the spirit of the Almighty gave him understanding for the Government which he was called to for whereas before he had only a private spirit taken up about cattel and the affaires of husbandry then God gave him a spirit of prudence and valour a spirit of wisdome and magnanimity a Noble and an Heroicall Spirit befitting the Governour of so great and populous a kingdome both in peace and warre Every Calling is a mystery much more the Calling of Kings and Supreame Magistrates It was said to Imperiall Rome Tu regere im perio populos Romane memento Hae tibi sint artes Doe thou remember to Rule Nations and Kingdomes let these be thy arts This Art the Spirit of the Lord gave Saul even knowledge and skill to rule and governe yea he had a gift of Illumination not only for government but for prophesie he was found amongst the Prophets and when v. 11th they asked wondering Is Saul also amongst the Prophets As if they had said How strange and unheard of a thing is this that Saul should be furnished with the gift of prophecy and joyne himselfe with the Prophets They who before were acquainted with his person and manner of education were even amazed at the sight And while they were surprized with this amazement one of the same place as it seemes wiser then the rest Answered and said but who is their father ver 12. That 's the speciall word for which I alledge this text What Saul among the Prophets is it not strange that he should be Inspired Then one Answered and said who is their father As if he had said Doe not any longer stand wondering at this thing but consider who is the father of Saul as a Prophet as also the father of all these Prophets Saul was the son of Kish as to naturall descent but he had another father as he was a Prophet and so all these Prophets had besides theit Fathers as men one and the same father as Prophets Therefore wonder not that ye heare Saul prophecying for all these whom ye heare and see prophecying have not these gifts by birth from men nor by industry from themselves but from God who is a free agent and inspireth whom he pleaseth The same God who by inspiration hath freely bestowed those gifts upon the other Prophets hath also inspired Saul with a gift of prophecy The Spirit of God is his father in that capacity as well as the father of these other Prophets And hence that Scripture runs in the plurall number who is their father Unlesse God give power from above the understanding is darke the memory unfaithfull the tongue stammering It is light from on high that teacheth the skill of prophecy Solomon had the greatest measure of understanding of any meere man since the fall of man and of him it is said 1 Kings 4.29 God gave Solomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart even as the sand that is on the sea-shore Solomons heart had been as narrow as another mans if the Inspiration of the Almighty had not widened it When Moses was so sinfully modest as to excuse his Embassie to Pharoah supposing himselfe not fitted for such an undertaking Exod 4.10 11. O my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue God presently put the question to him Who hath made mans mouth c. As if he had said Cannot he give words into thy mouth who gave thee a mouth cannot he act thy organs of speech who made them Now therefore goe and I will be with thy mouth Est deus in nobis sunt et commercia caeli sedibus aethereis spiritus iste venit Ovid. and teach thee what thou shalt say The Inspiration of the Almighty shall give thee understanding Heathen Poets have boasted of their â—â—ptures and inspirations The people of God have a promise of the Spirit to lead them into all truth and to helpe them in maintaining those truths From this generall that the furniture of the understanding is the gift of God or by Inspiration of the Almighty take these hints by way of Coralary First If a right understanding flow from the Inspiration of the Almighty then pray for an understanding pray for the Spirit Ye have not because ye aske not saith the Apostle James 4.2 God gives wisdome but he gives it to them that aske it Jam 1.5 If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not God upbraideth us not either with our want of wisdome or with the abundance of wisdome that he is pleased to supply us with and give out to us When Solomon was put to his choice what to aske he said Give thy servant an understanding heart God gave Solomon wisdome but Solomon asked it first All good things are shut up in promises and the promises are opened to give out their good things when we pray Prov. 23.5 When thou Cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God To pray well is to studâ—e well because by prayer light comes in from on high to make studies successfull and the worke to prosper in our hand As the Almighty breatheth downe on us so we must breath up to the Almighty To expect and not to pray is to tempt God not to trust him Secondly Doe not onely pray for wisdome but use meanes and be industrious for the obtaining of it The gift of God doth not take off the diligence of man God doth not worke in us that we should sit still Prov. 2.4 Then shalt thou know wisdome when thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure And where is this treasure to be had Surely in the mines of Scripture and in