602 The Excellency and Untverfality of Van. but the Priefls only. Laftly, from a general praftice in a common cafeamong them felves, it being allowed by their ownLaw, to take an Ox or an Afs out ofapiton the Sabbath-day; and therefore much more to heal one on the Sabbath -day, and to loofa a daughter ofAbraham, that had been bound eighteen years , as our Saviour invincibly argues. Upon the like Prejudice feveral Churches and Communions in the World, will not allow others to be good Chriftians, and ina flare of Salvation, becaufe they do not lay the fame weight that they do upon pofitive Inftitutions , not ofdivine, but of mereEcclefiaftical Authority; in which they are more unreafonable that the Jews. *. But I proceed to a III. Concomitant of their Infidelity, and this was a childifh kindofPerverfenefs. Being ftrongly prejudiced againft our Saviour, they were fopeevifh and froward that nothing would fatisfie them. And of this he himfelf gives us a remarkable Inftance, Matth. t r. 16, 17. But whereunto(hall l liken this generation ? It is like unto childrenfitting in the markets, and calling unto theirfellows, and faying, We have piped untoyou , andye have not danced; we have mourned untoyou, andye have notlamented. The bufinefs was this, theYews found fault with john the Bap- rift, becaufe his Habit and Converfation was fo rough. and fevere; and yet our Sa- viour could not pleafe them neither , who was of a quite different temper. John the Baptiii came in the way ofrighteoufnefs, and they receiv'd him not , his way was very ftrifl and fevere, he cane neither eating nor drinking, was very ftrift in hisdiet and manner of living , of a courfe carriage and melancholy temper; and they faid he had a Devil. He was to be a Preaèher of Repentance, and his Garb was fuitable to his Employment. Our Saviour was ofa more eafie and familiar and con- verfible temper, fuitable to a Preacher of Pardon and Forgivenefs; theSon ofman came eatingand drinking; and theyPaid, Behold a Wine-bibber and a Glutton, a friend of Publicans and Sinners. Now what could be more childifh and perverfe, than to be pleafed with nothing ? By this it plainly appeared, that whatever Garb he had put bn, what ever his carriage hadbeen, theywould have found fault with it, and have made fome Exception againft it ; at this rate it was impofliblefor him to efcape the Cenfure of men fo perverfely difpofed ; and therefore our Saviour fitly compares them to Children playing in the Markets, who were neither pleafed with mourningnor dancing. And this is the humour ofInfidelity, and of thofe who oppofe theTruth, to ca- vil and make Exceptions at every thing; and to argue againft Religion and the Principles ofit, from contrary Topicks, and Arguments that are inconfiftent with one another. There are other Inftances ofthisperverfenefs in the yews; as that when they be- lieved Mofes, and had a mighty veneration for him ; yet they would not believe him whenhe teftified concerning the Meffias. So likewife they looked upon John the Baptift as a Prophet ; but yet would give no credit to his Teftimony concerning Chrift. Nay fo froward were they, that when our Savionr had wrought the greateft and plaineft Miracle that could be, in feeding 5000perfons withfive loaves, and two littleffhes; yet, as if this had been nothing , they hill call upon him to work a Miracle, John 6. 3,c. Whatfign workeit thou, that we may fee and be- lieve ? 1V. Another ufual concomitant ofInfidelity, is Obftinacy, and pertinacious per- fifting in Error. This likewife was the temper of theyews, not to be convinc'd by any Evidence that could be offer'd to them. When our Saviour had feveral times put them to filence, fo that they were not able to anfwer him ; yet they obftinately per fir fted in theirformer conceit, and ftifily held the conclufion, though they werenot able to make good the premifes, Match. 22. Our Saviour confuted the Sadduces about the Refurreftion, and put them to filence ; and then undertook the Pharifees, and they could not anfwer himneither; both of them continued in their opinion, tho'each ofthem thought the other to beclearly baffled and confuted. This obftinacy of theirs our Saviour makes a great aggravation oftheir Infidelity, Meath. 2t. 31, 32. Verily Ifay unto you, that the Publicans and the Harlots go into the kingdom ofGod befbreyou. ForJohn came untoyou in the way ofrighteouf- 3 nefs, * Of this fee m,re, vol. I. Serm. 63 64, 65.
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