3. And it is a growing light, like the light of the morning which " shines more and more unto the perfect day," Prov, iv. 18. When the Spirit first opens the understanding, he doth not give it at once a full sight of all truths, or a full sense of the power, sweetness and goodness of any truth ; but the soul in the use of means grows up to a greater clearness day by day : its knowledge grows extensively in measure, and intensively in power and efficacy.
* To fJ>rj dvvarov aXXwg £%siv aXX' xIoj XsyofMv. Demonstration is an argu- ment shewing the impossibility of a thing's being otherwise than as we affirm.— Arist.
13$ THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. X.
And thus the Lord Jesus by his Spirit opens the understanding. Now the use of this follows in five practical deductions.
Inference 1. If this be the work and office of Jesus Christ, to open the understandings of men ; hence we infer the miseries that lie upon those men, whose understandings, to this day, Jesus Christ hath not opened ; of whom we may say, as it is, Deut. xxix. 4, * To this day Christ hath not given them eyes to see." Natural blindness, whereby we are deprived of the light of this world, is sad ; but spiritual blindness is much more so. See how dolefully their case is represented, 2 Cor. iv. 8, 4. " But if our gospel be "hid, it is hid to them that are lost : whose eyes the God of " this world hath blinded, lest the light of the glorious gospel of " Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them :" he means a total and final concealment of the saving power of the word from them. Why, what if Jesus Christ withhold it, and will not be a prophet to them, what is their condition ? Truly no better than lost men. It is hid roig oMToWupmit, to them that are to perish, or be destroved. This blindness, like the covering of the face, or tying the handkerchief over the eyes, is in order to their turning off into hell. More particularly, because the point is of deep concernment, let us consider,
1. The judgment injlicted, and that is spiritual blindness. A sore misery indeed ! Not an universal ignorance of all truths, O no ! in natural and moral truths they are oftentimes acute, and sharp- sighted men ; but in that part of knowledge which wraps up eter- nal life, John xvii. 2. there they are utterly blinded : as it is said of the Jews, upon whom this misery lies, that blindness in part is happened to Israel. They are learned and knowing persons in other matters, but they know not Jesus Christ ; there is the grand and sad defect.
2. The subject of this judgment, the mind, which is the eye of the soul. If it were put upon the body, it would not be so consi- derable ; this falls immediately upon the soul, the noblest part of man, and upon the mind, the highest and noblest faculty of the soul, whereby we understand, think, and reason. This in scrip- ture is called vnevfLa the spirit, the intellectual, rational faculty, which the philosophers call ro rfytfrtwkoP) the leading directive fa- culty ; which is to the soul what the natural eye is to the body. Now the soul being the most active and restless thing in the world, always working, and its leading, directive power blind, judge what a sad and dangerous state such a soul is in ; just like a fiery, high- mettled horse, whose eyes are out, furiously carrying his rider up- on rocks, pits and dangerous precipices. I remember Chrysostom, speaking of the loss of a soul, saith that the loss of a member of the body is nothing to it ; for, saith he, If a man lose an eye, ear,
SERM. X. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 139
hand or foot, there is another to supply its want : Omnia Deus de~ dit dupHcia, " God hath given us those members double ;" animam vero unam, " but he hath not given us two souls,1*' that if one be lost, yet the other may be saved. Surely it were better for thee, reader, to have every member of thy body made the seat and sub- ject of the most exquisite racking torments, than for spiritual blind- ness to befal thy soul. Moreover,
3. Consider the indiscernableness of this judgment to the soul on whom it lies : they know it not, no more than a man knows that he is asleep. Indeed it is " the spirit of a deep sleep poured out " upon them from the Lord," Isa. xxix. 10. like that which befel Adam when God opened his side, and took out a rib. This ren- ders their misery the more remediless : " Because ye say you see, " therefore your sin remained!," John ix. 41. Once more,
4. Consider the tendency and effects of it. What doth this tend to but eternal ruin ? for hereby we are cut off from the only remedy. The soul that is so blinded, can never see sin, nor a Saviour ; but, like the Egyptians, during the palpable darkness, sits still, and moves not after its own recovery. And as ruin is that to which it tends, so in order thereto, it renders all the ordinances and du- ties under which that soul comes, altogether useless and ineffectual to its salvation. He comes to the word, and sees others melted by it, but to him it signifies nothing. O what a heavy stroke of God is this ! Most wretched is their case, to whom Jesus Christ will not apply this eye-salve, that they may see. Did you but under- stand the misery of such a state, if Christ should say to you, as he did to the blind man, Mat. xx. 33. " What wilt thou that I should " do for thee ?" You would return as he did, " Lord, that my " eyes may be opened."
Life)'. 9, If Jesus Christ be the great Prophet of the church, then surely he will take special care both of the church and the under shepherds appointed by him toj'eed them : else both the objects and istruments upon and by which he executes his office, must fail and consequently this glorious office be in vain. Hence he is said " to walk among the golden candlesticks,'" Rev. i. 13. and Rev. ii. 1. " to hold the stars in his right hand.11 Jesus Christ instru- mentally opens the understandings of men by preaching of the gos- pel ; and whilst there is an elect soul to be converted, or a convert to be farther illuminated, means shall not fail to accomplish it by.
Infer. 3. Hence you that are yet in darkness, may be directed to whom to apply yourselves for saving knowledge. It is Christ that hath the sovereign eye-salve, that can cure your blindness * ;
* So thick is that cataract which is grown over the eye of our understanding that none but God can remove it. Christ was sent to be a light to the Gentiles.
140 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. X.
he only hath the key of the house of David ; he opens, and no man shutteth. O that I might persuade you to set yourselves in his way, under the ordinances, and cry to him, " Lord, that my " eyes may be opened." Three things are marvellously encouraging to you so to do.