Seim. CXCII. Enmity to the Truth. 611 vices will perpetuallyincreafe; fo that it is no wonder if they. that do evil hate the light, when it is every Way fo grievous and uneafie to them. Bad men are enemies ro the truth, becaufe it difcovers the evil of their adi- ons to others, which caúfeth fhame. The Doctrine of the Gofpel lays .open the faults of men, and upbraids them with their vices. Precepts of holinefs and vir- tue, are a publick reproof to the corrupt manners of Mankind; and teen hate pub- lick reproof becaufc it 1h,imes them before others, and expofeth them to cenfureand contempt. This made the Pharifees fo offended with our Saviour's Doctrine, .be- caufe it was fo fevere a cenfure of their manners, and abated the reputation of their fandity and devotion ; it difcover'd them at the bottom to be very bad toen ; and how righteous foever they appeared outwardly, to be inwardlyfull of hypocrifie and iniquity. Now reputationis a tender part, which few men can endure to have touch'd, tho' never fo juftly; and therefore no wonder if bad imen be impatient of that truth which lays them open to the world, and do by all means endeavour to fupprefs and conceal it from themfelves and others. Thus I have as briefly as I could, given you an account of the trueground and reafon of the enmity Of wicked men againft the Truth, becaufe it difcovers their errors and faults, both to theni- felves and others. I {hall now only draw two or three Inferences from this Difcourfe, by way ofAp- plication, and fo conclude. I. Front hence we may learn the true reafon why men are fo apt to reject and oppofe the principles of Religion, both of natural and reveal'd Religion. Bythe principles of natural Religion , I mean thofe which nature acquaints us with , as the being of God and his Providence, the Immortality of the Soul, and a futurè Elate of rewards and punifhments after this life : by the principles of reveal'd Reli- gion, thofe which are revealed in the holy Scriptures, efpecially in the Gofpel, which is the clearefl and moft perfed revelation of the divine will, that God ever made to the world. Now the reafon why men oppofe thefe principles, and endea- vour to throw them off, is becaufe they are loath to be underthe reftraint of them; they are fomany checks and fetters to men of ill defigns, and bad lives; and there- fore no wonder if they bite at them, and endeavour to break them off; they con- tradid the Tufts of men, and fly in their faces when they do' wickedly ; they are continually pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their fides, and therefore they would fain be rid of them; and therefore there is a plain reafon why thefe men oppofe the truth, and endeavour to baffle it; becaufe it oppofeth and affronts then; in thofe wicked pradices, in which they are refolved to continue. I do not fay that all badmen fly thus high, as to endeavour to extinguifh the belief of Religion in themfelves and others; but there are three forts of men more efpecially, that think themfelves concern'd to promote Atheifin either in themfelves or in others. t. Thofe who are more enormouflywicked, are concerned to be Atheiffs them- felves, becaufe the principles of Religion are fo plainly inconfiflent with theirpra- dice. This is fo vifible, that they cannot but fee it ; and therefore theymuff de- clare themfelves Enemies to fuch Principles, as are fo notorioufly contrary to the courfe they live in. 2. Thofe who, tho' their lives are not fo nótorioufly bad, have quicker under- {landings than the common fort of (inners ; becaufe thefe do fooner difcern'the in- confiftency of thefe principles with their own adions; and being refolved not to reform, partly for the peace of their own minds, and partly to vindicate themfelves to others,. they declare War againft thefe principles ; and if they can overthrow them, they gain a double advantage by it. They think they ]hall be at more eafe in their own minds, if they can but free themfelves from the check and control .uf thefe- principles; and indeed they would be fo, if theycould root them out : but nature bath planted them fo deep, and riveted them fo fait , that whenwe have doneall we can to extirpate them, they will fpring up again. And then-they hope alfo by. this means to vindicate themfelves to others, becaufe they cannow no"lon- gerbe.upbraided with the difagreement of-their principles with their pradite. 3. There are others, who tho' they be not Atheifts themfelves, yet from the fpirit and intereft of a worldly Church, are concerned to promote Atheifm in others. Iiii 2 And
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=