Sermons, pages 207–221
SERMON PSALM
xciv.
Unjerftand, ye brutijh among the Teople : end ye Fools, vjhen will ye be wife ? He that planted the Ear, Jim tl he not hear ?
Eye, /hall he not Jee ?
he that formed the
He that chafiijeth the
Heathen, Jhall he not corre8 f he that teacheth
Man Kncivledgeyflmll he not know ? TheLord knowetb the Thoughts of
Man that ihty art
vanity.
Doctrine. TlHERE is an extreme and brutifb Bundnefs in Things of Religion -which naturally fojftffes the Hearts of Men,
ggSgAVING fhewnhow the Truth of thcDoaw cvident,both by what appears Mens H rine open Profeftion, which and by thofe Things found by inward Experience, and are in
O Sil
manifest by what is visible in Mens practice ; ceed to the
APPLICATION. The first Use may be of Inflru£lion, in the following Panieulars, I.
By this wc may see how manifest are the Ruins
of the fall of Man.
It is observable in
all the Kinds
Ser. VL
of God's Creatures that we bchokl, that they have thofc which are every way proportionM to their End so that they need no more, they fland in nccil of no greater degree of Perfection, in order well to anfwcr the Ipfdnl ufc for whieh ihey seem to be defigncd. The brute Creatures, Birds, BeaHs, Fifhcs, nd Infers, tho' there be innumerable Kinds of them, yciiil fecm :o have such a decree of Perception and Perfection given rhem, as bell suits their Place in the Creation, and th(ir manner of living, and the Ends for which they were made, llure i? no dc sect vidble they :ire pcrf'. cl in their kind in them there seems to be nothing wanting, in order to th ir filling up their Place in the World. And there can be no realonaDJe Doubt but that it was so at firfl with Mankind It Properties and Q ial'Kics ;
not rcafonablc to (lippofe, that God would mrke many thoufaiuls of Kinds cf C eaiurcs here in this lower
World,
one Kir.d ti,e highcft of them all. to be and that all the reft (hould be compleat in their Kinds, every way endowed wiih such cind
the Head of the refl ;
Qualifications as are proportioned to their \J e &End
And this most noblcCreature of all, only left exceeding imperfcci,
notoriously defiituteof what he principally
{lands in need of to answer the End of his being.
The principal Fncuity
by which God
guifhed this noble Creature from the reft,
has diflinis
derflandmg : But woul God so d'lllinguifh Man in his creation from other Creatures, and then seal up that Underffanning with such an extreme blindncfs, as to and render it ufekfs, as to the principal Ends of it wholly to difenablc him from anfwcring the Ends of an underffandinr Crcaiurc, and to ni>ke his UnderHanding rather a misery rarlicr than a blessing tdhim and rendering him much more mischievous than uses ul ? i
Therefore, if the Scripture had not told us {o» yet we might fafcly conclude, that Mankind are not now, as they were mule at Hrlt j
len State and Condition,
bur ihar ihey are in a sal-
SeR. VL
/« the Thirgs of Religion,
II. From what has been said, plainly appears the abfokue necefficy of divine Revelation. The Deiflg deny the Scripture to be the Word of God, and hold that iliere is no revealedReligion ; that God has giveri Mankind no other Rule but his own Reason vi/hich without any Word or Revelation from is sufficient, Heaven, to give Man a right underHanding of diBut how has it provvine Things, and of his Duty. ;
ed in fa6l ? iher Man's
How much trial hiS there been, Reason, without
whe-
Revelation, would be
The whole World, excepting jufficient or no ? one Nation, had the trial from about Moses\ time, to the coming of Chrifl, about fifteen Hundred YeSirsJ And was not this long enough for a trial, whether Man's Reason alone was sufficient to inflrudl him Thofenations/who all that time lay in such gross darkness, and in such a deplorable helpless Condition, had the same naiural Reason that the Dcifls have. And during this time, there was not only one Man. or a Succession of single Persons that had the trial, whether their own Reason would be sufficient to lead them to the Knowledge of the Truth ; but all Nations, who all had the same human Faculties that we have. If human Reason is really sufficient, and there be no need of any thing else, why has it never proved so ? Why has it never happened, that { o much as one Nation, or one City or Town, or one Assembly of Men have been brought to tolerable Notions of divine Things, unless it be by the Revelation
coniained in the Scriptures P
If it were only one Na-
tion that had remained in such Darkncf3,the trial might
not be thought io great ;
because one particular Peo-
ple might be under (ome Difadvntages, which were peBut thus it has been wiih all Nations, except culiar.
