GERM. XVI.] A. RATIONAL DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL. 275 was scorned by the great and honourable, and persecuted by the mighty. Why should a Paul, apharisee, a doctor of the law, become a follower of a carpenter's Son, and associate with a parcel of fishermen ? This is a scandal, and foolish indeed. Who among the pharisees or rulers have believed on him ? John .vii. 48." This was the stumbling-ibloék of the gospel in that _age, and it is the stumnbling-block at which : many persons take offence in ,our age too. " It is the nhthinking multitude, say they,. the mere Mob of mankind, that are led away with the noise of strange things and the gospel. And it is only those who have no relish of good sense_that can dispense with mysteries. The poorer and weaker sort of men and women flock after your powerful preachers of the gos-. pel, but wise men despise it." I am very glad, my friends, if in your conversation you meet with no such persons that ridicule the gospel at this rate. But there are many in our age and nation . arrived at this height of pride, and contempt of the gospel. This objection may have more answers than one given to it; as first, it is a matter of unjust reproach, and it is false in fact; for all the professors of this gospel are not weak and unlearned. There have been in the very be- ginning of christianity some wise, some great persons, that have given testimony' to this gospel by their believ ing it. St. Paul was a man of no weak reason, no mean understanding, no small learning, and yet he believes this gospel, and professes he is not ashamed of it. And there have been inmost ages of the church some instances of the power and success of this gospel in con- verting philosophers and senators, and princes. The learned, the ingenious, and the noble amongst mankind have sometimes given up their names to Christ, have yielded their assent to his doctrines, and conformed their hearts and lives to the rules of his gospel. Men of wit and reason have been converted to the faith, and then have exerted their peculiar talents in the defence of christianity, and they have convinced the world that they had neither left their reason nor their wit behind them when they became christians. Men of grandeur and power have sometimes also supported it with ho- nour, T,
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