ly discovers the blinding power of Satan upon their minds and
understandings, elfe they would never play and dally with the fe-
rious and folemn ordinances of God at that rate they do; if their
eyes were once opened, they would be in earnest in prayer, and
apply themselves with the closest attention of mind to hearing the
gofpel. There are two forts of thoughts about any fubject of
meditation. Some think at a distance, and others think clofe to
the fubject. Never do thoughts of men come fo close to Chrift, to
heaven, and to hell, as they do immediately upon their illumina-
tion. When John's miniftry enlightened the people's minds, it is
faid, Matth. xi. 12. "From the days of John the Baptift until
"now, the kingdom of heaven fuffereth violence, and the vio-
"lent take it by force." Surely thefe men were more in good /
earneft who would receive no repulfe, take no denial, but even
force themselves through all difficulties into heaven; and fo would
it be with you. If the God of this world had not blinded your
minds you would never pray with fo much unconcernedness, nor
hear with fo much negligence and careleffnefs; pray as if you pray-
ed not, and hear as if you heard not. It is with many of your
hearts as it was with Ariftotle, who after a quaint oration made be-
fore him, was asked how he liked it; truly faid he I did not hear
it; for I was thinking all the while of another matter.

Fifthly, This alfo is a plain evidence that the god of this world hath blinded many men's eyes among us, for that they fear not to commit great fins to avoid small hazards and troubles, which all the world could never perfuade them to do, if they were not hoodwinked by the god of this world. Thofe that have feen fin as fin, in the glafs of God's law, "will chufe as Mofes did, to fuffer any "affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the plea"fures of fin, which are but for a season," Heb. xi. 25. Those that have feen and felt the evil of fin in the deep troubles of their fpirits for it, will account all reproaches, all loffes, all fufferings } from men, to be but as nothing to the burthen of fin.

Sixthly, The pride and felf-conceitedness of many thousands who profefs Christianity, plainly fhew their minds to be blinded by the fophiftry of Satan, and that they do not understand themselves, and the woful state of their own fouls. Those that see God in the cleareft light, abhor themselves in the deepest humility, Ifa. vi. 5. John xliii. 5. If ever the Lord had effectually opened your eyes by a clear difcovery of your state by nature, and the course of your life, under the efficacy and influence of continual temptations and corruptions, how would your plumes fall? None in the world would rate you lower than you yourselves would. By all which it appears that multitudes are blinded by the god of this world.

2

Thirdly, In the third place, we are to confider what policies Satan ufeth to blind the minds of them that believe not, and we shall find there are three forts of policies practised by the god of this world upon the minds and understandings of men, which he darkens, by

1. Hindering the reception of gospel-light.

2. Obftructing the efficacy of it when received.

3. Making mifapplication of it to other purposes. 47

First, It is a great policy in Satan, to blind the understandings of men, by hindering and preventing the reception of gospel-light, which he doth especially these five ways;

Firft, By tempting the difpenfers of the gofpel to darken the truths thereof, in the delivering of them, to fhoot over the heads of their hearers, in lofty language and terms of art, fo that common understandings can give no account, when the fermon is done, what the preacher would have; but, however, commend him for a good scholar, and an excellent orator. I make no doubt but the devil is very busy with ministers in their studies, tempting them, by the pride of their own hearts, to gratify his designs herein; he teaches them how to paint the glafs, that he might keep out the light.

I acknowledge, a proper, grave, and comely ftile, befits the lips of Chriff's ambasadors; they fhould not be rude and careless in their language, or method. But this affectation of great fwelling words of vanity, is but too like the proud Gnoftics, whom the apoftle is fuppofed to tax for this evil, Jude ver. 16. "This is to "darken counfel by words without knowledge," Job xxxi. 2. To amuse and bemift poor ignorant fouls, and nullify the defign of preaching for every thing is accounted fo far good, as it is good to the end it is ordained for. A fword that hath an hilt of gold, fet thick with diamonds, is no good fword, if it hath no edge to cut, or want a good back to follow home the ftroke. O that the ministers of Chrift would chufe rather* found, than great words, fuch as are apt to pierce the heart, rather than fuch as tickle the fancy; and let people beware of furthering the defign of Satan against their own fouls, in putting a temptation upon their minifters, by defpifing plain preaching. The more popular, plain, and intelligible our difcourfes are, fo much the more probable they are to be fuccefsful; that is the moft excellent oratory, that perfuades men to Chrift.

Secondly, Satan hinders the accefs of light to the understandings of men, by employing their minds about impertinent things, while

They who fpeak in a popular, plain, and fimple manner, are the best inftructors of the people. Bucholtz.

they are attending upon the ordinances of God; thus he tempted them, in Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32. " And they come unto thee as the "people cometh, and they fit before thee, as my people; and "they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their "mouth they fhew much love, but their heart goëth after their "covetoufnefs. And lo! thou art unto them as a very lovely "fong of one that hath a pleasant voice." The modulation of the prophet's voice was very pleafing to their ears, but mean while their fancies and thoughts were wandering after their lufts; their hearts were full of earthly projects.

Thirdly, Satan hinders the accefs of light to the understandings of men, by raifing objections, and picking quarrels with the word, on purpose to shake its authority, and hinder the affent of the understanding to it, and fo the word makes no more impreffion than a fable, or a romance would do. And never did this defign of Satan obtain more than in this atheistical age, wherein the main pillars and foundation of religion are thaken in the minds of multitudes. The devil hath perfuaded many, that the gospel is but 'cunningly-devifed fable; fabula Chrifti, as that blafpheming pope called it; that minifters muft fay fomething to get a living. That heaven and hell are but fancies, or at most things of great uncertainty, and doubtful credit. This being once obtained, the door of the foul is fhut against truth. And this defign of Satan hath profpered the more in this generation, by the corrupt doctrines of feducing fpirits, "Which have overthrown the faith of fome, 2 Tim. ii. 18. And partly from the fcandalous lives of loose and vain profeffors, the gospel hath been brought into contempt; but efpecially by Satan's artificial improvement of the corrupt natures of men in an age wherein confcience hath been fo much debauched, and Atheism thereby fpread as a gangrene in the body politic.

