fin had loft that primitive light wherewith he was endued in his creation, it pleafed God to make a gracious revelation in his mind and will to him, touching the way of falvation, Gen. iii. 15. This was handed down by him, and other godly fathers, before the flood: yet the natural darkness of the mind of man prevailed fo far against that revelation, as to carry off all fenfe of true religion from the old world, except what remained in Noah's family, which was preferved in the ark. After the flood, as men multiplied on the earth, the natural darkness of mind prevails again, and the light decays, till it died out among the generality of mankind, and is preserved only among the pofterity of Shem. And even with them it was well near its fetting, when God called Abraham from ferving other gods, Joh. xxiv. 15. God gives Abraham a more clear and full revelation, and he communicates the fame to his family, Gen. xviii. 19; yet the natural darkness wears it out at length, fave that it was preferved among the pofterity of Jacob. They being carried down into Egypt, the darkness prevailed fo, as to leave them very little fenfe of true religion and a new revelation behoved to be made them in the wilderness. And many a cloud of darkness got above that, now and then, during the time from Mofes to Chrift. When Chrift came, the world was divided into Jews and Gentiles. The Jews, and the true light with them, were within an inclosure, Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20. Betwixt them and the Gentile world, there was a partition wall of God's making, namely, the ceremonial law; and upon that there was reared up another of man's own making, namely a rooted enmity betwixt the parties, Eph, ii. 14, 15. If we look abroad without the inclosure (and except thofe profelytes of the Gentiles, who, by means of fome rays of light breaking forth unto them from within the inclosure, having renounced idolatry, worshipped the true God, but did not conform to the Mofaical rites) we fee nothing but dark places of the earth, full of the habitations of Gruelty, Pfal. Ixxiv. 20. Grofs darknefs covered the face of the Gentile world, and the way of falvation was utterly unknown among them. They were drowned in fuperftition and idolatry; and had multiplied their idols to fuch a vast number, that above thirty thousand are reckoned to have been worshipped by thofe of Europe alone. Whatever wildom was among their Philofo phers phers, the world by that wisdom knew not God, 1 Cor. i. 24. and all their researches in religion were but groping in the dark, Atts xvii. 27. If we look within the inclosure, and, except a few that were groaning and waiting for the Confolation of Ifrael, we will fee a grofs darkness on the face of that generation. Tho' to them were committed the oracles of God; yet they were moft corrupt in their doctrine. Their traditions were multiplied; but the knowledge of these things wherein the life of religion lies, was loft: Mafters of Ifrael knew not the nature and neceffity of regeneration, John iii. 10. Their religion was to build on their birth priviledge, as children of Abraham, Matth. ii. 9. to glory in their circumcifion, and other external ordinances,. Phillip. And to reft in the law (Rom. ii. 17.) after they had, by their falfe gloffes, cut it fo fhort, as they might go well near to the fulfilling of it, Matth. v. iii. 2, 3. Thus was darkness over the face of the world when Chrift the true light came into it; and fo is darkness over every foul, till he, as the day- ftar, arife in the heart. The former is an evidence of the latter, What, but the natural darkness of mens minds could still thus wear out the light of external revelation in a matter upon which eternal happiness did depend? Men did not forget the way of preferving their lives: but how quickly did they lofe the knowledge of the way of falvation of their fouls; which are of infinite more weight and worth! when patriarchs and prophets teaching was ineffectual, men behoved to be taught of God himself; who alone can open the eyes of the understanding. But, that it might appear, that the corruption of man's mind lay deeper than to be cured by mere external revelation; there were but very few converted by Chrift's preaching, who spoke as never man spake, John xii. 37, 38. The great cure on the generation remained to be performed, by the fpirit accompanying the preaching of the apoftles, who, according to the promife (John xiv. 12.) were to do greater works. And if we look to the miracles wrought by our bleffed Lord, we will find, that by applying the remedy to the foul, for the cure of bodily diftempers, (as in the cafe of the man fick of the palfy, Matth ix, 2.) he plainly difcovered, that it was his main errand into the world to cure the difcafes of the foul, I find a miracle wrought upon one that was born blind, performed in fuch a way, as feems to have been defigned to let the world fee in it, as in a glafs, their cafe and cure, John ix. 6. He made clay and anointed the eyes of the blind man, with the clay. What could more fitly reprefent the blindness of mens mind, than eyes clofed up with earth? Ifa.vi. 1. fhut their eyes: fhut them up by anointing or cafting them with mortar; as the word will bear, And chap. xliv. 18. he hath shut their eyes: the word properly fignifies he hath plaistered their eyes; as the house in which the leprofy had been, was to be plaiftered, Levit xiv. 42. Thus the Lord's word difcovers the defign of that Arange work; and by it fhews us, that the eyes of our understanding are naturally fhut. Then the blind man must go and wash off this clay in the pool of Silsam : no other water will ferve this purpose. If that pool had not reprefented him, whom the Father fent into the world to open the blind eyes, (Ifa. xlii. 7) I think the Evangelift had not given us the interpretation of the name, which he fays, fignifies fent, John ix. 7. And fo we may conclude, that the natural darkness of our minds is