Dated February 1739/1740. Three sermons
"Understand, ye brutish among the
people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he
not hear?
he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the
heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge,
shall not he
know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity." --
Psalm 94:8-11
Subject: There is an extreme and brutish blindness in things of religion that naturally possesses the hearts of mankind.
SECTION I
Introductory
observations.
In these words the following particulars are to be observed. (1.) A certain
spiritual disease charged on some persons, viz. darkness,
and blindness of mind, appearing in their ignorance and folly. (2.) The
great degree of this disease; so as to render the subjects of it fools.
Ye fools, when will ye be wise? And so as to reduce them to a degree of brutishness.
Ye brutish among the people. This ignorance and folly were to such a
degree, as to render men like beasts. (3.) The obstinacy of this disease;
expressed in that interrogation, When will ye be wise? Their blindness
and folly were not only very great; but deeply rooted and established, resisting
all manner of cure. (4.) Of what nature this blindness is. It is
especially in things pertaining to God. They were strangely ignorant of
his perfections, like beasts. And had foolish notions of him, as though
he did not see, nor know, and as though he would not execute justice, by
chastising and punishing wicked men. (5.) The unreasonableness and sottishness
of the notion they had of God, that he did not hear, did not observe
their reproaches of him and his people, is shown by observing that he planted
the ear. It is very unreasonable to suppose that he, who gave power of
perceiving words to others, should not perceive them himself. And
the sottishness of their being insensible of God’s all-seeing eye, and
particularly of his seeing their wicked actions, appears, in that God is the
being who formed the eye and gave others a power of seeing. The
sottishness of their apprehension of God, as though he did not know what they
did, is argued from his being the fountain and original of all knowledge.
The unreasonableness of their expecting to escape God’s just chastisements and
judgments for sin is set forth by his chastising even the heathen, who
did not sin against that light, or against so great mercies, as the wicked in
Israel did; nor had ever made such a profession as they. (6.) We may observe,
that this dreadful disease is ascribed to mankind in general. The Lord
knoweth the thoughts of MAN, that they are vanity. The psalmist had
been setting forth the vanity and unreasonableness of the thoughts of some
of the children of men. And immediately upon it he observes that this vanity and
foolishness of thought is common and natural to mankind.
From these particulars we
may fairly deduce the following doctrinal observation: THAT THERE IS AN EXTREME
AND BRUTISH BLINDNESS IN THINGS OF RELIGION, WHICH NATURALLY POSSESSES THE
HEARTS OF MANKIND. — This doctrine is not to be understood as any reflection
on the capacity of the human nature. For God has made man with a noble
and excellent capacity. The blindness I speak of is not merely negative
ignorance, such as in trees and stones that know nothing. They have no faculties
of understanding and perception, whereby they should be capable of any
knowledge. And inferior animals, though they have sensitive perception,
are not capable of any intellectual views. There is no fault to be found
with man’s natural faculties. God has given men faculties truly noble
and excellent, well capable of true wisdom and divine knowledge. Nor is the
blindness I speak of like the ignorance of a new-born infant, which arises from
want of necessary opportunity to exert these faculties.
The blindness that is in the
heart of man, which is spoken of in the text and doctrine, is neither for want
of faculties, nor opportunity to know, but from some positive
cause. *2* There is a principle in his heart, of such a
blinding and besotting nature, that it hinders the exercises of his faculties
about the things of religion, exercises for which God has made him well capable,
and for which he gives him abundant opportunity.
In order to make it appear
that such an extreme brutish blindness, with respect to the things of religion,
does naturally possess the hearts of men, I shall show how this is manifest in
those things that appear in men’s open profession. And how it is manifest in
those things that are found by inward experience, and are visible in men’s
practice.
SECTION II
Man’s
natural blindness in religion, manifested by those things which appear in
men’s open profession.
I WOULD now show,
how it is manifest that there is a sottish and brutish blindness in the hearts
of men in the things of religion, by those things which appear in men’s open
profession.
I. It appears in
the grossness of that ignorance and those delusions which have appeared
among mankind. Man has faculties given him whereby he is well capable of
inferring the being of the Creator from the creatures. The invisible things of
God are very plainly and clearly to be seen by the things that are made. And the
perfections of the Divine Being, his eternal power and Godhead, are very
manifest in the works of his hands. And yet grossly absurd notions concerning
the Godhead have prevailed in the world. Instead of acknowledging and
worshipping the true God, they have fallen off to the worship of idols.
Instead of acknowledging the one only true God, they have made a multitude
of deities. Instead of worshipping a God, who is an almighty, infinite,
all-wise, and holy Spirit, they have worshipped the hosts of heaven, the sun,
moon, and stars; and the works of their own hands, images of gold and silver,
brass and iron, wood and stone; gods that can neither hear, nor see, nor walk,
nor speak, nor do, nor know anything. Some in the shape of men, others in the
shape of oxen and calves; some in the shape of serpents, others of fishes, etc.
The sottishness of
men in thus worshipping the lifeless images which they themselves have made, is
elegantly and forcibly represented by the prophet Isaiah. “The smith with the
tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it
with the strength of his arms. Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he
drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he
marketh it out with a line: he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out
with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the
beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and
taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the
trees of the forest; he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then
shall it be for a man to burn; for he will take thereof and warm himself; yea,
he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it: he
maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in
the fire: with part thereof he eateth flesh: he roasteth roast, and is
satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the
fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth
down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me,
for thou art my god. They have not known, nor understood: for he hath shut their
eyes, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And
none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to
say, I have burned part of it in the fire, yea, also I have baked bread upon the
coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue
thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?” (Isa.
44:12-19).
Many of the images
which the heathen worshipped were made in the most monstrous and terrible
shapes they could devise. And the more hideous and frightful they appeared, the
better they supposed they would serve their turn for gods. Some of their images
were made so as to be the most unclean representations; images of men
openly exposing their nakedness. These unclean images, they judged, appeared in
a god-like manner, and worthy to be worshipped. Many, instead of worshipping a
holy and good God, and infinitely perfect Being, ascribed vices to many
of the gods which they worshipped. One god they reckoned notorious for drunkenness;
others notorious for uncleanness. To others they ascribed lying
and stealing; to others cruelty; and yet looked upon them worthy
to be worshipped as gods! Many worshipped devils, who appeared to them,
and whom they themselves reckoned to be evil spirits. But yet built temples, and
offered sacrifices to them because they were afraid of them. Many worshipped beasts
and birds and fishes. And the most hateful and loathsome animals
were most worshipped. Particularly, serpents were more commonly
worshipped than any other beast. Many worshipped rivers and trees
and mountains. They worshipped many diseases. There is scarcely
anything of which men have not made gods.