ihofe which have been favoured with the Scriptures, an 1 in all Ages. Where is any People, who to' this
Day have ever delivered" thcmfelvcs by their own Reaf;>n,or
have been delivered v/ithout Light fetch'd from the k-
Mans fiatural Blinjnefs
Scriptures,
Christ
Ser.VI.
Means of the Gofpcl of Jesus
or by
If human Reason is fufficicnt without the Scripture, Itrange that in these latter Ages, since Navigation has been been so improved, and mefrica and many ether Parts of the World have been difcovercd, which were b-forc unknown and many hundreds of Nations have been found out, which the christian World 1 say, 'tis very nrange,lhat before knew hothing of: aming all these newly difcovcr'd Nations, no one Nation h IS any where been found already enlightned and p. ft (Td of true 'otions about the Divine Being and his ) er(e(5\ions. and free from heathcniili Darkncls, by vcrtue ofthai humanreafon,thcy have been poircfted of "'tis
this i o many ihoufandyears.
The many poor,barbarous
lure in z/z r/Vc had the faculty ofhumanrea-
Nations son to do what they pleased with, before the Europeans came hiiher, and brought over the Light of the Gofpcl. If this human Reason alone was fufricicnt, it is flrange no one People were found, in any corner of the Land, who were helped with their Reason. There has been a great irial as co what Mens Reason can cio, without divine Help, in thofe endless Difif human Reason putes that have been maintained. alone could help Mankind, it might be expelled that these Difpuies would have helped them, and have put The heathen Philofophcrs an end to Mens darkncfs. had many hundreds of Years to try their Skill in this
way but all without c c£t. That divine Revelation, which the Church of God ;
has been poltcfted of. has been in the World " as a 'Tis the only RemeLight (hining in a dark Place, f
dy whxh (tod has provided for the miserable, brutifli a Remedy without which, this blindnef of Mankind fallen World of Mankind would have funk down for ever in barbarism and brutality without any Remedy. :
Ser. VL
of Religion.
Ic is the only means tbst the true God has
made fuc-
in the Things
cf the and to bring theiu
cefsful in his Providence, to g've the Nations
World the Knowledge of hlmiclf
off from the worfiiip of false gods.
If human Reason be the only proper Means, tho Means that God has designed for the enlightening of
Mankind, 'tis very (Irange that it has not been sq iicient for this, nor has answered this end in any one Infiance. All the right speculative knowledge of the true God, which the DciRs themselves have, has been derived from divine Revelation
How vain
is ic
that human
and the ExAnd to pretend
to diipate against Fa6t,
perience of so many thou sand Years P
Reason
sufficient
without divine Reve-
lation, when so many ihoufand years Eifperience, among
io many hundreds of
Nations, of difjerenc Tempers,
Circumstances and Interests, has proved the contrary ? One would think that all fiiould acknowledge, that {6 long a time is sufficient for a trial
especially confider-
ing the Miseries that the poor Nations of the World-
have been under all this while, for want of Light The innumerable temporal Calamities and Miseries ; such as facrificingchiidren, and many otherCruelties to others, and even themlelves besides, that eternal Perdition, which may reasonably be supposed Jo be the. Confcquence of such Darkness. III. This Do6irine should make us fenfibje, how great a Mercy it is to Mankind, that God has sent his own Son into the World, to be the Light of theWorld. The Dodrine shews what great need we (land in of fometeacher to be fcnt fromgod. And even some of the vAkv Men among the Heathen saw the need of this. They saw that they difpated and jangled among them:
selves without cominc; to a satisfying discovery of ihe
Truth nnd hence they saw the need there was of 5 Teacher sent from Heaven and spake of such a thing. .And ic is a wonderful Instance of divine Mercy that ;
Mans natural BiiniUic/s
God has so bclicld us jn -vidc
such a
glorious
our low
Efhtc, as 'to pro-
Remedy.
oAly
han't
feiu
fomc created Angel to inftruft us' but his ov/n Son,
who is in the Bof m of the Father, Nature and ElTence with him
and of the f-ime
and therefore infiniieiy
better acquainted with him, and more sufficient to teacii a blind World.
