The Twenty Ninth of May.A CARNAL SOUL --- Ephesians 4:18, 19."Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work uncleanness with greediness." --- Ephesians 4:18, 19. If a man be naturally dead, bring a candle into a room he sees it not; let the sun shine in his face, he perceives not the beauty, nor feels the warmth thereof, offer him rich presents, he receives them not; he hath no eye to see them, no heart to desire them, no hand reach out to them. Thus it is with one that is spiritually dead; let the sunshine of the gospel blaze out ever so clear; he sees it not, because he is in darkness; though he lived under plentiful means and dispensations, yet he is blind and sottish: offer unto him the rich pearls of the gospel, those rich treasures of the grace of Jesus Christ, yet he hath no heart to them, no hand of faith to lay hold upon them; so blind, so sottish, so stupid and senseless is he, that though these rich treasures, these graces, these pearls of the gospel, be conveyed unto him in earthen vessels, in a plain and familiar manner, yet he doth not, he cannot apprehend them; judgments do not affright him and mercies cannot allure or persuade him; yet this creature is all life in the element of sin; he loves it, he pleads for it, he commits it with greediness. This is St. Paul's account of the unconverted Gentiles and how many such have we under a Christian name! O Lord, exert thy great power, quicken all that are thus dead in trespasses and sins; turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to thine own self. Amen.
A carnal soul is blind within, |