A SERMON PREACHED at the Public Commencement AT CAMBRIDGE. SUNDAY in the Forenoon July iij. 1698.  
By PETER NURSE, D. D. Fellow of S. John's College.  
CAMBRIDGE, Printed for Edward Hall, Bookseller in Cambridge, and are to be Sold by Luke Meredith, at the Star in St. Paul's Churchyard, London, 1698.   

TWO COR. CHAP. IU. V iij. But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  
THE Gospel in the largest signification of the word comprehends the Writings both of the Old and New Testament, which are the perfect and complete Will of God, revealed to Mankind, in order to their future Happiness: But there is a more limited Sense of the word Gospel, in which it is opposed to the Law and the Prophets, it began from Galilee after the Baptism which John preached, Acts 10. v. 37. and in this stricter Sense it is to be understood in the Text, the Apostle calling it our Gospel, meaning his own Sermons and Writings, and together with them the whole Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles.  
It is necessary for our present purpose thus to distinguish, for how near soever the Agreement is between the Old and New Testament in substance and design, yet in this they differ exceedingly, that the Truths contained in the Law were veiled under Types and Figures, dark and mysterious Representations, so that it was difficult for the wisest Jew to see to the end of that Faith, by which alone he could be saved, namely the Sufferings and Death of the Messiah; and Moral Duties were so mingled even in their Prophets with Legal Observances, that the best and sincerest men of that Religion could not easily discern the different obligations that were due to the one and to the other, so that a Jew might have a great deal to say for himself in Excuse of his Ignorance and Unbelief. But this Gospel which St. Paul speaks of is so clear and open, it shines with that strength and brightness, that no Professor of it can be Ignorant of its Truths, or withstand its Power, without doing the greatest Violence to his own Conscience and Understanding; if it be hid to any that have had the Means of being instructed in it. it is hid to such as are lost, and that not only to Virtue and Religion, but even to common Sense and Reason.  
It would take up too much of this Discourse to show the great Happiness and Advantages we christian's enjoy, by comparing the Grace and Truth which came by JESUS CHRIST, with the Law that was given by Moses, in that particular of the Plainness and Perspicuity of the one above the other, and it would be needless to speak any thing upon this Head, since our greatest Adversaries confess it as well as ourselves, and there is no one thing in which the different Parties in Religion (except those of the Church of Rome) do so much agree as in this, that the Gospel of CHRIST in all things that are necessary to Salvation is very plain and easy to be understood: Taking it therefore for granted that it is so, I shall only inquire into these two things.  
First, How or in what Respect the Gospel may be hid.  
Secondly, How just their Condemnation is to whom it is hid, the Text tells us, they are lost.  
First, The Gospel may be hid either in Respect of that Faith which it delivers, or Secondly, in Respect of its Power.  
The Faith delivered in the Gospel takes in all those Truths that are revealed in it, but particularly those which we receive only from Revelation, which the Light of Nature could neither have let us into, nor can it yet comprehend them, so that Faith is an Evidence of things not understood as well as of things not seen. Whosoever therefore are either Ignorant of, or will not believe what the Gospel discovers to us, to those it is certainly hid, not that all kinds of ignorance do necessarily bring men under the Apostles censure in the Text, but such only as is voluntary, and in other cases criminal. It would be the worst sort of judging those that are without, if we should pronounce all those men absolutely lost who have not yet received the Gospel, there have been and without doubt still are some men of Piety and Virtue even amongst the Heathen, whose Hearts are well disposed for the receiving it, if it should please God to impart it to them; these are not such as the God of this World has blinded, but the Providence of the eternal God, who has determined the bounds of Man's habitation, has placed them at so great a distance from this Light, that it is morally impossible it should shine unto them. Neither can we pronounce all those to be lost to whom some of the Gospel Truths are hid; for though we believe every word of it to have proceeded out of the Mouth of God, yet all its Truths are not of equal moment for our Salvation, and considering the Nature of Mankind, it is impossible but Errors and Divisions will spring up amongst them, and in many cases great allowances must be made for the prejudices, or for the want of Education, and even for the incapacities of some men to judge in the plainest matters, God Almighty considers all this, and will not be so severe upon us, as we are upon one another, our heats and animosities generally rise highest where the grounds of difference are the most inconsiderable, but God looks upon things in another manner, and is as ready to pass by some Errors in our Faith, as he is to pardon sins of infirmity in our practice, for they both arise from the same causes, the strength of our passions and inadvertency.  
