SERM. bleffed," Luke vi. 20. adds by way poor oppofition, ver. 24. "But wo unto you that are "rich; for ye have received your confolation." They were in fo comfortable a condition at prefent, that they were not much concerned what fhould become of them hereafter; whereas all the comfort that poor men have, is the hopes of a better condition, non fi malè nunc, & olim fic erit, that if it be bad now, it will not be fo always,' and therefore no wonder if the promises and affurance of a future happiness be very welcome to them. Thirdly, if by the poor we do not only underftand those who are in a low and mean condition as to the things of this world, but fuch likewife as had a temper and difpofition of mind suitable to the poverty of their outward condition, which our SAVIOUR calls " poverty of spirit," by which he means "meeknefs and humility," there is no doubt but that fuch a frame and temper of spirit is a great difpofition to the receiving of truth. And that this is included in the notion of poverty, is very plain, both from the words of the prophesy I cited before, Ifa. lxi. 1. "The SPIRIT of the LORD is upon because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, and to bind 66 the broken-hearted ;" and likewife from our up SAVIOUR'S defcription of these perfons, in one of the evangelifts, Matth. v. 3. "Bleffed are the poor " in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of GOD." So that by the poor who are fo nearly difpofed to receive the gospel, our SAVIOUR intended thofe, who, being in a poor and low condition in respect of outward things, were likewife meek and humble in their fpirits. Now meeknefs and humility are great 66 66 me, difpo CXVII. difpofitions to the entertaining of truth. Thefe graces SERM and virtues do prepare the minds of men for learning and instruction; meeknefs and modefty, and humility, are the proper difpofitions of a scholar. He that hath a mean opinion of himself is ready to learn of others; he who is not blinded by pride or paffion, is more apt to confider things impartially, and to pafs a truer judgment upon them, than the proud and the paffionate. Paffion and pride are great obftacles to the receiving of truth, and to our improvement in knowledge. Paffion does not only darken the minds of men, but puts a falfe bias upon our judgments, which draws them off many times from truth, and sways them that way to which our paffion inclines them. A man of a calm and meek temper, ftands always indifferent for the receiving of truth, and holds the balance of his judgment even; but paffion fways and inclines it one way, and that commonly against truth and reafon. So likewife pride is a great impediment to knowledge, and the very worst quality that a learner can have, it obftructs all the paffages whereby knowledge should enter into us, it makes men refuse inftruction, out of a conceit they need it not. Many men might have known more, had it not been for the vain opinion which they have entertained of the fufficiency of their knowledge. This is true in all kinds of learning, but more especially as to the knowledge of divine things. For God loves to communicate himself, and bestow his grace and wifdom upon meek and humble minds. So the fcripture tells us, Pfal. xxv. 9. "The meek will he 66 guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach "his ways." And 1 Pet. v. 5. "Be clothed with "humility; K 4 SERM." humility; For Go» refifteth the proud, and givCXVII. "eth grace to the humble." And thus I have fhewn in what refpects the poor were more difpofed for the receiving the gofpel, than others. I proceed now to the Second thing, namely, what those prejudices and objections are, which the world had against our SAVIOUR and his religion at their first appearance; as alfo to enquire into thofe which men have at this day against the chriftian religion, and to fhew the weakness and unreasonableness of them. I begin, First, with those prejudices which the world had against our SAVIOUR and his religion at their first appearance. Both Jews and Gentiles were offended at him and his doctrine; but not both upon the fame account. They both took exceptions at him, especially at his low and fuffering condition; but not both upon the fame reafon. I fhall begin with the exceptions which the Jews took against our bleffed SAVIOUR and his religion; and I fhall reduce them all, or at least the moft confiderable of them (as I find them difperfed in the hiftory of the gofpel, and in the Acts of the apostles) to these fix heads. First, the exceptions which they took against him upon account of his extraction and original. Secondly, at the meannefs of his condition, contrary to their univerfal expectation. Thirdly, as to his miracles. Fifthly, the prejudice that lay against him from the oppofition that was made by persons of the greatest knowledge and authority among them. And, Laftly, CXVII. Laftly, that the religion which he endeavour'd SERM. to introduce, did abolish and fuperfede their ancient religion, as of no longer ufe and continuance, though it was plain it was at firft inftituted by GOD. First, the exceptions which they took at his extraction and original. In relation to this they were offended at three things. 1. That his original was known among them. This you find urged against him, John vii. 27. "We "know this man whence he is, but when the MES66 SIAS comes, no man knows whence he is." This to be fure was no juft exception in reason against him. For what if his extraction were known, might he not be from GOD for all that? They owned Mofes for the greatest prophet that ever was, and yet it was very well known from whence he was. But they seem to refer to fome prophesy of the old teftament, which did feem to affert fo much. If they meant that his extraction should be altogether unknown; they knew very well, and believed the contrary, that he was to be of the line of "David, and to come out of Bethlehem." If they referred to that prophefy, that " a virgin fhould "conceive and bear a fon," and fo understood that he fhould be without father, this was really true, tho' they thought that he was the son of Jofeph. And if he affirmed that he had no father, he did fufficiently juftify it by his miracles; that being as eafy to be believed poffible by a divine power, as the miracles which he wrought; which yet they could not deny, because they saw them. 2. Another SERM. 2. Another prejudice against his extraction, was the meannefs of his parents and breeding. This you find mentioned, Matth. xiii. 54, 55. "Whence hath this man this wildom, and thefe mighty "works is not this the carpenter's fon? is not his "mother called Mary; and his brethren James and Jofes, and Simon and Judas; and his fifters, are 66 66 they not all with us? whence then hath this man "these things? and they were offended in him." And fo likewife, John vii. 15. "How knoweth this "man letters, having never learned ?" A ftrange prejudice and moft unreasonable. They could not believe him to be an extraordinary perfon, because his parents and relations, his birth and breeding were fo mean. He had been brought up to a trade, and not brought up to learning: whereas in reason, this ought to have been an argument just the other way; that he was an extraordinary perfon, and divinely affifted, who all on the fudden, without the help and affiftance of education, gave such evidence of his great wisdom and knowledge, and did fuch mighty works. This could not be imputed to his breeding, for that was mean; therefore there must be something extraordinary and divine in it. Thus another man, who had been free from prejudice, would have reasoned. 3. The most unreasonable prejudice of all, in respect of his extraction, was grounded upon a spiteful and malicious proverb, concerning the country where our SAVIOUR was brought up, and they fuppofed him to be born; and that was Galilee. John i. 46. "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" And John vii. 41. "Shall the MESSIAS come out of "Galilee?" And ver. 52. "Search and look, for "out of Galilee arifeth no prophet." But |
