[4.] A light esteem of Christ. As we do not see our own needs, so not his worth. As the heart is, so it judgeth. A carnal heart valueth all things by outward pomp and splendour. Such objects take as are most excellent in the eyes of the world : Ps. cxliv. 15, ' Happy is the people that is in such a case ; yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord.' A man's temper may be discerned by his valuation of things ; carnal hearts cannot prize spiritual mercies. We prize those things that are most suitable to our desires : 1 Peter ii. 7, ' To them that believe Christ is precious.' He is an honour to them ; they look upon him as a most attractive object, and therefore their hearts move after this loadstone. Everything is loved according to the suitable- ness and proportion it bears to our desires. Therefore see how Christ is spoken of by the faitliful : Cant. v. 10, ' As the chiefest among ten thousand ;' ' He beareth the banner from ten thousand,' as Ainsworth rendereth it. And in the IGtli verse, 'He is altogether lovely.' But see what the world judgeth of him : Isa. lii. 14, ' His visage was marred more than any man, and his ibrm more than the sons of men.' Look then to the value you have for a thing, for from thence will arise your endeavours after it. They that Avill be rich, are drowned and sunk in the cares of this world, they are all for moiling and busi- ness. 1'hey that love pleasures, their thoughts and the strength and vigour of their souls will run that way. So for honourable preferment, they that seek after it will spend all their thoughts about it. What a man valueth, it will be his work to gain. Tlierefore this high esteem of Christ tiiketh off men from these thing.s, Acts xviii. 15, 16. He that thought the promulgation of the gospel to be but a strife about words and names, * cared for none of these things.' This is the next hindrance ; men that i)rofess themselves (/hristians, make the getting of Christ the lea.st of their care.
[5.] A presumptuous conceit that we have entertained Christ already. Many think every slight wish, every trivial hope, will serve the turn. Many would be scholars, if they did not tliink themselves so too soon. I would not weaken any man's confidence ; I know it is our office to establish it : ' The fruit of oiu- lips is peace,' Isa. Ivii. 19. But there are those to whom our God will not speak jieace. * No peace, saitli my God, to the wicked.' Many wicked persons think it enough to be named Chribtians. It la an advantage, I confess, to be born a Chris-
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tian, but to rest in it maketh it the greatest judgment that can be. People will reason thus, Do not all believe in Christ ? Oh, no. Thou inayest profess Christ, and yet not believe in him. Many depend upon this that they are Christians, as the Jews did that they were the seed of Abraham. I shall touch upon this afterwards.
[6.] Hardness of heart. The mind will not stoop to Christ till it be tamed. John Baptist, that was to prepare the way for Christ, was to bring the mountains and hills low, Luke iii. 5. The heart must not only be serious, but humbled, if it would entertain this doctrine. A man must see his error before he will be willing to be governed by Christ, and guided into a better way : Acts ii. 37, ' They were pricked at their liearts ' before the apostle bid them ' repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.' The heart never yields till it bleedeth with the sense of sin. We have been wrong, oh, what course shall we take ? There must be a conviction of sin before that of righteousness. It is happy when both go together, John xvi. 9 ; so Acts xvi. 30, 31. First, ' What shall I do to be saved ?' Then comes, ' Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.' A man hath no reason to begin a new way till he is convinced of the vanity of the old one. There must be at least so much of humiliation as to make a man anxious and solicitous about a better course. Well, then, here is another hindrance : a proud and unmortified spirit, a hard heart ; a man must get humbled, That you may do so, examine your state by the law, and aggravate it by love. There is some apprehension of love, some general consideration that precedeth faith. You have done all this, and you have done it against a merciful God, and indeed that is a keen argument to wound the spirit : Joel ii. 14, ' Rend your hearts, for God is merciful.' See your sins, and aggravate them with unkind- ness. There is something in nature to make us relent, when we have done wrong to a kind person, that, for aught we know, meant better to us. But of this more by and by.