him that made it; but instantly, without stay, he cries, "Get thee hence, Satan," and further strengthens his own authority with a word of truth which was his rule, Matt. iv. 10. Innumerable are the inclinations, objections, temptations, that lie against the profession of the gospel, especially in times of difficulty, particularly against stedfastness and preciseness in profession. That the whole of it be laid aside, or the degrees of it be remitted, is the great design of Satan, the world, and the flesh. To hearken unto what Satan suggests, though but under a pretence of seeing what is in it, to reason with the world, to consult with flesh and blood, contains the first actings of unbelief towards corrupting the heart, in order unto a departure from God.

Secondly, It consists in, or acts itself by a secret dislike of any thing notionally or practically in the gospel. This was a common thing in the hearers of our Saviour. They disliked this or that in his doctrine or teaching, and that sometimes in things concerning faith, sometimes in things concerning obedience. So did those with whom he treated, John vi. Whilst he taught them in general of the bread of God that came down from heaven, they were pleased with it, and cried, “Lord, give us evermore of this bread," ver. 34.; but when he began to acquaint them in particular, that he himself was that bread, that his flesh was meat, and his blood was drink, that is, that they were the spiritual nourishment of the souls of men, especially as given for them in his death, they began to be offended, and to murmur: they disliked it, crying, "This is an hard saying, who can hear it ?" ver. 60, 61. And what was the effect of this dislike? plain and open apostasy: ver. 66. "From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." And whence did this dislike and murmuring arise? It was merely the acting of their unbelief, as our Lord declared, ver. 63, 64. My words, which you so dislike, are spirit and life; but there are some of you that believe not. You pretend exceptions against my words, apprehended in your gross and carnal manner; but the true reason of the dislike of them is your own unbelief. God, saith he, hath not as yet given faith unto you; for I told you before, that "no man can come unto me," that is, believe in me and the gospel, except it were given unto him of my Father," ver. 65. and in this doth your unbelief act itself. This was in matter of faith; and we have an instance unto the same purpose in the matter of obedience. The young man, mentioned Matt. xix. had a great respect unto the teachings of the Lord Christ, for he comes unto him to be instructed in the way to eternal life. And this he did with so much zeal and sincerity according to his present light, that our Saviour approved them in him; for it is said, "he looked on

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him, and loved him," Mark x. 21. And he likes his first lesson or instruction, according to his understanding of it, very well. But when the Lord Jesus proceeded to make a particular trial of him in an especial instance, bidding him sell what he had, and give it to the poor, and follow him, this he liked not, but went away sorrowful, ver. 21, 22.

Now there are three things in the gospel, and the profession of it, about which unbelief is apt to exert itself by this dislike, which, if not obviated, will prove a beginning of turning away from the whole.

1. The purity and spirituality of its worship. 2. The strictness and universality of its holiness or obedience. And, 3. The grace and mystery of its doctrine.

First, It exerts itself in dislike against the purity, simplicity and spirituality of its worship. This was that wherein our apostle had principally to do with the Jews. All of them were apt to admire the old glorious pompous worship of the temple, and so to dislike the naked simplicity of gospel institutions. And in like manner was he jealous over the Corinthians, lest they should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, 2 Cor. xi. 3. that is, in the worship of God, as instituted and appointed by him. This was always a great offence unto all unbelievers. Hence the Pagans of old objected unto the Christians, that they had a religion, or a worship of God, without temples, altars, images, or pompous ceremonies, whence they looked on them as mere atheists. And this dislike of the purity and simplicity of the gospel worship, is that which was the rise, and gave increase or progress unto the whole Roman apostasy, And this is that which, through the unbelief of men, keeps the gospel in other nations under so much reproach, contempt and persecution, at this day. Men like not the plain unspotted institutions of Christ, but are pleased with the meretricious Roman paint, wherewith so great a part of the world hath been beguiled and infatuated.

Secondly, The severity and universality of obedience which it requireth, is another thing that unbelief prevails to put forth dislike against. It makes use of the flesh to this purpose, Something or other it would be gratified in, within doors or without, or at least be spared, and not in all things pursued, as the gospel requires. To be always, and in all things, private and public, personal and in all relations, mortified, crucified and denied, to have no rest given unto it, the flesh likes it not, and unbelief makes use of its aversion to bring the whole soul into a dislike of that doctrine whereby all this is required. Thus, Peter tells us of some that turn aside from the holy commandment that was given unto them, 2 Pet. ii. 21. He gives us not only the nature of the sin of them whom he blantes, that they

turn away from the commands of Christ in the gospel; but he gives us also the reason why they do so-it is because of their holiness they turn aside from the holy commandment. Many professors have been wearied out with an observance of that holiness which this profession doth require. Thence commonly there are most apostates from the strictest ways of profession. The more universally holiness is pressed, the more weary will prevailing unbelief make men of their ways.

Thirdly, It worketh accordingly with respect unto the grace and mysteries of the gospel. Of old time it prevailed with many to look upon the whole of it as folly. The preaching of the cross was foolishness unto them that believed not. That is, the saving of sinners by the substitution of Christ in their room, and the atonement he made by his death and blood-shedding, was so. Now, this being a matter of great importance, I shall crave a little to digress from our immediate work and design, whilst I demonstrate, That a secret dislike of the principal mysteries of the gospel, is the original and cause of most of the degeneracies, backslidings, and apostasies, that are found amongst professors in these latter days.

