3. At the present hour —
[No where is Christ faithfully preached, but " a division" is made among the people : and in all the families where his truth prevails, " a sword" is introduced, even amongst the nearest and dearest relatives". No caution in the preacher will suffice to abate the enmity of the heart against God. Only let Christ be exalted, and some will call the preacher an enthusiast and deceiver, whilst others will " regard him as an angel of God, or even as Christ Jesus himself0." The very same word is still, as in the days of old, " a savour of life to the salvation of some, and a savour of death to the condemna- tion of others p." And so far are the admired characters of the world from being most favourable to the truth, that even " publicans and harlots enter into heaven before them :" so true is it still, as in the days of old, that " the last are first, and the first last."]
And now let me address myself,
1. To those who are unconscious of their own
blindness —
[This was the state of the Pharisees, to whom our Lord addressed the words of my text. Perceiving that he had in his mind a reference to them, they confidently and indignantly asked, " Are we blind also?" But our blessed Lord told them that their conceit only tended to enhance and aggravate their guilt. If they had, indeed, never been favoured with means of instruction, they would have had the less to answer for : but, in proportion as they supposed themselves already informed, they shewed their impiety in rejecting himq. Now this is the very caution which I would give to you : The more confident you are that you are already in possession of the truth, the more you make it manifest that " Satan hath blinded your eyes :" for to make you reject Christ, is the work in which that subtle adversary is incessantly engaged r. O! learn this hu- miliating truth, that you " are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ;" and you will then have no diffi- culty in discovering the excellency of Christ, who offers to you " gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich ; and eye-salve, that you may see; and raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear s." Only resemble the man who was willing and desirous to believe, and Christ will soon make himself known to you, in all his excel- lency, and in all his glory1.]
n Matt. x. 34— 36. and Luke xir. 51—53. ° Gal. iv. 14, 15. p 2 Cor. ii. 16. q ver. 40, 41. r 2 Cor. iv. 4, 6.
8 Rev. Hi. 18. * ver. 35—38.