Love of the Truth as it in Jesus is the ready way to be judicially hardened and blinded and to be given up by the holy God to believe Lies that we may be damn'd 2 Thes 2. 10 11. If you read the Scriptures in the margent you will plainly see that Gods judicial Mat. 13. 14 Mark 4. 12 Acts 28. 26 27. giving over this People to blindness c. was consequent to their sinful stopping of their Ears shutting of their Eyes and sinning against the light of the Word of their own Consciences received from it It is dreadful sinning against the Light of Conscience which is Gods spy and Mans Overseer and the Light of the holy Word for this cause many are blinded and judicially hardened by God the Judge of all God hath given them says St. Paul the Spirit of slumber Eyes that they should not see and Rom. 11. 8. 9. Ears that they should not hear unto this day Quest But who are they that thus sin against Light The Light of the Word and of Conscience which so highly provoke God to anger against them Answer First They are such as sin after the many Warnings and Admonitions given them by God in his holy Word God's Trumpet viz. his Word is blown in Sinners ears dayly which calls them to retreat and break off from sin God saith My Son if Sinners intice you if they would Prov. 1. 10 11. have partake with them in their Sins consent thou not give no way to them nor to their Temptations they that sin with others must look to suffer with others in their plagues without true Repentance They that like Simeon and Lovi Brethren in Iniquity shall also be Brethren in Misery Therefore says God enter not into the Path of the wicked go not in the way of evil Prov. 4. 14. 15. 16 17. Men Avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away for they sleep not except they have done Mischief and they eat the Bread of Wickedness c. Oh! how cautelous is this Caution to have a Care of sin and of being led away by the Wicked into the evil Ways of it Forsake says God the way of the 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Foolish and walk in the way of Vnderstanding and come out from amongst them and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be your God and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord. Sinners You cannot plead Ignorance as an Excuse for your sins who live under the Gospel You have heard the Word of God preached often by a many of Gods Servants which call you to break off Sin by Repentance to plow up the fallow Ground of your Hearts and not sow among Thorns lest the Fury of the Jer. 4. 3 4. Lord come forth like Fire and none can quench it because of the evil of your Doings The Word calls you to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lust and to live sâ—berly righteously and Tit. 2. 11. 12. godly in this present World You have you Wretches been told often of Sin and warned against it and yet you will venter upon it You have been told of your Pride and Malice and Swearing calling God to damn your Souls and of your Drunkenness and Sabboth-Breaking and yet you live in these Tim. 3. 13. 1 Tim. 6. â— 12. Sins This is indeed to sin against Light Oh! have a Care you provoke not God to give you up to blindness of Mind to deceive and to be deceived Flee these things and follow after Righteousness and Godliness Faith Patience Love and Meekness But 2 dly Such sins against Light c. as Live in the total neglect of those Holy duties which God calls for and that they know well they should be found in the practice of You have been told often that Gal. 4. 2. 1 Thes 5. 19 20. you ought to Pray to continue in Prayer and to Pray alwayes that is always to have your hearts in a praying frame for God and yet you Live in the neglect of it there are many prayerless persons who mind not this Work which is their priviledge as well as duty You have been told also that it is your duty to hear God's Word often and to live the Sermons in your Lives which you hear with your Ears out of the Pulpit and to read the Scriptures much which are able to make you Wise unto Salvation But Oh! how is this Work neglected by many if they do hear and read now and then they mind it not but cast the Word of God behind them What wretches are these not to mind what the Great King of Heaven and Earth says to them I have called says God but they have Prov. â— 25 29. refused and have set at nought all my Counsels and would not be reprov'd by me they hate knowledge and have not chose the Lord this is matter of Lamentation and it shall be for a Lamentation that the great God should call after sorry sinful man and he refuse to hear and regard Is not this provoking what will God do to such Will he let them go unpunished No he 'll lay his Ireful Rod upon them and Laugh when their Calamity comes Many are convinc'd that it is their Ver. 27. 28. duty to pray in their Families and yet can go Days Weeks and Months without it and God never hear of them I fear many professors are guilty in this point let me tell you in the Name and Fear of the dreadful God that these are dreadful sins and a ready way to bring Gods Curse down upon you Pour out says the Prophet thy Fury upon Jer. 10. ult the Heathen and the Families which call not upon thy Name Here Heathens and prayerless Families and Persons are reckoned together as being nothing better than they Think often upon that word of the Apostle He that knoweth to do good and doth it not to Jam. 4. 18. him it is a sin But 3 dly Such persons sin greatly against Light that Live in the practise of those sins which they condemn in others it is the trick of Hypocrites and wicked Men to condemn that in others which they allow and practise themselves But what saith Paul to such kind of men Art thou inexcuseable Rom. â— 1 2 3. O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou Condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things But we are sure says he that the Judgment of God is according to Truth against such as commit such things thinkest thou this O man That judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the Judgment of God Seneca wrote against Superstitions and the Superstitious and yet worship'd Images himself Many condemn that as sinful in others which they allow in themselves is not this to sin against Light Let such persons have a care they be not left of God
