Satan’s Blinding the Cause of Unbelief, and Forerunner of Destruction

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor. 4:3, 4.

Tur aversion of men from Jesus Christ, their only remedy, is to be wondered at as weli as lamented; one would think the news of deliverance should make the hearts of captives leap for joy, and that the tidings of a Saviour should transport the heart of a lost sinner. A man would think a little reasoning might persuade a sinner to put on the robes of Christ’s righteousness, which cost him nothing but acceptance; or the perishing, starving sinner to accept the bread of God which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. This is the great design I have had in this work, the centre to which al these lines are drawn; many arguments have been used to prevail with men to apply and put on Christ, but I fear that to multitudes I have but labored in vain, and spent my strength for naught; that to them all these discourses are but beating the air, and that few, if any, will be persuaded to come unto Christ, who is clearly revealed and freely offered in the gospel.

For alas, while I am reasoning, Satan is blinding their minds with false reasonings and contrary persuasions; the god of this world turns away the ears and the hearts of almost the whole world from Christ. ‘‘The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Satan is a jealous prince, and is well aware that such of his subjects as are brought to see the misery of their condition, will not abide any longer in subjection to him: it is therefore his policy to put out their eyes, that he may secure their souls; to darken their understandings, that he may keep his interest firm in their wills and affections: and this makes the effectual application of Christ so great a difficulty, that it is matter of admiration that any soul is persuaded to quit the service of Satan and come to Christ.

Therefore, in closing the whole work — to show the great difficulty of conversion, and how all our endeavors are obstructed, so that we accomplish no more, with all our laboring and striving, reasoning and persuading; as also to mourn over and bewail the misery of Christless and unregenerate souls — I have chosen this scripture, which is of a most awakening nature, if haply the Lord may thereby persuade any soul to come to Christ.

The apostle hath been speaking in the former chapter of the transcendent excellence of the gospel above the law, and among other things, he prefers it to the law on account of its clearness. The law was an obscure dispensation; there was a veil upon the face of Moses and the hearts of the people, that they could not see to the end of that which is abolished; but under the gospel, we all, with open face, behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. Against this the apostle foresaw and obviated the objection, “If your gospel be so clear, what is the reason that many, who live under the ministration of it, see no excellence init?” To this he replies, “If our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost, whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded;” as though he had said, It is true, multitudes see no glory in Christ or the gospel, but the fault is not in either, but in the minds of them that believe not. The sun shines forth in its glory, but the blind see no glory in it: the fault is not in the sun, but in the eye. In the words themselves we have,

1. A very dreadful sprritwal judgment inflicted on the souls of men, the hiding of the gospel from them. “If our gospel be hid;” for these words are a concession that so it is; a very sad but undeniable truth: many see no beauty in Christ, nor necessity of him; though both are so plainly revealed in our gospel. “If our gospel be hid.” It is called our gospel, not as if Paul and other preachers were the authors of it, but because we are the preachers and dispensers of it. We are put in trust with the gospel, and though we preach it in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, using all plainness of speech to make men. understand it, yet it is hid from many under our ministry: it is hid from their understandings, they see no glory in it; and hid from their hearts, they see no power in it. Our gospel, notwithstanding all our endeavors, is hidden from some.

2. We have an accownt of that wicked instrwment by whom this judgment is inflicted, namely, Satan, called here the god of this world; not properly, but because he chailenges to himself the honor of a god, rules over a vast empire, and has multitudes of souls, even the greater part of the world, in subjection and blind obedience to his government.

3. Here, also, we have the polity of ths government, how he maintains his dominion among men and keeps them in subjection, namely, by blinding the minds of all them that believe not; darkening that noble faculty, the understanding, the thinking and reasoning power of the soul, which philosophers call the leading and directing faculty; for it is to the soul what eyes are to the body, and is therefore called ‘“‘the eyes of the understanding.” Eph. 1:18. These eyes Satan blinds, so that when men come to see and consider spiritual things, ‘‘they see indeed, but perceive not.” Isa.6:9. They have some confused notions, but no distinct and effectual apprehensions of those things: and this is the way, indeed none like it, to bar men effectually from Jesus Christ, and hinder the application of the benefit of redemption to their souls. It is true, the righteous God permits all this to be done by Satan upon the souls of men; but wheresoever he finally prevails thus to blind them, it is, as the text speaks, 2m them that are lost. The people of God are all blinded for a time, but Christ opens the eyes of their understandings and recovers them out of Satan’s power; but on those who continue thus blinded the symptoms of eternal death appear upon their souls; they are lost men. Hence we learn, that

The wnderstandings of wnbelievers are blinded by Satan to their everlasting perdition.