"

Fourthly, Satan hinders the accefs of light, by helping erroneous miuds to draw falfe conclufions and perverfe inferences from the great and precious truths of the gofpel; and thereby bringing them under prejudice and contempt: Thus he affifts the errors of men's minds about the doctrine of election: when he either perfuades them, that it is an unreasonable doctrine, and not worthy of credit, that God fhould chufe fome, and refufe others every way as good as thofe he hath chofen; or, if there be any certainty in that doctrine, then men may throw the reins upon the neck of their lufts, and live at what rate they lift; for if God have chofen them to falvation, their wickednefs thall not hinder it; and if he have appointed them unto wrath, their diligence and self-denial cannot prevent it.

Thus the doctrine of free grace is by the like sophistry of Satan

turned into lafciviousness. If grace abound, men may fin the more freely; and the shortness of our time upon earth, which in its own nature awakens all men to diligence, is, by the fubtilty of Satan, turned to a quite contrary purpose, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."

Fifthly, Satan darkens the minds of men, and fhuts them up against the light, by blowing them up with pride and felf-conceitedness, perfuading them that they know all these things already, and caufing them to contemn the moft weighty and precious truths of God, as trite and vulgar notions. The word cannot be received without meeknefs and humility of mind, James i. 21. Pfal. xxv. 8, 9. and pride is the nurfe of ignorance, 1 Tim. vi. 4. 1 Cor. viii. 7. The devil is aware of this, and therefore blows up the pride and conceitedness of mens heart all that he can: And this tempzation of his generally prevails wherever it meets with a knowing head, matched with a gracelefs and unfanctified heart. And thus we fee by what wiles and policies Satan keeps out the light, and prevents the accefs of it to the minds of men.

But if he mifs his defign here, and truth gets into the mind, Then

Secondly, He labours to obftruct the efficacy and operation of the light; and though it do fhine into the understanding, yet it fhall be imprifoned there, and fend down no converting influences upon the will and affections: And this defign he promotes and manages divers ways.

First, By haftening to quench convictions betimes, and nip them in the bud. Satan knows how dangerous a thing it is, and deftructive to his intereft, to fuffer convictions to continue long; and therefore it is faid of him, Mat. xiii. 19. When any "one hear

eth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then «cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was

fown in his heart." Satan is compared in this fcripture to the fowls in the air, which pick up the feed before it take any root in the earth. The devil is very jealous of this, and therefore labours all he can to deftroy the word before it comes to operate upon the heart; which he doth fometimes by the cares of the world, and fometimes by vain companions, who prove mere quench coals unto the beginning convictions. One finner destroyeth much good.

Secondly, No fooner doth the god of this world obferve the light of truth begin to operate upon the heart but he obstructeth that defign by procraftinations and delays, which delude and baffle convinced fouls; he perfuades them if they will alter their course, it will be time enough hereafter, when fuch encumbrances and troubles in the world are over; if he prevail here, it is a thousand to one but the work mifcarries. James i. 13, 14. If the hearer of the

word be not a doer, i. e. a prefent doer, while the impreffions of
it are fresh upon the foul, he doth but deceive himfelf. For it is with
the heart, as it is with melted wax; if the feal be clapped to it,
prefently, it will receive a fair impreffion; but if it be let alone, o
but for a little while, you can make none at all; it was therefore
David's great care and wisdom to fet about the work of religion
under the firft impetus, or vigorous motion of his heart and affec-
tions. Pfal. cxix. 60. "I made hafte, and delayed not to keep
"thy commandments." Multitudes of fouls have perifhed by
thefe delays. It is a temptation incident to all that are under be-
ginning convictions, efpecially young perfons, whom the devil per-
fuades that it were no better than madness in them to abridge and
deny themselves fo much delight and pleafure, and fteep their
youthful thoughts in fuch a melancholy fubject as religion is.

Thirdly, If all this will not do, but convictions ftill continue to get ground in the confcience, then he endeavours to scare and fright them out of their convictions, by reprefenting to them the inward terrors, troubles, and defpairs into which they are about to plunge themselves, and that henceforth they must never expect a pleafant day, or comfortable hour. Thus doth the God of this world blind the minds of them that believe not, both by hindering the accefs of light to the mind, and the influence of it upon the heart.

Thirdly, There is yet one policy of Satan to keep fouls in darknefs, and that is, by the mifapplication of truth; perfuading them, that whatfoever they read or hear of the mifery and danger of christless and unregenerate perfons, doth not in the leaft touch or concern them, but the more notorious and profane part of the world; and by this policy he blinds the minds of all civil and moral perfons. Thus the "Pharifees trufted in themselves that "they were righteous, and defpifed others." And fo the Laodiceans thought themselves rich, and encreafed with goods; that is, in a very fafe and good condition. Now there are divers things. notably improved by Satan's policy, in order to thefe mifapplications of truth. As,

Firft, The freedom of their lives from the moft grofs pollutions of the world. Mat. xix. 20. "All these things have I kept "from my youth up." A civil, fober courfe of life is a moft effectual blind before the eyes of many a man's confcience.

Secondly, It is the policy of Satan to prevent convictions by conviction; I mean effectual convictions, by convictions that have been ineffectual, and are now vanifhed away. Thus the troubles. that fome perfons have been under, muft pafs for their converfion,