upontheEpiftleof JAMBs. VERS.I6. Truths cannot be plainly and eajily made out to the apprehenjion, men ttre apt to fwerve from them : Many Truths fuffer much, be– "caufe of their intricacy ;. Errors may be fo neer like, that 'cis hard to di£Hnguilh them: The nature of man is prone to -Error, and therefore when the Truth is hard to finde out, we content our felves with our own prejudices : All Truths are encumbred with fucb a difficulty, that they which have a minde to doubt, and wrangle, do eafily fiumble at it: Joh. 6. 6o , 66. Thu u Pln hard foying; Who can hear it ? that is, underfiand it~ And then, From 'thAt time man] of hu Difciples Went back_, and walksd no more With him: When there is fomething to jufiifie our prejudices, we think we are fafe enough; God leaveeh juftly fuch difficulcies for a fiumbling block to them that have aminde to be offt:nded : The ~Fharifees, and people that had followed Chrifi, thought themfdves 'well enough, becaufe of the darknefs of thofe expre:ffioos, as if it ·did jufiifie their·Apofiacy .; So when there are fome involucra ve– "l'itatu, fome covers of difficulty, in which Truth is lapped up from a common eye, we think our a!fent may be excufed : As Jews fay, That furdy Chrift W.u mt the Mejfiah, becaufe he did not come in fiech a way as to fotisfte all his own Country.-men; So, many refufe Truth, becaufe•cwill require fome indultry, and ex· ·crcife to finde it out: God never meant to fatisfie, "' hominibm •camtro de ·prttfrafJi ingenii, mm of a captious and perverfe wit; and there- Eccle[. · fore Truth is reprefented in fuch a manner, that though there be ,plainnefs enough to thofe that have aminde to know, yet difficulty enough to harden others to their own ruine : Men would fain fpare :the pains of prayer, fiudy and difcourfe, they are loath to cry for k.nowledg, to dig for it M for jilver, PrtJv. 2.. 5. They love an eafie / :fhort way to Truth, and therefore run away with thofe mifrakes which come next to hand, vainly imagining that God cloth not require belie£ to fuch things as are difficult and hard to be underflood; They do not look to what isfound and folid, but what is plaujible, and at firfr blu!h reconcileable with their thoughts and appreqenfions. ., .You fee then what need you have to pray for gifts of interpre.. Vfe I _. tation, and adoor of utterance for your Minifiers, and a knowing heartfQr your felves, that youmay not be difcouraged by the dif– fi~ulties tha~ fence up· the way of Truth : Pray that ·God would gtv~ u~ ~ ~!~~~ fpi;.it, ~ ~!~ ~~prR.effion~ ~~~ y~~~ f~!ves artd·ght l un cr.. -- - ,__ ____ ...
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=