all those Appoyntments wherein God hath promised to meete his people to shine upon them and give them the knowledge of his wayes in Jesus Christ Thirdly Be thankfull for any gift of knowledge for every beame and ray of light be thankfull It is God who commands light to shine out of darknesse and that God who at first commanded light to shine out of darknesse dayly shineth into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Fourthly If understanding be from Inspiration then they who have received much understanding must be caution'd against two evills First not to be proud nor high minded that our gifts come from on high should make us very low in our owne eyes What hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it These are the Apostles soule-humbling and pride-mortifying questions or expostulations rather 1 Cor. 4.7 You that have received the greatest gifts whom the Inspiration of the
a man of understanding every man is not a man of understanding in naturall and civill things much lesse in things divine and spirituall As some men have so much will or rather wilfulnesse that they are nothing but will and some have so much passion that they are nothing but passion so others have such riches and treasures of understanding as if they were nothing but understanding Now it is the speciall inspiration of the Almighty which giveth such an understanding that is an enlarged and an enriched understanding We say the inspiration of the Almighty g veth understanding The Hebrew is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intellectificat eos Brent which we may expresse as some doe It Intellectifieth So then the scope and meaning of this verse is plainly this That howsoever every man the meanest of men hath a reasonable soule yet the furniture of the understanding or mans fulness of wisdome and knowledge is by gift or inspiration of the Almighty and therefore some read the verse thus Surely there is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty maketh them to understand Thus Elihu would gâ—ine credit and authority to what he had to deliver as being by the teachings and dictates of the Spirit of God Est spiritus in hominibus spiratio autem omnipotentis docet Sept The Seventy comply fully with this rendering There is a spirit in men but the inspiration of the Almighty teacheth As if Elihu had said Though man be endewed with naturall knowledge and reason which can doe somewhat yet untill light shines from above till the spirit of God comes in and enlargeth the naturall spirit it cannot see farre nor doe any great matter Or take the sence of the whole verse thus in connection with what went before Though old age hath odds of youth yet one man as well as another hath a spirit of reason and judgement in him whereby through supply of speciall inspiration from God who can doe all things he may be able to know that which want of yeares denieth him From the words thus opened Observe First Wisdome or understanding is the gift of the Spirit of God We have a like assertion by way of question in the 38th Chapter of this booke ver 36. Who hath put wisdome into the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart who hath hath man put wisdome into himselfe or hath he made his own heart to understand the Question denies no man hath not done it Wisdome is an Influence or an Inspiration from the Almighty knowledge to order common things is of the Lord Isa 28.26 29. His God doth instruct him the husbandman he meanes to discretion in ordering the ground and doth teach him how much more in spirituall things and the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven Prov. 16.1 The preparation of the heart in man and the Answer of the tongue that is The fitting of the heart for any right answer of the tongue is from the Lord both the generall preparation of the heart for service or use and the speciall preparation of it to this or that service use is of the Lord so is the Answer of the tongue for the discharge of it Eccles 2.26 God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdome and knowledge and joy As God giveth man the knowledge of things so wisdome to know how to order and manage the things that he knoweth Some have more knowledge then they know how to manage their knowledge masters them they are not masters of their knowledge they have more knowledge then wisdome Now God gives to him that is good in his sight that is to the man whom he chooseth and is pleased with knowledge and wisdome and then he gives him joy that is Comfort in the exercise of that knowledge wherewith he is endued this is a notable and a noble gift of God We read Isa 11.2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirâ—t of wisdome and understanding It is a prophesie of Christ who being made in all things like to man had a naturall spirit or a reasonable faculty and he had that furnished by the spirit without measure the spirit of the Lord rested upon him the spirit of wisdome and understanding the spirit of Counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord even Christ as man received an unction or inspiration from the Almighty for the fullfilling of his Mediatoriall office much more doe meere men for the fullfilling of any office they are called unto 2 Cor 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves