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
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