of Man bringeth a Sword The Pharisees not being able to get any thing out of his Parents calls for the Man that was blind and said unto him give God the Praise for me know that this Man is a Sinner Thus Ver. 24. far they spake well for the Man had great Cause to praise God by whose Power exerted by Christ his Son he had received his sight But the Design of these Wretches was to vilifie Christ in thro' and by whom God the Father is glorify'd They told the poor Man that Christ had cured that he which had opened his Eyes was a sinner here they maliciously defamed Christ affirming that he was not only a Sinner but a notorious scandalous Sinner Well says the poor Man whether he be a sinner or no Ver. 25. I know not but this I know that whereas I was blind now I see They could not by all their Skill cause the Man to deny the Miracle wrought he stood stoutly to affirm that he was born blind and that Christ whom they said was a Sinner had cured him Upon this they reviled him and said thâ—u art one of his Disciples but we are Moses's Ver. 27. 28. Disciples Here they oppose Christ and Moses whereas Moses was but the Type Christ the Antype they spoke honourably of Moses but revilingly of Christ who was above him calling him Fellow and said they knew not whence he was They might have Ver. 29. known that he was from God for he did those things which never Man did and could not be effected by any thing less than by a divine Power but their Eyes were blinded and their Hearts judiciously hardned as a just Judgement for their wilful shutting their Eyes and rejecting of Christ the Son of God They studied all they could to â—hut out the Light by which they should have seen and known from whence Christ was The poor Man marvelled at their Ignorance and blindness in not knowing from whence Christ was since he had done Ver. 30. such a great thing as to open the Eyes of one that was born blind He goes on to prove Ver. 31. that Christ came from Heaven and was sent of God As yet this poor Man did not apprehend Note that Christ had opened his eyes by an immediate divine Power but that he was a Prophet sent of God who by his Power and Authority had opened his eyes if this Man were not of God that is if he had not Ver. 32 33. some special Power and Authority from God and some special Presence of God with him he could do nothing that is nothing of this Nature to open the eyes of one born blind this is a work as if he had said that is beyond the Power of Man and beyond that Power that we read God did ever betrust any Man with therefore he must be from God upon this they excommunicated him casting him out of Communion with the Jewish Ver. 34. Church But 3 ldy Christ upon this their dealing thus with the Man Meets him and Reveals himself more fully to him from the 35 th to 39. Jesus heard that they had cast Him out and when he had found Him whether casually or Ver. 35. by diligent searching for Him is not said He said unto him dost thou Believe on the Son of God art thou ready truely to Embrace Me the Saviour of Lost Sinners who am not onely the Son of Man but the Son of Ver. 36. God The poor man as yet being ignorant of Christs God head said who is he Lord that I may Believe on him As if he had said Lord I am ready to Believe on him and give up my self in Obedience to him Ver. 37. may I but know who he is Jesus said unto him thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee As if Christ had said I am here thou hast not onely seen him with the Eyes of thy Body but thou hast had Experience of his Divine Power in opening thine Eyes who werâ— Blind Miracles do not work faith but Confirm it This poor blind man had experienc'd a Miracle wrought upon himself but yet he was unbelieving till Christ gave him the Revelation of his Word and so reveal'd himself more fully to him Upon this the man's Faith was Terminated and Confirm'd in Christ he said Lord I believe Now is the work of faith wrought with Power in his heart He said Lord I acknowledge and receive thee as the Son of God I am fully perswaded thou art more than a meer man I do give up my self to thee to be rul'd and govern'd by thee as my Lord And says the Text he Worshiped him He fell down Ver. 38. upon his face before him and as a Testimony of his Faith in Him as the Son of God he perform'd some external Act of Adoration to Him But lastly Christ upbraids the Jews for their blindness and unbelief from the 39 to the end The Pharisees being with Christ Ver. 39. when he said For Judgment I am come into this World that they which see not might Ver. 40. see c. Said unto him Are we blind also They began to be angry being proud and not patient to be thought or called blind They look'd upon themselves as the Greatest Lights in the Jewish Church Now says Christ in answer to the Inquiry Are we blind also If you were blind you should have no sin that is if your Ignorance of me or of my Gospel where simple and not affected which is the worst of Ignorance you should not have so much sin as you have upon you but now ye say we see your sin remaineth Since you are opinionated Ver. 41. Note that you see and boast of your Knowledge in the Law as if you were the only Persons that saw or knew any thing and upon this Presumption Reject me and the Doctrine of Salvation your sin remaineth and is not pardon'd to you Whence observe that without a true saving sight of sin which carrys the Soul Note out of its self to Christ for Pardon and Remedy There is no hope of Pardon from all the Mercy that is in God Thus I have brought you to the words of my Text which are big with Mercy and Judgement in which words you have these three parts viz. First the Person speaking and that is The parts of the Text. Jesus Christ And Jesus said These words dropt out of the Sweet Mouth and Lips of Christ who Taught not as the Scribes Matt. 7. ult 29. but as one having Authority 2dly The persons spoken to namely the Jews and Pharisees a Wise and Learned Rom. 2. 19 20. 21. People in the Law they boasted of their Wisdom and Goodness when indeed they were Blind and Ignorant and in a miserable condition Whence observe that peoples Note opinion of themselves may be better than their states are Solomon tells us of some that
