and in treating with the Jews, chofe rather to convince the Judgment, than amaze their Senses; rather to argue from the Agreement of the antient Prophecies concerning the Meffias to the Perfon of our Saviour, than from the Performance of wonderful Miracles; although those were not wanting upon juft Occafions.

Such were the Prejudices conceived by the Jews against Christianity, which occafioned and continued their Illufion. They knew very well that fuper-natural Revelation was the ordinary means, by which Man fhould arrive to Happiness; that it was agreeable to the Majefty, and former Revelations of God, to propose Matters of Belief and Practice not exceeding the Capacity of the meanest Perfons: And thus far they proceeded in the right way; but then the aforementioned Prejudices were a ftumbling-block in their way, which occafioned their Fall, and hindered any farther Progrefs.

The Gentile Philofophers (for against them, and not the more unlearned fort of Heathens, the Apostle here argues,) conceived yet deeper Prejudices against Christianity, accounting it Foolishness, and deriding the whole Design of it. They were puffed up with an Opinion of their own perfect Knowledge, or at leaft Ability to obtain the perfection of it; belie ving it therefore unneceffary for God to reveal the Truth to them, which they could discover by their own Wit and Industry. Or if God VOL, I.

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should put himself to this unnecessary trouble, they vainly fuppofed, that no Perfons were fo fit to be employed in it as themselves, who were indued with extraordinary Affiftances of acquired Learning: Or at leaft not the Apostles of all Men, who confessed themselves to be unacquainted with Secular Learning, and appeared fo to be; and, which mightily added to their Prejudice, were by Birth and Education Barbarains; whom the Greeks were wont to treat as the most vile and contemptible part of the Creation, devoid of Reason, and not much fuperiour to Brutes. And then as to the Revelation it felf; the Christian Religion feemed to them to be naked and homely, and which they accounted a great indecency, fitted for the Reception of all Men, not the Contemplation of themselves only, as not confifting of abftrufe Myfteries, and fubtil Diftin&tions, which by their Intricacy and Difficulty might intitle themfelves to Sublimity and a Divine Original; but made up of eafie, natural and unaffected Truths, equally obvious to the Understanding of all Men, equally concerning all, and difpenfing the Knowledge of her Myfteries to all.

Such were the Reasons, and fuch were the Prejudices which caufed the Chriftian Religion to become a Scandal to the Jews, and Folly to the Greeks. To thefe the Apostle giveth one general Anfwer in the 25th Verfe. Because the foolishness of God is wifer than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

An

An Answer which invincibly overthrows the Plea of these Oppofers of Christianity, as who proceeded upon an arrogant Opinion of their Knowledge and Comprehenfion: Whereas the Experience of many Ages might have convinced them, how unfuccefsfully Mankind hath ever endeavoured to obtain the knowledge of Divine Matters by its own Power. Matters of Natural Religion were almoft univerfally mistaken; and how fhould we hope that the Mysteries of a Revealed Religion can be fully difcovered by us? We all find in our felves the defects of Knowledge; we acknowledge our Errours by changing our Opinions daily; and may discover the imperfection of our Understandings even from the increase of Knowledge; for every Degree added to it manifefteth a precedent Degree of Ignorance, and that somewhat was ftill wanting to render our Knowledge compleat. So difficult, nay even impoffible is it, for Man to discover the Counfels of God in Relation to himself, or to pafs a Judgment on them, He may easily perceive indeed whether any thing which pretends to carry that Sacred Stamp, be contrary to Senfe and includeth a Contradiction, and may thence certainly conclude it to be falfe and counterfeit; but may not by any means be admitted to judge of the Conveniency or Inconveniency of the Divine Difpenfa tions: This is too high a Prefumption, and intrencheth upon the Majefty of God; who being of infinite Wisdom, knoweth always

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what is most convenient; and knowing it doth effect it.

It is no hard matter to put plaufible Colours upon this or that Model of Religion, recommend it with abundant Arguments, and pompously defcribe the Convenience of it. But as the Apoftle affureth us, 1 Cor. iii 19. The wifdom of this world is foolishness with God, or in comparison of his greater and infinite Wisdom, who feeth all things and their Tendency or Subfervience to procure the end he defigneth; fo that to be taught or commanded by him, is the most certain Argument of convenience which can be propofed.

Not only doth the Excellency of the Chriftian Religion in general, appear from this Argument; the Reasonableness of the whole Defign and Revelation of it in those Matters, which are before objected againft, is no lefs manifeft.

For firft, As to the Spiritually of it, this is fo far from prejudicing the Truth of it, that if juftly confidered, it ought rather to recommend it to the Reception of all confidering Perfons; being the most exprefs Character of Divinity, which can be conferred on any Syftem of Religion whatfoever; as bearing thereby a greater refemblance to God the Author and Object of it. This the Jews themselves did not deny; only they pretended that this fpiritual Worship oppofed their own more grofs and corporeal Worfhip, which was acknowledged on both fides to have been re

vealed by God; and defeated their hopes of a promised Meffias, whom they expected would deliver them from the Slavery of other Nations, and by force of Arms fettle them in a quiet and perpetual Poffeffion of all temporal Happiness. It feemed to them abfurd, that the glorious Meffias fhould live an obfcure, defpifed, and ignominious Life, and at laft die a fhameful and a painful Death. An Errour indeed into which the Genius of their Religi on, depending upon temporal Promifcs and Rewards, did almoft naturally lead them; but which might eafily have been difcovered, if they would have wifely confidered either the Nature of God, or Condition of Man.

From the first they might eafily be convin ced, that a fpiritual way of Worship was far more noble, pleafing, and agreeable to the Divine Nature. And if their former Religion induced them to different Sentiments, God. had taken abundant Care to prevent their mistake, by frequent foretelling to them in the Prophets his intention of changing their Religion, dif-burthening them of the impofition of their Rites and Ceremonies, and refining it into a fpiritual Worship; by defcribing the Condition and Office of the Meffias, That he fhould be a man of forrows, acquainted with grief; bear the fins of the people, heal them by his Stripes, and be reckoned among the Tranfgreffours.

Then as to the Nature of the thing it felf; it was no other than a childish Fancy, to imagine that Pomp and Grandeur, Riches and Majefty

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