phane and incorrigible Sinners. He winked indeed at the times of ignorance, but now commandeth all men every where to repent. If a man will not turn, he will what his word, Pfal, vii. 13. And then the dreadful Confequence of his Anger himself tells us, Deut. xxxii, 40, 41. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and Jay I live for ever. If I whet my glittering fword, and mine hand take hold of judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. Let us therefore perfect our Repentance, while a Space is yet open for us, before Mercy return to Judg ment, and the Door be fhut upon us; that so we also may partake of the goodness, forbearance, and long-fuffering of God, and not fall into their Condemnation, who defpife the riches of them. Whofo is wife, will ponder thefe things; and they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.

168

SERMON VI.

Preach'd December 30, 1688. at Lambeth Chapel.

I Cor. I. 23:

We preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.

TH

HE coming of the Meffias into the World, and therewith the Manifestation of the Divine Mercy to loft Mankind, which we at this time Commemorate, was fo fignal a Benefit, and in all refpects fo infinite, that it cannot but adminifter Matter of Admiration to us, to fee it rejected, derided and oppofed, by the greateft part of Mankind. It may juftly feem ftrange to us, that that which was propofed by God to rescue Men from that fatal Ignorance wherein they were involved, fhould be treated with Scorn, become a Stumbling-block, and be accounted Folly. That the glad tidings of great joy to Men, fhould be made a Matter of Derifion,

and

and be received not with Thankfulness, as it deferved, but with Scoffs and Contumelies.

But fuch is the unhappiness of Mankind, ever fince the Fall of Adam, that their Understandings being darkned with Ignorance, as well as their Wills corrupted with Paffions and inordinate Defires; it hath been equally difficult, without the Affiftance of Revelati on, to find out the Truth, as to pursue the Dictates of it, when once difcovered. Such is the natural confequence of that unhappy Fall, and fuch have been the Effects of it in all Ages.

But then, whereas the Corruptions of the Will could not be denied or diffembled, the Senfe of which induced Men to feek Remedies for them; the failings of the Understanding were fo far from being perceived and acknowledged, that a great part of Mankind had flattered themselves into an Opinion of a perfect Knowledge, and believed the Truth not only to be poffeffed by them, but their own Understandings to be the Rule and Meafure of it. They had framed to themselves a Syftem of Religion, either from their own vain Imaginations, or fome precedent mistaken Revelation; and being pre-poffeffed with Notions derived from thence, refufed to hearken to any Doctrine different from them. They falfely imagined their own Conceptions to be infallible; and thereby treated the Chriftian Religion, which oppofed them as an erroneous and ridiculous Doctrine, especially be

ing propofed with that unaffected Simplicity, to which themselves were so much strangers; as believing every Opinion to be fo much Divine, by how much more it was more refined, and placed beyond the common Apprehenfions of Men.

Whereas the Chriftian Doctrine was more humane and eafie, lay level with the Capacity of the meaneft Perfons, and excluded not the most illiterate from a perfect knowledge of it; being an Enemy to Pride and Oftentation, devoid of Subtilties, and unufeful Niceties, and resembling the Nakedness as well as the Purity of Paradife; withal teaching fuch Myfteries, as might directly contribute to destroy the Pride of fuch Men, not only by oppofing their Opinions, but also teaching the Mystery of God incarnate, therein humbling himself to take upon him an humane State, living a mean and obfcure Life, and at last undergoing the fhame of the Cross; a Myftery which at once intirely ruined both the carnal and spiritual Pride of the World.

The Simplicity of the Chriftian Religion, its want of all thofe external pompous Arguments of Subtilty and mistaken Learning, which recommended other Syftems, together with its oppofition to the received falfe Opinions of Men, had induced fome Chriftians at Cornith, who lived among the learned Philofophers of the Heathens, and Doctors of the Jewish Law, to doubt of the Truth of it; others to refine it into a Syftem of mysterious

and

and fubtil Niceties; and fo hindred many from becoming Chriftians,

The Apoftle therefore in this Chapter argueth against all these Men, and in the 17th Verfe, oppofeth to these new Refiners of Christianity, his own Example; who had preached the Gofpel among them without any affected fhew of Eloquence; with a Simplicity becoming the Majefty, and agreeable to the Intention of the Lawgiver, Not with Wifdom of words, leaft the Cross of Chrift should be made of none effect, and fail of its Design; as it would most certainly do, if propofed according to the Fancies of thofe Men, who turned it into a Syftem of difficult and elaborate Contemplation. For hereby it would exceed the Reach and Capacity of the greater part of Mankind; whereas it was indifferently intended for the benefit of all. And it would want that powerful Confirmation of the truth of it, that being propofed in a plain and familiar way by mean and unlearned Perfons, it notwithstanding furmounted the pompous Learning of the Schools and Synagogue, and gained a more univerfal Reception in the World, That therefore, as God had chofe to contrive the Redemption of Mankind in a way very different from their Conceptions; fo he had chose to reveal the Mystery of it in a method contrary to that which they used in the Propagation of their feveral Sects; which Occafioned the preaching of the Crofs to be accounted foolishness, Verle 18.

Although