are pure in their own eyes and yet Pro. 30. 12. were not wash'd from their filthyness Many think and flatter themselves that they are Rich and full and have need of nothing and know not that they are Poor Rev. 3. 15 16. and Blind Naked Wretched and Miserable Thus many deceive themselves and put a dreadful cheat upon their precious Souls But 3dly you have the predicate or thing spoken of by Christ to this People in these words For Judgmemt I am come into this World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made Blind a startling and a wakening Word Before I lay down the Proposition I must a little open the word Judgment in the Text which will give great Light into it Judgment is taken many ways in the Holy Scripture 1st It is sometimes taken for the Just Statutes and Holy Commandements of God Ps 19. 9. the Judgments of the Lord says Ps 19. 9. David are Pure and Righteous altogether 2dly For punishments Inflicted upon Christ by God for our sins which we must have suffer'd in Hell had not he born them for us on Earth Acts. 8 and 33. In his Humiliation his Judgment was taken away and who can declare his Generation By humiliation here is meant the Grave and the bands of Death which Christ suffer'd and lay under for our Sins and by Judgment is meant the Hand says one and Counsels of God justly afflicting and punishing his Son our Surety for our Sins and sakes but this is not meant in our Text. 3dly It is taken sometimes for the moderation or measure which God keeps in Chastizing of his People O Lord Correct me says the Prophet but with Judgment let it be with measure and moderation not in thine Jer. 10. 24. Anger lest thou bring me to nothing God hath not ty'd himself not to Afflict his people he will debate with them but it shall be in measure he keeps time and measure with his in afflicting of them so that they cannot enter into Judgment with God But 4th for the Wrath and Vengeance of God which he Mat. 8. 28. will Execute upon Wicked Men at the last day the Lord says the Apostle will Come Jude 5. 15. with Ten thousand of his Saints to do what To Execute Judgment upon all that are Ungodly c. The day of Judgment will be a passing of an Irrevocable Sentence and Condemnation upon all that shall then be found Enemies to Christ and his Pure Gospel But lastly It is also sometimes taken for the Spirit of Wisdom and Justice to know and discern what is Right what is wrong what is Good and what is Evil. Give the King says the Pfalmist thy Judgments and thy Righteousness Psal 72. 1 2. to the King's Son but neither of these senses are meant in the Text. Quest What is then meant by Judgment Answ 1st Some by Judgment here understand the Eternal Counsel and Decree of God as if Christ had said I am come into this World to Execute the Righteous Will and Counsels of my Father and the Event of it is this viz. that some who saw not see and some who see in a sense are made blind This I conceive is not primarily meant here 't is true Christ came into the World to do the Will of his Father and John 6. 38. 39. to Execute his Eternal Purposes of Grace in the Salvation of Sinners by his Death but yet I cannot think that this is meant primarily by Judgement here tho' some great Men would have it so But Secondly Others by Judgement here understand the Sentence of Condemnation as if Christ had said I am come to execute the Judgement of Condemnation but this is not meant by it for if you take it in this Sense you 'll find it hardly reconcileable with what is said John 3. 18. God sent not his John 10. 10. Son to condemn the World but that the World thro' him might have life Christ's first coming was not as a Judge but as a Saviour he came not in the days of his Flesh to condemn Sinners but by his Death and bloody Luke 19. 10. Agony to save them from Hell and Wrath I had rather Fall in and acquiesce with those Divines that by Judgment here understand the spiritual Government of the World by Christ committed to him as Mediator by Christ committed to him as Mediator by God his Father and managed by him with perfect Equity and Righteousness Thus Judgement is sometimes taken in Scripture The Father says Christ judgeth no man that is but by his Son for he has commited all John 5. 22. 16. 11. Judgements to him thus it is understood in my Text God governs and judges the World now by his Son Christ that all men may honour him as they honour the Father and great part of this Government of the World by Christ was his promulging and publishing his everlasting Gospel which is called the word of Life the Power of God Phil. 2. 15. Rom. 1. 16. to the saving of them that believe and the Law of Faith The Effect of this is twofold 1st That they which see not might see i. e. that those poor Souls who are spiritually blind and so utterly unable to see and find the way that leads to Life might thro' the Spirit as this Man born blind saw clearly be enlightned into the saving Knowledge of Christ and of the divine Truths of the Gospel The second Effect is and a dreadful one too that they which See might be made Blind that is that those who think they see and boast of their Knowledge as these did might through their prejudice to the Gospel Infidelity be more Blind than they were from their Birth There are two things signifi'd in making persons blind first to keep men from seeing and knowing the Truth when the Light of it is set before them this is a dreadful judgment and how many are there in this miserable case they have the Light of the Word shining in the midst of them and yet they discern it not The Bible is a sealed Book to many they know nothing savingly and feelingly of the truths and mysteries of the Gospel Their eyes are blinded Psal 69. 23. that tho' the Light shine they cannot behold it is not the case of such Souls dreadful to whom the Gospel is hid yes says Paul if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost But 2dly To make blind is to increase Ignorance for the great Abuse of former Knowledge and Light this happened to them spoken of by Paul 2 Thes 2. 11 12. For this Cause God shall send them 2 Cor. 4. 4. strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but have pleasure in Vnrighteousness This is a dreadful Judgement but what is the Cause of it Verse 10th tells you Because they
