be hid in darkenesse and inuisible and therefore could nothing mooue without stumbling and falling neither know whether to goe Ioh. 12. 35. And what could be looked for but sudaine death Againe without light we should haue no knowledge of any thing the firmament and elements with all their creatures should be inuisible to vs there should be nothing but blindnesse ignorance feare horror sorrow despaire we should be farre worse than the prisoner that lies in the bottome of a nastie dungeon Yea if the light of the Sunne were not the World should be a very picture and resemblance of Hell a confusion of beasts foules and men euery one treading other vnder foote yea all things should be mingled together into one Chaos or masse there should be nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feares terrours mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Consider therefore what is the necessitie excellencie glory and felicitie of the light which is the life of the World Hence it is that light is vsed in the Scripture to signifie good and darkenesse euill Light signifieth the glory of Heauen the essence and holinesse of God the sonne of God the doctrine of the Gospell naturall vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome in the minde the knowledge of the glory and wisedome of God in the saluation of the elect holinesse of life Christians felicitie and prosperitie life Contrarily darkenesse signifieth Hell the paines and of Hell sinne and wickednesse the blindnesse and ignorance of man since the fall sinfull and lustfull liuing the Gentiles that know not God calamitie and miserie death These things are generally signified by Light and Darkenesse But for the clearing of this perticular place the light hath foure speciall significations First It signifieth God that is the Trinitie in the Vnitie Secondly It signifieth the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is the Vnitie in the Trinitie Thirdly it signifieth the Doctrine of the Gospell Fourthly it signifieth Christians and Christian life Concerning the first signification It is sayd 1 Ioh. 1. 5. God is Light and in him is no darkenesse As if he should say God is holy This holinesse of the Diuine nature standeth First in the life and incomprehensible essence or being of God Secondly in his other essentiall properties as his power wisedome iustice mercy goodnesses Thirdly in his vnspeakeable complete celestiall ioy blessednesse and felicitie And as God is all light so there is no light without him for all that is without him is ignorance darkenesse and impuritie Concerning the second signification I. God the father is the light of the world but this light in him is inuisible to the world and to Angels 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the Light which none can attaine vnto Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time Wis 9. 13. What man is he that can know the Counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of God is Also No man knoweth the father but the sonne c. Therefore this light of the world in the person of the father is hid inuisible II. God the Sonne is the light of the world by communication from the father and in him is the light and life of the world manifest and visible which was hid in God from euerlasting Ioh. 5. 36. As the father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe For this cause is he called the image of the inuisible God and brightnesse of his glory whose glorious nature wisedome and goodnesse shineth in the sonne who with the father is one and the same God Heb. 1. 3. Hence it is that he is called the wisdome of the father because he perfectly knoweth all secrets hidden in the father And he is in speciall manner called the Word because he reuealeth these secrets and this light to the World in mans nature and by mans voice Ioh. 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him The Sonne therefore is the light and life of men in a double respect I. Christ is the light and life of man in the worke of creation for by participation of his life and light he receiued life motion sence and knowledge Ioh. 1. 4. In it was life and the life was the light of men II. He is the life and light of man in the worke of redemption in which respect here he calls himselfe the light of the World The former naturall life and light which we receiued from him in the creation is turned into darkenesse and death through the enuy of the Deuill and sinne So that naturally we are without God without light without life lying in the darkenesse of ignorance and the pollution of sinne Ezech. 16. 4. Rom. 1. 18. Now therefore seeing that we are darknesse and not light death and not life euen dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. God out of the hidden treasures of his wisedome goodnesse and mercy hath quickned reuiued and begotten vs againe by application of his liuely light communicated from before the beginning of the world to the son participated to vs by through the son in the world The son therefore is the light and life of the world he is the wisedome and word of the father reuealing declaring and applying life and light to the world and for this purpose the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs 1 Ioh. