him, and from each other, must have been confederate with him, if he was an impostor : but, if this could not be, then does this circumstantial prediction of his sufferings and resur- rection, accomplished as it was in every minute particular, prove beyond a doubt, that he was the true Messiah.]
Let us now proceed to notice, II. The dulness of his Disciples in comprehending it —
Nothing could be plainer than his words : there are no figures, no metaphors, no parabolical expressions; all is clear, plain, literal, explicit. Whence then was it that the Disciples could " not understand these things ; that this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken?" The truth is, they were blinded,
1. By their prejudice —
[They had, in common with their nation at large, formed a notion that the Messiah was to be a temporal Prince, and not only to liberate them from the Roman yoke, but to esta- blish an universal empire upon earth : and as the things which Jesus predicted were altogether irreconcileable with those ideas, they could not at all receive his word, or comprehend his meaning. He had often repeated the same truths to them : but still they could not understand him. Now it is owing to this cause that the Gospel is so little understood at this day. Men have formed pre-conceived notions of religion ; and, be- cause they do not find them confirmed by the sacred writers, they cannot receive even the plainest declarations of God him- self. The current idea of religion is, that ' we are imperfect creatures, needing some amendment ; yet, provided we are not grossly immoral, we have nothing to fear : if we are sober and honest, and just and charitable, and approve ourselves good members of society, God will readily pardon our little imper- fections; and whatever is wanting to recommend us to his favour, Jesus Christ will supply. These are the views almost universally adopted, and the sentiments that are maintained, wherever religion is made the subject of conversation. Now when persons, possessed of these ideas, hear that we are alto- gether corrupt and abominable, and justly exposed to the curse and wrath of God for our innumerable violations of his law, they cannot tell what we mean : we appear to them to be misrepresenting and libelling human nature. When they hear that we must be created anew in Christ Jesus, and " be renewed in the spirit of our minds," that " old things must pass away, and all things must become new," and that " except we be born again, we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven,"