But those who are left without all excuse, are such as wholly reject the Gospel, when they have had sufficient means of being instructed in it, or pervert the end of our Faith, as the Gnoslicks did, who turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness, making the Gospel which was designed to purify us from sin, to justify and patronise it, or else they are such as endeavour to ruin the Foundations of our Faith, which is done more effectually by secretly undermining it with false Interpretations, than if they should with bare face disown it. And of all those Truths that are Fundamental in our Religion, nothing is more plainly and peculiarly so than that JESUS CHRIST is the Son of the living God. This is that Rock upon which (and not upon him who Confessed it) our Lord declared that he would Build his Church, and the Gates of Hell should never prevail against it; it is too bold an attempt even for Hell itself openly to Assault this Truth, because it stands so clearly revealed in many places of Scripture, but never were the powers of darkness more industrious in any thing, than to subvert it by false expositions, which was once done with that success, that one of the Fathers tells us, The World groaned, and was surprised to see itself turned Arrian. In every Age of the Church something of this Heresy has been kept on foot, maintained and improved with all the force and subtlety of Wit and Learning, but the Truth which it opposeth is of so great moment, that the main stress of the Gospel lies upon it, for what does that word import, but the glad tidings of Salvation purchased for us by CHRIST JESUS? who had he not been the True and Eternal Son of the Living God, could not have made a full Atonement or Satisfaction for our sins, neither could we justify ourselves in paying him that worship and adoration which the Scriptures do declare, and the Church of God hath ever taught to be due to him.  
It is a very great Argument to confirm us that we are in the Right, and we may justly glory in it, though it be but of little force to convince our Adversaries, namely, that our belief of these Fundamental Truths, is not only grounded upon clear and express words of Scripture frequently repeated, but it hath also been the Doctrine of the Church in all Ages and Places, so that if this Gospel be hid to us in our sense and interpretation of it, it hath been hid likewise to all the Primitive Saints and Martyrs, but it would be the greatest impiety to suppose this: if we draw as we must do the Apostles inference, than they which are fallen asleep in JESUS, they who have laid down their lives for him are all perished. But notwithstanding the blindness or rather the wilfulness and craft of our Adversaries, the True and Heavenly Wisdom ever has been and ever will be justified by her Children.  
But Secondly, The Gospel may be said to be hid in respect of its Power. By the Power of the Gospel I mean its Efficacy to work in us that Holiness, which is necessary to fit us for the benefit of its Promises. Thus the Gospel is called by St. Paul, the Power of God unto Salvation, Epist. to the Rom. chap. 1. v. 16. This being the end and design of it, to purge our Consciences from dead works, that we might serve the Living God. The power of doing this consists in the means by which it is effected; such are the Operations of the Holy Spirit upon our Souls, the Grace of Repentance, the Efficacy of the Sacraments, a steadfast Faith in God, from which there flows a dread of his Threaten, and a lively hope of his Promises; he who contemns and rejects these means and causes of a Holy Life, and becomes barren and unfruitful in his Duty, be he never so well skilled in the Mind and Interpretation of God's Word, yet the Scripture pronounceth that he is blind, and that he knoweth nothing as he ought to know: For the Kingdom of God (which signifies the Gospel) the Apostle tells us, doth not consist in Word, but in Power, 1 Epist. to the Cor. chap. 4. v. 20. There is that Force, that Conviction of Truth in it, that it is impossible it should be really received where it is not obeyed; but it is not (as many imagine) by Knowledge that we receive this Power of the Gospel, but by Faith, for Knowledge of Divine as well as Natural Truths may serve only to puff men up with Pride and Vanity: A natural Man may discern his Duty in the Scripture, and acknowledge it for Truth, but as one who seethe his Face in the Glass knows his likeness whilst he looks upon it, but when he goes from thence he presently forgets what manner of Person he is, so Knowledge will force assent to Truth whilst our minds are upon it, but if we turn away our thoughts immediately we forget our Duty; but Faith is such an Evidence of things not seen, that the impressions from it are deep and lasting; 'tis too strong a principle for the hopes of pleasures here, or the fear of dangers to overcome it; it makes Heaven and Hell as it were present to our View, which is the best Guard against Temptations, and the strongest motive to Obedience.  