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning euen Christ God eternall which we haue heard euen the same Christ made man which we haue seene with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life declare wee vnto you The Sonne therefore iâ— our life light and felicitie he alone of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. This place is a plaine exposition of these words I am the light of the World for heere the Apostle excludeth a man wholly from himselfe as nothing but darkenesse and death and setteth forth our spirituall and liuely being and manner of being in Christ I. Hee is our wisedome All sauing and true wisedome is in Christ for God hath fully reueiled himselfe in Christ and by him to vs and by no other meanes Colos 2. 3. In him are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and knowledge and if all be in him then without him is nothing II. He is made our righteousnesse that is to say by him and in him alone we are accepted and beloued of God For first he alone by himselfe hath purged our sinnes Secondly his obedience alone is imputed to vs for righteousnesse In which two things standeth the righteousnesse of faith by which God is our God and we are his people III. He is our sanctification By nature we are profane without God in the world a masse of filthinesse and
branches growing in the tree but drawing no sucke or iuyce of life out of the tree Secondly if we be false and dead limbs then are we separate from the other members hauing no hearty fellowship with them I need not to amplifie this following whereby Gods children follow him by any more specialls for as they follow him in holinesse righteousnesse mercifulnesse loue truth vprightnesse so also in all other things 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he which hath called you is holy even so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation Mat. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light To this purpose also Christ saith Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Yea this is the end of your election redemption and calling euen our sanctification 1 Pet. 2. 2. Now the cause why the children of God doe so resemble him in true wisedome righteousnesse and holinesse is because they haue receiued from him the spirit of regeneration Ioh. 3. 4. Except a man be borne of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God that is neither into the kingdome of grace nor into the kingdome of glory He is called the spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba or call God father Whatsoeuer we are how morally good soeuer we be we are but children of wrath quite cut off from God hauing no part at all in him wild Oliues Rom. 11. 24. Bastards and runnagates as Cain and Cham vntill God adopt vs into his family giuing vs the spirit of sonnes of his owne free mercy and grace Tit. 3. 5. 6 Ezech. 36. 26. 17. Because this politicall terme of adoption is vsed often in the Epistles I will briefly declare the meaning thereof Generation or begetting of children is naturall or legall legall generation is a politicall act maintaining nature ordained for their comfort which haue no chidren the law prouiding children for them whom nature hath failed And thus may a man be said to beget children legally Legall generation is also twofold Adrogation and adoption Adrogation is when he that is a free man and vnder no mans power authority or command viz. neither of father or master is receiued into the place of a sonne by an other which thus by law becommeth his father And if he that is thus adrogate haue children they are also vnder his power as Nephewes that is his sons children Adoption is when he that is vnder the power of an other whether father or master is taken by another man to be his sonne and heire And if he haue sonnes that is thus adopted they are the nephewes of the adoptour And although the adoptour cannot giue the spirit of a sonne vnto him which only the naturall father can do yet is the adopted so obliged bound to him for those so great benefits both of freedome and inheritance as that he cannot but for euer be most thankfull to him yea alwayes ready and desirous to testifie the same by his loue dutifulnesse obedience and all meanes towards his adoptour euen as he were his owne sonne and he his naturall father To apply this We euen the best that euer was were vnder the power of others to wit in the bondage and vnder the tyranny of the diuell and sinne who had absolute power and command ouer vs and we miserable wretches yeelded our selues willingly yea with delight into subiection and homage vnto them being destitute of the knowledge of God and godlines Now God of his owne free loue mercy and grace redeemed vs out of the thraldome of those tyrants with the bloodshed and death of his owne sonne which willingly submitted himself in obedience to his father herein for by no other price nor other meanes could this purchase be made Who because he was not only perfect man but perfect God also did by the spirit of sanctification free himselfe from the graue the punishment and imputation of our sinnes and by the power of the same raised himselfe from death vnto life corruption and death hauing no power ouer him This sanctifying spirit of the sonne hath the Father giuen vs that