And so far has that
principle of blindness prevailed, with respect to the things of religion,
that it has in a great measure extinguished all light in the minds of many, even
in matters of morality, and things that have but a distant relation to
religion. So that many whole nations have professedly approved of many things
directly contrary to the light of nature. And the most horrid vices and
immoralities have been esteemed harmless, yea, accounted virtues
among them, such as revenge, cruelty, and incest. Many nations
have openly allowed the practice of sodomy. And with some it has been
accounted commendable to marry their nearest relations. Many have even
worshipped their gods in their temples with acts of drunkenness and whoredom,
and the most abominable lewdness. And the more filthy they were in their
uncleanness, they thought their gods the more pleased and delighted with it.
Many nations have
been so under the influence of mental blindness that they have been void of all civility,
and have been reduced to a state very little above the beasts in their common
customs, and ordinary way of living, and in a great many things far below the
beasts, being, if I may so speak, much more beastly than the beasts themselves.
Now this has not been, because these men, with whom this has been the case, have
not had the same faculties that we have. That we are not as ignorant as
they, is not because we have better natural understandings, or that our minds
are by nature more clear, and our eyes more discerning, or that our hearts are
not naturally so inclined to sottishness and delusion as theirs. But only
because God has not left us so much to ourselves, as he has them. He has given
us more instruction to help us against our delusions. God has so ordered it in
his providence that we should have his good word to instruct us. And has caused
that we should grow up from our infancy under Christian instruction.
II. The extreme
blindness and sottishness in things of religion, which is naturally in the
hearts of men, appears not only in embracing and professing those errors that
are very great, but also those that are so unnatural. They have not only
embraced errors which are very contrary to truth, but very contrary to humanity,
not only against the light of nature, but against the more innocent inclinations
of nature. Such has been, and still is, the blindness of many nations in the
world, that they embrace those errors which do not only exclude all true virtue,
all holy dispositions, but those that have swallowed up the more harmless
inclinations of human nature.
Thus they have
embraced many gross delusions that are as contrary as possible to natural
affection. Such as offering up their own children in sacrifice to their
idol, which has been a common thing in the heathen world. And the parents have
not only offered them up to death, but they have brought them, and
offered them up to the most cruel and tormenting deaths: as, to be
burnt alive, to be broiled to death in burning brass; which was
the way of offering up children to Moloch. The image of the idol being made of
brass, in a horrid shape, was heated red hot. And the poor child was laid naked
in this burning brass, and so burnt to death. And the parents themselves
brought the child to this offering, however sweet and pleasant a child it might
be. And thus the innocent child was tormented till it died, without any regard
to its piteous cries. And it has been the manner of some nations, to offer in
sacrifice the fairest and best beloved child that they had. And thus many
thousands of poor babes have been offered up. So strong has been the tendency of
the hearts of men to delusion, that it has thus overcome those strong natural
affections which men have to the fruit of their own bodies.
And many of these
delusions have been against men’s natural love of their own ease, and aversion
to pain. Many have worshipped their idols, and do so to this day, with such
rites as are most painful and tormenting, cutting, gashing, and mangling their
own flesh. Thus they sottishly worshipped Baal of old. “And they cried aloud,
and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood
gushed out upon them.” (1 Kin. 18:28). And it is still the custom in some
nations grievously to torment themselves, to kindle a fire to scorch their own
bodies in a most miserable manner, and to put themselves to various and
long-continued torments to please their idols. And it is the manner in some
countries for persons, on certain occasions, to kill themselves, yea, to
put themselves to cruel deaths, to cast themselves into great fires, and
there burn themselves to death. How powerful must be the delusions of the human
mind, and how strong the tendency of the heart to carry them such a length, and
so to overcome the tenderest feelings of human nature!
III. The extreme
blindness of the mind of man will appear further, if we consider how general
gross ignorance and delusion has been. It has for the most part prevailed
through the greater part of the world. For most of the time from Noah’s flood
to the coming of Christ, all nations, except the children of Israel, were
overspread with gross heathenish darkness; being given up to the most vain and
ridiculous notions, and all manner of superstitious, barbarous, absurd, and
unnatural practices. And, for the greater part of the time since, most nations
of the world have been covered with gross darkness.
So it is at this
day. Many nations are under popish darkness, and are in such gross
delusions that they worship the Virgin Mary, and a great multitude of dead men,
whom their church has canonized for saints, some real saints, and others
abominably wicked men. So they worship the bread in the sacrament, and
account it not only the real body of Christ, but real Christ in body and soul,
and divinity. They carry a wafer, a small piece of bread, in procession,
fall down before it, adore it, and account it Christ himself, both in his
divine and human nature. And yet believe that the body of Christ is in heaven,
and in ten thousand different places on earth at the same time. They think they
can do works of supererogation; that is, more good works than they
are obliged to do, whereby they bring God into debt to them. They whip
themselves, and put themselves to other ridiculous penances and sufferings,
whereby they think they appease the anger of God for their sins. And they pay
money to the priests to buy the pardon of their sins. Yea, they buy
indulgences for future crimes, or pardon for sins before they commit
them. They think they defend themselves from evil spirits, by sprinkling holy
water. They pay money to buy the souls of their departed friends out of
purgatory. They worship the relics of dead saints, such as pieces of
their bones, their teeth, their hair, pieces of their garments, and the like.
And innumerable other such foolish delusions are they under.
A great part of the
nations of the world are Mahometans; many of the articles of whose belief
are too childish and ridiculous to be publicly mentioned in solemn assembly. —
But the greater part of the inhabitants of the world are to this day gross,
barbarous heathens, who have not the knowledge of the true God, but
worship idols and devils, with all manner of absurd and foolish
rites and ceremonies, and are destitute of even common civility: multitudes of
nations being like beasts in human shape. — Now this barbarous ignorance and
gross delusion being of such great extent and continuance, shows that the cause
is general, and that the defect is in the corrupted nature of
mankind, man’s natural blindness and proneness of his heart to delusion.
IV. The sottish
blindness and folly of the heart of men appears in their being so prone
to fall into such gross delusions, soon after they have been favored with
clear light. Were not the minds of men exceeding dark, they never would
entertain such absurd notions at all. For they are as contrary as possible to
reason. Much less would they fall into them after they had once been instructed
in the truth. For, were it not very strange and great sottishness indeed, they
would — when they come to be informed of the truth, and have opportunity to
compare it with those gross errors — behold such a reasonableness in the
truth, and such absurdity in those errors, that they would never be in danger of
being deluded by them any more. But yet so it is. Mankind, after they have been fully
instructed, and have lived in clear light, have, time after time,
presently lost the knowledge of the truth, and have exchanged it for the most
barbarous and brutish notions.
So it was early
after the flood, whereby the wicked world, those that were visibly so, were
destroyed; and none were left but those who professed the true religion. And
they had such an eminently holy man as Noah to instruct them. And though the
true God had so wonderfully and astonishingly manifested himself in that great
work of vengeance against his enemies; yet the posterity of Noah, in great part,
presently lost the knowledge of the true God, and fell away to idolatry, and
that even while Noah was living. And the ancestors of Abraham were tainted with
that idolatry, even Terah his own father. “And Joshua said unto all the
people, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side
of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and father of Nachor:
and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side
of the flood,” etc. (Jos. 24:2, 3, 4). It seems as though Abraham was called
away from his father’s house, and from his own country, for this reason that
the country was overrun with idolatry.