received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved By Truth is meant Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 1. 18. the saving Truth of the Gospel which is called the Word of Truth There is a Truth natural which the Heathens had and detained in Unrighteousness which brought Gods Wrath down from Heaven upon them There is a supernatural Truth from divine Revelation This is here meant the Abuse of which Truth highly provokes God to give up men judicially to the Delusions of Sin and the Devil and at last as the just Event and Effect of their rejecting the truth and believing Lies are damned These Wretches that receive not the Love of the truth are first punished with spiritual Judgments and then with eternal ones they are first blinded here judicially and then as the just Reward of their rejecting Christ the truth as it is in Jesus they are damn'd Having divided and opened the Text I shall lay down this one general Proposition viz. Doct. That God by Christ in just Judgment gives over such as are enemies to his Gospel to the Delusions of the Devil and their own Hearts to be hardned and blinded while others in Mercy are enlightned and converted by it That Gospel which makes the way of Salvation by Christ clear and evident to many souls who are in darkness and sit as in the shadow of Death to others thro' their Ignorance Prejudice and Malice and the righteous Judgment of God for their Perverseness and Infidelity proves a means to blind and harden their Hearts That Word and Gospel which to some is a Savour of Life unto Life to others thro' their Pride and Unbelief is a Savour of Death 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. unto Death In this sense these words agree with what was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah He shall be for a sanctuary Isaiah 8. 14 15. speaking of Christ but for a stone of stumbling and for a Rock of Offence to both the Houses of Israel For a Gin and for a Snare to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken snared Luke 2. 34. and taken And with the words of good old Simeon to Mary the Mother of our Lord This Child is set says he for the Fall and Rising again of many in Israel and for a sign to be spoken against By the Fall and Rising again is here meant undoubtedly the Salvation and Damnation of many Christ will be the occasion of many Peoples Damnation even of all that reject him and his precious Gospel and believe not in him As Christ is the Cause of many Peoples Salvation even of all that believe and shall be saved Acts 4. 12. for there is no other Name by which men can be saved but by his So he is the Cause of their Damnation eventually and accedentually who oppose his Gospel and believes not in him for he that believeth not shall be damned This is the thing which Mark 16. 16. Christ tells us of in my Text and is spoken of by Paul Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of Offence whosoever believeth Rom. 9. 33. on him shall not be ashamed nor confounded For the opening of this weighty Point I shall first shew you what those sins are which provoke God and Christ to such a-degree as to blind and harden men by that means by which others are enlightened and softned Secondly Lay down some Conclusions for the better clearing up this great Truth Thirdly shew you how this stands with the Holiness and Goodness of God to give Men up to Blindness of Mind and Hardness of Heart to believe Lies that as Paul saith 2 Thes 2. 10 11. they may be damned Fourthly Then I shall sum up the whole with some practical Application O Lord God the Father of the Spirits of all Flesh help thy poor sinful Dust the meanest of all employed in thy Vineyard Give him thy holy Spirit and Wisdom from above to manage this great Point for thy Glory the good of Souls O! let him not darken Counsel by words without Knowledge but be led into all truth and cause it to shine transparently to the Convincing of the erroneous World the Conversion of sinners and the est ablishing thy Children in their most holy Faith c. for Jesus Christ's sake to whom with thy Self and eternal Spirit of Truth be Honour and Glory for ever Amen First I shall shew you what those sins are which provoke God to such a high degree as to give men over to Blindness under the Gospel Would you know what those sins are that provoke God to blind and harden many by the Word I 'll tell you in general They are sins against Knowledge and Light 1st Sins against the Light of Nature There are such sins which Paul speaks of that are of a provoking Nature and highly displeasing Rom. 1. 21 22. unto God When they knew God that is by the Light of Nature for the Light of the Word they had not as for his Judgements and his Statutes says the Psalmist they have not known them they glorified him Ps 147. 20. not as God but became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish Hearts were darkened These Heathens had the Light of Nature which was sufficient to let ' em know that there was a God and that He was not like a Man or a Beast or a creeping thing as they foolishly imagined for that which might be known of God is manifest Ver. 29. Ver. 20. in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen What is seen Even his eternal Power and Godhead But how is this seen and understood Why by the things that are made So that they are without Excuse the Heavens declare Gods Psal 19. 1 2. Ver. 23. Glory and the Firmament shews his handy Work Now this Light they abused and misimproved they changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and four footed Beasts thus they became vain in their own Imaginations For which cause God gave Ver. 24. them up to uncleanness thro' the Lusts of their own Hearts yea he gave them up to vile Affections and to a reprobate Mind or Ver. 26. to a mind void of Judgment to do those things which are not convenient Now if sins against the Light of Nature be of such an aggravating Nature as to provoke God to give up Persons to blindness of Mind What will sins against the Light of the Gospel do the greater the Light is that persons sin against the greater must their Sin be and the more provoking in the Sight of God Which brings me to the Second thing Namely sins against the Light of the Gospel these are great sin and provoke God highly to Anger to reject Christ and his Gospel and not receive the
