SER M. places, and of renown; but Myfteries are II. revealed unto the Meek, Ecclus. iii. 19.

ON the contrary, where there is a vitious Inclination and an Affection to Wickedness; there mens minds are not only blinded by the natural confequence of fuch a difpofition, but God moreover withdraws his Spirit from them, and the Holy Ghost will not dwell in a Heart that takes pleasure in Unrighteousness. For into a malicious Soul Wisdom fhall not enter, nor dwell in the Body that is fubject unto Sin; For the Holy Spirit of Difcipline will flee deceit, and remove from Thoughts, that are without Understanding, and will not abide when Unrighteousness cometh in, Wifd. i. 4. Nay, not only fo; but, where men are obftinately incorrigible, God is represented in Scripture as juftly giving them up in judgment to be deceived by the Evil One, that for a deferved punishment they may increafe unto more Ungodliness. Rev. xx. 8, Satan is described as being let loofe, that he may go out to deceive the Nations: And the deftruction of Wicked Ahab, is thus eloquently reprefented in a moft lively Image by the Prophet Mi

caiak,

II.

caiah, 1 Kings xxii. 19. I faw the Lord SER M. fitting on his throne, and all the hoft of Heaven fitting by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord faid, Who fall perfwade, (in the original it is, Who fall deceive) Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? and one faid on this manner, and another faid on that manner. And there came forth a Spirit, and stood before the Lord, and faid, I will perfwade him; And the Lord faid, unto him, Wherewith? And he faid, I will go forth, and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets; And he faid, Thou shalt perfwade him and prevail alJo; Go forth, and do fo. The Representation is highly figurative, and by no means to be understood literally; But the meaning is, that God juftly permits Wicked men, when they obftinately refufe to hear Him, he permits them to be deceived by the Evil One to their own deftruction. The like expreffion is ufed, Judg. ix. 23. God fent an Evil Spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem : The meaning is, as it is explained in the following words, God permitted Abimelech to be deceived and dealt treacherously E 3

with

SERM' with by the men of Shechem, that his

II.

cruelty and the blood which he had fhed might come upon him. 'Tis nothing more, but an acknowledgment of the Justice and Wisdom of Providence, in fuffering Wicked men to be judicially blinded, that they may fall according to their deserts. With him is Strength and Wisdom, the Deceived and Deceiver are his ;- He removeth away the Speech of the Trufty, and taketh away the Understanding of the Aged from them: Job xii, 16, 20, The Heathen World, because they did not like to retain God in their Knowledge, therefore God gave them up to Uncleanness, and to vile affections, and to a reprobate (i. e, an undifcerning) mind, Rom. i, 24, 26, 28. Joh. xi. 20, Deut. ii. 30. Pha raoh, becaufe of his obftinate Wicked+ nefs, God hardned his Heart, i. e. fuffered his Understanding to be more and more blinded, that he should not fee the Tendency of God's wonderful Judgments worked in Egypt. The fame Phrafe is used of the people of the Jews, If. lxiii. 17. Thou haft hardned our Heart from thy Fear; or, as it is, ch. vi. 10. Make the Heart of this people fat,

.

-left they understand

II.

understand with their Heart, and convert SER M. and be healed. The Meaning is expreffed at large, ch. xxix. 13, 10. Forafmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,

-but have removed their Heart far from me; Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people: The Wisdom of their Wife men fhall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men fhall be hid;

-The Lord

bas poured out upon you the Spirit of deep fleep, and has closed your eyes. And Ezek. Rom. xi. xiv. 5, 6, 9. Because they are all eftranged 8. from me by their Idols, Therefore Jay unto the Houfe of Ifrael, If a prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will deftroy him from the midst of my people Ifrael. The like expreffions are used in the New Teftament, concerning corrupt Chriftians; He that is unjust, let him be Rev. xxii. unjuft ftill; and he which is filthy, let him!!. be filthy ftill; and he that is righteous, let

bim be righteous ftill; and he that is holy, Rev. xvii. let him be holy fill.

And God fhall put it '7 deliver their Kingdom and Power unto the Beaft. And 2 Theff.

into their hearts to

SERM i. 10. Because they received not the Love II. of the Truth, -for this caufe God Shall fend them frong Delufion, that they Should believe a Lye; That they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but bad pleasure in unrighteousness: And, 2 Tim. iii. 13, Evil men and feducers shall wax worfe and worse, deceiving and being deceived. All which paffages, are as it were Paraphrafes and Illuftrations of the Words of the Text; None of the Wicked fhall understand, but the Wife fall underftand.

FROM what has been faid, we may infer, ft, That Wicked men have no reafon to complain, for their not being able to understand Religion; and Infidels no Excufe, for their not believing it. For God who commanded the Light to fhine out of Darkness, bath fined in our Hearts, to give the light of the Knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift: But if our Gofpel be bid, 'tis bid to them that are loft; In whom the God of this World bas blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious Gospel of Chrift, who is the Image of God, should Shine unto them, 2 Cor. iv. 6. 3, 4,

2dly,