Thirdly, Here, also, we have an account of the politic manner of this government, how he maintains his dominion among men, and keeps the world in quiet subjection to him ; namely, by blinding the minds of all them that believe not ; putting out the eyes of all his subjects, darkening that noble faculty, the mind, or under- standing ; the thinking, considering, and reasoning power of the soul, which the philosophers truly call to r,y&/Mvix.o>j, the leading and directing faculty ; for it is to the soul, what eyes are to the body, and it is therefore called, " the eyes of the understanding," Eph. i. 18. These eyes Satan blinds, i. e. he darkens the mind and un- derstanding with ignorance and error ; so that when men come to see and consider spiritual things, " they see indeed, but perceive " not," Isa. vi. 9, 10. They have some general, confused notions, but no distinct, powerful, 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 benefits of redemp- tion 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, gy rots a<7oyyv>j,£voi;, in them that are lost, or appointed of God unto perdition. The elect of God are all blinded for a time, but Christ applieth unto them his eye-salve, effectually opens the eyes of their under- standings, and recovers them thereby, out of Satan's power and dominion ; but as for those who still continue thus blinded, the symptoms and characters of eternal death appear upon their souls ; they are a company of lost men.
Doct. That the understandings of all unbelievers are blinded by Safaris policies, in order to their everlasting perdition.
Four things must be opened in the doctrinal part of this point.
First, What the blinding of the understanding, or hiding of the gospel from the understanding, is.
Secondly, I shall demonstrate, that the understandings of many are thus blinded, and the gospel hidden from them.
Thirdly, I shall sHew what policies Satan use^ to blind the minds of men.
454 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SEltM. XXXIV.
Fourthly, That this blindness is the sorest judgment, and in order to men's everlasting perdition.
Fifthly, And then apply the whole.
First, We shall enquire what the blinding of the mind, or hiding the gospel from it, is. Two sorts of men are thus blinded in the world.
1. Those that want the means of illumination.
2. Those that have the means, but are denied the blessing and 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 greatest part of them that live within the sound of the gospel, being blinded by the god of this world, Isa. vii. 9, 10. " And he said, Go, and tell this people ; hear ye in- " deed, 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." Thus, when the Sun of righteousness actually arose on the world, it is said, John i. 5. " The light shined in darkness, but " the darkness comprehended it not." So we may say of all that light which is in the understanding of all unbelievers, what Job speaks of the grave, Job x. 22. " That the light there is as dark- " ness." But more particularly, to open the nature of this spiritual blindness, I will shew you,
1. What it is not opposed unto.
2. What it is opposed unto.
1. Let us examine what spiritual blindness, or the hiding the gospel from the minds of men is not opposed unto : and we shall find,
First, That it is not opposed unto 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 hidden from him. Who were more sagacious and quick-sighted in natural things than the Heathen Philosophers, renowned for wisdom in their generations ; yet unto them the gospel was but foolishness, 1 Cor. i. 20, 21. St. Augustin confesseth, that before his conversion he was filled with offence and contempt of the simplicity of the gos- pel. Dedignabur esse parvulus, saith he, I scorned to become a child again. And that great Bradwardine, the profound doctor, who was learned, usque ad stuporem, even to a wonder, profes- sed, that when he first read Paul's epistles, he despised them, be- cause he found not in them, metaphysicum ingenium, those metaphy- sical notions which he expected. Upon this account it was, that Christ brake forth into the pathetical gratulation of his Father's
8KKM. XXXIV. THE METHOD OF GIIACE. 455
love to the elect, Mat. xi. 25. " At that time Jesus answered and " said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth ; be- " cause thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and " hast revealed them unto babes.1'
Secondly, It is not opposed to all light and knowledge in spiritual truths. A man may have a true understanding of the scriptures, give an orthodox exposition of them, and enlighten the minds of others by them ; and yet the gospel may be hidden from himself, Mat. vii. 22. " Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, " have we not prophesied in thy name P So Rom. ii. 19. " And " art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light " to them that sit in darkness," &c. A man may shew others the way to Christ and salvation, whilst both are hid from himself.
Thirdly, It is not opposed to all kind of influences upon the af- fections ; for, it is possible, the gospel may touch the affections themselves, and cause some sweet motions and raptures in them ; and yet be an hidden gospel to the soul, Heb. vi. 5, 9.
But if these three things may consist with spiritual blindness unto what then is it opposed ? To which I answer, that spiritual blind- ness stands only opposed to that saving manifestation of Jesus Christ in the gospel by the Spirit, whereby the soul is regenerated, and effectually changed by a real conversion unto God : Where- ever the gospel thus comes in the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power, producing such an effect as this in the soul, it is no longer an hidden gospel to that soul, though such persons do not see clearly all that 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.
Secondly, But though this be the happiness of some men, yet it is demonstrable that the eyes of many are blinded by the god of this world, and the gospel is an hidden gospel from them ; for,