Four things must be here illustrated: what the blinding of the understanding, or hiding of the gospel from it, is; that the understandings of many are thus blinded, and the gospel hidden from them; what policy Satan uses to blind the minds of men; and that this blindness is the sorest judgment, securing men’s everlasting perdition.

I. We shall inquire wHat THE BLINDING OF THE MIND, OR HIDING THE GOSPEL FROM IT, 1s. Two sorts of men are thus blinded: those that want the means of illumination, and those that have the means, but are denied the efficacy of them. The former is the case of the pagan world, who are in midnight darkness for want of the gospel. The latter is the case of the Christian world: the greater part of them that live within the sound of the gospel being blinded by the god of this world. ‘And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed.” Isa. 6:9, 10. Thus, when the Sun of righteousness actually arose on the world, it is said, ‘The light shined in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5. So we may say of all the light which is in the understanding of unbelievers, what Job says of the grave, That the light there is as darkness. Job 10:22. But more particularly,

1. Let us examine what spiritual blindness 1s not opposed to,; P

It is not opposed to natural wisdom: a man may be of an acute and clear understanding, eagle-eyed to discern the mysteries of nature, and yet the gospel may be hid from him. Who were more sagacious and quick-sighted in natural things than the heathen philosophers? yet unto them the gospel was foolishness. 1 Cor. 1:20, 21. <Aueustine confesses, that before his conversion he was filled with contempt of the simplicity of the gospel. I scorned, says he, to become a child again. And Bradwardine, who was learned to a wonder, professed that when he first read Paul’s epistles he despised them because he found not in them the metaphysical notions which he expected. On this account it was that Christ broke forth into the pathetic admiration of his Father’s love to his people: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matt. 11: 25.

It is not opposed to all light and knowledge in spiritual truths, A man may have a correct understanding of the Scriptures, and enlighten the minds of others by them; and yet the gospel may be hidden from himself. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?” Matt. 7:22. “And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light to them that sit in darkness.” Rom. 2:19. A man may show others the way to Christ and salvation, while both are hid from himself,

It is not opposed to all kind of influence on the affections; for it is possible the gospel may touch them, and cause some sweet motions and raptures in them, and yet be hidden from the soul. Heb, 6: 5, 6.

2. But if these may consist with spiritual blindness, to what then zs 2 opposed? To which I answer, spiritual blindness stands opposed to the saving manifestation of Jesus Christ in the gospel by the Spirit, by which the soul is regenerated and effectually changed in real conversion to God. Wherever the gospel thus comes in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, producing such an effect in the soul, it is no longer a hidden gospel. Though such persons do not see clearly all the glory which is revealed by the gospel; though they know but in part, and see darkly as through a glass; yet the eyes of their understandings are opened, and the things which belong to their peace are not hidden from them.

II. But though this is the happiness of some men, THE EYES OF MANY ARE BLINDED by the god of this world, and the gospel is hidden from them.

1. Many that live under the gospel are so swallowed up on the world, that they allow themselves no time to ponder the great concern of their souls in the world to come; and judge you, whatever the gifts and knowledge of these men are, whether the god of this world has not blinded their eyes. If it were not so, it were impossible that they should thus waste the most precious opportunities of salvation on which their everlasting well-being depends, and spend time at the door of eternity about trifles which so little concern them. Yet this is the case of the greater number that go under the Christian name. The earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed up their time, thoughts, studies, and strength, as it did the bodies of Korah and his associates. The whole of their time is devoted to the service of the world; for even when they present their bodies before the Lord in his worship, their hearts are wandering after vanities, and “going after their covetousness.” Ezek. 33:31. Judge whether the god of this world has blinded these men or not, who can see so much beauty in the world, but none in Christ, and put an absolute necessity upon the vanities of this world, but none upon their own salvation. If this be not spiritual blindness, what is?

