Satan’s Blinding the Cause of Unbelief, Continued
“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.
In the previous discourse we have drawn from these words the doctrine, that the understandings of wnbelievers are blinded by Satan to their everlasting perdition; and have shown what blinding the mind, or hiding the gospel from it, is; that the minds of many are thus blinded and the gospel hidden from them; and what policies Satan uses to blind the minds of men, even in the clearest light of the gospel. It remains that I show,
IV. THE DREADFUL NATURE OF THIS JUDGMENT or God UPON THE SOULS oF MEN. There are many judgments of God inflicted upon men, but none are so dreadful as those spiritual judgments which God inflicts immediately upon the soul; and among spiritual judgments, none are more dreadful in their nature and consequences than this of spiritual blindness; which will appear by considering,
1. The subject of this judgment, which is the soul, and the principal power of the soul, the understanding. The soul is the most precious part of man, the understanding is the noblest power of the soul; it is to the soul what the eye is to the body, the directive faculty. The loss of the eyes is a sore loss, we lose a great part of our comfort by it. Yet such an affliction is but a trifle to this. If our bodily eyes be blinded, we cannot see the sun; but if our spiritual eye be blinded, we cannot see God, but wander in the paths of sin. 1 John 2:11. We are led blindfold to hell by Satan, as the Syrians were in Samaria. 2 Kings 6:19, 20. And our eyes, like theirs, will be opened to see our misery when it is too late.. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of, darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness. Matt. 6:22, 23. By the eye he means the judgment, the understanding, which is the seat for principles, the treasury of the rules of practice, according to which a man’s life is formed. If therefore that power of the soul be darkened, how great must that darkness be; for now the blind lead the blind. The judgment misguides the affections. O what a sad thing that the devil should lead that which leads thee — that he should sit at the helm and steer thy course to damnation! The blinding of this noble faculty precipitates the soul into the most dangerous courses; persecution, by this means, seems to be zeal for God. They that persecute you shall think that they do God service. John 16:2. Paul once thought verily with himself, that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 26: 9. He thought he pleased God when he was imprisoning and persecuting his people, as many do at this day; it will make a man sin conscientiously, which is a very dangerous way of sinning, and difficult to be reclaimed.
9. It is a dreadful judgment, if we consider the object about which the understanding is blinded, which is Jesus Christ, and union with him; regeneration, and its nature and necessity. A man may have knowledge in things natural and moral, but spiritual things are hidden from his eyes. Yea, a man may know spiritual things in a natural way, but he cannot discern them spiritually; this is a sore judgment, and greatly to be bewailed. “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matt. 11: 25. Learned men. are often ignorant of the things which babes in Christ understand. They are prudent in the management of earthly affairs; but to save their souls they have no knowledge. They may be able to dispute of every thing investigable by the light of nature; yea, to defend the doctrines of Christ against his adversaries successfully, and yet be blind in the great mystery of regeneration. The literal knowledge of Jesus Christ shines clearly in our understanding: we are only blinded about the things which should give us saving interest in him, about the effectual application of Christ to our own souls.
3. The dreadful nature of this spirityal blindness farther appears from the season in which it befalls men, which is the very time of God’s patience, and the only opportunity they have for salvation; after these opportunities are over, their eyes will be opened to see their misery; but alas, too late. Upon this account Christ shed those tears over Jerusalem, Luke 19: 42: “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes” — now the season of grace is gone. Opportunities are the golden spots of time, and there is much time in a short opportunity as there are many pieces of silver in one piece of gold. Time signifies nothing when opportunities are gone; to be blinded in the very season of salvation is the judgment of all judgments, the greatest misery incident to man; to have our eyes opened when the season of salvation is past, is but an aggravation of misery. They whose eyes are not opened graciously in this world to see their disease and the remedy in Christ, shall have their eyes opened judzcially in the world to come to see their disease, without any remedy. If God open them now, it is by way of prevention; if they be not opened till then, it will produce desperation.
4. The horrible nature of this judgment farther ap-
* pears from the exceeding difficulty of cwring wt, especially in men of excellent natural endowments. “And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth,” John 9:40, 41; as if he had said, The pride and conceit of your heart add obstinacy and incurableness to your blindness. These are “the blind people that have eyes.” Isa. 43:8. In seeing, they see not. The conviction of such men is next to an impossibility.
