gets possession of the heart by ministering to the passions. And till that be dispossessed, no truth will be suffered to enter which can in the least affect or destroy it. A man in such circumstances may see the truth staring him in the face; and the clearer he sees it, the more he will be enraged at it. He may be convicted, and left without a word to say, but what will expose the hardness and perplexity of his heart; but till it be emptied of its evil treasure, and he becomes as a little child that has nothing of its own to oppose to the revelation of God, he cannot be converted; but will either shut his eyes, and deny the evidence that is offered to him, or pretend it is a nice point, very difficult to be understood; and so give a perverse turn to it, though it be ever so plain and intelligible.

Till the disciples of Christ resigned themselves up to be led into all truth by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, they were in the state of mind I am now describing, dull of hearing, and doubtful, and slow of heart. They were often warned of it, particularly in the following words:" I have yet many things to

say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." And as the divine wisdom made choice of such men

for the good of those who should come after, so these things are written of thein for our admonition. They had laid it down as a first principle, that their master's kingdom was to be of this world: and formed all their reasonings and expectations accordingly. One was to sit at his right hand, another at his left; and they were ever disputing which should be the greatest. Any occurrence that flattered this notion, was gladly received, and made the most of; and every thing that could not be reconciled with it, was thrust out of sight. "When the Son of man began to teach them, "that he must suffer many things, and be rejected of "the elders, and of the chief priests and scribes, and ❝ be killed, and after three days rise again2;" all these things were so destructive of their principle, that Peter began to rebuke him, as if he had heard blasphemy. Christ took an opportunity of inculcating this doctrine afresh, when they were in a state of conviction at seeing him perform a miracle; endea vouring, as it were, to surprize them into a confession of its truth: but the time was not yet." While they "wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, "he said unto his disciples, let these sayings sink "down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be

a Mark viii. 31.

"delivered into the hands of men.

But they under

"stood not this saying; it was hid from them, that "they perceived it not "." The terms were clear and intelligible enough; and the ideas conveyed by them were all common and familiar: but if that saying were admitted, they must part with their beloved principle: therefore it follows, that they were afraid to ask him of that saying; lest he should carry on the subject, and leave them no way to escape. They had already heard more than they would believe, and therefore, as to any thing farther, thought it best to remain in the dark.

In short, where there is a taste and relish for "the "things that be of men," more than for "the things "that be of God," and some principle is imbibed wherein the passions are strongly engaged, men are to be persuaded of any thing, and of nothing: ready to take up with every despicable pretence to prop and support their favourite opinion; and deaf to the plainest words and most infallible proofs, if they tend to establish the other side of the question. For example; that a Messiah was to deliver their nation, was allowed by all the Jews; and they were well agreed as to the time of his coming, and the place

།

where he should be born. It was to be shewn, that Jesus of Nazareth was the person: and for a proof of it, they were bid to compare the Scripture with the things he did and taught. "But though he had done. so many miracles before them, yet they believed "not on him ";" and as if he had left the proof of his mission obscure and defective, they came very formally to him to ask a sign of him, after they had seen so many signs; and called out to the very last for better evidence, bidding him "come down from the "cross," that they might "see and believe"." One would take these Jews to have been Sceptics, who would persevere in their doubtings against every proposition that could be offered. But if we judge from their behaviour upon some other occasions, there never was a more credulous generation upon the face of the earth. They could receive full satisfaction from the most childish and inconsistent tales that ever were invented. The self-contradiction of Satan casting out Satan; or the report of a few Heathen soldiers, who witnessed what was done "while they were asleep," could pass for good gospel; while the most evident miracles, and the clearest prophecies, were all nothing to the purpose, where they did not like the conclusion.

a John xii. 37.

Mark xv. 32.

And

And for the same reason, the whole Gospel itself, while it is the savour of life to some, is a savour of death to others! as different as life and death! yet nevertheless one and the same Gospel. It is like the pillar that stood between the camp of Israel, and the host of Egypt; which was a cloud to the one, and light to the other. But who will deny that the light was clear to the Israelites, because the Egyptians saw nothing but a cloud of darkness?

Behold then the true source of all our religious differences: they proceed from the blindness and corruption of the human heart, increased and cherished by some false principle that suits with its appetites: and all the prudence and learning the world can boast, will exempt no child of Adam from this miserable weakness: nothing but the grace of God can possibly remove it. Where that is suffered to enter, and the heart, instead of persisting in its own will, is surrendered to the will of God, the whole Gospel is sufficiently clear, because no text of it is any longer offensive.

Of this happy change we have the best example in the Apostles of our blessed Saviour; who, when they first entered the school of Christianity, had a veil upon

a Exod. xiv. 20.