Experience shows us what great difference there is between Faith and Knowledge of the Scriptures, they often times arise from quite different ends and motives, Ambition or Avarice may set men to understand the Gospel, but only a Conscience that is or would be void of offence can encourage them to Believe it. The influence also of these two Principles are as different, for there are many men who understand their Duty so well, that they perfectly comprehend its whole connexion, they are able to demonstrate each part of it, by reducing it to some Principle in Natural Reason, but yet their lives are Vicious and Profane, whereas there are many others who neither can demonstrate any thing at all of this, neither do they pretend to it, only they Believe that what God has said is True, and what he has commanded is to be Obeyed, and upon that Principle alone they firmly adhere to their Duty; no Argument of the subtlest Disputant can shake their Integrity, no temptation of the World can seduce them from it, but they will persevere to do Justice, to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.  
But if a Covetous or an Ambitious Person, a Drunkard or a Whoremonger will hear or read the Gospel, and is not so convinced of the heinousness and danger of his sin, as to be touched in Conscience for it, and be resolved to forsake it; the Gospel may truly be said to be hidden from him, but how is it hid? not in the Letter, but in the Power of it, for men may hear and not understand, they may understand and yet not believe, and the Author to the Hebrews tells us, chap. 4. v. 2. That the Word Preached did not profit the Israelites, being not mixed with Faith in them that heard it.  
As for those to whom the Gospel is thus hid in respect of its Power, their numbers are too great out of all parties in Religion, the Subject is too melancholy to insist upon. Strange it is that men should show their heat and zeal only for those Opinions and speculative Notions wherein they differ from each other, many of which are of little moment to the great business of Religion, and are so regardless of that, the necessity of which they are all agreed in, namely the practice of Virtue and Holiness.  
I know 'tis so common a Topick, and has ever been so for men to declaim against the Vices of the Age they live in, as if every ones own times were the worst, that it is looked upon as a thing of course and custom, and seldom does any good towards a Reformation, yet I may safely affirm that the Characters of the Vices of this present Age have something peculiar in them to make us conclude that we live not only in the worst, but in the last of times, which should make men that have any disposition towards goodness, or concern for their safety, to take heed lest they perish in the common ruin. The ground of our complaint is not only what has ever been in all Ages and Places, that Religion is neglected, its Holy Precepts violated, its Threats and Promises disregarded, but what is most of all infamous and deplorable, 'tis made the common subject of Wit and Buffoonery, men are not content to disobey it, but they would expose and banish it out of the World; it will not suffice them to be Brutes themselves, but they would take away the great Privilege of Humane Nature, and make every body else so. Are not these then such Scoffers as St. Peter foretold would come in the last days? And is it not high time for God to lay to his hand, when his long-suffering has brought his Authority, and whatever belongs to him into contempt?  
The second particular I proposed was to inquire into the Justice of their Condemnation to whom the Gospel is hid, the Text tells us, They are lost. And that they are deservedly so, needs no other proof, than to show that their blindness is owing wholly to themselves, 'tis wilful, obstinate and ungrateful, God having done all that could be expected on his part towards their conviction, which will appear from these following Considerations.  
First, That God has given sufficient Proof and Evidence for the Gospel that it is his Word.  
Secondly, That to those who are satisfied of the Divine Authority of the Gospel, there is sufficient light and clearness in it, to teach them what is necessary both to be believed and practised.  
Thirdly, As to those who own the Authority of the Gospel, and are instructed in its Revelations, there is so much of the goodness of God discovered in it, such gracious offers made to them, that if its Power be hid from them, God must be justified in his saying, and all the World must own that their damnation is just.  