by the power thereof our bond-mens minds wills affections might be mortified and crucified and that sonne-like and spirituall minds wills affections might be put into vs daily renuing vs into the nature of ingenuous and freeborne sonnes This is more then the legall father or adoptour can doe For he can doe no more but binde his adopted sonne to thankfulnesse for his benefits of bodily freedome and earthly inheritance but God hath giuen vs the spirit of his sonne whereby we are made and transformed into naturall sonnes and therefore affectioned towards him as the child is towards his naturall fathel Much more thankfull therefore louing dutifull and obedient ought we to be if we be true sonnes to God our father and Christ our redeemer that hath so dearely bought vs out of the power of sinne death and damnation and brought vs into the glorious liberty of sonnes and hope of euerlasting inheritance together with his owne sonne Therefore it is apparant that it is the spirit which quickneth begetteth fashioneth and conformeth the children of God into the similitude and likenes of God their father wherein at the first they were created and into which they are renewed by the holy Ghost by the Gospell of faith This begetting and quickning spirit is called immortall seede 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne a new not of mortall seede but of immortall by the word of God c. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not because his seede remaineth in him c. This seede is not the essence of the holy Ghost but the power thereof begetting faith of the Gospell in vs crucifying the body of sinne in vs and renuing vs into the image of God Rom. 1. 13. 14. If ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit ye shall liue for as many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God Tit. 3 4. We are saued by the washing of the new birth and renuing of the holy Ghost To conclude this point then As the child doth imitate the father by the vnion and identity of the spirit communicated vnto him from the father euen so the child of God doth imitate and follow Christ by the vnion of the spirit of God and Christ which the Apostle calls participation of the diuine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Wherby most great and pretious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers
of the godly nature in that ye flee the corruption which is in the world through lust Quest Hereupon it may be demanded how we are partakers of the godly nature and how we are said properly to be the children of God Answ We are partakers of the godly nature two wayes First in respect of the effect vertues and gifts of the holy Ghost working in vs and by vs as first enlightning our minds with the true knowledge of Christ secondly begetting faith in vs and incorporating vs into Christ thirdly purging out the leauen of naturall corruption in vs fourthly fashioning vs into new obedience fiftly applying Christ with his gifts and treasures vnto vs sixtly leading vs into all truth seuenthly comforting vs in afflictions eightly sealing the certainty of our inheritance in our hearts by his testimony as a pledge or earnest of the promises of God Ephes 1. 14. Hence it is that he is called The spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and feare of the Lord Esay 11. 2. Because hee begetteth worketh and increaseth those vertues and graces in vs. Likewise the spirit of meeknesse Galat. 6. 1. The spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. The spirit of loue 2 Tim. 1. 7. Moreouer the Apostles were partakers of the diuine nature in respect of those extraordinary gifts wherewith they were endued for the execution of their Apostolicall office Secondly we are partakers of the godly nature in respect of the essence of God not that Gods essence is any part of vs but as he is God euery where filling heauen and earth with his essence so is he in speciall manner with and in his children and by his presence is effectuall in them Whereupon Paul saith Rom. 8. 11. The spirit of him which hath raised vp Iesus dwelleth in you Ioh. 14. 23. If any one loue me he will keep my word and my Father will loue him and we will come and dwell with him God is present with the wicked also but it is in such sort as the Iudge is present with the malefactors Thirdly in this place the following of Christ is compared to the following of light or to a lanterne that giueth light to trauellers to goe the right way without error falling or stumbling Such a comparison the Psalmist maketh Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a lanterne to my feet that I might not stumble nor erre The word then both sheweth the right way for a Christian to walke in and guideth him in the right way to walke without offence So that to follow the light is to haue our conuersation in this world according to the word of God which by his sonne he hath sent and reuealed to vs and is effectuall in them that are saued bringing them out of the darknesse of this world into the glorious light and sunshine of his kingdome and grace Thus much of the exhortation It followeth now to speake of the negatiue reason inforcing the same III. Shall not walke in darknesse What it is to walke or liue in darknesse the Apostle plainly declareth Ephes 4. 