SER M. nefs. But more frequently, among vitious XII. and corrupt Men, thefe Inftruments and Ornaments of Reafon were perverted to very wrong and contrary Purposes. By Oratory, the Deformity of unrighteous Practices was covered with the deceitful Appearance, and painted over with the beautiful Colours of Juft and Right: And by Skill in difputing, the plaineft Truths were perplexed with fuch Intricacies, and the groffeft Errours concealed under fuch Forms of Arguing, as altogether confounded, to common Understandings, the Difference between Truth and Errour. This was what the corrupt part of the Greeks called Wifdom. As to the Temper of the Jews; They, having received their Law by Revelation from God, were never much accustomed either to Value in themselves, or to regard in Others, That nice and abftract Reafoning, which was all that the Gentile Philofophers had to depend upon; The Jews, I fay, never much attended to This fort of Learning; But, whenever any Doctrine was propofed to them which appeared to be New, immediately

mediately they infifted, that the Author S ER M. of it should, by working fome Miracle, XII. give evidence of his being fent from God. Thus Job. iv. 48. Except ye fee Signs and Wonders, ye will not believe: And Matt. xvi. 1. The Pharifees defired him, that he would show them a Sign from Heaven. Nor were they to blame in fo doing, when the Doctrine to which their Affent was expected, was proposed to them as of Divine Revelation; and when their demanding fuch evidence, did not proceed from any unreasonableness or perverseness of Temper, but from a fincere Defire of having fuch Satisfaction, without which a reasonable Perfon could not justify his Affent from being credulous and weak. But more frequently, under pretence of expecting Further Satisfaction, an obftinate and malitious Temper perfifted continually in requiring more and more Signs, for no other reason but because they refolved not to be convinced, being like the Deaf Adder which Stoppeth her ears, which refuseth to hear the Voice of the Charmer, charm he never

XII.

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reproves

SERM. fo wifely. Which fort of perfons, our Satherefore with a very just and proper Severity, Matt. xii. 39. An evil and adulterous generation feeketh after a Sign, and there shall no Sign be given it, but the Sign of the Prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whale's belly, fo fhall the Son

man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth; The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and fhall condemn it; becaufe They repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold a greater than Jonas is here: The Queen of the South fhall rise up in judgment with this generation, and hall condemn it; for he came from the uttermost parts of the Earth to bear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here. The Meaning is: God had given them Signs abundantly sufficient, to convince any reasonable and unprejudiced perfons; wherewith if they would not be fatisfied, he would leave them to themselves. And This may fuffice for explication of the first part of the Text,

2

Text, the General Obfervation concern- SER M. ing the different Temper or Humour of XII. the Jewish and Gentile Nations: The Fews require a Sign, and the Greeks feek after Wisdom.

2dly, THE Second Particular in the Text, is the Obfervation, that Perfons of Both thefe Tempers, and that pretended to make use of Each of thefe ways of judging, were generally extremely prejudiced against the Doctrine of the Gospel: Infomuch that the coming of Christ into the World, in the Manner he did, in a mean, humble, and lowly appearance, teaching a Doctrine of Morality, plainnefs and fimplicity; was both a great Disappointment to the Jews, who expected one that fhould in a miraculous and pompous manner deliver them from their Enemies; and at the fame time was no lefs difagreeable to the then prevailing Fashion and Method of the Gentiles, who judged of Doctrines by the Eloquence, and Oratory, and Artfulness in Difputing, of Those who taught and maintained them: We preach Chrift crucified, unto

-the

SER M. the Jews a Stumbling-Block, and unto the XII. Greeks Foolishness. The Jews thought

that no other Sign was a Mark of the true Meffias, but Delivering them from their Temporal Enemies; and that the Power of God could no otherwise be manifested in him, than by establishing him a Kingdom in this World. When therefore our Lord came in Another manner preaching humility and meekness, patience and charity; calling them to virtue and goodness, instead of Earthly Power and Dominion: Though they were astonished at the Excellency of his Doctrine, and at the Greatness of his Works; and wondred, whence has This man this wisdom, and thofe mighty works; yet presently they fay, Is not this the Carpenter's Son? Is not his Mother called Mary? and his Brethren, James and Jofes and Simon and Judas? and his Sifters, are they not all with us? whence then has this man all these things? and they were offended in him, Matt. xiii. 15. Nay, even his Own Difciples, whenever he began to speak to them of his Sufferings and Death, im

mediately