Christ's kingdom among them, and proved an almost insur- mountable bar to their conversion.
Nor were the Gentiles in a state more favourable than the Jews. They were addicted to the vilest lusts, the grossest superstition, the most confirmed idolatry. The more learned among them were still further from the kingdom of God, and more hostile to it, on account of their philosophic pride, which led them to reject every thing which did not savour of human wisdom, and the Gospel especially, which appeared to them so repugnant to it. To be saved by a man who was crucified, and therefore apparently unable to save himself, was in their eyes a most flagrant absurdity.
Thus St. Paul informs us, that " the preaching of the cross was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolish- ness. J
But there are others, which are common to all ages — [It is not needful to distinguish between the different parts of the imagery, whereby these obstructions are described ; else we might see in the elations of pride, the stubbornness of passion, and the gloominess of despondency, a correspondence between the terms that are used, and the obstacles that are depicted. Certain it is, without intending to refine upon the text, that these are the most common impediments to the esta- blishment of the Messiah's kingdom.
Men will not endure to be told that they are justly obnoxious to the wrath of God, and utterly incapable of saving them- selves ; and that all, the best as much as the worst, must be indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ for all their hope and all their salvation. The pride of the human heart rises against this, and turns from it with disgust. The lusts and passions of men also are averse to the dominion of Christ : they hate controul : they will not submit to the restraints of the Gospel : to have them mortified, is like the plucking out of a right eye, or the cutting off of a right hand : the spiritual, as well as the fleshly, filthiness that is in us, pleads for indulgence : and every dispo- sition of the mind, as well as every appetite of the body, sets itself against the authority of Christ, and rejects his yoke.
But besides these, which are the more obvious impediments to the Gospel, there are some others, which, though little no- ticed, are both powerful and common. There is in most men a tendency to despair. Whilst the unbelief of some leads them to despise the Gospel as an idle tale, in others, it operates to keep them back from embracing it, under an idea, that they never can be brought to the state that it requires. Either their guilt appears too great to be forgiven, or their lusts too strong to be subdued, or their circumstances so peculiar, as not to admit of so great a change in all the habits of their life.
t 2