of the Holy Doctrines that it taught, as to be able to Attract the Will; and make itfelf as Affectionately Embrac'd out of Love to it's Goodness, as Stedfaftly Believ'd for the Evidence of its Truth. A Religion fo Spiritual, fo Holy, fo Pure, every way fo Worthy of God; fo Righteous, fo Charitable, fo Mercyful, every way fo Beneficial to Man; fo Expreffive of the Divine Nature, and fo perfective of the Human, even without the affiftance of the Open and Senfible Demonftration of Prophecys Fulfill'd, and Miracles Perform'd, muft needs carry along with it fuch an Inward and Rational Conviction of its Own Excellence, as to make it appear not only Worthy of all Men to be receiv'd, 1 Tim. 1.15. but Such as by None other than God himself could have been reveal'd; Being not only a Copy of his Will but his Nature, not the Arbitrary Declaration of his Uncontrollable Power, but the very Exprefs Image and Reflection of his Effential Holyness. So Infinitely did it exceed all that ever pure Nature, or Reason Unenlighten'd from above, could afpire to, all that the Wifeft Philofophers and Moralifts ever taught, or the beft Lawgivers, and Founders of Republicks ever Enjoin'd. It might reasonably have been expected that fo Excellent a Religion as this, without fo prodigious a Ma

I

nifeftation

nifeftation of Divine Power, as Vifibly and Conftantly attended on it and gave Witness to it, fhould upon the account of it's Own Worth, if not from Conviction, yet from Inclination, have been with Open Arms Embrac'd, fhould have made an Easy and Gentle, but a Powerful and Effectual Conqueft over the Hearts of Men. But the Effect was quite contrary: This Excellent Goodness of the Gospel which ought to have recommended it without the help of any Other Arguments, was the chief reafon that all the Other Arguments, which elfe muft needs have taken place where they did not take place, prov'd Ineffectual. Indeed wherever the Soil was in any ways agreeable to the Heavenly Seed, there it took root downward and bore Fruit upward, in fome Thirty, in fome Sixty, in fome à Hundred Fold, as our Saviour in the Parable of the Sower fets forth, where he manifeftly refolves the Causes of the Reception of the Gospel into Honefty and Goodness of Heart (Luke 8. 15.) The fame which after Him the Apoftle likewise do's, Rom. 10. 10. affirming that 'tis with the Heart, that is from the good Difpofitions of an Obedient Will and well order'd Affections, that Man believeth unto Righteousness. But on the contrary, where the Will and Affections were deprav'd, where Ambition, Pride, Avarice, Senfuality,

or

or any other commanding Lufts had got Poffeffion and Dominion over the Heart, there all the Powerfulleft Demonftrations of Predictions fulfill'd, and wonderful Works wrought, were not able to gain Credit to the Word. How Can ye Believe, fays Our Saviour to the Pharifees poffefs'd with the Spirit of Ambition and Pride? The more Spiritual, and Meek, and Pure, and Holy, the Doctrine was, the more Averse were Carnal Minds to entertain it; and that One Heavenly Sermon on the Mount, which Our Saviour Preach'd, was enough with Earthly minded Men to obftruct the Conviction of all the Miracles that he wrought. As Unwilling as any Man was to part with his Vices, fo Unwilling was he to receive the Law against them; All the Light of Truth could not convince those who receiv'd not the Love of the Truth, as the Apostle fpeaks; 2 Theff. 2. 10. who believ'd not the Truth, because they had Pleasure in Unrighteousness. v. 2. Thus it far'd with the Gospel at its firft appearance in the World; and the fame entertainment it has met with ever fince, even down to the dregs of Time into which we are fallen, Only with this difference, that What was in Them to whom the Gofpel was firft Preach'd, bare Infidelity; in Us who have been born where the Light of the Gospel has fo long fhin'd, is

down

downright Apoftacy: As the Apostle here hints to the Converted Hebrews, whom he therefore calls Brethren; For in a Brother, any One that has ever given up his Name to Chrift, an Evil Heart of Unbelief, is no lefs than Σποςῆναι ἀπὸ τὸ Θεὸ ζῶντος. Highly necessary therefore Now, if ever, is this Caution in the Text. Take heed Brethren left there be in any of You an Evil Heart of Unbeliefs and Te turn Apoftates from the Living God.

The Heart in Holy Scripture is by an eafy Figure of Speech familiar enough in Human Writings alfo, taken either for the Understanding, the Reason, the Wifedom or the Will, the Affections and Defires of Man. But more frequently, and here particularly, according to the best Expofitors, for the latter. Wherefore from the Words thus understood, I fhall Endeavour Two Things;

I. First, To fhew that Unbelief chiefly proceeds from an Evil Heart; that is, from a Rebellious Will, from Corrupt Affections, and Vicious Inclinations.

II. Secondly, To enforce therefore this Caution of the Apostle, that We take especial heed left there be in Us fuch an Evil Heart and that both for the Inexcufable Folly and the Unexpreffible Danger of it.

I. Firft

I. First, I am to fhew that Unbelief proceeds chiefly from an Evil Heart. And to fatisfy us how natural a Fruit Infidelity is of an Evil Heart, it will not be amiss to confider in general, how powerful a Sway Men's Wills and Inclinations have in all Things elfe over their Belief. And how Powerful and how Universal that Influence is, a very small measure of Experience and Obfervation will fuffice to inform us. Every Day and every Place and every Bufinefs we meet with in the World abundantly Supply us with Inftances of it. What abfurd and incredible Stories will pass Current with Men, that have a Mind they should be true? And what Difficulties can they Discover in moft probable and likely Relations, if they heartily wish them to be falfe? What Certainty, what Evidence can prevail or gain admittance, when Intereft or Paffion fhuts the Door to all Belief? There is Nothing in the World that Men agree fo well in univerfally acknowledging the Truth of, as the Principles and Conclufions of the pure and unmix'd Mathematicks: But Mr Hobbes's Reason for this is remarkable enough, which is, he fays, because Men care not much in that Subject what is Truth, as a thing That croffes no Man's Ambition, Profit or Luft. And the Only Caufe, why none have ever

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