And even many of
the posterity of Abraham and Isaac — Abraham’s posterity by
Hagar and Keturah, and that part of Isaac’s posterity which were of Esau —
though the true religion was so thoroughly taught and practiced in the houses of
those holy patriarchs, and God had from time to time so wonderfully and
miraculously manifested himself to them, yet — soon cast off the true God, and
fell away to idolatry. For, not very long after, we read of the posterity of
Jacob as being the only people of God, that he had in all the earth. —
And so the people of that part of the land of Canaan, who were under that holy
king Melchizedeck, soon totally cast off the worship of the one only true God,
which he taught and maintained. For before Joshua brought in the children of
Israel, the inhabitants of that land were wholly given to idolatry. So the
people of the land of Uz, who were under the government of so great and holy a
man as Job, soon lost the knowledge of the true God, and all those religious
truths which were then known among them, and sunk into gross idolatry.
So the posterity of
Jacob, themselves — though God had manifested himself to them, and had
wrought such wonders for them in the time of Jacob and Joseph, yet — presently
fell to worship the gods of Egypt. This appears from the words of Joshua, “Put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in
Egypt.” (Jos. 24:14). And how soon did they fall to worship a golden calf in
the wilderness, in the midst of the wonderful and miraculous manifestations of
the one only true God! And notwithstanding idolatry was so strictly forbidden,
and the folly and wickedness of it so clearly manifested, in the law of Moses
and in God’s providence. Yet, how soon did they fall into idolatry after they
were brought into the land of Canaan! And when God raised up eminent men, judges
to instruct and govern them, and reclaim them from their idolatrous practices,
from time to time. Though they professed to be convinced of their foolish
delusion, yet they would soon fall again into the most sottish idolatry. And
this they did soon after such great light as they enjoyed in the time of Samuel,
David, and Solomon. And so, from time to time, down to the Babylonish captivity.
And in the apostles’
times, when such great things were done to rouse the attention of mankind, and
such great light was spread over many nations, multitudes, after they had been
instructed in the Christian religion by the apostles and others, fell away into
the grossest heresies, and embraced the most corrupt and absurd notions. —
After the Roman empire had been converted from heathenism to Christianity, and
the light of the gospel had driven out the sottish ignorance and gross
absurdities of pagan idolatry, in which they had continued so long, they soon
began to fall away from the truth into antichristian superstition and
idolatry, in which are opinions and practices no less absurd than those of the
heathen. And a great part of the Christian world fell away to Mahometanism.
And since the reformation,
wherein God wonderfully restored gospel light in a great part of the Christian
world, which was but about two hundred years ago, many are fallen away again,
some to popery, some to gross heresies, and some to atheistical
principles. So that the reformed church is greatly diminished. — And as to our
nation in particular, which has been a nation favored with light, since the
reformation, above most, if not any in the world; how soon has it in great part
fallen away! A great part of it to atheism, deism, and gross infidelity.
And others to Arminianism, and to the Socinian and Arian heresies, to believe
that Christ is a created dependent God. And to hold other foolish absurdities!
And many have of late openly disputed and denied the moral evil of some of the
greatest and most heinous vices.
These things show
how desperately prone mankind are to blindness and delusion, how addicted they
are to darkness. — God now and then, by his instructions lifts up some nations
out of such gross darkness. But then, how do they sink down into it again, as
soon as his hand is withdrawn! Like a heavy stone, which, though it may be
forced upwards, yet sinks down again. And will continue to sink lower and lower
with a swift progress, if there be nothing to restrain it. That is the woeful
tendency of the mind of man since the fall, notwithstanding his noble powers and
faculties; even to sink down into a kind of brutality, to lose and extinguish
all useful light, and to sink lower and lower into darkness.
V. The extreme and
brutish blindness that possesses the hearts of men naturally, appears in their
being so confident in gross errors and delusions. Some things mentioned
already show how confident and assured they are, particularly, their running
such great ventures as offering up their children and cutting and mangling
themselves. Multitudes live and die in the most foolish and absurd notions and
principles, and never seem to make any doubt of their being in the right.
The Mahometans
seem to make no doubt but that, when they die, they shall go to such a paradise
as Mahomet has promised them. Where they shall live in all manner of sensual
pleasures, and shall spend their time in gratifying the lusts of the flesh.
Mahomet promised them that all who die in war for the defense of the Mahometan
religion, shall go to this paradise. And they make no doubt of it. Therefore,
many of them, as it were, willingly rush on upon the point of the sword.
The papists,
many of them at least, make no doubt of the truth of those foolish notions of a purgatory,
and the power of the priests to deliver them out of it, and give them eternal
life. And therefore will not spare vast sums of money to purchase deliverance
from those imaginary torments. How confident are many heretics in the
grossest heresies! and how bold are many deists in their infidelity!
VI. The
desperateness of that blindness which is in the heart of man, appears, in that
no nation or people in the world ever have had any remedy or deliverance from
such gross ignorance and delusion, from themselves. No instance can be
mentioned of any people whatsoever, who have once fallen into heathenish
darkness, or any other gross superstitions and ridiculous opinions in religion,
that ever had any remedy by any wisdom of their own. Or that have, of
themselves, grown wiser by the improvement of their own faculties, and by
instructing one another. Or that ever had any remedy at all, by the teaching of
any wise men, who did not professedly act as moved and directed of God, and did
not declare, that they had their instructions, in the first place, from him.
Thus in the heathen
world. Before Christ’s time, the whole world, except the Jews, lay in their
darkness for a great many hundred years, even beyond all time of which they had
any certain history among them. And there was no remedy, nor any appearance of a
remedy; they continued, ages after ages, waxing worse and worse, sinking deeper
and deeper. Among all the many nations in the world, no one ever bethought
themselves, and emerged out of their brutish darkness. There were indeed some
nations that emerged out of slavery, cast off the yoke of their enemies, grew
great, and conquered great part of the world. But they never conquered the
blindness of their own hearts.
There were some
nations who excelled in other knowledge, as the Greeks and Romans. They excelled
in policy, and in the form of their civil government. They had wise political
rulers. They had excellent laws for regulating their civil state, many of which
have been imitated, as a pattern, by many Christian nations ever since. They
excelled many other nations in arts, government, and civility, almost as much as
men in common do beasts. Yet they never could deliver themselves from their heathenism.
Though they were so wise in other things, yet in matters of religion they were
very absurd and brutish. For even the Greeks and Romans, in their most
flourishing state, worshipped innumerable gods. And some to whom they ascribed
great vices. And some they worshipped with most obscene and horrid rites.
To some they offered human sacrifices. The Romans had a temple dedicated
to the furies, which they worshipped. And they had a multitude of
childish notions and fables about their gods.
And though there
were raised up some wise men and philosophers among the Greeks and Romans, who
borrowed some things concerning the true God from the Jews; yet their
instructions never were effectual to deliver any one people, or even one city
or town, from their barbarous heathenism, or so much as to get any one
society, or company of men, to unite in the public worship of the true
God. And these philosophers themselves had many grossly absurd opinions,
mingled with those scraps of truth which they had gathered up.
