(4.) Deny carnal reason and sense; do not judge of divine things by outward appearance. Hear what the apostle saith : ' Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath prepared for them that love him' — that is, carnal eyes, carnal sense, and carnal thoughts ; weighing that place with the context, that seemeth to be the meaning. To an or- dinary reason, or eye, or ear, things would not appear so. Now, because this rule is general, I shall a little restrain it by these particulars.
1 . Do not cast away anything of Christ because it is despised or discountenanced. Take heed, a saint may suffer under a reproachful name. Christ was a despised branch, a root out of a dry ground ; and Christianity was contemned because of the ill name and com- mon cry against it. Most Christians offend in blind zeal ; they con- demn things before they have tried them. Though the censure be right, it is ill in thee. Nicodemus suggested good advice : ' Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doth?' It was a Pharisaical spirit to take up a prejudice, and not to be willing to hear what might be said for it. It was the misery of the primitive Christians that they could not be heard to speak out. Nolentes au- dire quod auditum damnare non ijossunt — men are unwilling to hear that which they are resolved to condemn as soon as heard. It w^ould be confutation enough if men did but know the beauty of the ways of religion. It is always this hasty zeal which rejecteth things upon public scorn without due trial : examine first and then speak. Though it be a despised and unlikely way, it is like thou mayest find somewhat of God in it.
2. Because it is an afflicted way. Afflicted godliness is a great pre- judice. But remember God never intended that truth should be kno^vn by pomp, nor condemned or disallowed for the troubles that accom- pany it. The drift of Christianity is to take us off from the hopes and fears of the present world ; therefore he that liketh Christ and his promises is not likely to be separated from him by persecution.
228 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 2.
3. Because poor men are of that way, those that have the meanest parts, and no outward excellencies : Mat. xi. 2G, ' At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.' The Jesuits liave char<;ed it upon the ministers of France, that they were poor. So in Salvian's time ; Cog- untur esse inali, ne viles liaheaniur — men would not be relif2;ious, be- cause they would not be ranked amons; poor men. So the Albigenses were called the poor men of Lyons. Usually the priests' lips preserve knowledge, but sometimes God worketh extra ordineni. A simple laick nonplussed a bishop at the council of Nice, and many that were very mean in the world were martyrs.
4. Because thou mayest seem to hazard thy wisdom by closing with it. ' If any man seem to be wase, let him become a fool that he may be •wise.' Thus I have despatched the first observation, namely, that Christ's meanness in his person and kingdom is the great hindrance against the entertainment of him ; few or none believed. ' For he shall grow up as a tender plant.
I come now to insist upon the second point, which is this : — Doct. 2. That though Christ's meanness be a great hindrance against the entertainment of him, yet, it is by the special appointment of God. He shall grow up before him. God orders it that the Messiah should come in such a manner. I shall be brief in handling this point. There is nothing about Christ but fell under God's decree, and the special care of his providence. All the circumstances of his birth, the time, place, manner of every action, you have some instance of it. The counsel of God brought it to ])ass, and the scripture was frequently quoted, ' that that might be fulfilled which was spoken concerning him;' yea, the most malicious actions of the enemies are spoken of as ap- pointed by God, as particularly their spite to him in his death : ' Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.' Judas delivered him, Pilate delivered him, and God delivered him. ' For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles, were gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done,' Acts iv. 27, 28. ' Whom being delivered by the counsel of God.' This was God's grand contrivance ; here was his 7ro\v7roiKi\o<; ao^ia, ' the manifold wisdom of God,' Eph. iii. 10. So St Paul calleth the wise disposition of our salvation by Christ : ' Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.' This was the great mystery. When a man is to make some rare engine, he will look to every screw and wheel, that all is set and ordered right. Here was God's great masterpiece, in which he would show himself, and the great copy of his eternal thoughts. That is the reason.