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ported with Pleasure, and influenced by it--- But outward Ambition is generally more capable of Conviction than intellectual Pride: Age, Oppofition, Disappointments may have fome Effect upon the former; but that inward Pride meets with little or nothing to oppose it ; and Tears only make it more obftinate and inflexible, ever learning in appearance, and yet never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth.

Now is it to be expected, that a Perfon, who came in the Way our Lord did, wholly deftitute of all worldly Power and Pomp, who had not where to lay his head, who owed his ordinary Subfiftence to the Piety of fome holy Women, whofe Doctrines were fo directly oppofite to the Pursuits of these Sort of Men, whose Followers were fo few, fo mean and contemptible, whose Rewards were chiefly deferred to another World, is it, I fay, to be expected, that Hẹ

fhould

fhould gain Profelytes from Power and Wealth, from Reputation and Pleasure, to Poverty and Shame, SelfDenial and rigorous Virtue? We need not wonder that not many wife Men after the Flesh, nor many mighty, nor many noble were called by our Lord, and his first Difciples; nor that the fame Causes should produce the fame Effects in following Ages. That the Jews fhould require a Sign, that they fhould ftill infift on further Evidence, and that at last no Degree of Evidence fhould fuffice: That the Greeks fhould feek after Wisdom, that they fhould have innumerable Scruples and Difficulties to be removed and fatisfied. Where the Pleafures of this World, backed either by the Power of it, or by fleshly Wisdom, have once taken Poffeffion of the Minds of Men, how difficult, how almoft,

not quite, impoffible is it to dif poffefs them, to draw Men from them

to

to a State of Self-Denial and strict Virtue and ferious Religion? No Wonder that Sadducifm fhould fill continue and prevail, when Truth is fo much less powerfully and perfectly taught and exemplified; and that the Flock of Chrift, when compared to the Pharifees, Sadducees, and Herodians, fhould be a little Flock, a Handful, contemptible and defpicable. When Paul made his Defence before Feftus and Agrippa, the Behaviour of those two great Men is well worth our Notice. Feftus's Observation was that Paul was befides himfelf, that much Learning had made him mad. As for Agrippa, who knew the Things of which Paul fpake, who believed the Prophets, he was almost persuaded to be a Chriftian. When Paul was brought before Felix, and he heard him concerning the Faith of Chrift; and as Paul reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and

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Judgment to come, Felix trembled, and faid, Go thy way, when I have a more convenient Seafon I will call for thee. The Difcourfe made fome Impreffion; and one would be apt to think, that there was fomething very promifing in this. But alas! the good Impreffions were foon over. Though Felix fent for Paul often, and communed with him, the whole Design was only to squeeze fome Money out of him for his Releasement. He hoped that Money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loofe him ; wherefore he fent for him the oftner and communed with him".

From what has been faid, we fee plainly as well from Example, as the Reason of the thing, that worldly Power and Ambition, or Herodianifm, and Infidelity and intellectual Pride, or Sadducifm, are great Enemies to

Acts xxiv. 26.

Truth,

Truth, Religion, and Virtue. That it is great Weakness to expect any thing of this Kind from fuch Men, or indeed any Degree of focial Benevolence or common Honesty, more than is neceffary to preserve their Reputations in the World, and to adminifter to their Views and Pleasures in it. Happy are the People, the Multitude, the lower Ranks of Men, who have maintained their natural Integrity and Simplicity, whofe Situation and Circumstances prompt them not to Ambition; and cannot furnish out to them many irregular Pleasures; and disable them from that Philofophy, that is falfly fo called; who are ready to hear any Truth, and embrace any Duty that Religion requires of them; who have no tempting Prospects or Enjoyments in this World to stop their Ears against Evidence, and forbid all Conviction; nor any false Smattering in Learning to faVOL. I.

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