17. 18. 19. the 17 verse is a dehortation Walke not as other Gentiles doe in the vanity of their minds Vanity of mind is a priuation or want of true wisedome and knowledge whereupon the imaginations of the minde the affections of the heart and actions of life are not according to true wisedome and knowledge but vaine that is foolish fruitlesse vnprofitable to no end Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had you then in these things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of these things is death In the two verses following he farther expresseth this vaine and foolish life of the Gentiles shewing and declaring it by the causes thereof which are two The first is in the 18. verse namely the corruption of the mind The second is in the 19 verse and that is remorcelesnesse of conscience The corruption of the minde stands in two things First in the presence of euill hauing their cogitation darkned Secondly in the absence of good Being strangers from the life of God Concerning the darknesse of the minde I thus expresse it Man was created in the image of God that is in the true knowledge of God Col. 3. 10. And haue put on the new man which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that hath created him and in true righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes 5. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse This knowledge was as a pure and eleare light in the minde of man but after that by the fall man was separated from God this light was darkned that is this knowledge was corrupted with ignorance as a punishment of the fall so that there remained onely some small notions glimmering or remainders of light or knowledge in him Then againe this light or remainder of knowledge is farther corrupted by the frowardnesse of the affections and will Now this small remnant being taken away there succeedeth meere darknesse and brutish ignorance Mat. 6. 23. If the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknesse As if he had said if thy naturall reason be darkned through the malice of thy heart there is nothing but meere darknesse Secondly the corruption of the mind standeth in the absence of good strangers from the life of God Life is naturall or spirituall the former we haue by generation from Adam and it is the function of the soule in motion sense and reason Spirituall life is that which we haue by regeneration or new birth which is the action of the holy Ghost begetting faith in vs by the power whereof we destroy the body of sinne and are renued into the image of God which is here called the life of God This life of God Paul doth plainly declare Gal. 2. 19. 20. That I might liue to God I am crucified with Christ as touching the old man 20. Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me his spirit worketh new obedience in me In the words following he defineth this dying to sinne and newnesse of life by the cause And in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God The Gentiles and prophane persons are far from this godly life Furthermore this their strangenesse from the life of God is declared by the cause thereof that is their ignorance their ignorance is declared by the cause also to wit the hardnesse of their heart which is the peruersenesse of the will and of the affections in the heart And because froward and peruerse men doe resist and seeke to quench the small light that is in them therefore God giueth them vp into a reprobate minde voide of all iudgement Rom 1. 28. This is the first cause of vaine foolish and fruitlesse liuing The second cause is remorcelesnesse of conscience verse 19. Which being
past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnesse Custome in sinne hardneth the heart and the heart being hardned rebelleth against the mind and putteth out the light of reason which bringeth a curse vpon the conscience and taketh away all remorse of sinne which is a token of reprobation The Apostle calleth it a seared conscience that cannot bleed 1 Tim. 4. 2. Thus haue I shewed what it is to walke in darknesse which is to liue not according to the knowledge of God and his waves but according to the imaginations and corrupt affections of our owne hearts And thus doe all men naturally liue though neuer so wise learned ciuill and great in the world their whole life is foolish fruitlesse vnprofitable and their end is eternall death For the further clearing of this point I will shew in what particulars the vaine and foolish life of the ignorant is compared to darknesse First darknesse is a priuation and want of light so spirituall darknesse that is the ignorance and blindnesse of the heart is a priuation and want of the light or knowledge of God Secondly in darknesse all things are inuisible one thing cannot be discerned from another Blacke and white good and euill hurtfull things and profitable things are not discerned So in spirituall darknesse men call good euill and euill good sinne is delightfull and sweet to them yea they coun tit abhomination todepart from euill 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein it seemeth strange vnto them that yee run not with them to the same excesse of riot therefore speake they euill of you Thirdly in darknesse a man knowes not the