so much as to thinke a good thought Our sufficiency is by the Inspiration of the Almighty James 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above It is not a vapour that riseth out of the earth but an Influence which distills and drops downe from heaven it is from above that is from God who though he be every where filling both heaven and earth with his essentiall presence yet according to Scripture language his most glorious and manifestative presence is above and therefore to say every good gift is from above is all one as to say it is from God Daniel and those other three Noble youths of the Jewish race exceeded all the wise men of Chaldea in rare abilities and the Scripture tells us whence it was that they did so Dan. 1.17 As for these foure Children God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome and the assertion is layd downe in General Dan. 2.21 He that is God changeth times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisdome to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding All these Scriptures speak with one Consent the language of this Text It is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding And if we compare 1 Sam 10.1 with the 6th 9th 11th and 12th verses of the same Chapter we have a most remarkable passage to this purpose Where Saul having received the unction from Samuel both as an assurance of and a preparation for the exercise of his kingly office over Israel Samuel tells him ver 6. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophecy with them that is with the company of Prophets spoken of in the former verse and shalt be turned into another man And the holy text adds ver 9. God gave or as we put in the margin turned him another heart There is a twofold turning or changing of the heart or of a man into another man First by gifts of Illumination Secondly by the grace of Sanctification the great change of the heart is that change of Conversion by the grace of Sanctification Saul was not turned into another man nor had he another heart as changed by Grace for he shewed still his old heart in his new kingly state but he had another heart or he was another man as changed by gifts
we labour as much for the favour of God as ever any of the sons of ambition laboured for the favour of Princes or regard with the Kings of this world No man ever plotted or flatter'd and crouched so much to the Kings of the earth for favour as we doe to God for favour herein we labour We make it our business to be accepted with him if God once accept a man you may turne him loose he will shift for one How compleately happy the condition of such a favourite is will appeare yet furtber in opening the next clause of this verse And he shall see his face with joy When once God is favourable to a poor sinner then he shall be used or dealt with like a favourite Great Favourites stand in the presence of Princes and frequently see their faces Whomsoever any man favours he freely admits to his presence and takes delight in his company Thus Elihu speaks of Gods Favourite He shall see his face with joy There is a twofold interpretation of these words tending both to the same spirituall sence Videbit deus faciem ejus cum laetitia i. e. hilaritèr cum intuebitur vultu laeto et facili eum respiciet cum ante vultum iratus avertebat Merc First Some by the Antecedent He understand God himselfe and by his face the face of the humbled sick man and so the sence of this assertion he shall see his face with joy is plainly this God will look cheerfully and smilingly upon the face of this poor suppliant God will look upon him as we doe upon friends whom we favour and have much respect for Friends may see content and joy shining in or stampt upon our faces when we look them in the face The content which we take in seeing the face of another is visible in the smiles and joyes of our own faces As when we look sowrely angryly sorrowfully sullenly upon a man when darkness is seen in our faces and clouds gather in our brows ready to dissolve into a storme this speaks we beare him no good will or rather that we bear him much displeasure So when we looke pleasantly upon a man doth it not say that we are highly pleased with him To be sure when God is at peace with a repenting sinner he no longer frownes upon him nor turns his face from him as an enemy but entertaines and welcomes him as a friend which is directly opposite to Jobs apprehension of God at the 10th verse of this Chapter Behold he findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy This is a sweet soul-reviving and ravishing truth God beholds the face of his people with joy he beholds them smileingly cheerfully delightfully David calls it The light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 Et videbit homo faciem dei cum jubilo Merc Secondly and I rather conceive that to be the meaning of the place most relate the He to the sick man who having been upon his knees humbling himself before God and finding God favourable to him he then seeth his face that is the face of God with joy God fills his soule with a great deale of peace comfort and sweetness in his approaches to him Before possibly if he did but think upon God he was troubled as Asaph found Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled To a man in great trouble especially in trouble of mind the very thoughts of God who is our only help in trouble may be troublesom but when he is set right and restored to the favour of God or God being again favourable unto him he beholds his face with abundance of joy Here are yet two things to be opened or two Queries may be made and answered for the clearing of these words First What is meant by the face of God Secondly what is meant by seeing his face To the former query I answer First the face of God is the essentiall being or perfect Majesty of God of which himself saith to Moses Exod. 33.23 My face shall not be seen Secondly the good will and favour of God is his face Ps 80.3 Cause thy face to shine that is be good to us and we shall be saved Thirdly the face of God in Scripture is put for any manifestations of God to man God manifesteth himself in wrath to some men Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe evill Facies dei iram quandoque favorem notat Drus That is he is angry and greatly displeased with them He manifesteth himself in love to others and all such are said either as in the Text to see his face or as other Texts express it to have his face shining upon them God is a spirit he hath no face properly but as the face of a man is that by which he is knowne if a man hide his face we know not who he is though we see all the other parts of his body he is a concealed man so that whatsoever it is by which God is clearly knowne that in Scripture language is called his face And hence Thirdly the worship and holy ordinances of God are called the face of God Gen. 4.14 because they are great manifestations of God or because God is manifested in his Ordinances in his word and worship who and what he is After a sick man through the help of God is recovered he goes into the congregation to give thanks and then he may be said to see the face of God because there be exhibits the signs of his presence doth as it were shew his face There as in a glass we behold the face of God that is the discoveries of his holiness of his love goodness The face of God is seen in his works as the Apostle teacâ—eth us Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and godhead much more in his word and Ordinances and above all in Jesus Christ is God seen and manifested Jesus Christ is the face of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shineth to us in the face of Christ Thus the face of God is beheld in the face of Christ There we may see how holy how just how good and mercifull God is all this glory of God appeareth to us in the face of Christ who is the highest manifestation of God Here in the Text by the face of God we are to understand any demonstration of Gods favourable presence in which sence of the word Aaron was to blesse the children of Israel Numb 6.25 The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and give thee peace That is the Lord manifest himself to thee in wayes of grace and peace in favour and in mercy David prayed in the same
gall and the fruit of righteousness into Hemlock Right done is sweete and wholesome but right denied is bitter as Gall and banefull like Hemlock Secondly When Judgement is defer'd stopped or delayed then 't is taken away for a time To have judgement long delayed is alwayes next degree to the deniall of it and sometimes delay is more cruciating and grievous then a deniall Thirdly A mans judgement is sayd to be taken away when the ground or cause of Gods proceeding with him in judgement is hid or unmanifest Judgement as to us is not when the reason of it doth not appeare to us or when we see not the reason of it To feel Judgement and not to see the cause of it turnes it into a torment we say commonly Things that appeare not are as if they were not When the reason or ground of our sufferings is not understood 't is as if we suffered without any ground of reason When Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement we are not to understand him as if Elihu intended it in the first or grossest sence that God had subverted his judgement or had done him wrong Elihu could not suspect he had any such blasphemous opinion of God for that had fullfilled the Devills prophecy of him He will curse thee to thy face But when he sayd God hath taken away my Judgement he meant it according to the two latter interpretations either that God deferred long to restore him and answer his prayer or that God had hid from him the reason of his dealing with him so that he could not make it out how or why he was so sorely and grievously handled Job knew well his owne innocency but he did not well consider Gods soveraignty which alone answers enough for him how much soever he in this world afflicts the innocent And therefore for as much as God held him long in that sad condition and in the meane time hid his judgement or the reason of it from him this was Jobs grievance and the burden of it pressed him to cry out God hath taken away my Judgement In this he was too bold with God and therefore he justly fell under this censure of Elihu As if he had sayd It doth not at all become thee O Job as a creature as a man much lesse as a new creature or as a godly man to cry out as thou hast done that God hath taken away thy Judgement because he doth not