WEitItI. XVI.] A RATIONAL DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL. 277 and prudent, but thou hast revealed them unto babes, Mat. xi. 25. It pleased God, when the world by wis- dons knew not God, to darken all their wisdom, and turn it into folly, and to call those. that were esteemed fools, and make them wise in. believing the gospel of Christ. It has pleased God to chuse the mean, and weak, and contemptible things of this world to confound the wise and mighty: . It has pleased him to chuse the things that are not, to bring to nought the things that are, that nb flesh might glory in his presence, 1 Cor. i. 27, &c. II. It is 'another occasionof stumbling orshame in_ the gospel of Christ, that some of the professors of it are vicious in 'their lives. "Will you believe such a gospel, says an infidel, that does not restrain the professors of it from the worst of sins ?" This, I confess, gives it great dishonour among the men of the world, and is sometimes ready to shake the faith of younger christians; they know not how to. go on farther in christianity, for such and such thatmade great profession, you see how they are fallen. . This is a com- mon temptation of the devil; it is a frequent snare, and there bath -been many a pious soul that hath been in danger of being caught thereby. The vices of some pro- fessors were great even in St. Paul's days : There were some among the Phillippians ; Phil. iii. 18. " Of whom I have told you often, and now even weeping, that they walk as enemies to the cross of Christ, and cast scan- dal and shame upon it. It makes my eyes flow with tears, and my soul bleed within me to hear of it: The gospel of Christ is so much dishonoured by these means." But ifwe take a nearer view, we shall see that no doc- trine ought to fare the worse, because some wicked men are professors ofit. It was not counted a discredit to philosophy, that wine of the professors of it, who hated the gospel, were vicious in their lives. I would ask the deist now, is there any ground to disbelieve natural re- ligion, because there are some that make profession ofit are fallen into great sins? The gospel itself teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and does not indulge one of them. And they are said to be enemies to the cross of Christ, when their conversation is all earthly, whe n their God is their-belly, and their glory ;s T3
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