1. Because God hath done enough ; God is aforehand with them ; they have more means than they use well. The Gentile world had light enough from the creatures to convince them of the true God : Eom. i. 19, 20, ' Because that which may be known of God is mani- fest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead ; so that they are avarroXo'yqTOi, without excuse.' Yet they would not acknowledge the true God. The Jewish world had miracles enough to convince them of the true Messiah : John xv. 24, ' If I had
VeR. 25.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 115
not done among them the works that no other man did, they had not had sin ; but now they have both seen and hated me and my Father.'
The carnal world within the pale of the church have had means enough to be better ; and though it be blind in the things of God, yet the Lord is clear : Isa. v. 4, ' What could I have done more for my vineyard than I have done ? ' in point of external administration. The Lord loveth 'to be clear when he judgeth,' Ps. li. 4, compared with Kom. iii. 26. In all debates he loveth the victory : Isaiah Ixv. 2, ' I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way which was not good, after their own thoughts.' None goeth to hell for want of warning : Mat. xxiii. 37, ' 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem ! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not.'
2. They have not done their part. They dally with means, scorn wisdom ; their weakness is wilful, and their blindness affected. The things of God must be spiritually discerned. But they are folly to them : 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' There is not only an impotency, but a scorn ; there is a positive enmity, as well as an in- capacity : John iii. 19, ' This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.' Man is in love with his own misery ; when we should hate sins, we hate the light that discovereth them. An ignorant people love a sottish ministry ; the faithful witnesses are the world's torment : Eev. xi. 10, ' These two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.' The world would fain lie down upon the bed of ease, and sleep. Light is troublesome to sore eyes. Ignorant priests are the people's idols ; the blind lead the blind, and they both fall into the ditch. They do not only err in their minds, but err in their hearts ; the one is sad, the other worse. It is evil that we do not know, it is doubly evil that we desire not to know : Job xxi. 14, ' Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.' Spiritual blindness is worse than bodily. When Elymas was stricken blind, he desired somebody to lead him by the hand, Acts xiii. 11. We count it our happiness to have fit guides ; but in spiritual blindness it is quite otherwise ; we cannot endure a faithful guide : ' the prophets prophesy lies and the people love to have it 60.' Blind people are all for blind guides.
Use 1. Let it set God clear. He loveth to have it so. When he Cometh to judgment, 'the books shall be opened,' Rev. xx. 12. We are apt to quarrel his justice, for leaving so great a part of the world in the dark. Remember he is aforehand with means, and they love the state they are in. God leaveth no man without a sufficient con- viction and witness of himself.
Use 2. Let sottish men know that God is not all mercy and all honey. Usually our desires transform God into that shape which we fancy. A libertine would have God all mercy and all patience, be- cause he desires him to be so. Affeclions make opinions: Ps. 1. 21, ' Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an oac as thyself.' But
116 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XLIII.
be not deceived ; to the blind world God will be severe, but just : Isa. xxvii. 11, ' It is a people of no understanding ; therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no favour.' Ignorance is' fatal and deadly to the heathens : 2 Thes. i. 8, 'In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.' We pity them, and say, Poor ignorant creatures ! We hate a drunkard, but we pity an ignorant man. But God is very angry with them, because he knoweth the wickedness of their hearts, how many means they have withstood, and how much light they have abused. God doth not measure sins by the foulness of the act, but by the unkindness and ingratitude of it. The blind and the lame are equally an abomination to the Lord. To want knowledge is as bad as to want obedience ; it will be no excuse.