5. The design and end of this blindness under the gospel is most dreadful: so says my text, “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.” Answerable whereunto are those words, “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.” Isaiah 6:10. So that it is plain, this blinding is a prelude to damnation, as the covering of Haman’s face was to his destruction. When the Lord has no purpose of mercy to a man’s soul, many occasions of blindness befall him, which Satan improves to his eternal ruin; among which fatal occasions, blind guides, and scandalous professors are none of the least; they shall have ministers suitable to their desires, who shall speak smooth things: ‘‘If a man walking in the spirit of falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy to thee of wine and strong drink, he shall even be the prophet of this people.” Micah 2:11. And the falls of professors shall do the devil not a little service in this fatal design. ‘‘ Woe unto the world because of offences.” Matt. 18:7. This shall blind and harden them to purpose.
Thus you see what a dreadful judgment this is, which
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cuts off all the present comforts of Christ and religion, takes away restraint from sin, and makes way for final ruin. <A far greater judgment it is than the greatest calamity which can befall us in the world. If our names suffer by reproaches, our bodies by painful diseases, our estates by the greatest losses; if God strike every comfort we have in this world dead by affliction; all is nothing, compared with this blinding judgment of God upon the soul. Such afflictions may come from the tender love of God to us, Heb. 12:6; but this is the effect of his wrath; they may cleanse away sin, Isa. 27:9, but this increases it; they often prove occasions of conversion, Job 36: 8, 9, but this is the great obstraction to it. Inrerence 1. If the unbelieving world be so blinded by the god of this world, how little should we value its censures and slanders. Certainly they should move only pity in the soul: if their eyes were opened their mouths would be shut. They would never traduce religion and the sincere profession of it as they do, if Satan had not blinded their minds: they speak evil of the things they know not; their reproaches, which they let fly so freely, are but so many arrows shot by the blind man’s bow, which only stick in our clothes, and can do us no hurt, except we thrust them onward by our own discontent to the wounding of our spirits. ‘I could almost be proud,” said Luther, “that I have got an ill name among the worst of men.” Beware, Christian, that you give them no occasion to blaspheme the name of your God; and then never trouble yourselves, however they reproach you. Should such men speak well of us, we might suspect ourselves of some iniquity, administering to them the occasion of it. 2. How absurd and dangerous must it be for Christians to follow the example of the blind world. Let the blind follow the blind, but let not those whom God has enlightened do so. Christians, let not those lead you who are led blindfold by the devil themselves. The holiness and heavenliness of Christians was wont to set the world wondering that they would not run with them into the same excess of riot. 1-Pet. 4:4. But since God has showed you the dangerous courses they walk in, it would be the greatest wonder of all if you should be the companion of such men and imitate their example. Christian, as humble and lowly thoughts as thou hast of thyself, I would have thee think thyself too good to be the associate of such men. If they will walk with you in the way of holiness, let them come and welcome; receive them and be glad of their company; but beware you walk not in their paths, lest they be a snare to you. Did they see the end of their way, they would never walk in it themselves; why then will you who do see it walk with them?
3. If this be so, let Christians be circwmspect in their walk, lest they lay a stwmbling-block before the blind. It is a great sin to do so ina literal sense. Lev.19:14. Anda far greater to do it in a metaphorical sense. It is the express will of God, “that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” Rom. 15:13. O professors, look to your steps; the devil desires to make use of you for such purposes. ‘ho sins of thousands, who make no profession of godliness, will never so fit his purpose for the blinding of men’s eyes as the least failing of yours will do. The living bird makes the best lure to draw others into the net: the grossest wickedness of profane sinners passes away in silence, but all the neighborhood will ring with your misconduct. “A righteous man falling down before the wicked, is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.” Prov. 25:26. The scandalous falls of good men are like a bag of poison cast into the spring from whence the whole town is supplied with water. You little know what mischief you do, and how many sin. ners may thereby fall into hell.
