2. The reasons of this are these : —
[1.] Their natural blindness : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man re- ceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' They are incompetent judges : Prov. xxiv. 7, ' Wisdom is too high for a fool.' Though by nature we have lost our light, yet we have not lost our pride : Prov. xxvi. 16, ' The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.' Though their way in reli- gion be but a sluggish, lazy, and dead course, yet they have a high conceit of it, and censure all that is contrary, or but a degree removed above it. From spiritual blindness it is that carnal men judge un- righteously and perversely of God's servants, and count zeiA and for- wardnes.". in religious duties to be but folly and madness.
[2.] Antipathy and prejudicate malice. The graceless scoff at the gracious, and the profane at the serious ; there is a different course, and that produceth diftereuce of affections: John xv. 19, ' The world will love its own, but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you ; ' and they manifest their malice and hati-ed this way by evil-speaking : 1 Peter iv. 4, ' Speaking evil of you.'
[3.] AVant of a closer view. Christians complained in the primitive times that they were condemned unheard, Bia tjjp (J)>]/j,t]v, and 8ia to ovofia, without any particular inquiry into their principles and prac- tices. And Tertullian saith, nolentes auditis, &c. — they would not
VeR. 51.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 43
inquire, because they had a mind to hate. A man ridhig afar off see- ing people dancing, would think they were mad, till he draws near and observes the harmonious order. They will not take a nearer view of the regularity of the ways of God, and therefore scoff at them.
[4.] Because you do by your practice condemn that life that they affect : John vii. 7, ' The world hateth me, because I testify that their deeds are evil ; ' Heb. xi. 7, ' Xoali by faith, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the woi'ld.' Now they woukl not have their guilt revived ; and therefore, since they will not come up to others by a religious imitation, they seek to bring others down to themselves by scoffs, reproaches, and censures.
[5.] They are set awork by Satan, thereby to keep off young begin- ners, and to discourage and molest the godly themselves ; for bitter words pierce deep and enter into the very soul.
SeconcUu, It is a grievous temptation ; it is reckoned in scripture among the persecutions : Gal. iv. 29, ' As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so is it now.' He meaneth those bitter mockings that Isaac did suffer from Ishmael : Gen. xxi. 9, 'And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.' When the wicked mock at our interest in God, shame our confidence, the church complaineth of it : Ps. cxxiii. 4, ' We are filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud ; ' the insultations of those that live in full pomp, over the confidence and hope the saints have in God. So w^e read, Heb. x. 33, that the servants of God were * made a gazing-stock by reproaches and afflictions ; ' again, of ' cruel mockings,' Heb. xi. 36. It is more grievous when they mock and persecute at the same time ; there is both pain and shame. The parties mocked were God's saints ; tlie parties mocking were their persecutors and enemies, which sometimes proved to be their own brethren, of the same nation, language, kinch-ed, religion. In short, these mockings issue out of contempt, and tend to the disgrace and dishonour of the party mocked ; they make it their sport to abuse them. David saith, ' Eeproach hath broken my heart,' Ps. Ixix. 20.
Thirdhj, This should not move us either to open defection or par- tial declining, for these reasons : —
1. It is one of the usual evils Avherewith the people of God are tempted. Now a Christian should be fortified against obvious and usual evils. Let no man that is truly religious think that he can escape the mockage and contempt of the wicked. Jesus Christ him- self ' endured the contradiction of sinners,' Heb. xii. 3 ; and the rather, that we might not wax weary and faint in our minds. This is a part of his cross, which we must bear after him. The Pharisees derided his ministry : Luke xvi. 14, ' Tlie Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and derided him.' They flouted at him when he hung on the cross : Mat. xxvii. 39-44, ' They that passed by him reviled him, wa2:2:ing their heads, and saying, Thou that destrovest the temple, and bulkiest it in three days, save thyself : if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests, mocking him with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, him-