to blindness of Mind and hardness of Heart One he Condemns for Covetousness and yet he is Covetous another for Pride and yet he is Proud such were these in my Text they said men must not commit Adultery and yet Rom. 2. 19. 20 to 24. they committed Adultery they pretended to abhor Idols and yet committed Sacriledge They taught that a man must not Steal and yet they Stole so while they boasted of the Law they became Transgressors of it and Dishonour'd God But 4 thly They sin against Light that sin against the express Threatnings of God in his Word against sin Hath not God said that to be sure your sins shall find you out i. e. the punishments due to you for them Has not the Lord said expresly that the Wicked Psal 9. 17. shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God and yet you go on as if God were but in jest and did not mean as he spake God hath thunder'd out his Judgments against Sin and Sinners he hath said that he will wound the Head of his Enemies and Psal 68. 21. the hairy Scalp of him that remaineth still in his sins And yet you go on and hold your sins fast tho' God sets the point of the Sword at your Breast yet you will go on in your sins and Rebellion against him Is not this think you to sin against Light doth not this argue that the pleasures of sin doth more delight and please you than the Threatnings of God afright you Are not many sinners like the Leviathan Job 41. 29. that Laughs at the shaking of the spear many Laugh when they hear of Hell but they will not when they come there there be many so bold that they deride Gods threatnings they say as them who draw Iniquity with Cords of Vanity Let him Isaiah 5. 19 20. make speed and hasten his work that we may see it c. As if they had said we have heard that God will do much against sinners and that his Judgments will Light upon them Why do not he do it We would fain see it Let the Counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it What wretches are these thus to deride Gods threatnings Let such vile ones remember this that for men to see Gods Flaming Sword as it were drawn against sin and sinners and yet strengthen themselves in sin is to sin against Light and Knowledg and the way highly to provoke God But Lastly such sin indeed against Light as sin after many Promises and Vows made against it How many have promised God fairly to amend and leave sin and yet they go on in it What says Solomon to such When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it For he hath no pleasure in fools pay that Eccl. 5. 4 5 6. which thou hast vow'd Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay Suffer not thy Mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin c. Many put God off with a many good morrows and fair promises to Repent and amend their-ways but mind not to perform'em A Vow is a religious promise What a Vow is made to God to dedicate our selves to him and to be for him and for no other but him Now how greatly do they sin that have not only purposed but promised to leave sin and yet they Live in it Every man that vows makes himself a debtor he binds himself to God in a solemn manner Now for a man to sin after a vow to vow himself to God and yet give himself to Sin and the Devil is to sin against Light with a witness Let men have a care what they do in this point and especially professors who have the vows of God upon them It is dangerous to Leave God when we have vow'd our selves to him Thus much for the first general 2dly I shall now lay down a few propositions for the better clearing of the Doctrine and they are these six following viz. First Prop. That God sometimes punisheth sin with sin for sin he gives men up often to be led Capuve by their base Lusts God gave them up says Paul to uncleanness Rom. 1. 24 26. thro' the Lust that were in their Hearts When men harden their hearts willfully God often hardens them judicially Pharaoh would not let Exod. 7. 3 4. the People go Well says God with he not let my Son go to serve me I will Harden his Heart that he shall not let them go c. They that will not Repent when God would have them but harden their Hearts and say they will do so again shall not have a Heart nor Grace to Repent to purpose when for Fear of Judgements they with Esau seek a place for Repentance It is a dreadful Judgment for God to Punish sin with sin But 2dly Spiritual Judgments of all on this Prop. 2. side Hell are the worst a Judicial Blindness of Mind and Hardness of Heart of all Rev. 22. 17 Hos 4. 19. Plagues are the worst For God to say Let him that is Filthy be Filthy still and he that is Unjust be Unjust still is very dreadful Spirit strive not with him any more he is joyn'd to Idols let him alone What can be more dreadful on this side Hell than for God to say Ez. 24. 13. to Sinners because when I have Purged thee thou wast not Purged thou shalt not be Purged from thy Filthiness till I cause my Fury to rest upon thee Spiritual Judgments and Plagues are the worst and that for these three Reasons First Reason is in respect the Subject upon whom they Fall and that is the Soul which Mat. 16. 26. is a rare and precious Jewel The Soul of Man is worth more than all the World for the World cannot with all its Riches save nor redeem it The Soul is a spiritual substance in Man Created by God the Father of Spirits which can exist when separated from the Body Now by how much the Soul What the Soul is Ecc. 12. 7. is better than the Body by so much must it be worse for the Soul to be afflicted as mercies to the Soul are the greatest so judgments upon it must be the greatest But 2dly Because these plagues are the greatest Evidences of Eternal Wrath What surer mark for Hell can there be than this for a Person judicially to be left of God here John 3. 36. and given up to Blindness of Mind to believe Lies is a sure mark of eternal ruine and destruction 3dly Spiritual judgments are the worst because they hinder and with-hold from us the best good which is God and Christ Now that which restrains and keeps from us the best and chief good without which our Souls cannot be happy must needs be the worst kinds of restraints and judgments What plagues are like those of Hardness of Heart a Spirit