2. The quietness of men’s consciences, under the most awakening truths of the gospel, proves that the god of this world has blinded their eyes. For did men see the dangerous condition they are in as the word represents it, nothing would quiet them but Christ. As soon as men’s eyes are opened, the inquiry they make is, “What shall we do to be saved?” It is not possible that a man should hang over hell and see Christ and the hope of salvation going, and the day of patience ending, and yet be quiet. O it cannot be that conscience should let them be quiet in such a case, if it were not blinded and stupefied; but while the god of this world, that strong man armed, keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.” Luke 11:21. If once your eyes were opened by conviction, you could not sit still and let the season of salvation pass away. Suppose one should come in and whisper in your ears, that your child is fallen into the fire and is dying; would it be in the power of friends to quiet you, and make you sit still after such information? much less when a man apprehends his own soul to be in immediate danger of everlasting burnings.

3. The presumptuous hopes men have of salvation while they remain unregenerate, show their minds to be blinded by the policy of Satan. This presumption is one of those false reasonings by which Satan deludes the understanding, as the apostle calls them. James 1:22. It is the cunning sophistry of the devil seconded by selflove: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,” Prov. 21:2; and partly by self-ignorance: “Thou sayest I.am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched.” Rev. 3: 11. You have no fears, no doubts, no case to propound that concerns your future state; and why so, but because you have no sight? Your consciences are quieted because your eyes are blinded.

4. The trifling of men with the duties of religion shows the blinding power of Satan on their understandings, else they would never trifle with the solemn ordinances of God as they do. If their eyes were opened, they would be in earnest in prayer, and apply themselves with the closest attention to hearing the gospel. There are two sorts of thoughts about any subject of meditation: some think at a distance, and others think close to the subject. Never do thoughts of men come so close to Christ, to heaven, and to hell, as they do immediately upon their illumination. When John’s ministry enlightened the people, it is said, ‘From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matt.11:12. Surely these men were in earnest who would take no denial, but force themselves through all difficulties into heaven; and so would it be with you. If the god of this world had not blinded your minds, you would never pray with so.much unconcern, nor hear with so much carelessness. It is with many of your hearts as it was with Aristotle, who, after an oration made before him, was asked how he liked it. Truly, said he, I did not hear it, for I was thinking all the while of another matter.

5. It is also an evidence that the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of many, that they fear not to commit great sins to avoid small troubles, which all the world could not persuade them to do, if they were not hoodwinked by the god of this world. Those that have seen sin in the glass of God’s law will choose, as Moses did, to suffer any affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season. Heb. 11:25. Those that have felt the evil of sin in the deep troubles of their spirit for it, will account all reproaches, all losses, all sufferings from men to be but as nothing to the burden of sin.

6. The pride and self-conceit of many who profess Christianity, show their mind to be blinded by the sophistry of Satan, and that they do not understand themselves and the state of their souls. Those that see God in the clearest light, abhor themselves in the deepest humility. Isa. 6:5; John 42:6. If the Lord had effectually opened your eyes by a discovery of your state by nature, and the course of your life under the influence of continual temptations and corruptions, how would your pride fall. None would rate you lower than you yourselves would.

III. We are to consider war pottcy Satan vszEs to blind the minds of them that believe not, and we shall find there are three sorts of policies prectised by the god of this world upon the minds of men which he darkens.

1. It is a great policy in Satan to blind the understandings of men by hindering the reception of gospel ight, which he does,

(1.) By tempting the dispensers of the gospel to darken its truths in delivering them: to shoot over the heads of their hearers in lofty language and terms of art, so that common understandings can give no account, when the sermon is done, what the preacher has said; but commend him as a good scholar and an excellent orator. The devil is very busy with ministers in their studies, tempting them, by the pride of their own hearts, to gratify his designs herein: he teaches them how to paint the glass, that he may keep out the light.

I acknowledge, a proper, grave, and comely style befits the lips of Christ’s ambassadors; they should not be rude and careless in their language or method. But the affectation of great swelling words of vanity is but too like the proud Gnostics, whom the apostle is supposed to reprove for this evil, Jude 16. This is to darken counsel by words without knowledge, Job 38: 2,and to amuse poor ignorant souls, and nullify the design of preaching; for every thing is accounted so far good as it is good to the end it is or-

= dained for. A sword that has a hilt of gold set thick with diamonds is not a good sword if it has no edge to cut, or wants a good back to support the stroke. O that the ministers of Christ would choose sound rather than great words, such as are apt to pierce the heart rather than such as tickle the fancy; and let people beware of furthering the design of Satan against their souls, in putting a temptation upon their ministers by despising plain preaching, The more popular, plain, and intelligible our discourses are, so much the more likely they are to be successful. That is the most excellent oratory which draws men to Christ.

