of the righteous God for ever." And this torment will be peculiar to such as perish under the gospel. The heathen, who enjoyed no such means, can have no such reflections; nay, the very devils themselves, who never had a Mediator in their nature, or such terms of reconciliation offered them, will not reflect upon their lost opportunities of recovery as such sinners will. This, therefore, "is the condemnation, that light is to come into the world; but men loved darkness rather than light."

INFERENCE 1. Hence it follows, that neither knowledge, nor the best means of it, are sufficient to secure men from wrath to come. Light is a choice mercy, and therefore the means that gave it must be so; but it is a mercy liable to abuse, and the abuse of the best mercies causes the greatest miseries. Alas, Christians! your duty is but half learned when you know it; obedience to light makes light a blessing indeed: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," John xiii. 17. Happiness is not entailed on knowing, but on doing; upon obedience to our knowledge: otherwise, he that increases knowledge does but increase sorrow : "That servant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes," Luke xii. 47; "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin," Jas. iv. 17. We are bound with all thankfulness to acknowledge the bounty of Heaven, in furnishing us with so many excellent means of light beyond many other nations and past generations; but we ought to rejoice with trembling, when we consider the abuses of lights. God has blessed us with many burning and shining lights; the greater will our account be for abusing such light, and rebelling against it. The clearer our light is now, the thicker will the mist of darkness be hereafter, if we abuse it. The devils have more light than we, and therefore the more torment. Of them it is said, "The devils also believe, and tremble," Jas. ii. 19. The horror of their consciences is answerable to their illumination.

2. If the abuse of light thus aggravates sin and misery, times of great temptation are like to be times of great guilt. Woe to an enlightened generation, when strong temptations befall them! How do many, in such times, imprison the truth to keep themselves out of prison, and offer violence to their conscience to avoid violence from other hands! Plato was convinced of the unity of God, yet durst not

own his convictions, but said: "It is a truth neither easy to find, nor safe to own.' And even Seneca, the renowned moralist, was led by temptation to dissemble his conviction; of whom Augustine says: "He worshipped what he reprehended, and did what he himself reproved." And even a great papist of later times was heard to say, as he was going to mass, "Let us go to the common error." O, how hard is it to keep conscience pure in days of temptation! Doubtless it is a mercy to many weak Christians to be removed by death out of harm's way, and disbanded by Providence before the heat of the battle. Christ and antichrist seem at this day to be drawing into the field, and a fiery trial threatens the professors of this age; but when it comes to a close engagement, we may tremble to think how many thousands will break their way through the convictions of their conscience to save their lives. If Christ hold you to himself by no other tie than the slender thread of a single conviction; if he have not interest in your heart and affections, as well as in your understanding and conscience; if you are men of great light and unmortified lusts; if you profess Christ with the tongue, and worship the world with your hearts, I may say of you, without the gift of prophecy, what the prophet said of Hazael, "I know what you will do in the day of temptation."

3. If this be so, what a strong engagement lies on all enlightened persons to turn heartily to God, and reduce their knowledge to practice and obedience! The more men know, the more violence they do their conscience in rebelling against the light; this is to sin with a high hand, Numb. xv. 30. Believe it, you cannot sin at so cheap a rate as others do; knowledge in a wicked man but the sooner precipitates him into ruin. You may know more than others; but if you go to heaven, it must be in the same way of faith and obedience, mortification and self-denial, in which the weakest Christian goes there; whatever knowledge you have, you have no wisdom, if you expect salvation on any easier terms than the most illiterate Christian finds it. It was an observation of one of the fathers, "The unlearned rise and take heaven." What a pity is it that men of excellent powers should be enslaved to their lusts! that ever it should be said that learning does but blind men in spiritual things, and prepare them for greater misery.

4. Hence also it follows, that the work of conversion is very difficult; the soul is scarcely half won to Christ when Satan is cast out of the understanding by illumination. The devil has deeply entrenched himself, and fortified every faculty of the soul against Christ. The understanding is the first entrance into the soul; and out of that faculty he is oftentimes cast by light and conviction, which seems to make a great change upon a man: now he becomes a professor, takes up the duties of religion, and passes for a convert. But, alas! all the while Satan keeps the fort, the heart and will are in his possession; and the weapons of that warfare must indeed be mighty through God, which not only cast down imaginations, but bring every thought of the heart into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. While the heart stands out, though the understanding be won, the soul remains in Satan's possession; it is a greater work to win one heart than to convince twenty understandings.

5. Hence also we learn, what power there is in the lusts of men's hearts, which are able to bear down before them such strong convictions of the conscience! That is a great truth, though a very sad one: "The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil," Eccl. viii. 11. O how common is it to see men hazarding their souls to satisfy their lusts! Every man, says the prophet, "turneth to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle," Jer. viii. 6. The horse is a fierce and warlike creature; and when his courage is roused by the sound of drums and trumpets and shouts of armies, he breaks headlong into the ranks of armed men, though death is before him. Such boisterous and headlong lusts are found in many enlightened persons: though their consciences represent damnation before them, onward they will rush, though God be lost, and the precious soul undone for ever.

6. As you would avoid the deepest guilt, and escape the heaviest condemnation, open your hearts to obey whatever God has opened your understandings to receive of his revealed will. Obey the light of the gospel while you have opportunity to enjoy it. This was the counsel given by Christ: "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have light, lest darkness come upon you," John xii. 35. The manifestation of Christ in the gospel is the light of the world; all the nations of the earth that have not this light are benighted; and those on whom it has risen, have

but a short time under it: "Yet a little while the light is with you." Whatever patience God may exercise towards ignorant souls, commonly he makes short work with the despisers of this light. The light of the gospel is a lamp fed with golden oil; God will not always continue such a light for them that but trifle with it. The night is coming when no man can work. There are many sad signs coming, upon us of a setting sun-a night of darkness approaching; many burning and shining lights are extinguished, and many put "under a bushel;" your work is great, your time short; this is the only space you have for repentance, Rev. ii. 21. If this opportunity of salvation is lost, it will never come again, Ezek. xxiv. 13. How pathetic was that lamentation which Christ made over Jerusalem!" And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes,' Luke xix. 41, 42. Christ is threatening this kingdom with the removal of his gospel presence; he hath found but cold entertainment among us. The nation has been unkind to Christ. Many thousands there are that rebel against the light, that say unto God, "Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.' Christ will not tarry where he is not welcome. Obey the light, therefore, lest God put it out in obscure darkness.

Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.

SERMON XXXIV.

SATAN'S BLINDING THE CAUSE OF UNBELIEF, AND FORE

RUNNER OF DESTRUCTION.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

THE aversion of men from Jesus Christ, their only remedy, is to be wondered at as well as lamented; one would think the news of deliverance should make the hearts of captives leap for joy, and that the tidings of a Saviour should transport the heart of a lost sinner. A man would think a little reasoning might persuade a sinner to put on the robes of Christ's righteousness, which cost him nothing but acceptance; or the perishing, starving sinner to accept the bread of God, which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. This is the great design I have had in this work, the centre to which all these lines are drawn; many arguments have been used to prevail with men to apply and put on Christ, but I fear that to multitudes I have but laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought; that to them all these discourses are but beating the air; and that few, if any, will be persuaded to come unto Christ, who is clearly revealed and freely offered in the gospel.

For, alas! while I am reasoning, Satan is blinding their minds with false reasonings and contrary persuasions; the god of this world turns away the ears and the hearts of almost the whole world from Christ: "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 1 Cor. iv. 4. Satan is a jealous prince, and is well aware that such of