He has fcnt him to be the Light of
the Woild, as he says of himself, " I am come a Light
When he came he brought glorious
into the World.f
Light into the World.
It was like the Dayfprir.g from on high, visiting a dark W orld. as Zacharras ob-
serves. Afrerchrift came, then the gloriotis Gofpi! began to spread abroad in the World into one Na?!on |I
and anotlier, deliverinc thofe "that had (at indarknefk and in the Region of the shadow of Death.'*
What rcafon have we to rrjpycc and'praise God, :hat he has made such exxellent Provision fpr us; and h.s see so glorious a Sun in our Firmament, fueh a of Righteousness,'* after we had extinguifiicd thclw. ;,t, which at first enlightened us and had. as it were, brought theWorld into that State, in vhich it was wl'ic:! " wiihout Form, and void, and Durkiiefs v/as.. on.ibe face of it", f * The glory of that Light which- God«has sent in:-* the World, is fully answerable to the grofsneft of that Daiknefs which filled the World. For. Chrijl" wlio came to enlighten u% is Tru:h and'I ighi it fdlf, and 'the Fountain of all Light.'' **-i e is Ljght, :" ** him is no daiknefs ui all.''i| ;
IV. Hence we may learn, \vhat mud be tlie thing Days of Light, which arc spoken of in God s Word. that will bring to pass tnofe glorious
7 ho' Mankind be fallen into such Darkness, and liic "World is mofllyin the Kingdom of Darknels yet the :
the ' .b'njgs of Religion,
c Iorious Day, whcrc'ii " For behold the darknels
Scripture ofr-cn speaks of Jjght shall fill the Earth.
cover the Earth, and gross darkness the People, but the Lord fliall anfe-upon thee, and his glory iTiall fliall
'*vbc Teen upon thee.
the Gentiles
fliall
come to
thy Light, and Kings ro the brightness of thy rising."* " And he will deltroy In this Mountain, the i'ice of the *' covering cast over all People, and the vai) that is spread -
-over all Nations
"fifl
" The knowledge of God sh:ill
the Earth, as the Waters cover the Seas "|
By. what we have heard, we may on good Grounds conclude,
that v;henever this is accompli died,
not be effef ed by human Learning,
will
or by the skill or
What has been before observed df this learned Age, is an Evidence of this wherein i irjtual Darkness does {"o increase, with theincreafe of God will again make foolifli the wisdom Learning. and will, as it were, say in his Proviof this World '* Where where is the Scribe where is the wife dence, «5;the difpurer of this World ' When this shall be accompliHaed, it will be by a "'remarkable pouring vut of God's own Spirit, with the the prcachplai/i ppeaching of the Gofpei of his Son *ina of the spiritual, myilerious Do( rines of Chrill crii* are ciiied, wh'cli to the learned Men of this World fooli(hne5.' By the Spirit of God accompanying the Jpreaching of thofe Do£irnes, which are theftumblingblock of thi;? learned Age. "Not by might, nor power, It will V but by my Spirit, faith the Lord ot jfious/'t but not be by the enticing Words of [Vlan's wisdom by the demonCtration of the Spirit, and of Power. Not by the wisdom of this World, nor the Princes of this World, that comes to nought but by the Gofpei, that contains the wisdom of God in a Myffery, even the hidden Wisdom, which none of thcPrinces of thisWorld, whtv have nothing to chlighien them but th.cir own T< z learning, know any thing of. Wisd.grfi of great Men.
Ifai.
f Ifai. xxv.
Ifai.
Mans natural Blindne/s
The spirit of God, whvo fr.archcs all things, even the deep things of GoJ, mud reveal it. For let natural Kn be never so worjdly wife and learned, they rcCt ive nut the things of the Spirit
to ihcm
they are foolifhncfs
nor can they know ihcm,
bccaulc they are
fp'rirually difcerncd.