right way though he be neuer so quickesighted and although he be set in it yet will he soone goe astray running into by-paths and dangerous wayes like a blind man so in So in spirituall darknesse ignorance of God in his word a man knowes not the way of life this narrow way he can not finde though he be neuer so subtill politicke wise and learned well may he grope for the streight gate as the men of Sodome did for Lots dore but he shall neuer be able to finde it and though he daily looke on it yet shall he not discerne it All his wayes are the wayes of death and the good and right way seemeth to him to be the worst way Fourthly if this light of the sunne were not the earth should be a very picture and resemblance of hell a confused masse or heape of beasts foules and men one thing treading other vnder foot nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feare terrours sorrow despaire mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Euen so in spirituall darknesse where the knowledge of Gods word is not there is a resemblance of hell and men are like diuels there is nothing but disorder and confusion no dueties towards God nor towards man put in practise Where this glorious light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts of men they are like to beasts and Serpents yea they degenerate into the natures of all noisome and venemous beasts First they hatch cockatrice egges that is whatsoeuer commeth from them is deadly poyson Esay 59. 5. The poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes Psal 14. 5. Destruction and vnhappines is in their waies verse 7. Secondly they are vipers children deuouring parents and parents their children Mat. 3. 7. Thirdly They are as fed horses of vnbrideled and adulterous lusts Ier. 5. 8. Fourthly Reioycing and neighing in the victory and downfall of their neighbours like to strong horses Ier. 50. 11. Fiftly destroying their Prophets teachers instructors and the poore like to Lyons Ier. 2. 30. Psal 10. 9. 22. 13. Sixtly subtile and wilely to deceiue like Foxes Luke 13. 32. Seuenthly Girning and running about like dogges if they be not satisfied in their vnsatiable desires Psal 59. 14. Esay 56. 11. Eightly rauenous and greedy of the prey full of cruelty and without all mercy like to wolues Mat. 7. 15. Where the light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts and mindes of men what can there be but pride vaineglory drunkennesse excessiue drinkings oppression deceiuing one another and being deceiued euery Superiour treading his Inferiour vnder foote politicke and craftie circumuenting one another wily intrapping and insnaring one another cousenage fraudulent dealing dissembling and lying in bargaining bloodsucking by cruell oppression hatefull and heathenish rent-racking vaine and prodigall spending voluptuous liuing and licentious gaming murthers enuy ill will contention and trouble whoredomes adulteteries and wantonnesse These and such like are the workes of darknesse euen of them that are aliue in body and dead in soule But Christ is the light of the world they that follow him shall not liue in such darknesse but shall haue the light of life Thus much of the negatiue reason the affirmatiue followeth IIII. But shall haue the light of life There be two lights of life or liuely lights First the knowledge of God in righteousnesse and holinesse participated by the sonne of God to Adam in the creation is called liuely light I say the naturall knowledge of God in Adam before the fall was the light of naturall life which life stood in absolute holinesse which was his perfect obedience to the first Table and absolute righteousnesse which was his obedience to the second But this liuely light by the fall was extinguished yet not wholly but so buried in ignorance and impurity as it is of no force to bring forth in vs any pure worship of God or holinesse of life but serueth rather to bridle and restraine vs from outragious sinne and to giue vs some light to discerne our ignorance and malice to our owne accusation and condemnation so that it is a deadly and not a liuely light The second light is a new knowledge that is the knowledge of God in Christ Of God in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe of God in Christ our mercifull and louing father of God in Christ redeeming and purchasing vs againe when by sinne we were vtterly lost of God in Christ restoring vs to sight that were vtterly blinde and ignorant of God in Christ abolishing the body of sinne and corruption in vs of God in Christ renuing vs into his owne image and likenes from which by Adams transgression we fell of God in Christ turning the curse of the earth with all afflictions and troubles into blessings and meanes to eternall blisse of God in Christ preparing a kingdome and heauenly Citty for vs whose pauements walles and buildings are of Golde Pearle Emeraldes Chrysolites Carbuncles and all costly ornaments a thousand times excelling the Sanctum Sanctorum of Salomons Temple in glory He that followeth Christ hath this liuely light in him he that followeth him not hath no light in him but is shut vp in ignorance and darknesse Hee I say that denying carnall wisedome and fleshly lusts doth follow him is enlightned to see and behold the glory of God in sauing