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
therefore you must not now be so carefull for bodily meate as to labour in the Lords haruest and to delight your soules in his worke doing euen in reaping and gathering soules into his barne redeeming all times and occasions with losse of your meate drinke rest sleepe pleasures c. euen as earthly men do in the reaping and ining of their fruits Furthermore he inforceth this exhortation by an argument drawne from the effect namely the reward of the haruest-labour verse 36. He that reapeth receiueth wages and gathereth fruit to eternall life The wages is eternall life and the beleeuing soules are eternall Dan. 12. 3. They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Ioh. 15. 16. I haue chosen you and ordained you that ye goe and bring forth fruit and that your fruit remaine i. to eternall life Hence it is that Paul saith 1 Thes 2. 19. What is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing are not you euen it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming yes you are our glory and ioy The Lord inioyneth Ieremie this duty with denunciation of vengeance annexed if he fayled therein Ier. 1. 17. Trusse vp thy loyns arise and speake vnto them all that I command thee be not afraid of their faces least I destroy thee before them The consideration hereof is a spur to Paul exciting him to the serious performance of this dutie 1 Cor. 9. 16. Necessitie is layd vpon me and woe is vnto me if I preach not the Gospell And heereupon is it that he so straightly chargeth Timothie 2 Tim. 4. 1. 2. I charge thee before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quick and the dead at his appearing and in his Kingdome Preach the word be instant in season and out of season c. These considerations of the reward on the one side and of the punishment on the other stirred vp the Apostles to preach the Gospell with all boldnesse and constancie Act. 3. 14. 15. Act 4 13. 19. 20. Act. 5. 29. 30. Act 7. 51. 52. Yea ioyfully to suffer afflictions Act. 5 41. They reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ 2 Cor. 11. 23. to 29. Secondly this teacheth euery man to labour in his calling carefully and conscionably approuing himselfe in all things to God to a good conscience and to good men Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. Ephes 4. 28. 2 Thess 3. 10. Gen. 3. 19. Gen. 31. 6. Furthermore whereas it is said that he spake to them it is to be vnderstood of the multitude though the Pharises in the next verse make replie For Christ preached not to the Pharisees but by accident some of them euer being amongst the people that came to heare him as spies to watch him and to catch some thing from his mouth that they might haue whereof to accuse him Luc. 11 54. Therefore because they were but dogs and swine i. contemners and persecuters of the Word vtterly forsaken of God and left to themselues he casts not the holy things of God the pearles of the Gospell before them Math. 7. 6. but in all places where he hath to deale with them he either conuinceth them or confuteth them or reprooueth them or curseth them neither instructing exhorting nor dehorting them which had beene in vaine and to no purpose Thus much of the Preface Concerning the Scope It is an exhortation which is not simply propounded but implyed in the reason thereof The exhortation is follow me It is enforced by two reasons the first negatiue He that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse The second affirmatiue but shall haue the light of life These reasons are confirmed by their principle or ground I am the Light of the World Of these foure things in order as they lie in the text I. I am the Light of the World It is an vsuall thing in the Scriptures to represent spirituall and heauenly things by bodily and earthly things that therein as in glasses we may behold heauenly things although obscurely which notwithstanding wee cannot otherwise perceiue and see immediately being too glorious and vehement obiects for vs. Therfore as we cannot behold the light of the Sun in the Sun but by reflexion thereof in the Moone in the stars in the water or other bright body or else by refraction thereof in the mistie ayre so the soule while it is in the body heareth seeth vnderstandeth imagineth with the body and in a bodily manner and therefore is not capable of such hearing seeing vnderstanding imagining as it shal be when it is seperate from the body Hence it is that Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. 12. Wee now see through a glasse darkely We conceiue of Heauen by a Citie whose walls pauements and mansions are of gold pearle chrystal emerald c. Reu. 21 We conceiue of Hel by a darke dungeon a stinging serpent a gnawing worme a burning riuer of brimstone Esay 30. 33. So heere the wisedome loue mercy and goodnesse of God in sauing his elect reuealed by and in Iesus Christ to the world is cal ed Light And because light and darkenesse are much vsed in the Scriptures I will speake a little of this materiall and bodily light because it giueth light and vnderstanding not onely to that whatsoeuer may be spoken of in this text but to many other places of Scripture The Light is in substance cleane pure beautifull subtile simple vniforme voide of all mixture free from outward pollution and may more fitly be compared to the substance of the highest Heauen which is the tabernacle or Sanctum Sanctorum of God and his Angels than to any earthly thing Such is the glory of the light that the eye cannot behold it being in a subiect of nature like it selfe as the Sunne is Againe the light is pleasant delightfull cheerefull comfortable ioyfull hopefull For the light is the life of the world and of euery liuing creature and the absence of light is the destruction of euery creature It is the life of the world in a double respect first in respect of the vitall vertue secondly in respect of the shining 1. The vitall power of the light is dispersed throughout all nature from the highest Heauen to the center of the earth comprehending and contayning all things in it And though it giueth not light to the eye in all things yet it shineth inuisibly in euery thing whose vertue sustaineth inuisibly sence motion and life in all creatures and without which the vertues and operations of the starres aboue and elements below are fruitlesse liuelesse and dead so that Light being a materiall creature in it selfe is the common life and forme of euery creature And this is the light that God created the first day II. The light is the life of the World in respect of the shining for if there were no light all things should
