and therefore if this be Gospel-faith, and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious privileges, truly it concerns us to look well to it, that we be not mistaken concerning this Belief. Now this I would say, there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the ⟨p. 117⟩World, and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ. And this we are to say, that in such a time as that was, when this was the Critical point, as it were, the discriminating thing; in such a time for any to make this profession, and to hold forth this to be their Faith, and Belief, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, it was of high signification, and might very well, as to man, beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons; that certainly they were born of God, as to man, and according to rational Charity it might be very probable, that in such Persons as did thus believe, and profess this to be their Faith and Belief, there were some blessed beams upon their Souls; for, mark ye, it hath been thus in the World, and among the people of it, concerning matters of God and Godliness, that there hath been such and such a Truth, that hath been the Critical Truth, as I said; that hath been, as I may so say, the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another. I allude to that passage in Judges concerning the Gileadites: they made a profession of themselves to be such and such, and they were put to it to pronounce Shibboleth; they that could not speak out the word, and clearly pronounce it, they were not judged to be the persons that they professed themselves to be; but they that could do it, held their liberty: so, sometimes such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point, upon the account of the desperate opposition that the World makes against it; and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers, and the rest of the World were desperately bent against Christ; they called him Jesus, but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God; it was an Act and Decree amongst ⟨p. 118⟩them, That whosoever should confess Jesus to be the Christ, should be put out of the Synagogue, should be excommunicated.
and therefore if this be Gospel-faith, and that which doth interest persons in such great and precious priviledges, truly it concerns us to look well to it, that we be not mistaken concerning this Belief. Now this I would say, there is something in it to be considered with respect to the time wherein Christ appeared visibly to the ⟨p. 117⟩World, and the after-times wherein the Apostles did hold forth these great Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ. And this we are to say, that in such a time as that was, when this was the Critical point, as it were, the discriminating thing; in such a time for any to make this profession, and to hold forth this to be their Faith, and Belief, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, it was of high signification, and might very well, as to man, beget a comfortable confidence and hope concerning such persons; that certainly they were born of God, as to man, and according to rational Charity it might be very probable, that in such Persons as did thus believe, and professe this to be their Faith and Belief, there were some blessed beams upon their Souls; for, mark ye, it hath been thus in the World, and among the people of it, concerning matters of God and Godliness, that there hath been such and such a Truth, that hath been the Critical Truth, as I said; that hath been, as I may so say, the Shibboleth whereby people are distinguished one from another. I allude to that passage in Iudges concerning the Gileadites: they made a profession of themselves to be such and such, and they were put to it to pronounce Shibboleth; they that could not speak out the word, and clearly pronounce it, they were not judged to be the persons that they professed themselves to be; but they that could do it, held their liberty: so, sometimes such and such a Doctrine is ordered out to be a distinguishing point, upon the account of the desperate opposition that the World makes against it; and upon this account the Priests and the Rulers, and the rest of the World were desperately bent against Christ; they called him Jesus, but could not endure him to be called Christ the Son of God; it was an Act and Decree amongst ⟨p. 118⟩them, That whosoever should confess Jesus to be the Christ, should be put out of the Synagogue, should be excommunicated.