And the Jews,
when fallen away to idolatry, as they often did, never recovered of themselves.
Never any remedy appeared, unless God raised up, and extraordinarily moved, some
person to reprove and instruct them. — And in this age of knowledge, an
age wherein learning is carried to a great height, even many learned men seem to
be carried away with the gross errors and fooleries of the popish
religion.
Europe
is a part of the world the most famed for arts and sciences of any. And these
things have been carried to a much greater height in this age than in many
others. Yet many learned men in Europe at this day, who greatly excel in human
arts and literature, are still under popish darkness. A deceived heart has
turned them aside. Nor do they seem to have any power to deliver their souls.
Nor does it come into their minds that there is a lie in their right hands.
Many men in France
and in other countries, who are indeed men of great learning, knowledge, and
abilities, yet seem really to think that the church of Rome is the only true
church of Christ. And are zealous to uphold and propagate it. And though now,
within this hundred years, human learning has been very much promoted, and has
risen to a greater height than ever in the world. And has greatly increased not
only in our nation, but in France and Italy, and other popish countries. Yet
there seems to be no such effect of it, as any considerable turning from popish
delusions. But the church of Rome has rather increased of late, than otherwise.
And in England,
a land wherein learning flourishes as much as in any in the world, and which is
perhaps the most favored with light of any, there are many men of vast learning,
and great and strong reason, who have embraced, and do at this day embrace, the
gross errors of the Arians and Deists. Our nation, in all its light and
learning, if full of infidels, and those that are further from
Christianity than the very Mahometans themselves. Of so little avail is human
strength, or human reason and learning, as a remedy against the extreme
blindness of the human mind. The blindness of the mind, or an inclination to
delusion in things of religion is so strong that is will overcome the greatest
learning, and the strongest natural reason.
Men, if let alone,
will not help one another. Nor will they help themselves. The disease always
proves without remedy, unless God delivers. This was observed of old.
“And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor
understanding to say, I have burnt part of it in the fire; yea, also I have
baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and
shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock
of a tree? He feeds on ashes: a deceived heart has turned him aside, that he
cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? (Isa.
44:19, 20).
If God lets men
alone, no light arises. But the darkness grows thicker and thicker. How is it
now, at this very day, among all the nations where the light of the gospel has
not come? Many of whose ancestors, without doubt, have been in the midnight
darkness of heathenism for above three thousand years. And not one people have
delivered themselves, who have not had the light of the gospel. And this is not
owing to their want of as good natural abilities as we have. Nor is it
because they have an inclination more to neglect their natural abilities, or
make a worse improvement of them than we.
VII. The extreme
blindness of man’s heart, in matters of religion, appears by men falling into
gross delusions, or continuing in them, at the same time that they have been
under great means of instruction from God. We have many instances of
this; as Rachel in Jacob’s family; and the Israelites in the wilderness, etc.
These last had great means of instruction. Yet they set up the golden calf, etc.
And after Joshua’s time, they persisted in their delusions and folly, from
time to time, even under the reproofs of the prophets, and even in such horrid
delusions, so contrary to natural affection, as offering their children in
sacrifice to Moloch, burning them alive, in a most cruel manner.
In the time of
Christ and the apostles, the Jews had great means of instruction, and most of
the nations of the world were put under great advantages to come to the
knowledge of the truth. Yet what was the effect? It would be easy to pursue
these remarks respecting the papists in the time of the reformation, and since
— the Arians and Deists in our day, etc. — but what has been said may be
quite sufficient, if the reader will but indulge reflection.
VIII. The
exceedingly great blindness of men, in things of religion, appears in the
endless disputes and controversies, that there have been, and are, among
men, about those things which concern religion. — Of old, the wise men and
philosophers among the heathen, were, so to speak, infinitely divided
among themselves. Varro, who was one of them, reckons up several hundred
opinions about that one point, Wherein man’s happiness consisted? And
they were continually in disputes one with another. But the effect of their
disputes was not any greater union, or any better agreement in their opinions.
They were as much divided after they had disputed many ages, as they were at
first. Yea, much more.
So there have long
been disputes in the Christian world about opinions and principles in
religion. There is a vast variety of sects and opinions. And disputes have been
carried on, age after age, with great warmth, and thousands of volumes have been
written one against another. And all these disputes have not terminated the
differences, but they still subsist as much as ever. Yea, they increase and
multiply more and more. Instead of ending controversies by disputing, one
dispute only lays a foundation for another. And thus the world goes on jangling
and contending, daily writing and printing. Being as it were deluged with
controversial books. And all to no purpose.
The increase of
human learning does not bring these controversies to an issue, but does really
increase and multiply them. There probably never was a time in our nation
wherein there was such a vast variety of opinions in matters of religion, as at
this day. Every now and then, a new scheme of things is broached, and various
and contrary opinions are mixed and jumbled, divided and subdivided. And every
new writer is willing to have the credit of some new notion.
And after this
manner does this miserable world go on in endless confusion, like a great
multitude of fool-hardy persons, who go on in the dark, stumbling and justling
one against another, without perceiving any remedy for their own, or affording
any for their neighbor’s, calamity. — Thus I have shown how the extreme
blindness that possesses the hearts of men is manifest in what appears in their profession.
SECTION III
Men’s
extreme blindness manifested by inward experience, and especially in their
practices under the gospel.
I COME now to show,
how this is manifest in those things that are found by inward experience, and
are visible in men’s practices under the light of the gospel.
I. This appears in
their being so prone to be deceived so many ways, or being liable to such
a multiplicity of deceits. There are thousands of delusions in things
which concern the affairs of religion, that men commonly are led away with, who
yet live under the light of the gospel. — They are many ways deceived about God.
They think him to be an exceeding diverse kind of being from what he is,
altogether such an one as themselves (Psa. 50:21). They are deceived about his holiness,
they do not realize it, that he is such a holy being as he indeed is, or that he
hates sin with such a hatred as he declares he does. They are not convinced of
his truth, or that he certainly will fulfill his threatenings or his
promises. They are not convinced of his justice in punishing sin, as he
does. They have very wrong notions of Christ. They are not convinced of
his ability to save them, or of the sufficiency of his sacrifice
and righteousness, nor of his willingness to receive them.
Men are commonly
subject to a great many errors about their duty. They are ready to bring
their principles to agree with their practices, instead of bringing their
practices to their principles, as they ought to do. They will put innumerable
false glosses on the rules of God’s Word, to bend them to a compliance with
their lusts. And so they “put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.”
They are subject to
deceits and delusions about the things of this world. They imagine that
there is happiness and satisfaction to be found in the profits, pleasures, and
honors, which are to be had here. They believe all the deluding flatteries and
promises of a vain world. And they will hold that deceit and grand delusion, that
these things are the highest good. And will act accordingly; will choose
these things for their portion. And they will hold and practice upon that error,
that these things are of long continuance, and are to be depended upon.
