You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.
      Thirdly, The influence this had upon their infidelity. How can you believe who are thus affected? Observe here, 1. The difficulty of believing arises from ourselves and our own corruption; we make our work hard to ourselves, and then complain it is impracticable. 2. The ambition and affectation of worldly honour are a great hindrance to faith in Christ. How can they believe who make the praise and applause of men their idol? When the profession and practice of serious godliness are unfashionable, are every where spoken against,--when Christ and his followers are men wondered at, and to be a Christian is to be like a speckled bird (and this is the common case),--how can they believe the summit of whose ambition is to make a fair show in the flesh?