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
the elect by and through Christ which the Gospell setteth forth And by vertue of this light and sauing knowledge is he made partaker of the diuine nature that is quickned to liue the life of God which stands in new obedience He therefore that followeth Christ hath the light of life What it is to haue the light of life or to walke in the light is plainely expressed Ioh. 12. 35. 36. Yet a little while the light is with you walke while yee haue light least the darknesse come vpon you c. Christ exhorteth heere to walke in the light which signifieth two things First to beleeue in him as it is in the verse following while yee haue light beleeue in the light c. first I say to walke in the light signifieth to beleeue in Christ our wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption Secondly it signifieth the performance of all duties worthy of a Christian which is to haue our conuersation according to our faith in him For as the light of the day is giuen to vs to walke and labour in our callings euen so this spirituall light or day shining in the Gospel is giuen to vs to walke to labour and to liue therein And he that walketh not in the light of the Gospell walketh in darknesse euen after the imagination of his owne corrupt heart in the craftinesse and deceiueablenesse of fleshly lusts For the further clearing of this point I will shew in what particulars this liuely sauing knowledge of God in Christ reuealed in the Gospell and applied to the elect by the spirit is called Light First the light is so glorious a creature that no fleshly eye can behold it being in a subiect of nature like it selfe as the Sunne is euen so the light of the Gospell is so glorious that the eye of mans reason and vnderstanding cannot in the least measure apprehend it Secondly the light is pleasant delightfull cheerfull comfortable ioyfull and hopefull but in the absence of light there is heauinesse sadnesse sleepinesse pensiuenesse sorrowfulnesse dispairfulnesse fearefulnesse euen so this sauing knowledge placeth the soule in much more happinesse and felicity affording true and euerlasting pleasures true delights true cheerfulnesse true comforts true ioyes true hope which the miseries and afflictions of this life cannot abolish or corrupt seeing that they are the rayes and beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse shining in vs. How inuincible and vnquenchable is this sauing knowledge the light of life Thirdly the visible light is the life of the materiall world maintaining life motion sense in all creatures in the firmament aboue and elements below euen so this sauing knowledge is the life of the spirituall world that is the companie of Gods elect kindling spirituall life in them giuing spirituall wisedome vnderstanding reason sense motion vnto them whereby they differ from other men more then other men differ from beasts Fourthly as by the shining light all things are visible to vs and euery thing is discerned and knowne euen so by this sauing knowledge are all things made manifest to the eyes of our minds For by vertue hereof we discerne betweene good and euill betweene holinesse and prophanenesse betweene true wisedome and worldly craftinesse betweene the true worship of God and idolatrie or false-worshippe betweene sincerity and hypocrisie between the workes of light and darknesse betweene Christ and Antichrist between God and the Diuell who can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light to blinde the eyes of Infidels that they that want this knowledge discerne little or nothing at all between the one and the other yea they altogether take the one for the other like to the blind man that goeth confidently the contrary way Fiftly as the light doth enlighten the bodily eyes whereby we see to walke in the right way and that without stumbling or falling euen so this sauing knowledge sheweth the right way to eternall blisse and guideth vs without falling into the pitfalls of Satan and this wicked world FINIS Iohn 21. 25. Iohn 4. 3 4. Math. 26. 55. Ioh. 4. 35. Dan. 12. 3. Iohn 15. 16. 1. Thes 2. 19. Ier. 1. 17. 1. Cor. 9. 16. 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Luc. 11. 54. Math. 7. 6 1. Cor. 13. 12. Reu. 21. Esay 30. 33. August Basil Ioh. 12. 35. 1 Ioh. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Ioh. 1. 18. Wis 9. 13. Nazian in orat de filio Dei Basil in praefat ante euang Ioh. Ioh. 1. 4. Ephes 2. 1. 1 Ioh. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Colos 2. 3. Colos 2. 8. 9. Ioh. 1. 5. Esay 53. 1. Ioh. 12. 37. Ioh. 6. 63. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Math. 5. 14. Ephes 5. 8. Phil. 2. 15. Pro. 4. 18. Rom. 13. 12. Ioh. 1. 10. Mat. 11. 19. Ioh. 9. 24. Ioh. 3. 19. Ionas 3. 4. 5. c. Acts 7. 52. Ezech. 16. 46. Acts 5. 28. Acts 24. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 13. Ioh. 11. 48. Acts 5. 24. Mat. 15. 30. Luke 17. 17. Luke 23. 8. Mat. 8. 19. Ioh. 6. 26. Ioh. 10. 21. Ephes 5. 1. Leu. 11. 44. 1 Ioh. 3. 7. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Ios 24. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 24. Ephes 4. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Ioh. 3. 4. Rom. 8. 15. Rom. 11. 24. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Rom. 1. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Ephes 1. 14. Esay 11. 2. Rom. 8. 11. Ioh. 14. 23. Psal 119. 105. Rom. 6. 21. Col. 3. 10. Ephes 5. 24. Mat. 6. 23. Gal. 2. 19. 20. Rom. 1. 28. 1 Tim. 4. 2. 1 Pet 4. 4. Esay 59. 5. Psal 14. 5. Ier. 5. 8. Ier. 50. 11. Luk 11. 32. Ioh. 12. 35. 36.