Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65301
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Light in darkness, or, Deliverance proclaimed unto the church in the midst of all her despondencies and discouragements in a sermon / preached by Thomas Watson.
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing W1132; ESTC R38516
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12,192
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38
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Light in Darkness OR DELIVERANCE Proclaimed unto the CHURCH IN THE Midst of all her Despondencies and Discouragements IN A SERMON Preached by THOMAS WATSON LONDON Printed for Hen. Bettenham at the Still-Yard in Thames-Street 1679. Light in Darkness c. Psal. 112. v. 4. Unto the Upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness THE Scripture as Chrysostome says is a Spiritual Paradise The Book of Psalms is placed in the midst of this Paradise The Psalms are not only for Delight but for Use like those Trees of the Sanctuary in Ezekiel which were both for Food and for Medicine The Psalms of David are commensurate and exactly fitted to every Christians condition If his Affections are frozen here he may fetch Fire if his Grace be weak here he may fetch Arniour If his Spirits are ready to faint here he may fetch Cordials for his Soul Amongst other Divine Consolations the Text is not the least Unto the Upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness Which words are calculated for the Comfort of the Godly in all Ages and Centuries of the Church This Text is like Israel's Pillar of Fire in the Wilderness or like the Mariners Lanthorn that gives Light in a Dark Night Unto the Upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness Let me Explain the Words e're I come to the Proposition 1. To the Upright Who are here meant by the Upright The Hebrew word for Upright signifies Plainness of Heart The Upright Man is without Collusion or Fraud In whose Spirit there is no Guile Psal. 32. 2. He that is Upright his Heart and his Tongue go together as a well-made Dial goes exactly by the Sun The Words following in the Text may serve for a short Paraphrase to shew us who this Upright Man is the Text sayes He is Gracious Full of Compassion Righteous First The Upright Man is Gracious That implies his Holiness Secondly He is Full of Compassion That implies his Charitableness And Thirdly He is Righteous That implies his Justness He is Gracious therefore he fears God He is Full of Compassion therefore he feeds the Poor He is Righteous therefore he does to others as he would have them do to him This is the Upright Man In short He is one that does act from a right Principle and that is Faith By a right Rule and that is Scripture To a right End and that is God's glory Here 's a man downright Upright 2. The second thing in the Text is There ariseth Light to the Upright What 's meant by Light here By Light metaphorically is meant Delight and Comfort or Joy That 's here meant by Light Esther 8. 16. The Jews had Light and Gladness and Joy Light when it springs in doth much revive Light is sweet Joy is to the Heart as Light is to the Eye Exhilarating and Refreshing That 's the second Word There ariseth Light that is Joy and Comfort 3. There ariseth Light in Darkness What 's meant here by Darkness By Darkness is meant Trouble and Sorrow Res adversae In Isa. 8. 22. They shall look unto the Earth and behold Trouble and Darkness By Darkness is meant Trouble Darkness is very Disconsolate and Afrighting It makes every thing like the Terrors of the Night Such is Trouble Such is Affliction 't is Affrighting It makes every thing like the Terrours of the Night So much for the Explaining of the Words To the Upright ariseth Light in the Darkness The Observation that results from the Words is this Pray observe it Doct. That when the Condition of God's People is Darkest God causes a Light to shine â—nto them To the Upright ariseth Light in Darkness This Proposition has two Branches I shall speak of them distinctly 1. That the Upright may have their Night it may be a Dark season 2. That a Morning-light arises to them in the midst of all their Darkness First That the Upright those whom God loves they may have their Night they may have a very Dark season They may have a two-fold Night They may have 1. A Night of Affliction 2. A Night of Desertion 1. They may have a Night of Affliction for Godliness does not exempt from Trouble A Dark Cloud may set upon their Name upon their Estate God may lay an Embargo upon all their Outward Comforts In Ruth 1. 20. Call me not Naomi that is Fair or Pleasant call me Mara For the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me 2. The Godly may have not only a Night of Affliction but they may have a Night of Desertion God may with-draw the smiling Beams of his Favour and then 't is Night with them indeed then nothing follows but Darkness In Job 6. 4. The Arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my Spirit It alludes saies Drusius unto the Custom of the Persians who in their Warrs did dip their Arrows in Poison that they might shoot their Enemies with the more deadly Wound Thus the God of Heaven he may sometimes shoot the poisoned Arrow of Desertion and then the Soul is Benighted it is in the Dark Though God has the Heart of a Father yet he may sometimes have the Face of an Enemy And the Lord may cause a Cloud of Darkness upon the Soul and suspend the Beams of Spiritual Comfort for these two Reasons Reason 1. The Darkness of Desertion it is to quicken the exercise of Grace For Grace sometimes acts highest when Comfort is lowest In Jonah 2. 4. I said I am cast out of thy sight yet will I look again towards thy Holy Temple That is I will look to Christ of whom the Temple was but a Type Faith and Patience like two Stars shine brightest in a dark Night of Desertion We are taken with the Comforts but God is more taken with the Actings of our Grace Reason 2. The Lord may cause a Dark Cloud to be upon the Righteous a Cloud of Desertion That he may hereby awaken excite and stir up in them a Spirit of Prayer If ever the Soul will pray to purpose 't is now in an hour of Desertion Fathers may hide their Faces from their Children to make them cry after them the more God sometimes hides the light of his Face that we may cry after him the louder As David in Pfal 143. 7. Hear me speedily O Lord my Spirit faileth O! hide not tâ—y Face from me My Beloved â—esertion it is a short Hell Jonah called the Whales belly the belly of Hell Why so Because he was Deserted there And if ever Jonah would Pray to purpose it was now that he might get out of the belly of Hell Jonah 2. 2. Out of the belly of Hell I cryed unto thee and thou heardest my voice And that 's the first Branch of the Doctrine That God's People they may have a dark Night A Night of Affliction when God lays an Embargo upon all their Comforts And a Night of Desertion which is a short Hell Secondly The second Branch of the Proposition is this That