They are greatly
deceived about the things of another world. They undervalue that heavenly
glory, which is promised to the saints. And are not much terrified with what
they hear of the damnation of hell. They cannot realize it, that its torments
are so dreadful as they hear, and are very ready to imagine that they are not
eternal, but will some time or other have an end.
They are deceived
about the state of good men. They think they are not happy, but live a
melancholy life. And they are deceived about the wicked. They envy the
state of many of them as accounting them well off. “They call the proud happy
(Mal. 3:15), and bless the covetous, whom God abhors.” (Psa. 10:3). And they
strive a great deal more after such enjoyments as these have, than after such as
are the portion of the godly.
They are subject to
a thousand deceits and delusions about themselves. They think themselves
wise, when they are fools. They are deceived about their own hearts. They think
them much better than they really are. They think they see many good things in
themselves, when indeed there is nothing good there. They appear lovely in their
own eyes, when their hearts are like the inside of a grave, full of dead men’s
bones and rotten flesh, crawling worms, and all uncleanness. Or rather, the
inward vault of hell, that is a habitation of devils and every foul spirit.
Those things in their hearts are highly esteemed by them, which are an
abomination in the sight of God.
Men are very prone
to be deceived about their own state, to think themselves something when
they are nothing, and to suppose themselves “rich and increased in goods, and
to have need of nothing, when they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked.” They are greatly deceived about the principles they
act from. They think they are sincere in that in which there is no sincerity.
And that they do those things from love to God, which they do only from love to
themselves. They call mere speculative or natural knowledge, spiritual
knowledge; and put conscience for grace; a servile, for a childlike fear; and
common affections, that are only from natural principles, and have no abiding
effect, for high discoveries, and eminent actings of grace. Yea, it is common
with men to call their vicious dispositions by the name of some virtue. They
call their anger and malice, zeal for a righteous cause, or zeal for the public
good. And their covetousness, frugality.
They are vastly
deceived about their own righteousness. They think their affections and
performances lovely to God, which are indeed hateful to him. They think their
tears, reformations, and prayers, sufficient to make atonement for their sins,
when indeed if all the angels in heaven should offer themselves in sacrifice to
God, it would not be sufficient to atone for one of their sins. They think their
prayers and works, and religious doings a sufficient price to purchase God’s
favor and eternal glory. When, as they perform them, they do nothing but merit
hell.
They are greatly
deceived about their strength. They think they are able to mend their own
hearts, and work some good principles in themselves. When they can do no more
towards it, than a dead corpse does towards raising itself to life. They vainly
flatter themselves, they are able to come to Christ, when they are not. They are
greatly deceived about the stability of their own hearts. They foolishly
think their own intentions and resolutions of what good they will do hereafter,
to be depended on. When indeed there is no dependence at all to be had on them.
They are greatly deceived about their opportunities. They think that the
long continuance of their opportunity is to be depended on, and that tomorrow it
is to be boasted of. When indeed there is the utmost uncertainty of it. They
flatter themselves that they shall have a better opportunity to seek salvation
hereafter, than they have now. When there is no probability of it, but a very
great improbability.
They are greatly
deceived about their own actions and practices. Their own faults are
strangely hid from their eyes. They live in ways that are very unbecoming
Christians, but yet seem not to be at all sensible of it. Those evil ways of
theirs, which are very plain to others, are hid from them. Yea, those very
things, which they themselves account great faults in others, they will justify
themselves in. Those things for which they will be very angry with others, they
at the same time do themselves, and oftentimes in a much higher degree, and
never once think of it. While they are zealous to pull the mote out of their
brother’s eye, they know not that a beam is in their own eye.
Those sins that
they commit, which they are sensible are sins, they are woefully deceived about.
They call great sins, little ones. And in their own imaginations, find out many
excuses, which make the guilt very small, while the many heinous aggravations
are hid from their eyes. They are greatly deceived about themselves, when they
compare themselves with others. They esteem themselves better than their
neighbors, who are indeed much better than themselves. They are greatly deceived
about themselves, when they compare themselves with God. They are very
insensible of the difference there is between God and them, and act in many
things as if they thought themselves his equals. Yea, as if they thought
themselves above him. Thus manifold are the deceits and delusions that men fall
into.
II. The desperate
blindness that is natural to men appears in their being so ignorant and blind in
things that are so clear and plain. Thus if we consider how great God is,
and how dreadful sin against him must be, and how much sin we are guilty of, and
of what importance it is that his infinite Majesty should be vindicated; how
plain is it, that man’s righteousness is insufficient! And yet how greatly
will men confide in it! How will they ascribe more to it, than can be ascribed
to the righteousness of the sinless and glorious angels of heaven. What can be
more plain in itself, than that eternal things are of infinitely greater
importance than temporal things? And yet how hard is it thoroughly to convince
men of it! How plain is it, that eternal misery in hell is infinitely to be
dreaded! And yet how few appear to be thoroughly convinced of this! How plain is
it, that life is uncertain! And yet how much otherwise do most men think! How
plain is it, that it is the highest prudence in matters of infinite concern to
improve the first opportunity, without trusting to another! But yet how few are
convinced of this! How reasonable is it, considering that God is a wise and just
being, to suppose that there shall be a future state of rewards and punishments,
wherein every man shall receive according to his works! And yet, how does this
seem like a dream to most men!
What can be in
itself more plain and manifest, and easily to be known by us, if it were not for
a strange blindness, than we are to ourselves, who are always with, never absent
from ourselves; always in our own view, before our own eyes; who have
opportunity to look into our own hearts, and see all that passes there? And yet
what is there that men are more ignorant of, than they are of themselves! There
are many vicious practices, the unlawfulness of which is very plain, the sins
are gross, and contrary not only to the Word of God, but to the light of nature.
And yet men will often plead, there is no harm in such sins. Such as, many acts
of gross uncleanness; and many acts of fraud, injustice and deceitfulness; and
many others that might be mentioned.
There is no one
thing whatsoever more plain and manifest, and more demonstrable, than the being
of a God. It is manifest in ourselves, in our own bodies and souls, and in
everything about us wherever we turn our eye, whether to heaven, or to the
earth, the air, or the seas. And yet how prone is the heart of man to call this
into question! So inclined is the heart of man to blindness and delusion, that
it is prone to even atheism itself.
III. The great
blindness of the heart of man appears, in that so little a thing will
deceive him, and confound his judgment. A little self-interest, or only the bait
of some short gratification of a sensual appetite, or a little stirring of
passion, will blind men’s eyes, and make them argue and judge most strangely
and perversely, and draw the most absurd conclusion, such as, if they were
indifferent, they would see to be most unreasonable. The devil finds easy work
to deceive them a thousand ways; an argument of the great weakness and blindness
of our minds. As a little child, weak in understanding, is very easily deceived.