This great cffecl, when ic Is acccmplifhed, a glorious cf\': indeed : ami
will
will be be accomplished
manner, as mod remarkably to shew it to be and his only. It will he a more glorious Work of God than that which we read of in the beginning of Genesis. "And the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of in such a
the Work of God,
the deep.
And the
face of the Waters :
Spirit of God moved upon the And God said, Let there be light,
and there was light." f
V. Hence vvc may learn the misery of all such Peras are under the Power of the darkness, which naturally poltelfes their Hearts. There are two degrees of this misery. That which all that are in a natural Condition I sons,
The Do<f rine shews, that all such
arc the fuhjc ss of. a<5
arc in a natural Condition,
are in a mifcrable Con-
extremely dark and blind Condition. 'Tis uncomfortable living in outward Daiknefs. What a sorrowful Stare fliould we all be in, if the Sun should no more rife upon us., and the Moon were to with-draw her fliining, and the St rs to be put our, and we were li fpcnd the reft of our time diiion
for they arc in an
darkness ? The World would Toon periih, in such Darkness. It was a great Plague in Egypt, when they in
had a total Darkness for three Days.
Outward blind-
They who ffrc deprived of iSight. are deprived of the mo4l rcfs is juflly looked upon as a great Calamity.
noble of the Senses
they have no benefit of external Lis'lu in the Things of Religion.
Ser. VI.
Li bt, one of ihe mod excellent and needful of the Things which God has made in the visible Creation.
But they who are without spiritual Sight and Light, are destitute of that which is far more excellent and neceflary.
That natural Men are not sensible of -heir blindness, and the Misery they are under by Reason of ir is no Argument that they are not miserable. For it is very much the Nature of this Calamity to be hid from itfools are not self, or from thofc who are under it. *" The Fool says, Solomon sensible of their Folly.
" is wiser in his own Conceit, than seven Men that '
can render a Reason." *
brutish Heathen
The most barbarous and
are not sensible of their Qwn
ness ; are not sensible
that they
Dark-
enjoy as great
Light, and have as good Understanding of Things, as the mod cnlightned Nations in the World. 2.
Another Degree of this Misery. is of thofe
who are judicially given up of God, to the blindness of their own Viinds. The Scripture teaches us that ** there are some such What then? Ifracl hath not *'
obtained that which he fecketh for, but the E lelti-
" on hath
obtained it, and the reft were blinded." § " But their Minds were blinded: for untill this Day *' " And remaineth the same Veil untaken away." X *' he said, go and tell this People, hear ye indeed, but f* understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. ** Make the Hctrt of this People sat, and their Ears *' heavy, and fhuc their Eyes; left they see with their
" Eyes, and hear
with their Ears, and understand
" with their Hearts, and convert and be healed.'* This Judgment, when it is inflidlcd on Men, is commonly for theContempt and Abufc of Light which has been offered them. So- the commiftion of presumptuous Sins, and being obstinate in Sin, and resisting the ||
Ho y Ghof},
after many gracious Calls
SeR. VI. and Counfeis,
Warnings and Reproofs.
Who the particular Persons are, that are thus judicially given up of God to the blindness of their Minds, is
not known to Men.
But we have no Reafou to fop-
pose that there are not Multitudes of them in
Places of the greatest Light.
and mod
There is no manner
of Reason to fuppofc, that this Judgement which is fpokcn of in Scripture, is in a great Measure peculiar to thofe old Times. As there were many that fell under it in the Times of the Prophets of Old, and of Chrifl and his Apostles; so doubtless there are now i
Days too.
And tho* the Persons are not known, yet doubtless there may be more Reason to fear it concern-
ing some than others. All that are under the Power of the blindness of their own Minds, are miserable; but such as are given up to this Blindness, arc especially miserable
For they arc refcrved, and scaled over
to the blackness of darkness forever.