The Philosopher saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light is the most glorious Creature 't is the Beauty of the World What were the World without Light but a Dark Prison Here 's the Beauty of Heaven 't is an Inheritance in Light Heaven it is a Diaphanum or a bright-Body all over embroidered with Light and Glory There are no Eclipses there There are no dark shadows to be seen but all is Orient Brightness Celestiall Glory In Heaven Christ the Son of Righteousness will alwayes be shining with his illustrious Beams In Rev. 21. 23. The Lamb is the Light thereof O how should we long to be in that blessed place that Paradise of God that is so Adorned with the bright illustrious Rays of Celestial Glory There 's nothing but pure Light nothing but Glory shining in its perfection So much for the first Use. Use 2. The second Use is of Consolation for the Church and People of God This Text is a Pillar of Light a Breast of Consolation Unto the Upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness Does God make Light and Joy and Peace to arise to the Righteous Why then should we despond or throw away our Anchor Why should we despair Why may we not hope that the Morning-Star of Deliverance and Mercy may yet appear unto this Island Why I say should we despond when 't is God's great Project and Design to lighten his Peoples Darkness I confess things have a bad Aspect a dark Face at present Gray hairs are here and there My Brethren we see how things go Sin grows higher Enemies grow bolder Divisions grow wider These are bad Symptoms of a dying Patient England is like that Ship in the Gospel which was almost covered over with Waves Here 's that may humble us and set our Eyes abroach with Tears Yet that we may not mourn without hope let me tell you there are some sparks of Light that do seem to arise to us in the Dark Unto the Upright there ariseth Light in the Darkness Let me come as a Dove with an Olive-branch of Peace in my mouth that that is some spark of Light to us 1. That there are many Upright ones in this Nation That 's a Spark of Light The Text saies Light ariseth to the Upright 'T is to be hoped there are many such in this Island Were the Godly removed as 't is the design of some to destroy them God would make Quick work with the Nation he would soon break up House here God would quickly sink the Ship of Church and State if he had not some of his Elect in it But for the sake of those that are Upright God may be pleased yet a while to Reprieve the Nation and Adjourn Englands Funeral a while longer In Isa. 65. 8. As the new Wine is found in the Cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a Blessing is in it So will I do fâ—r my Servants sakes that I may not destroy them all Though it cannot be denied but our Vine in this Land planted bears much very bad fruit yet doubtless there are some good Clusters in the Vine and for these God may spare the Vine and say Is tâ—ere not a blessing in it The Saints of God stay his Hand when he is going to strike In Gen. 19. 22. Haste thee saies the Angel to Lot Haste thee to Zoar escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither q. d. Thou holdest my hand I cannot strike till thou art gone The Saints of God though others look upon them with a contemptible eye they are the Safety of the Land God will do much for their sakes The Upright they are the Excellent of the Earth Psal. 16. 3. Others are but the Lumber God knows bad Lumber These are the Jewels Mal. 3. 17. The Saints of God they are the Chariots and Horsmen of Israel They are the very Flower and Cream of the Creation they are the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. And for their sakes God may yet cause Light to arise and he may be propitious and his Arm may bring Salvation 2. Another Spark of Light arising in Englands Darkness is this That yet God is pleased wonderfully to keep up in his People a Spirit of Prayer They cry mightily Certainly God will not say to us Seek ye me iâ— vain The Spartans Walls were their Spears The Wall and Bullwark of a Land is Devout Prayer Whole Vollies of Sighs and Groans are every day sent up to Heaven for Mercy here 's a Spark of Light in our Darkness God hears these Sighs Pray observe when the Lord intends to pour out the Vial of his Indignation and to bring wrath upon a People he presently stops all the sluces of Prayer no more Prayer to be made In Jer. 7. 16. Pray not for this People God has not said so yet concerning England Prayer is a powerful Orator for Mercy and may cause Light to spring up yet The Key of Prayer oyled with Tears and turn'd with the Hand of Faith unlocks God's Bowels Prayer when 't is importunate it staves off Wrath from a Land In Exod. 32. 10. Saies God to Moses Let me alone that my Wrath may wax hot against them Why what did Moses do He only Prayed Fervent Prayer it overcomes the Omnipotent as Luther saies Prayer it finds God Free but it leaves him Bound Haec Domina Mundi fructuat Solum Prayer ties God's Hands It staves off Judgment This my Brethren lets in some dawning of Light to this Land this day in the mid'st of all our Clouds of Obscurity Prayer is made for the Church This gives us some ground to hope that God will not wholly leave us Especially when we consider Christ is our Advocate He prays over our Prayers again sprinkles them with his Blood and perfumes them with his blessed Odours and so they go up to Heaven as sweet Incense In Rev. 8. 4. The smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand 3. And lastly Another spark of Light arising in our Dark Hemisphere it is this God's Compassions his Bowel-Mercies Mercy it is God's Darling Attribute that he loves most of all to magnifie Mercy pleaseth him Micah 7. 18. Though We don't please God yet Mercy pleases him Justice is God's strange Work Isa. 28. 21. He is not so much used to that But Mercy it is his proper Work it flows naturally from him as the Honey from the Bee or as the Myrrhe drops from the Myrrhe-tree While God so delights in this Darling Attribute of Mercy why should we despair Why may not Mercy give the casting Voice for this Nation In Isa. 63. 9. In his Love and in his Pity he Redeemed them O! Love and Pity will do great things In his Love and in his Pity he Redeemed them God's Mercy 't is not only Free sending out Pardons where it pleases but here 's the Comfort God's Mercy can as well