ticular cafe, every Hypocrite or wicked Liver profeffing Christianity, while he thinks and speaks in this manner, is really impofing upon himself by a falfe perfuafion; and would (though he may not know so much) have born the very fame Malignity towards our Saviour, which thofe Jews are recorded to have done; and under the fame Circumftances would have infallibly treated Him with the fame Barbarity. For, why did the Jews themselves use Him fo? Why? because the Doctrines He preached to them were directly contrary to their Lufts and corrupt Affections, and defeated their expectations of a Worldly Meffias, Who should have answered their fenfual Defires with the Plenties and Glories of fuch an Earthly Kingdom, as they had wholly fet their grofs Hearts and Souls upon. Accordingly, Let us now but shift the Scene, and suppose Christ in Person preaching the fame Doctrines amongst us, and withall as much hated and run down for an Impoftor by the whole National power, Civil, and Ecclefi aftical, as it then fared with him amongst the Jews; and then no doubt we should fee all fuch vicious Perfons, finding themfelves prick'd and galled with his fevere precepts, quickly quickly fall in with the ftream of publick Vogue and Authority, and as eagerly set for the taking away His life, as against Reforming their own. To which we may further Add this, That our Saviour himself paffes the very fame Eftimate upon every fuch wicked Profeffor of His Gospel, which he then did upon the Jews themselves, in that his irrefragable Expoftulation with them, Why call you Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I command you? Luke 6.46. implying thereby, That this was the greatest Hoftility and Affront, that Men could poffibly pass upon him. And no doubt, but the Jews themselves, who avowedly rejected Chrift, and his Doctrine, out of any almost invincible prejudice infufed into them by their Teachers and Rulers, concerning the utter inconfiftency of both with the Mofaick Conftitution, were much more excufable before God, than any Chriftians can be, who acknowledging the Divine Authority both of his Perfon, and his Gospel, do yet reverse and contradict that in their Lives and Actions, which they avow in their Creeds, and folemn Declarations. For he who prefers a base pleasure or profit before Chrift, Spits in his Face, as much as the the Jews did: And he who debauches his immortal Soul, and prostitutes it to the vile and low fervices of Luft and Senfuality, Cracifies His Saviour afresh, and puts him to as open a fhame as ever Pontius Pilate, the High Priest, or those mercenary Tools, the very Souldiers themselves did. They do not indeed pierce His Side, but (what is worse) they strike a Dagger into His Heart. And now, if the paffing of all these Indignities upon One, who came into the World, only to fave it (and to Redeem those very Perfons who used him fo) is not able to work upon our Ingenuity, fhould not the confequences of it at leaft work upon our Fears, and make us confider, whether, as we affect to Sin like the Jews, it may not be our Doom to fuffer like the Jews too? To which purpose, let us but represent to our selves the woful eftate of Jerufalem bleeding under the Rage and Rapine of the Roman Armies; together with that Face of Horror and Confufion, which then fat upon that wretched People, when the cafting off their Meffias had turned their Advocate into their Judge, their Saviour into their Enemy; and by a long refufal of his mercy, mercy, made them ripe for the utmost Exe cutions of his Justice. After which proceeding of the Divine Vengeance against such Sinners, fhould it not (one would think) be both the Interest and Wisdom of the ftouteft and moft daring Sinners in the World, forthwith to make Peace with their Redeemer upon his own terms? And, (as hard a leffon as it feems) to take his Toke upon their Necks, rather than with the Jews to draw His Blood upon their Heads; efpecially fince one of the two must and will affuredly be their Cafe: For the methods of Grace are fixed, and the measures ftated: And as little allowance of Mercy will be made to fuch Chrifti ans, as reject Chrift in his Laws, as to thofe very Jews. who nailed him to the Cross. In fine, Chrift comes to us in his Ordinances, with Life in one Hand, and Death in the other. To fuch, as receive him not, he brings the Abiding Wrath of God, a prefent Curse, and a future Damnation. But to as many as shall receive Him (according to the expreffion immediately after the Text) He gives Power to become the Sons of God. That is, in other words, to be as Happy, both in this World, and the next, as Infinite Goodness |