposed by Perfons, in the Opinion of the World, Learned or Eloquent.

After all these preliminary Arguments, the Apostle having thereby cleared the way, and removed all Objections, lays down this Conclufion in the Words of my Text: But we preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a fumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness: That is, we justly, and we boldly do it, neither valuing the Derifion of the World, nor distrusting the Justice of our Caufe. So then, the Words thus opened, naturally and easily offer to us thefe two Confiderations; of which I fhall in order Difcourfe.

1. The Reasonableness or just cause of be lieving, and profeffing the Chriftian Faith, notwithstanding its being a stumbling-block to the Jews, and to the Gentiles foolishness.

II. Our Obligation to preach and openly profess this Faith, without being offended with the Contradiction and Oppofition of the Jews and Gentiles; or being led away with the fame Prejudices.

I. That we have reasonable and just Cause to believe and adhere to the Chriftian Faith, or the Mystery of Chrift Crucified, notwith ftanding the derifion of the Gentiles, and scandal of the Jews.

For that by the Phrase of Chrift Crucified, is not so much meant, the particular Mystery of the Death and Paffion of our Saviour, as the whole System of Faith revealed by Chrift, is manifeft from the Context; although the Crucifixion of our Lord, as it is the grand Myftery of our Faith, fo was it of all others to the Jews moft fcandalous, and to the Gentiles moft ridiculous. But the defign of the Apoftle being to vindicate the Chriftian Religion in general, not this Mystery in particular; I fhall clofe with his Defign; and confider only the more general Prejudices and Objections, upon account of which the Faith became a fcandal to the Jews, and folly to the Gentiles; that fo by manifefting the unreafonbleness and inconclufiveness of them, I may manifeft the

Justice

Juftice and Reasonablenfs of our Belief, not withstanding their Oppofition. Thefe Prejudices and Objections we before obferved from the Apostles Difcourfe preceding my Text; and they concern either,

1. The Matter of thofe Revelations, which are the Object of the Chriftian Faith: Or, 2. The Manner of revealing them, and propofing them to the World.

In Relation to the firft; the Spirituality of the Chriftian Religion was a mighty Objection to the Jews, which they could not eafily overcome: They being inured to grofs and corporeal Conceptions of Divine Matters; trained up in carnal Ceremonies and Ordinances; expecting no other than Temporal Rewards, and vainly expecting the glorious Appearance of a Temporal Meffias. Then as to the Manner of the Revelation, nothing could be more furprizing to the Jews, than to fee it performed in an humble and gentle Manner; not with the Voice of Thunder and Lightnings, as the Law of Old at Mount Sina; not by force of Arms or victorious Succefs of the Meffias; not by ftupendious Miracles performed as often as the petulancy of a Stiff-necked People fhould require it; nor yet by the Learning and Cunning of their great Doctors and Rabbies; but by a few mean, inconfiderable, difarmed, and unlearned Perfons; who fet upon the Work with out any Preparation of Learning or Intereft proceeded in it with Quiet and Simplicity; and