of slumber taking away the gifts of the Mind and giving men over to the power of Satan and to the love of Sin with-holding that good by the Gospel which our Souls need and others in mercy enjoy But 3dly The sins of a Person and People may provoke God to curse their very Blessings Prop. 3. and cause those things which are Mercies in themselves to prove Judgments to them As for instance Rain is a great mercy to have the former and the latter Rain in Jer. 5. 24. its Season is no small Blessing Yet how has sin turn'd this into a Judgment to many In every drop of Rain there is an Ocean of Isa 42. 21 26. Wisdom Goodness and Mercy but sin often makes it a Judgement to many Fire is a Mercy Yet how often for sin has it been sent in a way of Judgement it overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and laid them in Mark 9. 43. Ashes for their sins How many dreadful Fires hath sin kindled in this Nation and City And there is one Fire kindled by it that will never go out and that is the Fire of Hell c. To have the Gospel is a great Mercy but how shall we escape if we refuse to hear Christ that speaketh in it and neglect Heb. 2. 3 12 25. so great a Salvation Sin provokes God to curse our blessings and turn them into Judgements If ye will not hear and if ye Mal. 2. 2 3. will not lay it to heart to give Glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Host I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your Blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to Heart Here is the Cause of the Curse and it is a Cause so just as they upon whom it falls have no Reason to complain of Gods too severe proceeding against them God beloved is the Author and Inflicter of all Judgements he sends his Curse for sin but especially for Amos 6 3. Corruptions in Religion and Contempt of his holy Word When God's Word and Gospel is heard and preached it must be Prov. 13. 13. Jam. 1. 22 23. Ps 119. 9. Luke 2. 19 Heb. 6. 8. attended upon and obeyed For without this Hearing is counted no hearing we had as good not hear as not lay the Word to our hearts and practice it in our lives God's word must be hid in our Hearts and Christs sayings must be pondered there or else we hear not to purpose Careless and fruitless Hearers are nigh unto Cursing whose end Paul tells us is at last dying so to be burned But Fouthly From one and the same Cause may arise divers and contrary Effects that Prop. 4. which softens one may harden another that which enlightens one may be a means to blind another Christ that is a Stone of Foundation to a believer is a Stone of stumbling to the Unbeliever The Gospel of Peace Mat. 3. 12. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. and glad Tidings to a wicked Man is a fire a sword and a fan but to the godly it is a savour of Life and a means to bring ' em to God thro' Christ and to Salvation As the Sun melteth the wax and hardneth the clay so the Gospel accidentally by the corruption that is in wicked men and by the fearful Judgements of God hardens and blinds them while others are softned and made anew by it The Gospel to some is the Power of God but to others a Stone of stumbling and very foolishness The Gospel 1 Cor. â— 23 24. that is a blessing to some thro' sin and unbelief proves a Judgement to many Oh! Let Persons have a care that they do not rest in the having barely the means of Salvation as the preaching of the Word c. It is a Mercy indeed to enjoy the Gospel but it is not to be rested in by any for thro' their Corruption and Sin it may be a greater means of Damnation Bless God for the means of Grace be thankful to him for his holy Word but be sure you be not satisfied without the Grace of means lest Rom. â— 16. you be blinded c. Say when you go to hear the Word preached Lord let it be thy power to the saving of my poor Soul But Fifthly The Judgements which fall upon Prop. 5. particular wicked men for their Sins and Unbelief are to be accounted the Punishments of the whole Body of Unbelievers This Judgement of Blindness in our Text which hapned to many of the Jews and Pharisees for their rejecting Christ and his Gospel is the Punishment of all Persons that shall be found such Offenders And that for four Reasons Because all the Judgements that sell upon Reas 1 them for their rejecting Christ and stumbling at him all wicked men have and do deserve Are not they worthy of the same Strokes and of the same Judgements that slight the same Christ and trample upon the same Blood and Gospel which they did What saith Paul to this If they says he that despised Moses's Law dyed without Mercy c. Of how much forer Punishments shall they be thought worthy who have Heb. 10. 28. trodden under Foot the Son of God and have counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing c. Surely such Wretches cannot think at last to escape the deserved Judgements of God who undervalue Christ and trample upon his Blood and Merits Vengeance Ver. 30. is mine says God and I will repay it I will ease me of mine Adversaries and be avenged on all them that despise my Son and cast my Word behind them Oh! Let Sinners hear and tremble and lay this Ver. 31. Psal 2. 12. to heart that'tis a fearful thing to fall into the bands of an angry God For while his Wrath is kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him But secondly Because when God threatens some he Reas 2 threatens all that are such gross Offenders As the Promises run general to all that repent and believe in Christ so the threatnings run to all that are and shall be found at last Rejecters of Christ and his Word Were the Jews and Pharisees blinded who stumbled at Christ and his precious Word Were they offended because of him and so were cut off and punished for their Unbelief So shall all as are offended at Christ and his Word and shall at last be found Unbelievers for as he that believeth shall be saved and not at last confounded so he Mar. 16. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 6. that believeth not shall be damned Christ the Judge of all will come at last in staming Fire that is in a terrible Manner to take Vengeance on them that know not God and obey not his Gospel who shall be punished with 2 Thes 1. 7 9. everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord c. Let all Persons have a Care Young and Old Rich and Poor they
