The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

2. They had satisfaction in their own imperfect Virtues. Because they did some things to recover the ⟨p. 439⟩Humane Nature from its degenerate state, they were more confirmed in their Infidelity, than the grossest Idolaters and the most vicious Persons. For the more probable Arguments they had to obtain happiness in their own way, the more obstinately they refused any other. They thought there was no need of a Saviour to intercede for them, or of the Spirit of Grace to assist them, but they had self-Sufficiency for the acquiring of Felicity. Like foolish Chemists that have melted away a great part of their Estates in vain, yet in expectation of the great Elixir, create in their fancies treasures of Gold, and enrich themselves. So the Philosophers who wasted their time and Spirits in searching after Happiness to little purpose, although the best of their Principles and the height of their Virtue were insufficient to support them under any pressing Affliction, yet they had vain hopes of obtaining perfect Tranquillity and Content by them. Now the Gospel commanding an entire renouncing of our selves, to embrace the sole Goodness and Will of God, it was hard for those who were so full of pride and vanity, to relish a Doctrine so contrary to them. In truth, whatever the Philosophers pretended concerning the incredibility that the Son of God should suffer death, yet it was not so much the Cross to which Christ was nailed by his Enemies, that made them reject the Gospel,¹ as the other Cross to which Jesus would fasten them; i. e. the strict and holy Discipline to which he commands them to submit. A Discipline that condemns the vanity and glory of their Wisdom & Virtue, that mortifies sensual pleasures, which many of the Philosophers indulged themselves in, notwithstanding all their discourses of the purgative and illuminative life. ⟨p. 440⟩And that this was the real cause of their rejecting Christ crucified,² is evident; for they knew, it was not unusual, for Persons of extraordinary Wisdom and Virtue, to suffer in the World. Their presents and example upbraids the Vicious, and Wounds their Spirits: as a great light sore and distempered eyes. And some of them acknowledged the Wisdom of Providence; in permitting this for an excellent end, that Virtue, tried by the fire, might be the more resplendent.