IV. The woeful
blindness that possesses the hearts of men naturally, appears in their being all
totally ignorant of that in God, which they had most need to know; viz.
the glory and excellency of his nature. Though our faculties, which we
have above the beasts, were chiefly given us that we might know this, and though
without this knowledge all other will signify nothing to us, and our faculties
are as capable of it, as of any other knowledge whatsoever — and which is as
plainly and abundantly manifested as anything whatsoever, innumerable ways, both
in the word and works of God — yet all men naturally are totally ignorant of
this. As ignorant as one born blind is of colors. Natural men of the greatest
abilities and learning, are as ignorant of it as the weakest and the most
unlearned. Yea, as ignorant as the very stocks and stones. For they see, and can
see nothing at all of it.
V. It appears, in
that they are so blind in those same things in religious matters, which
they are sufficiently sensible of in other matters. In temporal things they are
very sensible that it is a point of prudence to improve the first opportunity in
things of great importance. But in matters of religion, which are of infinitely
the greatest importance, they have not this discernment. In temporal matters
they are sensible that it is a great folly long to delay and put off, when life
is in danger, and all depends upon it. But in the concerns of their souls, they
are insensible of this truth. So in the concerns of this world, they are
sensible it is prudence to improve times of special advantage, and to embrace a
good offer when made them. They are sensible that things of long continuance are
of greater importance, than those of short duration. Yet in religious concerns,
none of these things are sensibly discerned. In temporal things they are
sufficiently sensible, that it is a point of prudence to lay up for hereafter,
in summer to lay up for winter, and to lay up for their families, after they are
dead. But men do not generally discern the prudence of making a proper provision
for a future state. — In matters of importance in this world, they are
sensible of the wisdom of taking thorough care to be on sure grounds. But in
their soul’s concerns they see nothing of this. Our Savior observed this to be
the case with the Jews when he was upon earth. “Ye hypocrites, ye can discern
the face of the sky, and of the earth: but how is it that ye do not discern this
time?” (Luke 12:56)
VI. The desperate
blindness that naturally possesses the hearts of men under the gospel, appears
in their remaining so stupidly insensible and deceived, under so great
means of instruction and conviction. If they were brought up under heathenish
darkness, it would not be so full a demonstration of it. But thus they remain,
though under the clearest light, under the glorious light of the gospel, where
they enjoy God’s own instructions in his word, in a great fullness and
plainness, and have the evidence and truth of things set before them from time
to time in the plainest manner. They have the arguments of God’s being and
perfection, and of another world. They are told how eternal things are of
greater importance than temporal, and of what importance it is to escape eternal
misery. How much it is worth while to take pains for heavenly glory, and how
vain their own righteousness is. But yet to what little purpose!
And they have not
only great means of instruction in God’s Word, but also in providence. They
have the evidence of the shortness and uncertainty of life. “He seeth that
wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their
wealth to others.” Yet “their inward thought is, that their houses shall
continue for ever, and their dwelling-places to all generations: they call their
lands after their own names. nevertheless man being in honor, abideth not: he is
like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity
approve their sayings.” They find the world is vain and unsatisfactory. They
find the great instability and treachery of their own hearts, and how their own
good intentions and resolutions are not to be depended on. They often find by
experience that their attempts to make them better, fail. But, alas! With what
small effect!
Such abundant
evidence is there, both in what appears in the open profession of men,
and also by what is found in their inward experience, and is evident
in their practice, of the extreme and brutish ignorance and blindness,
which naturally possess their hearts.
SECTION IV
Practical
inferences and application of the subject.
HAVING shown how
the truth of the doctrine is evident, both by what appears in men’s open
profession, and by those things which are found by inward
experience, and are manifest by what is visible in men’s practice,
I proceed to improve the subject.
I. By this we may
see how manifest are the ruins of the fall of man. It is
observable in all the kinds of God’s creatures that we behold, that they have
those properties and qualities, which are every way proportioned to their end.
So that they need no more, they stand in need of no greater degree of
perfection, in order well to answer the special use for which they seem to be
designed. The brute creatures, birds, beasts, fishes, and insects, though there
be innumerable kinds of them, yet all seem to have such a degree of perception
and perfection given them, as best suits their place in the creation, their
manner of living, and the ends for which they were made. There is no defect
visible in them. They are perfect in their kind. There seems to be nothing
wanting, in order to their filling up their allotted place in the world. And
there can be no reasonable doubt but that it was so at first with mankind. It is
not reasonable to suppose, that God would make many thousands of kinds of
creatures in this lower world, and one kind the highest of them all, to be the
head of the rest, and that all the rest should be complete in their kinds, every
way endowed with such qualifications as are proportioned to their use and end.
And only this most noble creature of all, left exceeding imperfect, notoriously
destitute of what he principally stands in need of to answer the end of his
being. The principal faculty by which God has distinguished this noble creature
from the rest, is his understanding. But would God so distinguish man in his
creation from other creatures, and then seal up that understanding with such an
extreme blindness, as to render it useless, as to the principal ends of it, and
wholly to disenable him from answering the ends of an intelligent creature, and
to make his understanding rather a misery than a blessing to him, and rendering
him much more mischievous than useful? Therefore, if the Scripture had not told
us so, yet we might safely conclude, that mankind are not now, as they were made
at first. But that they are in a fallen state and condition.
II. From what has
been said, plainly appears the necessity of divine revelation. The
deists deny the Scripture to be the Word of God, and hold that there is no revealed
religion, that God has given mankind no other rule but his own reason, who
is sufficient, without any word or revelation from heaven, to give man a right
understanding of divine things, and of his duty. But how is it proved in fact?
How much trial has there been, whether man’s reason, without a revelation,
would be sufficient or not! The whole world, excepting one nation, had the trial
till the coming of Christ. And was not this long enough for trial, whether
man’s reason alone was sufficient to instruct him? Those nations, who all that
time lay in such gross darkness, and in such a deplorable helpless condition,
had the same natural reason that the deists have. And during this time, there
was not only one man, or a succession of single persons, that had the trial,
whether their own reason would be sufficient to lead them to the knowledge of
the truth. But all nations, who all had the same human faculties that we have.
If human reason is really sufficient, and there be no need of anything else, why
has it never proved so? Why has it never happened, that so much as one nation,
or one city or town, or one assembly of men, have been brought to tolerable
notions of divine things, unless it be by the revelation contained in the
Scriptures? If it were only one nation that had remained in such darkness, the
trial might not be thought so great, because one particular people might be
under some disadvantages, which were peculiar. But thus it has been with all
nations, except those which have been favored with the Scriptures, and in all
ages. Where is any people, who to this day have ever delivered themselves by
their own reason, or have been delivered without light fetched from the
Scriptures, or by means of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
If human reason is
sufficient without the Scripture, is it not strange that, in these latter ages
— since navigation has been so improved, and America and many other parts of
the world have been discovered, which were before unknown — no one nation has
anywhere been found already enlightened, and possessed of true notions about the
Divine Being and his perfections, by virtue of that human reason they have been
possessed of so many thousand years? The many poor, barbarous nations here, in
America, had the faculty of reason to do what they pleased with, before
the Europeans came hither, and brought over the light of the gospel. If human
reason alone was sufficient, it is strange, that no one people were found, in
any corner of the land, who were helped by it, in the chief concern of man.