16. Rom. 2. 16 17. Mie 2. 12. Word Have you sound it to be a saviour of Life unto Life and the power of God to the saving of your Souls Doth not my word saith God do good to the upright O examine what good you have found by the Gospel You have been hearers of it many Years what Have you received no Soul-benefit by it Let me ask you two or three questions and do you ask them seriously your own Souls Have you been savingly enlightned by the Quest 1 Spirit in the Word Can you say with the blind man upon good grounds I was born blind but now I see Are your Eyes beloved opened and Illuminated to see the evil of sin and the good that is in Jesus Christ Every Eph. i. 18. 19. one that is brought to Christ Interested in him are Spiritually Illuminated their understandings which were darkned are enlightned by the Spirit Is it thus with you Have the Spirit by the Word set up a divine Light in your Souls Is the Veil taken from off your Eyes Are you that were darkness 2 Cor. 3. 16. Eph. 5. 8. Acts 26. 18 1 Cor 4. 5 6. in the abstract made Light in the Lord Are you turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God In a Word Hath God commanded the Light to shine into your Souls and shewn you his Glory in the face of Jesus Christ God saith Paul that commandeth the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the Light of the Knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ Is it thus with you Have you found God dealing thus with your Souls Are your hard and frozen Hearts softned Quest 2 by the Word Have any of you in good earnest been made to cry out with them 3000 that were pricked at the Heart under Peters Sermon Men and Brethren what shall we do That beloved which neither can be bruised nor broken with any strokes nor softned with any Moisture is hard indeed By this you may know your Hearts Will no means and monitions of the Word break your Hearts Will no exhortations entreaties nor promises in it melt you Surely thy heart O sinner Must be hardned indeed that nothing will move nor melt it Oh! have the Word or rather the Spirit by the Word broken and melted any of your Hearts Have you found it a hammer and a fire A hammer to break your rocky Hearts Jer. 23. 29. and a fire to burn up your Lusts and melt down your hearts into Godly Sorrow Can you mourn for sin as sin And are you grieved that you can love Christ no better nor bring forth no more Fruit for his Glory are you concerned for his absence And do you greatly rejoyce in his presence If it be thus 't is a good sign your hearts are softned Are you transformed by the Gospel into the Image of Christ Is the Old man put off Quest 3 Eph. 4. 22 23. with is deeds and the New man put on Can you truly say with Paul from good experience we all with open face beholding as in 2 Cor 3. 18. a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Even by the Spirit of our God have you had transforming sights of Christ in the pure Glass of the Gospel Are you become new Creatures Can you remember it was not with you once as it is now Is sin Loth some and Christ Lovely to you Then you have received good by the Word and it is not a Judgment but a Mercy to you 3d. Use is by way of exhortation Oh! Use 3 Let me exhort you all in the Name and Fear of the dreadful God to these few following things and I shall soon have done First be exhorted and perswaded to abstain from all sin but especially from sins against Light and Knowledg A good Man thro' the violence of temptation or Infirmity may sin against knowledge as David and Peter did But have a care as one says of cold blood and continuing in known sins Remember that knowledg taketh away all excuse of sin If I had not come says Christ to the Jews and spoken to them they had not had John 12. 22. sin but now they have no Cloak or Excuse for their sin Ignorance if not affected may excuse a tanto but not a toto but Knowledg will not excuse any Dost thou know that drunkenness O Man is a sin And that Lying Whoredom and Sabboth-breaking are abominable sins and yet Live in them Alas what hope canst thou have A willing practise of known sins and true repentance cannot stand together Nay remember it 't is the ready way to a reprobate Mind and to Eternal Ruine Tho' while in this mortal State you cannot but sin yet beware of two things First of being willingly Ignorant of that which God gives you the means to know This O sinner Is the mark of a Reprobate Wretch Peter tells us of some that are willingly Ignorant of this that by the Word of the Lord the Heavens were of Old There 2 Pet. 3. 5 6. be many that do not know Christ savingly and this is their misery they do not desire to know him They say unto God depart from Job 21. 4. us we desire not the Knowledg of thy ways Oh! beware of this for to be Ignorant and not desire to know is a sad sign of a hardned Heart and a blinded Mind But 2dly beware of doing contrary to your knowledg For to him that knoweth to 2. James 4. 18 do good and doth it not to him it is a sin His knowledg aggravates his fault To sin against Light and Knowledg is a crimson sin a sin of a deep dye Every infirmity every thing that falls short of the Rule is sin but much more that which contradicts the Rule This Man's sin is a hainous sin a capital sin 't is a sin with a witness and will be punished with a vengance If he that sins Ignorantly will be damned surely then he that doth not what he knows but contrary shall be double Luk. 12. 47. damned He that knoweth his Master's Will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes But 2dly be exhorted to comply and fall in with the motions of the Blessed Spirit in the Word Do not the Spirit at no time move upon your Hearts and cause some convictions in your Consciences c. Oh! see that when the Spirit move you do not resist For his Spirit God hath said shall Gen. 3. 6. not always strive with Man Oh! quench not the Spirit turn not a deaf Ear to his Calls do not drown his convictions as some in a Cup of Ale or in merry Company But I must not inlarge Therefore in the Third and last Place Be exhorted and perswaded dayly to fear and dread being hardned by the Gospel a hardned Heart is a most
