SERM. XXXIV. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 463
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.
Seventhly, The policy of Satan improves the esteem and respect men have for the people of God against their great duty and in- terest to become such themselves, Rev. iii. 1. "Thou hast a name " that thou livest, but thou art dead." It is enough to many men tli at they obtain acceptation among the saints, though they be none of that number ; the good opinion of others begets and confirms their good opinion of themselves.
Eighthly, The policy of Satan improves soundness of judgment, against soundness of heart. An orthodox head against an ortho- dox heart and life ; dogmatical faith, against justifying faith. This was the case of them before-mentioned, Rom. ii. 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.
Ninthly, The policy of Satan improves the blessings of God against the blessings of God, blinding us by the blessings of provi- dence, so as not to discern the want of spiritual blessings : persua- ding men that the smiles of providence in their prosperity, success, and thriving designs in the world, are good evidences of the love of God to their souls, not at all discerning how the prosperity of fools deceives them, and that riches are given often to the hurt of the owners thereof.
Tenthly, The policy of Satan improves comfort against comfort, false and ungrounded comforts under the word, against the real grounds of comfort lying in the soufs interest in Christ. Thus many men finding a great deal of comfort in the promises, are so blinded thereby, as never to look after union with Christ, the only solid ground of all true comfort, Heb. vi. 5, 9.
And thus you see how the god of this world blindeth the minds of them that believe not, and how the gospel is hid to them that are lost.
464 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XXXV.
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.
JL HE words have been opened, and this point observed : —
Doct. That the understandings of all unbelievers are blinded by Satarfs policies, hi order to their everlasting perdition.
We have shewn already what* the blinding the mind, or hiding of the gospel from it is ; it hath also been demonstrated that the gospel is hid, and the minds of many blinded under it ; you have also seen what policies Satan uses to blind the minds of men, even in the clearest light of the gospel. It remains now that I open to you the dreadful nature of this judgment of God upon the souls of men, and then make application of the whole.
There are many judgments of God inflicted upon the souls and bodies of men in this world ; but none of them are so dreadful as those spiritual judgments are which God inflicts immediately upon the soul ; and among spiritual judgments few or none are of a more dreadful nature and consequence than this of spiritual blindness ; which will appear by considering,
First, The subject of this judgment, which is the soul, and the principal power of the soul, which is the mind and understanding faculty ; the soul is the most precious and invaluable part of man, and the mind is the superior and most noble power of the soul ; it is to the soul what the eye is to the body, the directive faculty. The bodily eye is a curious, tender, and most precious part of the body. When we would express the value of a thing, we say, we prize it as our eyes. The loss of the eyes is a sore loss, we lose a great part of ihe comfort of our souls by it. Yet such an af- fliction (speaking comparatively) 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, we wander in the paths of sin, 1 John ii. 11. We are led blindfold to hell by Satan, as the Syrians were in Samaria, 2 Kings vi. 19, 20. And then our eyes like theirs will be opened to see our misery when it is too late. " The light of the body is the eye, (saith Christ). 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.
SERM. XXXV. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 4G5
" If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is " that darkness ?" Mat. vi. 22, 23. By the eye he means the practical judgment, the understanding faculty, which is the seat for principles, the common treasury of the rules of practice, according unto which a man's life is formed, and his way directed. If there- fore that power of the soul be darkened, how great must that darkness be ; for now the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the ditch. The blind judgment misguides the blind-affections, and both fall into hell. O what a sad thing is it, that the devil should lead that that leads thee ! That he should sit at the helm, and steer thy course to damnation ! The blinding of this noble fa- culty precipitates the soul into the most dangerous courses ; perse- cution, by this means, seems to be true zeal for God, John xvi. 2. " They that persecute you shall think that they do God service. " Paul once thought verily with himself, that he ought to do many " things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, Acts xxvi. 9. i. e. He thought he had pleased God, when he was imprisoning and persecuting his people, as many do at this day ; it will make a man to sin conscientiously, which is a very dangerous way of sin- ning, and difficult to be reclaimed.