(2.) Satan hinders the access of light to the understandings of men, by employing their minds about other things while they are attending on the ordinances of God. Thus he tempted the Jews: ‘And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people; and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice.” Ezek. 33:31, 32.. The prophet’s voice was very pleasing to their ears, but their thoughts were wandering after their lusts; their hearts were full of earthly projects.

(3.) Satan hinders the access of light to the understandings of men, by razseng objections to the word, to shake its authority and hinder the assent of the understanding to it, and so it makes no more impression than a fable or romance. The devil has persuaded many that the gospel is but a cunningly devised fable; that the ministers must say something to get a living; that heaven and hell are but fancies, or, at most, things of great uncertainty. Thus the door of the soul is shut against truth. And this design of Satan hath prospered the more in this generation, by the corrupt doctrines of seducing spirits, which have overthrown the faith of some, 2 Tim. 2:18; and partly from the scandalous lives of loose and vain professors, by which the gospel has been brought into contempt

(4.) Satan hinders the access of light by helping erroneous minds to draw false conclusions from the precious truths of the gospel, thereby bringing them under contempt. Thus he assists the errors of men’s minds about the doctrine of election, when he either persuades them that it is an unreasonable doctrine and not worthy of credit, that God should choose some and leave others to perish; or that, if there be any certainty in the doctrine, then men may throw the reins upon the neck of their lusts and live at what rate they list; for they argue that if God has chosen them to salvation, their wickedness will not hinder it; and if he has appointed them unto wrath, their diligence and self-denial cannot prevent it. Thus the doctrine of free grace is by the like sophistry of Satan” turned into lasciviousness. If grace abound, say some, men may sin the more freely; and thus the shortness of our time upon earth, which should awaken men to diligence, is by the subtlety of Satan turned to a contrary purpose, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.”

(5.) Satan darkens the minds of men by filling them with pride and self-conceit, persuading them that they know all these things already, and causing them to contemn the most weighty and precious truths of God as trite and vulgar notions. The word cannot be received without meekness and humility of mind, James 1: 21; Psalm 25:8, 9; and pride is the nurse of ignorance. 1 Tim. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:7. The devil is aware of this, and therefore cherishes the pride of men’s hearts all he can. And this temptation generally prevails wherever it meets with a knowing head matched with a graceless, unsanctified heart. Thus we see by what wiles Satan keeps out the light, and prevents the access of it to the minds of men. But if he fail in his design here, and truth gets into the mind,

. then,

2. He labors to obstruct the operation of the light; that though it shine into the understanding, it may be imprisoned there, and exert no converting influence upon the will and affections; and this design he promotes,

(1.) By hastening to quench convictions and nip them in the bud. Satan knows how dangerous a thing it is, and destructive to his interest, to suffer convictions to continue long; and therefore it is said, ‘‘ When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.” Matt. 13:19. Satan is compared in this scripture to the fowls of the air, which pick up the seed before it take root in the earth. The devil is very. jealous of this, and therefore labors all he can to destroy the word before it operates upon the heart; which he does sometimes by the cares of the world, and sometimes by vain companions, who extinguish rising convictions. One sinner destroyeth much good.

(2.) No sooner does the god of this world observe the light of truth begin to operate upon the heart, but he obstructs the design by procrastination and delay, which delude and destroy convinced souls; he persuades them that if they will alter their course, it will be time enough hereafter, when such troubles in the world are over, if he prevail here, it is a thousand to one but the work fails. James 1:13, 14. If the hearer of the word be not a doer, that is, a present doer, while the impressions of it are fresh upon the soul, he does but deceive himself. For it is with the heart as with melted wax: if the seal be applied to it at once; it will receive a fair impression; but if it be let alone for a little while, you can make none at all. It was therefore David’s great care and wisdom to set about the work of religion under the first impulse or vigorous motion of his heart and affections. ‘I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.” Psa. 119: 60. Multitudes of souls have perished by these delays. It is a temptation incident to all under convictions, especially young persons, whom the devil persuades that it were no better than madness in them to deny themselves so much pleasure, and devote their youthful thoughts to such a melancholy subject as religion.

