276 n RAT}ONÁL 'DEFENCE °ÓP\ THE. GOSPEL. [SÈÁÍví. xpr. But the number of these have not been exceeding: great.: God.has.ordainedthatthere should be some, to shew that it is no foolish and unreasonable doctrine, that it is not a religion unworthy of kings, nor unbecoming the wisest and the greatest of characters. But if there have been but a few great and wise have- embraced, it, it is evident that its success and glory is not owing to the wis- dom and power of men, but to the divinity of its doc-' trines,' and the power of God. Besides, I might tell you, secondly, that riches, and grandeur, and elevated degrees, of wit and learning, be- come a sore temptation- to-pride of mind and self-suffi- ciency. Now the'faithof the gospel is founded in hu- mility, and- self-diffidence, and poverty Of spirit; and - this is one plain reason why it was received by so few: of the rich, and -the learned, and the mighty, among men; though it- was contrived and invented- by God himself I answer, in the third place, that it is one of the de- signed characters of the true gospel of Christ, and it is -, foretold by: the ancient prophets,- that when it should come to be preached upon the earth, the poor should receive it. Its reception by the poor and weak among. men, is one evidence that it-comes fromGod; .Mat. xi. 5. When John the baptist senthis disciples to our Savi- our to, know whether he was 'the Messiah, or must they expect another? Go, tell John, the :blind receive sight, the deaf hear, and the lame walk, and to- the poor the gospel is preached; blessed is he that is not offended in me, &c. Go andgive John this very account I now-re- late to -you, and tell him these are mycredentials, these are.the testimonials: I bring. John will infer that I am' the: Messiah, and this is the true gospel that I preach ; for the great and rich, and the pretenders to.wisdom arnong.the "Jews, account it a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, .and only a few of the poor receive it; as it was foretold by the prophets, Each of us maysay therefore, if only the wise, or ti-ie great or the rich, believed 'it, it must have been -such a gospel as I- couldnever have believed ; for it wanted one: character Which is: necessarily adjoined to it, that is that the.poor receive the gospel: Father, I thank thee, says our Lord, that thou hast hid these things from the wise
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