There has been a
great trial, as to what men’s reason can do without divine help, in those
endless disputes that have been maintained. If human reason alone could help
mankind, it might be expected that these disputes would have helped them, and
have put an end to men’s darkness. The heathen philosophers had many hundreds
of years to try their skill in this way. But all without effect. That divine
revelation, which the church of God has been possessed of, has been in the world
“as a light shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19) It is the only remedy
which God has provided for the miserable, brutish blindness of mankind, a remedy
without which this fallen world would have sunk down forever in brutal barbarism
without any remedy. It is the only means that the true God has made successful
in his providence, to give the nations of the world the knowledge of himself;
and to bring them off from the worship of false gods.
If human reason be
the only proper means, the means that God has designed for enlightening
mankind, is it not very strange, that it has not been sufficient, nor has
answered this end in any one instance? All the right speculative
knowledge of the true God, which the deists themselves have, has been derived
from divine revelation. How vain is it to dispute against fact, and the
experience of so many thousand years! And to pretend that human reason is
sufficient without divine revelation, when so many thousand years’ experience,
among so many hundreds of nations of different tempers, circumstances, and
interests, has proved the contrary! One would think all should acknowledge, that
so long a time is sufficient for a trial, especially considering the miseries
that the poor nations of the world have been under all this while, for want of
light: the innumerable temporal calamities and miseries — such as
sacrificing children, and many other cruelties to others, and even to themselves
— besides that eternal perdition, which we may reasonably suppose to be
the consequence of such darkness.
III. This doctrine
should make us sensible, how great a mercy it is to mankind, that God has
sent his own Son into the world, to be the light of the world. — The
subject shows what great need we stand in of some teacher to be sent from
God. And even some of the wiser men among the heathen saw the need
of this. They saw that they disputed and jangled among themselves without coming
to a satisfying discovery of the truth; and hence they saw, and spoke of, the
need there was of a teacher sent from heaven. And it is a wonderful
instance of divine mercy that God has so beheld us in our low estate, as
to provide such a glorious remedy. He has not merely sent some created angel
to instruct us, but his own Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, and
of the same nature and essence with him. And therefore infinitely better
acquainted with him, and more sufficient to teach a blind world. He has sent him
to be the light of the world, as he says of himself, “I am come a light into
the world.” (John 12:46) When he came, he brought glorious light. It was like
the day-spring from on high, visiting a dark world, as Zacharias observes (Luke
1:77, 78, 79). After Christ came, then the glorious gospel began to spread
abroad, delivering those “that had sitten in darkness, and in the region of
the shadow of death.”
What reason have we
to rejoice, and praise God, that he has made such excellent provision for us,
and has set so glorious a sun in our firmament, such a “Sun of
righteousness,” after we had extinguished the light which at first enlightened
us, and had, as it were, brought the world into that state, in which it was when
“without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of it.” (Jer. 4:22,
23) — The glory of that light which God has sent into the world is fully
answerable to the grossness of that darkness which filled it. For Christ who
came to enlighten us is truth and light itself, and the fountain of all light.
“He is the light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
IV. Hence we may
learn, what must be the thing which will bring to pass those glorious days of
light, which are spoken of in God’s Word. — Though mankind be fallen into
such darkness, and the world be mostly in the kingdom of darkness; yet the
Scripture often speaks of a glorious day, wherein light shall fill the
earth. “For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon
thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of
thy rising.” (Isa. 60:2, 3.) “And he will destroy in this mountain, the face
of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all
nations.” (Isa. 25:7) “The knowledge of God shall fill the earth, as the
waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9)
By what we have
heard, we may on good grounds conclude, that whenever this is accomplished, it
will not be effected by human learning, or by the skill or wisdom of great men.
What has been before observed of this learned age, is a presumptive evidence of
it, wherein spiritual darkness increases with the increase of learning. God will
again make foolish the wisdom of this world. And will, as it were, say in his
providence, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of
this world?”
When this shall be
accomplished, it will be by a remarkable pouring out of God’s own Spirit,
with the plain preaching of the gospel of his Son, the preaching of the
spiritual, mysterious doctrines of Christ crucified, which to the learned men of
this world are foolishness. Those doctrines, which are the stumbling-block of
this learned age. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the
Lord of hosts.” It will not be by the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but by
the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Not by the wisdom of this world,
nor by the princes of this world, that come to nought. But by the gospel, that
contains the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which none of
the princes of this world, who have nothing to enlighten them but their own
learning, know anything of.
The Spirit of God,
who searches all things, even the deep things of God, must reveal it. For let
natural men be never so worldly wise and learned, they receive not the things of
the Spirit. They are foolishness to them. Nor can they know them, because they
are spiritually discerned. This great effect, when it is accomplished, will be a
glorious effect indeed. And it will be accomplished in such a manner, as most
remarkably to show it to be the work of God, and his only. It will be a more
glorious work of God than that which we read of in the beginning of Genesis.
“And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of
the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters: and God said,
Let there be light, and there was light.” (Gen. 1:2, 3)
V. Hence we may
learn the misery of all such persons, as are under the power of that darkness
which naturally possesses their hearts. There are two degrees of this misery.
First,
that of which all who are in a natural condition are the subjects. The doctrine
shows that all such as are in a natural condition, are in a miserable condition.
For they are in an extremely dark and blind condition. It is uncomfortable
living in darkness. What a sorrowful state would we all be in, if the sun should
no more rise upon us, and the moon were to withdraw her shining, and stars to be
put out, and we were to spend the rest of our time in darkness! The world would
soon perish in such darkness. It was a great plague in Egypt, when they had a
total darkness for three days. They who are deprived of sight, are deprived of
the most noble of the senses. They have no benefit of eternal light, one of the
most excellent and needful of all the things which God has made in the visible
creation. But they who are without spiritual sight and light, are destitute of
that which is far more excellent and necessary.
That natural men
are not sensible of their blindness, and the misery they are under by
reason of it, is no argument that they are not miserable. For it is very much
the nature of this calamity to be hid from itself, or from those who are under
it. Fools are not sensible of their folly. Solomon says, “the fool is wiser in
his own conceit, than seven men that can render a reason.” (Pro. 26:16) The
most barbarous and brutish heathens are not sensible of their own darkness, are
not sensible but that they enjoy as great light, and have as good understanding
of things, as the most enlightened nations in the world.
Second,
another degree of this misery is of those who are judicially given up of God, to
the blindness of their own minds. The Scripture teaches us that there are some
such. “What then; Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the
election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” (Rom. 11:7) “But
their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken
away.” (2 Cor. 3:14) “And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed,
and understand not; and see ye indeed, and perceive not. Make the heart of this
people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert
and be healed.” (Isa. 6:6, 10) This judgment, when inflicted, is commonly for
the contempt and abuse of light which has been offered, for the commission of
presumptuous sins, and for being obstinate in sin, and resisting the Holy Ghost,
and many gracious calls and counsels, warnings and reproofs.