Our apostle tells us, that the preaching of the cross was foolishness to them that perished, 1 Cor. i. 18. and they perished merely on that account. It was foolishness unto them: they liked not the mystery of it: they saw no wisdom in it. And this was the case with respect both to Jews and to Gentiles, as is manifest in that place.

To confirm this, I shall instance in some of the principal heads of the doctrine of the gospel, and shew how unbelief prevails with men to dislike them, to reject them, and to look on them as folly.

And the first is this:

That Jesus of Nazareth, poor and contemptible as he was in the world, generally esteemed by the men of those days wherein he lived, to be a seducer, a glutton, a blasphemer, a turbulent person, hated of God and man, being taken as a thief, and hanged upon a tree, and so slain by the consent of the world, Jews and Gentiles, as a malefactor, was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and is both Lord and Christ.

This is the beginning of the gospel, which the apostle preached to the Jews and Gentiles, Acts ii. 22-24. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up." That is, this Jesus of Nazareth whom we preach; whom you remeia

ber well enough, who was among you but the other day, and preached unto you and wrought signs and miracles among you; and you may further remember him by an infallible token; for with wicked hands you crucified and slew him. Well! and what of this Jesus whom we slew and crucified? Why, saith the apostle, ασφαλώς γινωσκέτω, "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made him both Lord and Christ," ver. 36. Him, who is that, an appearance of the eternal Word? A dispensation of grace appearing in him; the sight of God in man? No, no, but τετον τον Ιησεν ἐν ὑμεις εσταύρωσατε, “ that same Jesus whom ye crucified.' That same man whom about eight weeks ago you crucified; him hath he made both Lord and Christ; or in his resurrection and exaltation declared so to be. And this the Holy Ghost lays a sure foundation of, in his expression of incarnation and birth. The angel tells Mary his mother, ovaambu 51 yaotgi, xai Tižn vor, Luke i. 31. "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bear a Son," conceive him by the power of the Most High, and bear him after the manner of women. And then, ver. 35. To gerraμevor aysor, "That holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." That holy thing was the child which she conceived, afterwards called Jesus of Nazareth. And it was termed a holy thing, because it was avoσtatov, not a person of itself, as conceived by her; had not a personal subsistence in, by, and of itself, but subsisted in the person of the Son of God, on which account it was called the Son of God. And when he was born, the angel tells the shepherds, that that day was born "the Saviour, Christ the Lord," Luke ii. 11. who he tells them in the next verse was βρεφος εσπαργανωμένον, και κειμενον εν τη φατνη, • the infant that was wrapt in swadling clouts, and placed in the manger.' To this purpose do the apostles declare themselves again, Acts iii. 1315. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go: but ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you, and killed the Prince of Life, whom God hath raised from the dead." Still they direct them to the man whom they saw, and knew, and dealt wickedly and injuriously withal. And this man, he tells them, this Christ, must be received in the heavens, until the restitution of all things, when he shall come again, ver. 19-21. So himself lays this as the foundation of all his preaching, John viii. 24. "If," saith he, "ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins;" that I, Jesus of Nazareth, that speak unto you, and converse with you, am the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, you shall die and perish for evermore. This I say is one, and one of the first fundamental priu

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ciples of the gospel; and I shall a little manifest how unbelief dislikes this principle, and by that dislike prevails with men unto an apostasy from the gospel itself.

I might insist upon the great instance hereof in the nation of the Jews, unto whom he was sent first, and in an especial manner; but I have done this at large in the first part of our prolegomena unto this work, whereunto I refer the reader. Only we may mind how this was fore-expressed concerning them by the prophet, Isa. liii. 2. "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." They could not see or discern any thing in him, for which they should receive him, or believe in him, as to the end for which he was sent of God. As Hiram, king of Tyre, when he saw the cities which Solomon had given him, they displeased him, and he called them Cabul, and so he rejected them, 1 Kings ix. 13. So did the Jews when they came to see the Lord Christ, they were displeased with him, and reproaching him with many opprobrious terms, utterly rejected him; under the power of which unbelief, they yet reject him. I might also insist on the Pagans of old, who derided the crucified God of the Christians. But I will leave them under the conquest which the gospel obtained against them. Mention also might be made of the Gnostics, and other ancient heretics, with their endless genealogies and fables, making him to be only an appearance of a man; and though himself said he was a man, and his friends said he was a man, and God himself said he was a man, and that he sent forth his Son," made of a woman, made under the law," though he lived and died a man, yet they would not acknowledge him so to be. But these are long since gone off the stage, although we have yet to do with their offspring, under several forms and shapes. The popish figment also of transubstantiation, springing from the same root, utterly overthrowing the human nature of Christ, and our salvation wrought therein, might be on this account remarked. And so also might the imagination of the Mennonites, who will not grant that the man of whom we speak, took flesh of the substance of the virgin, but that his flesh was spiritual, as they speak, brought from heaven, and only passing through the womb of the virgin, that he might appear to be a man. And so said some of old; concerning whom Tertullian says, that according to their opinion, Maria non filium gestabat in utero, sed hospitem; Mary bare not her son in her womb, but a guest.' For they utterly dislike it, that one partaker of flesh and blood like ourselves, should be this Son of God. And therefore this figment which overthrows the covenant of God with Abraham, and all the promises of the Messiah, that he should be of his seed, and of the seed of David, at once_rejecting the whole Old Testament,