give thee an account nor tell thee why he judgeth thee therefore humble thy selfe that ever thou hast sayd and take heed thou say it no more God hath taken away my Judgement Hence note First God sometimes lets the goodness of his most precious servants lâ—e in the dark He goeth unusuall wayes with many of his choycest servants he doth not alwayes declare their right nor deale with them according to the ordinary rule in giving good to them that are good as not alwayes evill to them that are evill the Lord is at his liberty in these present distributions he is supream and hath power over all flesh and so keepes their judgement in the clouds or a secret to himselfe Secondly Note The Lord sometimes is pleased to defer and delay to doe his servants right And thus he takes away their Judgement Though he hath a purpose to give it them yet he doth not presently give it them at last he will make even with all men each man shall have his judgement he will reward every one according to his worke and the righteous shall without doubt have a good reward Thirdly Note When God doth either hide or defer the Judgement of a godly man it doth very much affect yea and afflict his heart We are usually much afflicted with any dark dispensation upon many accounts especially upon this because it makes us obnoxious to every mans censure When God takes away our judgement we fall under the hard judgements of men And to lie under the ill opinions of men unvindicated or unrighted is no easie burden We have that promise Psal 37.6 He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noone-day The righteousness and judgement of a good man may be in a mid-night darkness as to man and till that be brought to the light of other mens knowledge himselfe hath sometimes little light of comfort Fourthly Note It is sinfull to complaine and to be troubled as if God had not done us right because we see it not done or because he deferrs to doe it In this Job was most faulty he uttered many passionate speeches about what God had done because things were not brought to an issue nor his condition stated and cleared up either to the world or to himselfe This troubled him more then the extremity of his paine or the greatest of his troubles How stiffely Job stood upon it that his Judgement was taken away will appeare yet further in the next words which Elihu makes further matter of accusation Vers 6. Should I lie against my right my wound is incurable without transgression In this verse we have two other parts of the Inditement brought against Job neere of the same nature with the former wherein he yet more vehemently urgeth his owne integrity and cryeth out both of the greatness and causelessness on his part of his present sufferings More distinctly Elihu in this verse chargeth him First That he did over-eagerly maintaine his owne cause Should I lie against my right Secondly That he spake of God as dealing over-harshly with him My wound is incurable without transgression These things saith Elihu thou hast also sayd Should I lie against my right We read the words as a Question others read them as a direct proposition There is a lie in Judging me or In judicando enim me mendacium est Vulg There is a lie against my right The word which we here translate right is the same which we translate Judgement in the former verse And when he saith There is a lie against my right It is as if he had plainly sayd I am falsely charged I am wrongfully accused I am not such a man as I am supposed nor have I done those things whereof I am suspected Every false accusation brought against a man is a lie against his right Secondly Others read it thus Super judiâ—ium meum faciam mentiri i. e. falsi arguam hominem qui volet mâ—cum contendere Cajet Item Chald I shall make liers against my right that is whosoever stands up to prove any thing against me as you have done saying I am wicked unrighteous or hypocriticall I shall be able to prove him a lier But neither the Grammaticall signification of the words will fairely beare this sence nor doth it well correspond with the former verse In judicio meo mentior Pisc Probarem si mentiri hoc sensu de persona dici inveniretur nam de re usurpari certum est Drus Thirdly Thus I lie
sight of God Jer 32.19 He is great in councell and he is mighty in working for his eyes are upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Fourthly If the eyes of the Lord are upon all the wayes of the Children of men then the Lord will call all men to an account for their wayes Why doth he take notice of their wayes but to bring them to a reckoning That 's the Apostles conclusion Rom 14.12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himselfe to God God would not take an account of our wayes while we live if he did not intend to bring us to an account when we dye As the omniscience of God fits him to call every man to an account so it is an evidence that he will Why should our wayes and workes be strictly observed and recorded if they were not to be judged Fifthly This truth that the eyes of God are upon all the wayes of man should awaken every man to take heed as David resolved he would Psal 39.1 to his wayes Did we walke as remembring we are under his All-seeing eye O how circumspectly should we walke doth the Lord inspect our wayes