fuch, as there is no cure for; but from the blood and Spirit of Jefus Chrift, whofe eye falve, only can make us fee, Rev. iii. 18 Evid. 2. Every natural man's heart and life is a mass of darkness, diforder and confufion; how refined foever he appear in the fight of men. For we ourselves alfo, faith the Apostle Paul, were fometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts and pleasures, Tit, iii. 3. and yet at that time, which this text looks to, he was blameless, touching the righteoufness which is in the law, Phillip. iii. 6. This is a plain evidence that the eye is evil, the whole body being full of darkness, Mat. vi. 23. The unrenewed part of mankind is rambling through the world, like fo many blind men ; who will neither take a guide, nor can guide themselves; and therefore are fallen over this and the other precipice, into deflruction. Some are running after their covetousness, till they be pierced through with many forrows; fome sticking in the mire of fenfuality; others dafhing themfelves on the rock of pride and felf conceit; every one ftumbling on fome one tone of tumbling or other: all of them are running themfelves upon the fword point of juftice, while they eagerly follow, whether their unmortified paffions and affec : tions led them and while fome are lying along in the way, others are coming up, and falling headlong over them, And therefore, Wo unto the (blind) world because of offences, Matth. xviii. 7. Errors, in judgment fwarm in the world; because it is night, wherein all the beafts of the foreft do creep forth. All the unregenerate are utterly mistaken in the point of true happiness: for tho' Christianity hath fixed that matter in point of principle; yet nothing less than overcoming grace can fix it in the practical judgment. All men agree in the defire to be happy: but amongst unrenewed men, touching the way to happiness, there are almost as many opinions as there are men; they being turned every one to his own way, Ifa. liii. 6. They are like the blind Sodomites about Lot's houfe, all were seeking to find the door, fome grope one part of the wall for it, fome another; but none of them could certainly fay, he had found it: and fo the natural man may stumble on any good but the chief good. Look into thine own unregenerate heart, and there thou wilt fee all turned upfide down; heaven lying under, and earth a-top, look into thy life, there thou mayst fee, how thou art playing the madman, fnatching at fhadows, and neglecting the fubftance, eagerly flying after that which is not, and flighting that which is, and will be for ever. Evid. 3. The natural man is always as a workman left without light; either trifling or doing mifchief. Try to catch thy heart at any time thou wilt, and thou shalt find it either weaving the spiders web, or hatching cockatrice eggs, (Ifa. lix. 5.) roving throw the world, or digging into the pit; filled with vaniry, or else with vilenefs, bufy doing nothing, or what is worse than nothing, A fad fign of a dark mind. Evid. 4. The natural man is void of the faving knowledge of fpiritual things. He knows not what a God he has to deal with; he is unacquainted with Chrift; and knows not what fin is. The greatest graceless wits are blind as moles in these things. Ay, but fome fuch can speak of them to good purpose: and fo might these Ifraelites of the temptations, figns and miracles, their eyes had feen (Deut. xxix. 3.) to whom nevertheless the Lord had not given an heart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear, unto that day, ver. 4. Many a man that bears the name of a Chriflian, may make Pharoah's confeffion of faith, Exod. v. 2. State II. I know not the Lord, neither will they let go what he commands them to part with. God is with them as a prince. in disguise among his fubjects, who meets with no better treatment from them, than if they were his fellows, Pfal. 1. 21. Do they know Chrift, or fee his glory, and any beauty in him for which he is to be defired? if they did, they would not flight him as they do: a view of his glory would fo darken all created excellency, that they would take him for, and instead of all, and gladly clofe with him, as he offereth himself in the gospel, John iv. 10. Pfal. ix. 10. Matth. xiii, 44, 45, 49. Do they know what fin is, who hug the ferpent in their bofom, hold fast deceit, and refuse to let it go? I own indeed they may have a natural knowledge of those things, as the unbelieving Jews had of Chrift, whom they faw and converfed with: but there was a fpiritual glory in him, perceived by believers only, John i. 14. and in refpect of that glory, the unbelieving world knew him not. ver. 10. but the fpiritual knowledge of them they cannot have; it is above the reach of the carnal mind, 1 Cor. ii. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, for they are fpiritually difcerned. He may indeed difcourfe of them; but no other way than one can talk of honey or vinegar, who never tafted the sweetness of the one nor the fournefs of the other. He has fome notions of fpiritual truths, but fees not the things themfelves, that are wrapt up in the words of truth, 1 Tim. i. 7. UnderStanding neither what they jay, nor whereof they affirm: In a word, natural men fear, feek, confefs they know not what. Thus you may fee man's understanding naturally is overwhelmed with grofs darkness in fpiritual things. Thirdly, There is in the mind of man a natural bias to evil, whereby it comes to pass, that whatever difficulties it finds, while occupied about things truly good, it acts with a great deal of eafe in evil; as being in that cafe, in its own element, Jer. iv. 22. The carnal mind drives heavily in the thoughts of good; but fariously in the thoughts of evil. While holiness is before it, fetters are upon it: but when once it has got over the hedge, it is as the bird got out of the cage, and becomes a free-thinker indeed. Let us reflect a little on the apprehenfion and imagination of the carnal |