4. How dangerous is zeal in a wicked man! It is like a sword in a blind man’s hand, or high mettle in a blind Fl. r bad
horse. How much has the church of God suffered on this account, and suffers at this day: the world has ever been full of blind zeal, which, like a hurricane, overturns all that stands in its way, yea, makes a man a conscientious persecutor. I confess it is better for the persecutor if he do it ignorantly, because ignorance leaves him in a capacity for mercy, and sets him a degree lower than the malicious, enlightened persecutor, 1 Tim. 1:13; else it were the dreadful case described in Heb. 10: 38, 89. But yet these are the fierce and dreadful enemies of the church of God. John 16:2. Such a man was Paul, a devout persecutor, and such persecution God afterwards suffered to befall himself: ‘But the Jews stirred up devout and honorable women,. and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.” Acts 13:50, An erroneous conscience binds, as well as an informed conscience; and wherever God gives such men opportunity to vent the rage of their hearts upon his people, they will do it to purpose. With other men Gamaliel’s counsel may have influence, and they may be afraid lest they be found fighters against God; but blind zeal spurs on, and says as Jehu did, ‘‘Come, see my zeal for the Lord of hosts.” O sinners, be sure of your mark before you discharge your arrows. If you shoot at a wicked man, as you suppose him, and. God finds one of his dear children wounded or destroyed, what account will you give to God when you shall come before his judement-seat?
5. Lo those who are still blinded by the god of this world, to whom the Lord has not given eyes to see their misery in themselves, or their remedy in Christ, so as to make an effectual application of him to their own souls — to all such my counsel is,
Labor to get a deep sense of the misery of such a condition; for till you are awakened by conviction you can never be healed. O that you did but know the difference
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between common and saving light; the want of this keeps you in darkness: you think, because you know the same things that sanctified men do, there is no difference between their knowledge and yours; and are therefore ready to say to them, as Job to his friends, ‘Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it: what ye know, the same do I know also; I am not inferior unto you.” Job 13:1, 2. But O that you were convinced that your knowledge vastly differs from the knowledge of believers. Though you know the same things that they do, it is a knowledge of another kind and nature. You know spiritual things merely by the light of reason, assisted by the common light of the gospel; they know the same things by spiritual illumination, and in an experimental way. They “have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.” 1 John 2:20. Their knowledge is practical, yours is idle. They are working out their salvation by the light which God has given them. Psalm 111:10. Their knowledge of God and Christ produces the fruits of faith, obedience, and heavenly-mindedness in them: it has no such fruits in you; whatever light there is in your understandings, it makes no alteration in your hearts. Their light brings them to heaven. John 17:3. Yours shall be blown out by death, 1 Cor. 13:8, and you left in eternal darkness, except your eyes be opened seasonably by the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Conviction is a great part of your cure.
Labor also to get a remedy for this dangerous disease of your minds: “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” 1 Cor. 15:34. These things give you encouragement, though it is a sore judgment that lies upon you, and difficult to be removed: yet remember Jesus Christ is commissioned to open the blind eyes, Isaiah 42:6, T; and this excellent Physician advises for his patients, ‘“Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest
he see.” Rey.3:18. The most enlightened Christians were once as blind in spiritual things as you are, and Christ has cured them. ‘Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.” Eph, 5:8. Attend therefore on the ordinances of the gospel diligently; they are God’s instruments by which he enlightens the eyes of men’s understandings. Acts 26:18. And if you would have your eyes opened, allow yourselves time to ponder and consider what you hear. Meditation is a very enlightening duty: above all, cry to the Lord Jesus Christ, as that poor man did, Lord, that mine eyes may be opened, that I may receive my sight. Say, Lord, this is my disease and danger, that in seeing I see not. Others see natural things in a spiritual way, while I see spiritual things only in a natural way. Their light is operative upon their hearts; mine is but:a speculative religion, which brings forth no fruit of holiness. Their knowledge sets them at work in duties of obedience; mine only leads me to talk of those things which my heart never felt. Lord, open mine eyes and make me to see out of this obscurity: all the light that is in me is but darkness. O Lord, enlighten my darkness, enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.
6. Let there be a word of counsel to such as once were blind, but do now see.
I beseech you, bless God for the least degree of spiritual illumination, “Truly light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.” Eccles. 11: 7. But O how sweet is spiritual light; and what-a pleasant thing to behold the Sun of righteousness! Blessed are your eyes, for they see. God has brought you out of darkness into marvellous light. And marvellous indeed it must be, when you consider how many wise and prudent men are under the power of spiritual darkness, while such babes as you are enlightened. It greatly affected the heart of Christ; let it affect yours also.