O how should we inspect our owne wayes It argueth a great deale of Atheisme in the heart if not the grossest Atheisme yet Atheisme quo-ad hoc as to this or that thing while that which some are afraid to doe if a man yea if a child see them they are not afraid to doe though they heare that God seeth them To feare to doe a thing when the eye of a creature is upon us and yet to doe it notwithstanding God seeth us what is this but either an unbeliefe that the eye of God seeth us or a contempt of his All seeing eye This Divine Attribute the All-seeing eye of God wel wrought upon the heart by faith is enough to over-aw the sinfullnesse of our hearts And though the people of God have a higher principle upon which they forbeare the doing of evill then this because God will see it and punish it yet to keep the heart in a holy feare of doing evill upon that principle is both needfull and our duty The Apostle would not have servants doe their Masters commands with eye-service as men-pleasers It is indeed a baseness in a servant to doe his duty meerely because his Masters eye is upon him or to forbeare to doe what is against or beside his duty because his Master seeth him but how great is the impudence and wickedness of that servant who will not keep to his duty when his Masters eye is upon him So in this case meerely to forbeare doing evill because we heare God sees us is eye-service but how great is their wickedness who will not forbeare to doe evill though they heare and know that God seeth it Which Elihu confirmes yet further in the next words Vers 22. There is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves This verse holds out that truth negatively which the former held out affirmatively There Gods knowledge of mans wayes was asserted here his ignorance or nescience of the wayes of man is denied There is no darkness c. The words seeme to be the prevention of an objection For some possibly might say 'T is true indeed God hath a large knowledge his eye seeth farre but we hope we may sometime be under covert or compassed about with such darkness that the Lord cannot see us Therefore saith Elihu there is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves The Prophet gives a parallel proofe and testimony of this knowledge of God both in the affirmative and negative part of it Jer 16.17 where he first asserts that God seeth all mine eyes are upon all their wayes and then denyeth that any thing is a secret unto him They are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes These latter words of the Prophet are of the same signification with these of Elihu There is no darkness c. We may take darkness two wayes First for naturall darkness that darkness which spreads it selfe over the face of the earth upon the going downe of the Sun 't is the privation of Light Secondly there is artificiall darkness that darkness which men make to hide themselves and their actions in from the eye of God or man many are very skillfull yea and successefull in making shaddowes to hide their actions from men They cover the evill which they have done with such cunning excuses or flat denyalls and they cover what they purpose to doe how foule soever under such faire trappings of words and specious pretenses they glosse their worst actions and intentions with such appearances of good that the wisest and best sighted men cannot finde them out When Absalon had a most unnaturall as well as a most disloyall purpose to rayse a tebellion against his king-father he coloured it with a devout profession of performing a vow This was artificiall darkness 'T is reported by the naturall Historian of a little fish which seeing its enemy neare casts out a kinde of blackness from it selfe which darkens the water and so escapes the danger Thus men indeed hide themselves from man and they would hide themselves from God too but there is no darkness neither naturall nor artificiall that can cover their wayes from his eye No Nor shaddow of death The importance of this expression hath been opened more then once in this book chap. 3.5 chap 10.21 chap. 12.22 chap. 28.3 therefore I shall not stay upon it here only consider when he saith There is no darkness nor shaddow of death by shaddow of death he means extreamest darkness If there be any darkness as Job speaks chap. 10.22 like darkness it self and whose light is as darkness that is it The metaphor is taken from the grave where the dead being buried have not the least glympse ray or shine of light coming in to them death wraps us up in extreamest darkness And we finde in Scripture the shaddow of death put first to express the extreamest of spiritual darkness or the darkest spiritual state Isa 9.2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shaddow of death upon them hath the light shined that is they that were wrapped up in the ignorance utter unbelief of God in Christ to these is Christ the true light of God the Sun of righteousness preached and openly revealed and they pressed to the receiving of him that their souls may live further as the shaddow of death is put for the worst of spiritual evils or to note man's natural state before conversion so likewise it is used in Scripture to note the worst of his spiritual evils who being converted is in a spiritual state He that is in a