heavy Judgement the more it is upon a man the less he feels it and the further he is from a possibility of repenting truly and believing in Christ for Salvation he must needs run head-long to evil and to Hell whom the Devil drives But Some may ask me what they must do Quest to escape this Judgement of being blinded and hardned by the Word Answer First When ever you hear the Word preached hear it with Reverence and Attention Keep thy Foot when thou goest to Eccles. 5. 1 2. Psal 119. 11. the house of God be reverent in his Presence and hear the word with due Attention as it is the word of God Let it not go in at one Ear and out of the other but hide it in your hearts that you may not sin against God 2dly Meditate upon the Grace of God in Christ to poor sinners think dayly on the freeness fulness and riches of it If the serious Thoughts of Grace and Love to undone Sinners will not melt you and constrain you to leave your sins and love Christ who have loved you to the Death I know not what will The prodigal Son when he thought of the fulness of Bread that was in his Fathers House then he resolved to return home and fell down at his Fathers Feet and said Father I have sinned Luk. 15. 18 19. against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son Nothing like Grace and Love to constrain melt and humble the Sinner Oh! Think much on God's Love and Grace But lastly For I must not enlarge pray earnestly to God for a soft and tender heart plead his Covenant Promise who hath said That he will take away the Heart of Stone and Ezek 36. 26. give a heart of Flesh Oh! Pray that every Sermon may soften your Heart and melt it Gal. 4. 2. down into godly Sorrow Many cry God damn me but there 's few in good earnest Pray for Grace and for a tender Heart Oh! 1. Thes. 5. 17. Luk. 18. 1. 6. Turn the word preached into Prayer and say Lord make this and every word of 〈◊〉 a good word unto my Soul I shall add do more but leave what hath been said to the Blessing of the GREAT GOD. SOLIDEO GLORIA FINIS ERRATA Pray Courteous Reader mend with your Pen these following Faults PAge 7. line 32. for Sword read Fear In the same Page for Temption read Temptation Page 13. line 23. for Means read Meant Page 9. line 3. for Judiciously read Judicially Page 15. line 32. for Promulging read Promulgation Page 38. line 3. for Ways read Voice Page 39. line 10. for Pleasures read Pleasure In the same for To read Into A FUNERAL SERMON 2 Tim. iv Verse vii viii I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day And not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing SOlomon the Wise tells us To every thing there is a Season and a Time a Time to be Born and a Time to Die a Time to Mourn and a Time to Rejoyce Eccles 3. 1. c. I doubt not All the Godly and the Serious and Sensible here present will readily acknowledge with me That this is a Time to Mourn But will it not look like the adventuring on a Paradox to affirm to you That it is also a Time to Rejoyce A Time it is indeed to Mourn for the loss of so dear a Relation and so Pious and Christian a Friend But are we not Christians as well as Men And while Nature seeles sighs nay sinks at the dismal Loss of Friends or Relations Grace should triumph over Nature and Faith over Sense While we are bemoaning their loss we should be Rejoycing in the Crown and Glory of Saints of which number she was we have so great Reason to be assured Our Deceased Friend was one of their Number who by their Holy Conversation give a plain and sensible demonstration of the Power of the Principles of our Holy Profession both by their Life and their Death For Words have not that Energy and Force that Action and Conversation hath a shining Life and a triumphant Death perswade beyond all the Power of Argument or charms of Rethoric And concerning the not only unblameableness but Piousness of her Life for whose Death we now Mourn it was so well known to all that knew her that she hath therein a better Character than I can give her for modesty of Stile and Reserves of Expression become me when I consider the Modesty and Humility of her Deportment through the whole of her Life I come therefore now to the Text I have proposed to Discourse upon The whole Text is drawn in Figures borowed from the Olimpic Games well known in the Times and Places in which the Apostle wrote Games appointed for all the activities of Persons prepared by Frame and Constitution of Body Vigour of Mind and Inclination and strictly Disciplined Dieted and Exercised thereunto Such an allusion is at other times made use of by the Apostle as 1 Cor. 9. 24. And being Sanctified by the Divine Spirit is most elegant and expressive of holy Senses In this Place The Apostle of the Gentiles gives us under these Emblems a threefold Character of himself and then sets out the Prize 1. His Encountring and Combating all the Temptations of Satan within and of the World without wherein he Fought not as one that beateth the Air but at sharps as they say with great effect for Offence and Defence as those Combatants alluded to used to do 2. He who received the Prize Finished his Course Therein he alludes to those who Run in a Race that they might Obtain He Ran not as in certainly He Ran the whole Course of Doing and Suffering and of his Ministry and Apostleship the whole Race set before him to the very Mark 3. He kept the Faith the great Faith of the Gospel in union to the Crucified Jesus which was the scandal of the Jews and Gentiles even the Cross of Christ and the Obedience of Faith in all the Holiness Mortification to the World and the Lusts of it within and without and doth extend to all kinds of Suffering Heavenlyness of Mind and Conversation Hereby he behaved himself as a mighty Champion that by no means would let go his Hold or Deposium the Pearl of great Prize or surrender it to the violence against it And so he leads us to the second Part of this great Text under the same allusion The Crown or the Prize not the Corruptible Crown of those Games but the Incorruptible to which the Apostle refers a Man is not Crowned except he strive Lawfully and herein he thus expresses himself Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Righteous Lord shall give me Before I begin