be obtained by any less than tbe arm of the Ahnighty, especially if we take two or three circumstances into our consideration. First, The meanness of the persons employed to preach this doctrine ; being of the meanest and lowest of the peo^jle, and many of them as mean in their intellectual accomplishments as they were in tlieir external appearance in the world, having no help from human learning to raise their parts, and set a varnish upon their discourses : men very imlit for such an enterprise, had the success of their works depended on their own furniture, which put their very enemies to a stand whence thej' had their, wisdom ; knowing well how low their parentage, and unsuitable their breeding were, to give them any advantage toward such a high undertaking, Acts iv. 13. Surely these poor men could contribute no more by anything that was their own, to that wonderful success which followed their labours, than the blowing of the rams' horns could to the laying of Jericho's walls flat with the ground, or the sounding of Jehoshaphat's musical instruments to the routing of so formidable an army of his enemies : so that we must attribute it to the breath of God, by which they sounded the trumpet of the gospel, and his sweet Spirit charming the hearts of their hearers, that such mighty works were done by them. Secondly, If we consider the nature of the doctrine they held forth and commended to the world, which was not only strange and new, enough to make the hearei-s shy of it, but so contrary to the humour of man's corrupt nature, that it hath not one thought in the sinner's heart to befriend it. No wonder, indeed, that Mahomet's spiced cup went down so easily, it being so luscious and pleasing to man's carnal palate. We are soon gained to espouse that which gratifies the flesh, and easily persuaded to deliver up ovirselves into the hands of such opinions as offer quarter to our lusts, yea, promise them satis- faction. Indeed, we cannot wonder to see Christianity itself generally and rea- dily embraced, when it is presented in Rome's whorish dress, with its purity adulterated. But take the doctrine of the gospel in its own native excellencj', before it falls into these hucksters' hands, and it is such as a carnal heart cannot like, because it lays the axe to the root of every sin, and bids defiance to all that take part with it. This may make us step aside (as Moses once did to behold the bush) to see this great wonder. A doctrine believed and embraced that is pure nonsense to carnal reason, teaching us to be saved by another's righteousness, wise with another's wisdom, to trust him as a God, that was himself a child ; to rely on him to deliver us from the power of sin and Satan, that fell himself under the wrath of men, — O, how great a gulf of objections which reason brings against this doctrine, must be shot before a man can close with it ! Yet this doctrine to find such welcome, that never any prince, at the beat of his drum, had his subjects flock more in throngs to enlist themselves in his muster-roll, than the apostles had midtitudes of believers offering them- selves to come under baptism, — the military oath given by them to their converts! Thirdly, Consider how little worldly encouragement this word which they preached gave to his disciples, and you will say, God was in it of a truth. Had it been the way to thrive in the world, or had it won the favour of kings to have been their disciples, and taught them how to climb the hill of honour, we could not have wondered to have seen so many worship the rising sun ; but, alas ! the gospel comes not with these bribes in its hand ; no golden apples thrown in the way to entice them on ; Christ bids his disciples stoop, not to take up crowns for their heads, but a cross for their backs : ' If any one will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.' They must not dream of getting the world's treasure, which they have not, but prepare to part with what they have. When the apostles preached it, the way it led to was not to princes' palaces, with their preferment, but to prisons and dungeons, racks and gibbets ; now to see poor creatures so far forget all their worldly interest, estates, and honour, children of their loins, and wives of their bosom, so as to trample upon them, yea, joyfidly welcome the bloodiest deaths their enemies could invent, and thank their persecutors for the favour of admitting them to share with the torments of their brethren, as if they had gone to divide a spoil, and not to be made one ! — this sin-ely speaks a heavenly power to be in that doctrine, on whose altar, and for whose defence they were so willing to be sacrificed. But though the profession of the gospel cost them so dear, yet, woidd it but have indulged its disciples to have aimed at their own honour, and
576 A^^ ^"E SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.