come, and not to neglect fo great, fo eternal a falvation? Which is meant to withdraw our affections from this vain transitory world, and fix them on the joys and glories of a blessed immortality. In fhort, if there be any wifdom in refufing and despifing admonitions of this nature; it will be impoffible to prove that there is any fuch thing as folly, or even to understand what it means.

But after all; however lightly we may efteeem the helps and directions of human wisdom, yet furely the highest regard and reverence are due to divine. Whatever we think of the advices of mere men; yet may this can be no reafon for neglecting those that are infpired. If we will not mind fallible counsellors, yet fhall we give no heed to prophets and apofiles? Shall we not hearken to the Son of God, the Saviour of the world; who came into it on purpose to instruct and direct us, and guide us in the way to everlafting falvation? Laftly, fhall we not attend, devoutly and diligently attend, to the counfels of our heavenly Father, and the admonitions of the Most High? Can we have more regard to what is right in our own eyes, than to what is right in his? Dare we not truft Omniscience? Is it poffible for us to imagine

ye

imagine that infinite wisdom cannot direct us better than we can do ourselves?-But I fhall not expoftulate any further. The thing itself speaks fo plain, that nothing can make it plainer. I fhall therefore conclude with the words of Wisdom, or rather the God of Wisdom, delivered to us by our royal author. Because I have called, and ye refused; I bave ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but bave fet at nought my counsel, and defpifed all my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh: when your fear cometh as defolation, and your deftruction as a whirlwind; when diftrefs and anguish cometh upon you, then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they Shall feek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; therefore fhall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. But whofo hearkeneth unto me, shall dwell fafely, and fhall be quiet from fear of evil.

:

SERMON

XI.

The Causes and Consequences of intellectual Darkness.

MATTH. VI. Part of the 23d Verse.

If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?

T

O discover the meaning of these words,

it will be requifite to look back upon the verse immediately foregoing; where, according to a figure of speech very common both in facred and profane writers, we find a power and a disposition of the mind represented and illustrated, the one by a bodily organ, and the other by a corporeal affection. The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be fingle, thy whole body fhall be full of light. Transferring this to the mind, the question will be, what we are to understand by the character of Singleness

here

here recommended: for, that the eye of the mind denotes its faculty of perception and judgment, is needlefs to be observed or mentioned. The ufual fignification of the word fingle in the original, applied to the mind, is that of liberality and beneficence. And accordingly this sense of it seems to receive confirmation from the context; where we find inculcated a difregard of temporal treafures, and a perpetual preference of fuch as are eternal.-But if we turn to the parallel paffage in St. Luke, chap. xi. ver. 34, &c. we find a different context, and that the expreffion is used on a different occafion: for there the application confronts the cafe of the unbelieving Jews, whofe judgments were perverted by their corrupt affections, and grofs prejudices. And indeed the primary, direct, and most natural fignification of a fingle eye, in relation to the mind, feems to be that purity, integrity, and fimplicity of judgment, which confifts in being directed and governed folely by evidence, without regard had to any other confideration. The fight of the mind is then properly fingle and undivided, when, in the view of any case, or the examination of any question, it looks at nothing but evidence, and judges accordingly; without being influenced by any other