And the Confidcration of what has been said of the clefperate blindness
naturally,
which
poffeftes the Hear-ts
may well be terrifying to such as are yet in
a Chriniefs Condition in this place of Light, where the
Gofpcl his been so long enjoyed, and where God -hag so wonderfully poured out his Spirit.
in 'J'imcs part,
And let such Persons, for their awakening, confider the following Things. I. That tliey are blinded by the God of this World. Their blindness is from Hell. This Dark-
Men are under, is from the Prince This the Apostle says exprefly of thofe who remain in unbelief and blindness under the Gof*' pcl. But if our Gofpei be hid, it is hid from them ' that are loss in whom the God of this world hath *' blinded tiieMinds of them that believe not.*'f 7 hey belong to the Kingdom of Daiknefs. In chat Carkneis ness which natural
of Darkness.
;\vhiclt
SeR. VI.
the Things of Religion.
.which reigns in their Souls, the Devil reigns, and holds his dominion there. 2.
Confider, how God in his Word manifests hi
horrence and Wrath towards thofe who remain Co sot* How tiflily blind and ignorant, in the midst of Light. '' of workers fpcak of them Have all the God does Iniquity no Knowledge ?"* *' Forty Years long was I grieved with this Generation, and laid, it is a people !
and they have not known Unto whom I fwe.ar in my Wrath, that *' TheOx knowthey fhoald not enter into myreft." eth his Owner, and the Ass his Master's Crib: But Ifikat dp err in their Heart,
my Ways.
my People doth not confider. Ah Nation -they have provoked the Holy One *' .of Israel unto Anger." % It is a People of no Understanding; therefore he that made them will not have Mercy on them, and he that formed them will fliew them no Favour." § <* My People is foolidj, they have not kmown me, they are sottish Children, and they have no Undei (landing They are wife to do Evil, " Debut to do Good they have no Knowledge." f iclare this in the House of Jacob, and publish it in the foolish Jioufe of Judah, saying, hear now this, People, and without Understanding, which have Eyes nd see not, which have Ears and hear not. Fear ye not faiih the Lord: Will ye pot tremble at fael doth not know,
iinful
how much wilfulness there is in your Sinners are ready wholly to excuse them-
Confider
Ignorance.
felvts in their blindness,
Whereas,
as has been
and say—
observed already, the blindness
that naturally poflefites the Hearts of Men, is not a merely negative Thing- but they are blinded by " the deceitful ncfs of sin." ( ) There is a perverseness in their
There
blindness.
not a
mere Absence of Light, buc
Pfal. xiv. . xvii.
Pfal. xcv.
Ifai.
loo but
malignant
oppofirion
Ser. VI. Light
God says, " They know not, neither will they underQand,thcy walk on in D.uknefs."
Chrifl obfcj ves,
Thit every one that doth Evil, hateth the Light, neither comcth to the Light." And that '* This is their Condemnation that Light is come into the World, **
yet Men loved Darkness rather than Light." t And I may appeal to your own Consciences, whether you have not wilfully
atid
rcje(5lcd
many In(lru(flions you have Whether you have not
refused to hearken ?
Ncglcfled your Wh rher you have not been a very negligent
neglected to seek after the Light
Bible
Hearer of the Word preached And neglected other proper Means of Knowledge Neglefled to cry to God forthifwidom which you nee Yea, live you not refifled the Means of Knowledge ? Have you not refifled and quenched the Motions of the Spirit, which at some Times you have had? And hugged your own fotiifhaefs And taken a Course to mak«yourself more and more flupid, by Oiffling the Ccnviflions of your own Confcicncc, and doing contrary to the Light thereof; whereby you have done ihofe Things that have tended to fear your Confcicncc, and make yourfclf more and more fcnflefs and fottifli P 1
4. Confidcr what is the Course that God will take to leach thofc that will not be taught by the lnf\ru( ions
He will teach them by Briars aBd of his Word. Thorns, and by the Flames of Hell. Tho' natural IMen will remain to all Eternity ignorant of the Excellency and Lovclinefsof God's Nature, and o will have no spiritual Knowledge yet God in another World will make them thoroughly to undcrfland many Things which fenfclels unawakcncd Sinnners are sottishly ignorant of in this World. Their Eyes in many ReTheir fpc6ls, shall be thoroughly opened in Hell. Judgments will be recshficd. They shall be of the same ;
Judgment with the godly.