First, God has given sufficient Evidence for the Gospel that it is his Word, no reasonable Man can dispute this, and of these who pretend to do it, it may be demanded, whether if they had lived in our Saviour's time, and had seen the Miracles which he wrought, they would have believed his Doctrine, if they say they would not have believed it, it is in vain to discourse any farther with them, for how should Reason convince those whom Miracles could not? But if they would have believed upon such Evidence, it may be easily made out, that there is more Reason to believe now than there could be then, for at that time there might have been some doubt whether those Miracles were real or not, for it is not a very easy thing to distinguish between true Miracles and false ones, as we see at this day how grossly many in the Church of Rome are imposed upon in this matter; and a Wise Man would not pass his judgement about Miracles till he be satisfied, both as to the reputation of him that works them, and the end for which they are wrought; but those who were Eye-witnesses of our Saviour's Miracles could not have that full satisfaction in either of those particulars which we have now, his Authority having been very much Established by the Predictions that were fulfilled at and since his Death, and his own Resurrection being that great Miracle which confirmed the rest, and whereby he was declared to be the Son of God with Power. 'Tis plain that before this, notwithstanding the many and mighty works which our Saviour wrought, the Reputation of his party was very low, there were scarce any of Note or Credit that came into it. And will any Modern Sceptic pretend that those Miracles would have made him more forward than the Jews at that time were. But after our Lord's Resurrection the Evidence for his Religion was so strong, that the greatest and wisest men soon embraced it, and as an Argument that they did so upon the fullest conviction, they parted with their Estates, and rejoiced to lay down their lives for it; and it certainly was a peculiar Providence of Almighty God, that the Church should suffer such grievous Persecutions for so long a time after it was first planted, that men might be brought to search narrowly into that Religion, for which so many were content to suffer, and that the succeeding distant Ages from that time might have no pretence to imagine that the Gospel was at first nothing but a cunningly devized Fable, every one of the Primitive Martyrs being a true Witness to the contrary; and the History of those times has been conveyed down to us, not only by the Tradition of the Church, but by the particular Histories of several Countries, which are looked upon in other matters to be of undoubted Credit and Authority. If it be said, all this amounts to no more than Humane Testimony, and that is at most but probable and consequently fallible, we acknowledge it, but is not our Reason, are not our Senses fallible likewise? This Objection therefore lies not so much against the Authority of the Scriptures, as against certainty in general, and we may conclude that the Gospel is hid to such men as argue thus, for no other Reason, but that they are unwilling to obey it. Our Saviour tells us in the 7th Chapter of St. John's Cospel v. 17. that If any man will do his will, he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be from God: and Experience shows us that Unbelief and Immorality are seldom separated.  
Secondly, To those who are satisfied in the Authority of the Gospel, there is sufficient light and clearness in it, to instruct them in what is to be believed and practised, that is, the Gospel is delivered with so much plainness, that whoever will use but ordinary diligence in applying his mind to it, will lay aside all prejudices, and will consult with those whose business it is to Study and Interpret it, if he has but common capacities and apprehension, it is impossible but that he will find out the true meaning and design of it in all things necessary to be understood by him; this is what was foretold of the Gospel by the Prophets, and it was the mark which our Saviour sent of it to John the Baptist, that it was Preached to the Poor, to those whose circumstances of life (had it been dark and intricate) could never have afforded them means and opportunities of understanding it. But if men will be perverse, there are no words so plain, of so fixed and limited a sense, but they may turn them to quite another meaning than they were designed for, but as such a practice as this is no excuse for the violation of Human Laws and Covenants, so neither can it be so, for believing or acting contrary to Divine Revelations, but the sin is the more voluntary, and consequently the more sinful, by as much as it proceeds from, and carries with it an appearance of artifice and design, and since they who wrist the obscurer passages of Scripture from the tenor, and purport of the whole, do it as St. Peter tells us, to their own destruction, much more dangerous is their case, who to form the Scripture to their own notions, put a strained and forced Interpretation upon those places in it, which of themselves are very clear and easy.  
Thirdly, The consideration of God's goodness revealed in the Gospel, is a farther proof of the Justice of their Condemnation, to whom it is hid as to the Power of it, for were there no Arguments to prove its Divine Authority, yet the Rules and Precepts contained in it, are so agreeable to our Rational Nature, and so fitted for our Welfare in this Life, that there is no one that is either sober or prudent, but would wish at least that it were from God, that all Mankind might be under the strongest ties and obligations to observe it. But if besides the advantages which it brings us in this Life, we consider the Discoveries which it makes with regard to the next, its gracious Overtures of Peace and Reconciliation with God, the allowances it makes for our Infirmities, the Grace and Strength it Promises to assist us with, and the glorious Rewards which shall Crown our obedience; could we possibly have made better Terms for our own Happiness, than God is pleased there to offer to us, how then can any one hope to escape, if he neglects so great Salvation?  