(3.) If all this will not do, but convictions still continue to get ground in the conscience, then he endeavors to fright them out of their convictions, by representing the inward terrors and despair into which they are about to plunge themselves, and that henceforth they must never expect a pleasant day or comfortable hour. Thus does the god of this world blind the minds of them that believe not, both by hindering the access of light to the mind and the influence of it upon the heart.

3. There is yet another policy of Satan to keep souls in darkness, that is, by the mesapplication of truth; persuading them, that whatever they read or hear of the misery ‘and danger of unregenerate persons does not concern them, but the more profane part of the world; and by this policy he blinds the minds of moral persons. Thus the Pharisees “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” And so the Laodiceans thought themselves rich, and increased with goods; that is, in a safe and good condition. There are divers things improved by Satan in order to these misapplications of truth.

(1.) The freedom of their lives from the gross pollutions of the world. “All these things have I kept from my youth up.” Matt. 19:20. A moral course of life is a most effectual blind before many a man’s conscience.

(2.) It is the policy of Satan to prevent effectual convictions by convictions that have been ineffectual, and that are vanished away. Thus the troubles that some persons have been under pass for their conversion, though the temper of their heart be the same it was. Their ineffectual troubles are made use of by the devil to blind them to the true knowledge of their condition. These men can speak of the troubles they have had for sin, and the tears they have shed for it; whereby thorough conviction is effectually prevented.

(3.) Gifts and knowledge are improved by Satan against the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and our own state by nature. “Thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide to the blind.” Rom. 2:17,18. And this is the temptation and delusion of intelligent persons, who are so far from being blind in their own esteem, that they account themselves the guides of the blind. Yet who blinder than such men?

(4.) External reformation is improved by Satan against

true spiritual reformation, and passes for conversion, though it serves only to strengthen Satan’s power in the soul, Matt. 12:44; and for want of a real change of heart does but increase a man’s sin and misery. 2 Pet. 2:20. This is the generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. The cleanness of their hands blinds them in discovering the foulness of their hearts. (5.) The policy of Satan improves diligence in some duties, against the conviction of neglect in others: the external duties of religion, as hearing, praying, fasting, against the creat internal duties of repenting and believing. “They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge?” Isaiah 58: 2,3. Thus duty is improved against duty, the externals against the internals of religion, and multitudes are blinded this way.

(6.) The policy of Satan improves zeal against zeal, and thereby blinds a great part of the world: he allows men to be zealous against a false religion, if thereby he may prevent them from being zealous in the true. He diverts their zeal against their own sins, by directing it against other men’s. Thus Paul was once blinded by his zeal for the law. Acts 22:3. And many men now satisfy themselves in their zeal against the corruptions of God’s worship and the superstitions of others, who never felt the power of true religion upon their own hearts; a dangerous blind of Satan.

(T.) The policy of Satan improves ¢he respect men have for the people of God against their greai duty and interest to become such themselves. “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.” Rev. 3:1. It is enough for many men to obtain acceptance among the saints, though they are not of their number. The good opinion of others confirms their good opinion of. themselves.

(8.) The policy of Satan improves soundness of judgment against soundness of heart. An orthodox head against an orthodox heart and life; dogmatical faith against justifying faith. This was the case of them before-mentioned. Rom. 2: 18,19. Men satisfy themselves that they have a sound understanding, though, at the same time, they have a very rotten heart. It is enough for them that their heads are regular, though their hearts and lives be very irregular.

(9.) The policy of Satan blinds us by the blessings of Providence, that we may not discern the want of spiritual blessings; persuading men that the smiles of Providence in their worldly prosperity are good evidences of the love of God to their souls — not at all discerning how the prosperity of fools destroys them, and that riches are given often to the hurt of the owners thereof.

(10.) The policy of Satan improves false and ungrounded comfort under the word, against the real grounds of comfort arising from the soul’s interest in Christ. Thus many men, finding comfort in the promises, are so blinded thereby as never to look after union with Christ, the only solid ground of all comfort. Heb. 6:19.

Thus you see how the god of this world blinds the minds of them that believe not, and how the gospel is hid to them that are lost.