Labor to get a clearer sight of spiritual things every day. For all spiritual light increases like the sun, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4:18. If a little spiritual light be so comfortable, what would more be? The wisdom of God is manifold wisdom. Eph. 38:10. The best see but little of it. Labor therefore to know spiritual things more extensively and experimentally. Phil. 3:8,9. Be still increasing in the knowledge of God.
Walk as men whose eyes are opened. Once ye were in darkness, now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of the light, Eph. 5:8, else your light will but ageravate your sin. Remember how it displeased God, that Solomon’s heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, who appeared to him twice. 1 Kings 11:9. Remember how angry God was with the heathen for abusing the light of nature. Rom. 1:21. How much more evil is it in you to abuse the most precious light that shines in the world; and what mischievous effects the abuse of your light will have upon this blind world. It was a severe rebuke given by an atheist to a good man, who asked him how he could satisfy his conscience to live as he did; nay, rather, said the atheist, I wonder how you can satisfy yourself to live as you do; for did I believe as you do, that there is such a Christ and glory as you believe there are, I would pray and live differently from what you do.
CON CLUSTON:
And now, reader, in all my discourses of the method of Christ in purchasing the great salvation for us, and the way of the Spirit in applying it to God’s elect, thou hast two wonders before thine eyes, either of which may astonish thy soul. 24%
1. Behold the riches of the mercy of God in preparing such a remedy as this for lost man. This is that which is called the ‘great mystery of godliness,” 1 Tim, 3: 16 — that mystery which the “prophets i inquired diligently after, yea, which the angels desire to look into. 1 Pet. 1:10, 12, In this glorious mystery of redemption, that manifold wisdom of God, or that wisdom which has such admirable variety in it, is illustriously displayed. Eph. 3:10. Yea, the contrivance of our redemption is the most glorious display of divine love that ever was made, or can be made to the children of men; for so the apostle must be understood when he says, God has set forth, or presented his love to man in the most engaging manner, In a way that commends it beyond all comparison to the acceptance of men. Rom. 5:8. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim. 1:15. It might be expected that when this glorious mystery should be published by the gospel in the ears of sinners, all eyes should be withdrawn from other objects and fixed with admiration upon Christ, that all hearts should be ravished with these glad tidings, and every man pressing to Christ with the greatest zeal and diligence. But behold, instead thereof,
2. The desperate wickedness of the world in rejecting the only remedy prepared for them. This was long since foretold by the prophet. “He is despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isa. 53:3. His mean appearance, which should have endeared him beyond all estimation to the souls of men, since it was for their sakes that he emptied himself of all his glory, lays him under contem he is looked on as the very offcast of men. When love to man had emptied him of his riches, the wickedness of men loaded him with contempt, and as prophesied
i i of him, so it was, and at this day is sadly verified all the world over; for the pagan world have no knowledge of him, they are lost in darkness. God has suffered them to walk in their own ways. Acts 14:16. The Mahometans who overspread so great a part of the world reject him, and instead of the blessed gospel, which they hiss at with abhorrence, embrace the blasphemous and ridiculous Koran, which they confidently affirm came down from God, calling all Christians infidels. The Jews reject him with abhorrence, and in a blind zeal for Moses, blaspheme him as an impostor. ‘He came to his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11. Nay, the great part of what is called the Christian world reject him; those that are called after his name will not submit to his government. The nobles of the world think themselves dishonored by submitting their necks to his yoke. The senswalists of the world will not deny their lusts, or forsake their pleasures, for all the treasures of righteousness, life, and peace which his blood has purchased. Worldlings prefer the dross of the world before him; and few among those who profess Christianity love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. The only reason why they are called Christians is, because, by the kindness of Providence, they were born and educated in a country where Christianity is professed.
Now, reader, let me tell thee, that if ever God send forth his law and thine own conscience to arrest thee for thy sins, if thou find thyself dragged away by them towards that prison from whence none return, and that in this unspeakable distress Jesus Christ manifests himself to thy soul, and opens thy heart to receive him, and becomes thy surety with God, and cancels all thy obligations, thou wilt love him at another rate than others do; his blood will run deeper in thine eyes than it doth in the shallow apprehensions of the world; he will be altogether lovely, and thou wilt account all things but dung and dross in comparison of the excellence of Jesus Christ thy Lord. To work thy heart to this frame these things are written, which the Lord prosper upon thy soul, by the blessing of his good Spirit upon thee.