They iball be convinced
— in the Things of Religion
Ser. VI.
of the Reality of thofe Things which they would not Of the Being of a Gt)d be convinced of here That the ScripHis Power Holiness Justice. That Christ is the Son tures are the Word of God. That Time is short and uncertain. They of Gcd, will be convinced of the Vanity of the World
Of the blefted Opportunity they had in the World-
How much 'tis Men's Wisdom to improve their Time We read of the rich Man, who was so sottishly blind in this World, that, " In Hell he lift up his Eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his Bosom."||
'Tis so with many Men, that the first Time they open their
Eyes is in Hell.
God will make all Men to know the Truth of thofe great Things whigh he speaks of in h' s Word, one way er another: For he will vindicate his own Truth. He has undertake.) to convince all Men. They who World, by the gentle and Methods which God uses with them now, shall be convinced hereafter by severe Means. If they will not be convinced in this
gracious
will not be convinced for Salvation,
vinced byDamnation
the Lord
they (hay be con-
God will make them know that And he will make them know
" Consume them in Wrath, that and let them know that God ruleth '* in Jacob,unto the Ends of the Earth." § Let them l: confounded and troubled for ever: Yea, let them be put to Shame and pcrifh. That Men may know, that thou, whose Name is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over ull the Earth." * that he bears Rule.
they may not be
VI. Hence we may learn what great Care we had need all have,that we be nor deceived inMatters ofreiigion. If it be so that ourHearts are all naturally pofteffed with such an extreme brutish Ignorance andblindnefs in things of Religion, and we are exceedingly prone to II
Pfal. llx.
— Man s natural Bundnefs
Ser. VI.
to Delusion ; then furcly great Care ought to be taken For that we are naturally prone to
to avoid Delusion.
(hews our Danger: But the greater our Danger of any Calamity is, the greater had our watchdelufion,
fulncfs need to be.
Let us therefore be hence warned to take heed that About our About our own Hearts About our Ways Thoufandsarc State Abour our Opportunities deceived in thefc Things, and Thousands perih by Muhitudes fall on our right Hand and that Means. on our left, and are ruined eternally by Delusion in
we be not deceived about our Duty '
these Things.
VII. If we are naturally o blind and ignorant, and prone to Delusion then hence we learn how foolifli a ;
Thing it is for Men to lean to their own Underqandif we are so blind, ings, and trust their own Hearts. then our own wisdom is not to be depended on; and that Advice
of the wife
" Trufl in the Tord with
Man is mod all
not to thine ownunderftanding."!
of his, Fool."
reafonabic ;
thine Heart, and
lean
So is that Saying
He that trufteth in his own Heart, is a
They therefore are
Fools,
who trufl to their own
Wisdom, and will queflion the myderious Do£lrines of because they cannot fe Religion. Such as through them and will not trust to the infinite Wisdom of God.
And they v;ho are confident and fliff in
their
Judgment of thcmfelves, and their own State, from an Opinion of their own good discerning.
And they who trufl to their own Rcfolutions. I
iii.
Prov, in the Things of Religion:
Ser. VI.
The Second Use may be of Dire£lion. If it be so,
that
we arc naturally under the Power
of such fotiifli Blinclnefs,
in the Things of
Religion:
then this leads and dire s us to ihefe two Methods in order to our being truly wife. 1. That we should become Fools:
Be fenflble of
There is a our own Sentence, contained one of Wisdom in that Treasure thisWorld, among to in anyMan you feemeth be wife "If let him become a Fool, that he may be wife.' f Seeing our own Ignorance and bhndnefs, is the first Step tonatural
Blindness and Folly.
wards having true Knowledge. '* If any Man think that he knoweth any Thing, he knoweih nothing yec * as he ought to know.' 2. To ask Wisdom of God. If we are so blind in ours elves, then Knowledge is not to be sought for out of our own Stock, but mufl be sought from some other And we have no where else to go for it, but Source. to the Fountain of light and wifdofh. True Wisdom is a precious Jewel : And none of our fellow Creatures can give it us, nor can we buy it with any Price we have to give. It is the sovereign Gift of God. The Way to obtain it, is to go to him, sensible of our Weakness and Blindness, and Mifcy on that *' Account. If any Man lack Wisdom, let him ask of God."
Cor.
lii.
I'COT.
viti.