Who the particular
persons are, that are thus judicially given up of God to the blindness of their
minds, is not known to men. But we have no reason to suppose that there are not
multitudes of them, and most in places of the greatest light. There is no manner
of reason to suppose that this judgment, which is spoken of in Scripture, is in
a great measure peculiar to those old times. As there were many who fell
under it in the times of the prophets of old, and of Christ and his apostles. So
doubtless there are now also. And though the persons are not known, yet
doubtless there may be more reason to fear it concerning some than others. All
who are under the power of the blindness of their own minds are miserable. But
such as are given up to this blindness, are especially miserable. For they are
reserved, and sealed over to the blackness of darkness forever.
SECTION V
Address to
sinners.
THE consideration
of what has been said of the desperate blindness which possesses the hearts of
us all naturally, may well be terrifying to such as are yet in a Christless
condition, in this place of light, where the gospel has been so long enjoyed,
and where God has in times past so wonderfully poured out his Spirit.
And let such
persons, for their awakening, consider the following things:
First,
that they are blinded by the god of this world. Their blindness is from hell.
This darkness which natural men are under, is from the prince of darkness. This
the apostle says expressly of those who remain in unbelief and blindness under
the gospel. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost; in
whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not.”
(2 Cor. 4:3, 4) They belong to the kingdom of darkness. In that darkness which
reigns in their souls, the devil reigns. And he holds his dominion there.
Second,
consider how God in his word manifests his abhorrence and wrath towards those
who remain so sottishly blind and ignorant, in the midst of light. How does God
speak of them! “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?” (Psa. 14:4)
“Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people
that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Unto whom I sware
in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.” (Psa. 95:10, 11) “The
ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know,
my people doth not consider. Ah, sinful nation! — they have provoked the Holy
One of Israel unto anger.” (Isa. 1:3, 4) “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.” (Isa. 27:10, 11) “My people is
foolish, they have not known me, they are sottish children, and they have no
understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have non
knowledge.” (Jer. 4:22) “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it
in the house of Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without
understanding, which have eyes and see not, which have ears and hear not. Fear
ye not ME, saith the Lord; will ye not tremble at MY presence?” (Jer. 5:20,
21, 22)
Third,
consider how much willfulness there is in your ignorance. Sinners are
ready wholly to excuse themselves in their blindness; whereas, as observed
already, the blindness that naturally possesses the hearts of men, is not a
merely negative thing. But they are blinded by “the deceitfulness of sin.”
(Heb. 3:13) There is a perverseness in their blindness. There is not a mere
absence of light, but a malignant opposition to the light. As God says, “they
know not, neither will they understand, they walk on in darkness.” (Psa. 82:5)
Christ observes, “that every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light.” And that “this is their condemnation, that light is
come into the world, yet men loved darkness rather than light.” (John 3:19,
20) And I may appeal to your own consciences, whether you have no willfully
rejected the many instructions you have had, and refused to hearken? Whether you
have not neglected to seek after the light, and neglected your Bible? Whether
you have not been a very negligent hearer of the word preached, and neglected
other proper means of knowledge? Whether you have not neglected to cry to God
for that wisdom which you need? Yea, have you not resisted the means of
knowledge? Have you not resisted and quenched the motions of the Spirit, which
at times you have had? And taken a course to make yourself more and more stupid,
by stifling the convictions of your own conscience, and doing contrary to the
light thereof; whereby you have done those things that have tended to sear your
conscience, and make yourself more and more senseless and sottish?
Fourth,
consider what is the course that God will take to teach those who will not be
taught by the instructions of his word. He will teach them by briers and thorns,
and by the flames of hell. Though natural men will remain to all eternity
ignorant of the excellency and loveliness of God’s nature, and so will have no
spiritual knowledge; yet God in another world will make them thoroughly to
understand many things, which senseless unawakened sinners are sottishly
ignorant of in this world. Their eyes in many respects shall be thoroughly
opened in hell. Their judgments will be rectified. They shall be of the same
judgment with the godly. They shall be convinced of the reality of those
things which they would not be convinced of here: as the being of God, his
power, holiness, and justice, that the Scriptures are the Word of God, that
Christ is the Son of God, and that time is short and uncertain. They will be
convinced of the vanity of the world, of the blessed opportunity they had in the
world, and how much it is men’s wisdom to improve their time. We read of the
rich man, who was so sottishly blind in this world, that “in hell he lift up
his eyes, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:23)
With many men, alas! the first time they open their eyes is in hell.
God will make all
men to know the truth of those great things which he speaks of in his word, one
way or another. For he will vindicate his own truth. He has undertaken to
convince all men. They who will not be convinced in this world, by the gentle
and gracious methods which God uses with them now, shall be convinced hereafter
by severe means. If they will not be convinced for salvation, they shall be
convinced by damnation. God will make them know that he is the Lord. And he will
make them know that he bears rule. “Consume them in wrath, that they may not
be; and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth.” (Psa.
59:13) “Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put to
shame, and perish. That men may know that thou, whose name is Jehovah, art the
Most High over all the earth.” (Psa. 83:17, 18)
What great care we
had need all have, that we be not deceived in matters of religion. If our hearts
are all naturally possessed with such an extreme brutish ignorance and blindness
in things of religion, and we are exceedingly prone to delusion, then surely
great care ought to be taken to avoid it. For that we are naturally prone to
delusion, shows our danger. But the greater our danger of any calamity is, the
greater had our watchfulness need to be. — Let us therefore be hence warned to
take heed that we be not deceived about our duty, about our own hearts, about
our ways, about our state, and about our opportunities. Thousands are deceived
in these things, and thousands perish by that means. Multitudes fall on our
right hand and on our left, and are ruined eternally by their delusion in these
things.
How foolish a thing
it is for men to lean to their own understanding, and trust their own hearts. If
we are so blind, then our own wisdom is not to be depended on, and that advice
of the wise man is most reasonable. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
and lean not to thine own understanding.” (Pro. 3:5) “And he that trusteth
in his own heart, is a fool.” (Pro. 28:26) — They therefore are fools, who
trust to their own wisdom, and will question the mysterious doctrines of
religion, because they cannot see through them, and will not trust to the
infinite wisdom of God.
Let us therefore
become fools. Be sensible of our own natural blindness and folly. There is a
treasure of wisdom contained in that one sentence; “If any man among you
seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”
(1 Cor. 3:18) Seeing our own ignorance, and blindness, is the first step towards
having true knowledge. “If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth
nothing yet as he ought to know.” (1 Cor. 8:2)
Let us ask wisdom
of God. If we are so blind in ourselves, then knowledge is not to be sought for
out of our own stock, but must be sought from some other source. And we have no
where else to go for it, but to the fountain of light and wisdom. True wisdom is
a precious jewel. And none of our fellow-creatures can give it us, nor can we
buy it with any price we have to give. It is the sovereign gift of God. The way
to obtain it is to go to him sensible of our weakness, and blindness, and misery
on that account. “If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” (Jam. 1:5).
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's Jonathan Edwards Collection by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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