Unto that part of Religion which is natural, there was so much of an advantage beforehand, as that there was an old foundation to build upon. There are some notions of God left, not only concerning his Existence, but his Nature and Attributes, many of them. And from the Apprehension what he was, it was in some measure discernible what he should have been, and ought yet to be towards him; And from thence many checks and rebukes of conscience wherein it was found to be otherwise: So that here was somewhat in Nature to be wrought upon, as to this part of Religion. But as to that part which respects the Mediator, this was a frame wholly to be raised up from the ground. There were no principles immediately and directly inclining to take part with the Gospel; But all to be implanted anew. The way that God would take to bring back Souls to him being so infinitely above all human thought. And therefore, though to a considering Pagan it would not sound strangely, that God ought to be trusted, feared, loved, &c. yet even to such the Gospel of Christ was foolishness. Besides, that this way of dealing with men was not only unknown and unimaginable to them, not so much as once thought of, or to be guest at. But the tendency and aspect of it (when it should come to be made known) was such as that it could not but find the temper of mens spirits most strongly opposite, not merely ignorant, but ⟨p. 62⟩prejudiced and highly disaffected. For this course most directly tended to take men quite off from their old bottom; To stoop and humble, and even bring them to nothing; To stain the pride of their Glory, and lay them down in the dust as abject wretches, in themselves fit for nothing, but to be trampled on and crushed by the foot of divine revenge. Suppose a man to have admitted a conviction from the light of his own mind and conscience that he was a sinner, and had offended his Maker, incurred his just displeasure, and made himself liable to his punishing justice; It would yet have been a hard matter to make him believe it altogether impossible to him, to do any thing to remedy the matter, and restore himself to divine favour and acceptance. He would naturally be inclined to think; why admit the case be so, he should easily find out a way to make God amends.
Unto that part of Religion which is natural, there was so much of an advantage beforehand, as that there was an old foundation to build upon. There are some notions of God left, not only concerning his Existence, but his Nature and Attributes, many of them. And from the Apprehension what he was, it was in some measure discernible what he should have been, and ought yet to be towards him; And from thence many checks and rebukes of conscience wherein it was found to be otherwise: So that here was somewhat in Nature to be wrought upon, as to this part of Religion. But as to that part which respects the Mediator, this was a frame wholly to be rais'd up from the ground. There were no principles immediately and directly inclining to take part with the Gospel; But all to be implanted anew. The way that God would take to bring back Souls to him being so infinitely above all human thought. And therefore, though to a considering Pagan it would not sound strangely, that God ought to be trusted, feared, loved, &c. yet even to such the Gospel of Christ was foolishness. Besides, that this way of dealing with men was not only unknown and unimaginable to them, not so much as once thought of, or to be guest at. But the tendency and aspect of it (when it should come to be made known) was such as that it could not but find the temper of mens spirits most strongly opposite, not meerly ignorant, but ⟨p. 62⟩prejudic't and highly disaffected. For this course most directly tended to take men quite off from their old bottom; To stoop and humble, and even bring them to nothing; To stain the pride of their Glory, and lay them down in the dust as abject wretches, in themselves fit for nothing, but to be trampled on and crusht by the foot of divine revenge. Suppose a man to have admitted a conviction from the light of his own mind and conscience that he was a sinner, and had offended his Maker, incur'd his just displeasure, and made himself liable to his punishing justice; It would yet have been a hard matter to make him believe it altogether impossible to him, to do any thing to remedy the matter, and restore himself to divine favour and acceptance. He would naturally be inclin'd to think; why admit the case be so, he should easily find out a way to make God amends.
