SERM. a great influence on their understanding, and X. go far in forming their judgment of things;

they are easily induced to imagine that true which they are fond of, and very unwilling to discover a truth which must reproach them, is contrary to their interests, and will give them uneasiness in a course they are refolved to pursue. This is directly the cafe of a vicious man, with refpect to religious inquiries, or feeking after wisdom. The truth lieth against the intereft of his lufts and wicked habits, which he cannot, or rather will not, bring himself to a refolution of forfaking, and therefore is ready to catch at any pretence whereby he may countenance his continuing in them. If there be reality in religion, if there be a neceffary. and most important difference between moral good and evil, both in their nature and confequences, the finner must be felf-condemned, and therefore he maketh a hard fhift to get rid of fuch troublesome principles, and at last to confound light and darknefs, good and evil, fo to draw iniquity with the cords of vanity, as the prophet speaketh, Ifaiah v. 18. Or, to be encouraged in his wicked ways by frivolous deceitful pretences, till at last he arriveth to the utmost height of fcorning, bidding defiance to Almighty God,

God, as it followeth, ver. 19. Let him make SER M. Speed, and haften his work that we may fee it, X. and let the counfel of the holy One of Ifrael' draw nigh and come, that we may know it. Thus I have explained to you the character of the fcorner, which is a compofition of pride, a contemptuous difbelief and rejection of the principles of religion, and obstinacy in vice. I proceed in the

Second place to fhow that it is, and must neceffarily be the greateft obftruction to mens becoming truly wife; infomuch, that if the fcorner (as the text faith) feeketh wif dom, yet he findeth it not. And this will eafily appear, if we attend to the particulars already mentioned. First, it is plain that pride is a great hinderance both to the attainment of knowledge and virtue; whoever hath a high conceit of himself, on whatever account it is, if he hath an excef five value for any endowment, quality, or advantage of any kind, he is poffeffed of, he will defpife not only other men, whom he looketh upon as his inferiors, in that point which he esteemeth fo juftly diftinguishing, but he will defpife other things which yet are acknowledged by a great many, indeed, the generality of men, to be very valuable VOL. III.

S

and

X.

SERM. and praiseworthy. He that valueth himself upon his riches, will defpife another who boafteth of high titles, a noble descent, or fome fuch diftinguishing privilege; and both of them have a very low opinion of the wife and virtuous man, as a fimple, a weak, or a mean-fpirited creature, not capable either through the weakness of his understanding, or a filly fcrupuloufness, to make his way in the world fuccessfully, or to make any figure in life. The man with whom wifdom is in fuch contempt is not likely to find it; though he should use fome diligence to acquire the reputable part, or rather the external appearance, yet the reality of wisdom, which is religious virtue, meekness, godlinefs, patience, self-denial, and charity, these are despised by him: How then can he find them? for wisdom loveth only them that love her, and thofe only fball find, who feek her early, Prov. viii. 17.

But, more particularly, the man who is proud of his wisdom and his religion, is the fartheft off from becoming truly wife and religious. His high conceit of his own fufficiency, and of his great capacity and acquifitions, rendereth him indeed uncapable of, and difinclined to, the only proper means whereby that real excellent quality

can

:

can be attained; and therefore Solomon ex- SER M. horteth the person who would hope to be a X. proficient in true wifdom, not to be wife in his own eyes, nor lean to his own underftanding, Prov. iii. 5, 7. And St. Paul telleth us, 1 Cor. viii. That knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth; and if a man thinketh he knoweth any thing (fo as to be conceited of his knowledge) he knoweth nothing yet as be ought to know. And Gal. vi. 3. If a man think himself to be fomething (a perfon of great weight and confideration, by reason of his great attainments, and fit to prefcribe to others in the matters of religion) while he is nothing (no fuch perfon) be deceiveth himSelf: By the practice of modeffy and humble condescending charity, we should have much more ground of rejoicing and glorying in ourselves. What was it that made the Jews, and especially the proudeft fect of them, the Pharifees, fo untractable to the inftructions of our Saviour, and fuch enemies to the fimplicity of the gofpel? It was evidently the pride of their hearts, and the high conceit they had of their own knowledge and fanctity. Our Lord plainly telleth them they were fo much under the power of worldly and ambitious views, and had it fo much at heart to maintain the applause of men, as perfons

X.

SERM. of the greatest eminency, that this was the very cause of their infidelity, or rejecting his religion, which taught the profeffors of it to pursue fubftantial goodness and the approbation of God, not the efteem of the world; for how, faith he, John v. 44. can ye believe, who receive bonour one of another, and feek not the honour that cometh from God only. And John xii. 43. Some of the chief rulers believed in Chrift, were convinced in their hearts that the doctrine he taught was true and divine, yet they did not own that conviction, nor confefs him to be the true Meffiah, as they really believed he was, for they loved the praise of men more than the praife of God, and therefore would not expose themselves to excommunication and the reproach of apoftacy, which at that time could not be avoided by any who would embrace the chriftian religion.

The fame reafon for which Chrift crucified, or the doctrine of the gofpel, was to the Jews a ftumbling-block, made it to the Greeks foolishness. As the former proudly endeavouring to establish a righteousness of their own by their own performances, would not fubmit to the righteousness, or the method, of juftification or acceptance with God, which is by faith. So to the other who