But there are many men who will readily acknowledge, that they are justly lost to whom the Power of the Gospel is hid, so as that the wickedness of their lives is a disgrace and contradiction to their Profession, but they are not of the same opinion as to those who have corrupted the substance of the Christian Faith, the most essential parts of its Doctrine, and who endeavour as much as lies in them to hid it from others. Thus they leave men at large to believe as they think fit, or as they pretend they are able, and this is looked upon as a piece of Christian moderation, an instance of great Charity, and an Evangelic Spirit, but 'tis certain that the Apostles neither practised nor recommended it, they knew what influence a right Faith has upon a right conversation, that the Fruit could never be good where the Tree was not so, therefore they spared not the False Teachers, they never flattered or complimented those who corrupted their Gospel, but rebuked them with sharpness, without admiring their knowledge or making any allowances for their pretended morality, whoever he were though an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven that should Preach any other Gospel than that St. Paul Preached, he has no respect for his Character, but says he, Let him be accursed, Ep. to the Gal. chap. 1. v. 8. which he repeats again in the next verse to make the deeper impression, I say let him be accursed, and v. 7. he tells us, that by another Gospel he did not mean any new Revelation that should be set up in opposition to that which they had from God, but that which deserved the Curse, was the misconstruing his Gospel, the perverting the Gospel of CHRIST.  
But say some is not this very severe, is it not contrary to the Temper and Spirit of the Gospel, to pronounce men accursed for that which it is not in their Power to help? Must they perish everlastingly, and not be able to prevent it? To be honest in one's deal, to be sober, to be merciful, in a word, to be good (say they) is in every one's Power, and they who are otherwise do justly bear the blame and the punishment of their folly: But the Faith which we so earnestly contend for, is out of their reach, if there be any blame in their want of it, it must lie at his door who made them, for their parts they have spared no pains to search out the true sense and meaning of the Scriptures, they have wearied their Reason and their Judgement in that labour, would we have them renounce them? If therefore the Gospel be hidden to them in Mysteries, 'tis none of their faults, 'tis at most but their unhappiness, and God will excuse them. But granting that no one is lost but by his own fault, let such men be examined more narrowly, and there will certainly appear other causes of their unbelief, than what they are willing to allege for it, for sometimes God sends a Spirit of delusion upon men, as a punishment of their lust or former disobedience, as it is seen by experience, that many a one who has been bred up in the true Faith, after a long course of wickedness has turned Atheist or Infidel. But allowing that these men are as free as others are from any open enormous Crimes, yet Pride and Self-conceit will as effectually blind the understanding, as the God of this World could do, and is it not a most notorious sign of Pride, that where God requires Faith, they set up for knowledge, and must have other reasons to ground their belief upon than those of his Will? Should God require of us to comprehend the Mysteries that are above our Reason, to damn men for not doing it, would be inconsistent both with his goodness and his justice, for that would be all one as to damn them by fatal necessity, but when he commands us only to believe those things, where is the difficulty of believing that what God says is true? Or indeed is it possible for any one that seriously considers it to deny his assent to that Proposition? If it be not, than neither can he deny his assent to such other Truths as have a necessary connexion with it. We know that there are Mysteries in Nature and in Philosophy, which we cannot comprehend, and the Controversies about them can never be decided by us; for instance, whether space be finite or infinite who can determine? but suppose God should declare that it is infinite, would it not be true? and must not we believe it to be so? yet our Reason could never comprehend this, nor be able to Answer such difficulties as might be brought against it.  
Wherefore as for those deep things of God, those mysterious Truths which are most clearly revealed in Scripture, though the nature of them be such, that they must needs surpass our understanding, yet there is that connexion between them and many of our Christian Duties, that it is as necessary to believe the one, as it is to perform the other, if any doubt or scruples arise concerning them, we ought to follow the example of the Apostles (Luke chap. 17. v. 5.) and pray to our Lord that he would increase our Faith. Those men take quite a wrong method, who puzzle themselves to Know, what is only to be Believed, and Faith being the gift of God, Prayer is the proper means of obtaining it. A late Philosopher tells us, that 
Malebranche Traité de Morale, cap. 5. §. 4.  Study and Attention are a natural Prayer to God for Knowledge, if so, 'tis only for natural Knowledge, but Faith is a supernatural gift, and for such, Study and Attention cannot be sufficient, but Prayer must be offered up for them, in the name and through the merits, and according to the Prescription of him who purchased those gifts for us.  
Let us therefore offer up such Prayers to Almighty God, and be ready to receive his Holy Word with the modesty and submission of little Children, let us endeavour to keep our understanding as free and unprejudiced, and our wills as innocent as theirs, and so we may be fully assured, that our gracious God will neither hid his Gospel from us in this World, nor his Ever-blessed presence in the World to come.  
Here followed the Commemoration of BENEFACTORS.  
To God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, now and for evermore, Amen.  
FINIS.