and let us seize on his inheritance," Matt. xxi. 38: Nicodemus confessed, as the mouth of all the chief rulers, that Jesus was a teacher that came from God, and that no man could do the miracles that Jesus did, except the Lord be with him, John iii. 2. And it is further declared, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." The truth of the matter is, that our Lord's doctrine, miracles, holy life, and the irresistible force of his answers and refutations that he gave them and all gainsayers, were so powerful, and attended with such convincing proofs and cutting convictions, that their own hearts and consciences were as fully persuaded of the truth of his messiahship as the devils themselves were, who believe and tremble, and ask if he was come to torment them before the time, saying, "We know thee who thou art, the holy one of God." Thus devils believed and confessed, but the Jews believed and denied. Their thirst for human applause, their self-love, the enmity of their minds at being so exposed, and their rage and jealousy in defence of their own honour, carried them into desperation, which bore down even the testimony of their conscience; hence they ask, "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees, believed on him?” And yet it is said that, "Among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the

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Pharisees they did not confess him,” John xii. 42. What conscience believed the mouth denied, enmity bore down all conviction, and offered violence to the decisions of their own conscience. Nevertheless the convictions which conscience received of the truth of Jesus increased, and grew stronger and stronger upon them; first, by the conviction and confession of Judas, who brought back the money to them, threw it down before them, and who, in black despair, confessed that he had sinned and betrayed innocent blood, and then went and hanged himself. And this was known to all that dwelt at Jerusalem; insomuch as the field which they bought with the money is called the field of blood, Acts i. 19.

2. Conscience received additional strength at the crucifixion of Christ, by the earthquake, the darkness which overspread the land, the rending of the rocks, the report of many dead bodies rising out of their graves and appearing to many; besides the rending the vail of the temple from the top to the bottom.

3. The watch which they set to guard the tomb. These coming to the chief rulers filled with terror and consternation; telling them of the descent of the angels, of their shining appearance, and rolling away the stone, and telling the women that, "He is not here; but is risen. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Conscience could not receive a much fuller conviction than this. And here the Lord fulfilled his promise to them:

"When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he." But neither doth this stop them. They knew, and they believed; but they acted contrary to both, by bribing the soldiers and forging of lies. Conscience believed, but the heart never embraced. They had the fullest convictions of the truth that nature could have from the most undoubted evidences; but they continued still to fight against both God and conscience.

"I come in my Father's name," says Christ, " and you receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." Two impostors came before Christ's time. These our Lord calls thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them; but many of the others did. And the two arch-deceivers that came among them after Christ's resurrection were received by a multitude of the Jews. And this seems to be the damning unbelief of that people, that false prophets were received and spoken well of; yea, impostors, deceivers, and false Christs, were all received, extolled, and honoured, though they came in their own name, and sent by Satan; when Christ, who came with all the characters of the Messiah, was rejected, though God bore witness to him three times by a voice from heaven. Hence we may see that conscience may receive conviction by the force of truth, and be compelled to assent to that which cannot be denied, when the affections never embrace, nor even desire, the things believed. Hence

the chief rulers are said to believe on him, but not receive him, nor to confess him. If they had embraced him in their affections, they would have confessed him with their mouth.

And here the just judgment of God appears, that when men wilfully shut their eyes against God's ways, and choose their own, he chooses their delusions. These rejected Christ, and God in him; false Christs come, and are received, and Satan in them; that as they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God sends them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12.

"Whatsoever," says Paul," is not of faith, is sin;" so that the unbeliever can do nothing but sin. Hence my text says that he always errs in his heart. He always errs; and he errs in all he does. Faith is a going out of self into Christ; and the more the believer gets into Christ the more he savours of him, and the more he loves him; and the more he adores him the more he honours him, and seeks the honour of him; and such God honours, and will honour. But unbelief abides in the flesh, and works by self-love, and seeks the approbation, applause, and honour, of men; and how can such believe? "How can ye believe which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" Lovers of God, and lovers of themselves, divide the professing world. If God reigns in the heart,

self is dethroned; if God comes into the affections, self goes out; if God rises, self falls; if God be adored, self is abhorred; if God be followed, self is denied; if God be all, the believer is less than nothing.

Unbelief is Satan's own seed, his darling, his shield and buckler; it bars the heart against every thing that comes from God, but embraces all that comes from Satan. It rejects God, and Christ, the Holy Spirit, the gospel, the ministers of it, and the followers of it; but false prophets, false Christs, strong delusions, blind guides, false apostles, and deceitful workers, these it receives. "They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways."

I shall now endeavour to pursue and explain a vein of truth which has often appeared precious to me; and it is a path which is little understood. And I shall begin with Abraham, whose religion and profession were spiritual and evangelical, even upwards of four hundred years before the ministration of death upon tables of stone was given. "Abraham," says God, "obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws," Gen, xxvi, 5.

When God called Abraham out of his country, and out from the children of this world, by faith he obeyed and went, not knowing whither he went. This was the obedience of faith to the voice of God.

He kept my charge, "I know him, that he