A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

5. Another Cause of this Unbelief is Enmity to the Gospel. There is a natural Contrariety in our Hearts both to the Privileges and Duties of the Gospel; and because we hate it, we do not easily believe it. The Pride of Man's Heart sets him against the Privileges of the Gospel, and carnal Liberty against the Obedience of it. Man is a proud Creature, and would be self-sufficient; he is loth to be beholden to God: as a proud Man loves a Russet Coat of his own, better than a Silken Garment that is borrowed of another. Thus the Apostle complains of the Jews, Rom. 10.3. They being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and going about to establish a Righteousness of their own, have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God. There needs some Submission and bearing down of the Pride of Man, all is borrowed: here Christ is all, and doth all; he hath merited for all, and suffered for all. Now this suits not with the Pride of Man's Heart, who would be sufficient to himself, and establish a personal Merit in himself. And then especially is this Pride bewrayed, when a Man hath any thing to trust to and rest in, as civil Righteousness, or a formal Profession; it is a hard matter then to bring Men to submit to the Righteousness of God, to come hungry and thirsty for Christ's Righteousness. There is no Pride so deadly and mischievous, and opposite to the Gospel, as the Pride of Self-conceit, and Self-sufficiency; yet this is natural to us; therefore God doth not only say, but swear that we shall never enter into his Rest, unless we take this course, and run to this Hope that is before us. And as Pride opposeth the Privileges of the Gospel, so carnal Liberty opposeth the Obedience of the Gospel. Men are loth to stoop and submit to God's Terms: Christ is to be Lord as well as Saviour. Now the World will not hear of Laws and Restraints. You know the Nations were all for casting away the Bonds and Cords; Psal. 2.3. Let us break their Bands asunder, and cast away their Cords from us. In the latter Ages of the World, it is foretold in the Prophecies of Scripture, that the Church is in danger of turning to Libertinism: we cast away Yoke after Yoke, till we have left Christ nothing but an empty Title. How busy are Men now to find out a North-East-Passage, a nearer cut to Heaven;

5. Another Cause of this Unbelief is Enmity to the Gospel. There is a natural Contrariety in our Hearts both to the Privileges and Duties of the Gospel; and because we hate it, we do not easily believe it. The Pride of Man's Heart sets him against the Privileges of the Gospel, and carnal Liberty against the Obedience of it. Man is a proud Creature, and would be self-sufficient; he is loth to be beholden to God: as a proud Man loves a Russet Coat of his own, better than a Silken Garment that is borrowed of another. Thus the Apostle complains of the Jews,