discourse of Light I take it in this resemblance Christ is the Sun and the Gospel his proper Sphere or Heaven wherein he gives light to his Church he is primarily the Glory of the Lord and the Gospel by participation because it declares him so that much of that which shall be spoken here of Christ will be secondarily to be understood of the Gospel of Christ. That Christ is Light the Scripture speaks abundantly his own voice concerning himself notwithstanding the cavil of the Pharisees is above all exception for he is Truth it self I am the light of the World sayeth he he that follows me shall not walk in darkness John 8. 12. The Father that sent him gives him the same title I will give thee for a light of the Gentiles Isaiah 42. 6. 49. 6. And not to multiply citations of the Prophets and Evangelists who with one consent all magnifie this Light take the true testimony of a false Prophet and indeed the favourable witness of an Adversary is strongest It is that of Balaam who saw that Christ was Light though because he saw him afar off as he says himself and had not his eye fortified like the true Prophets he discerned him but as a Star There shall come a Star out of Jacob c. Numb 24. 17. But what need we go so far to be certified what this Light and Glory of the Lord is the Lord of Glory himself seeing the very next verse to the Text assures us of it Upon thee shall the Lord arise And in the 19th verse The Lord shall be thy everlasting light and thy God thy glory By this time I hope it is clear That the Eternal Son of God co-essential with his Father was he that gave accomplishment to this Prophesie by appearing to the World wrapt up in the darkness of Humane Nature He is that day-spring from on high that hath visited us as old Zacharias speaks Luk. 1. 78. Among all created Excellencies none can be borrowed more fitly representing Christ tha◠that of Light And is it not Christ that decks his Church with supernatural Beauty and makes it indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a comely World called out of the World But the manifold agreement of Light with Christ doth require more particular consideration Light is as they call it Primum Visible The first object of Sight And Jesus Christ whom the Apostle stiles God over all blessed for ever is Primum Intelligibile The prime object of the Understanding What 's then become of that Divine Sparkle that understanding Soul that the Father of Spirits breaths into these Bodies that all our Thoughts creep here below and leave their chief and noblest object inconsidered Which of us may not complain though few of us do that our Souls have either no Wings to elevate themselves to the contemplation of him from whom they issued or if they make offers at it our affections engaged to the World make us like a Bird tied by the foot fall presently down again into the mire It is high time to leave Hunting shadows and to turn our Internal Eye to the beholding of this Uncreated Light In this Elementary World Light being as we hear the first Visible all things are seen by it and it by it self Thus is Christ among Spiritual things in the Elect World of his Church all things are made manifest by the Light says the Apostle Eph. 5. 13 speaking of Christ as the following verse doth evidently testifie It is in his Word that he shines and makes it a directing and convincing Light to discover all things that concern his Church and himself to be known by its own brightness how impertinent then is that question so much tossed by the Romish Church How know you the Scriptures say they to be the Word of God without the Testimony of the Church I would ask one of them again How they can know that it is day light except some light a Candle to let them see it They are little vers'd in Holy Scripture that know not that it 's frequently called Light and they are senseless that know not that Light is seen and known by it self If our Gospel be hid says the Apostle it is hid to them that perish the God of this World having blinded their minds against the Light of the glorious Gospel c. No wonder if such stand in need of a Testimony a blind Man knows not that it's light at noon day but by report but to those that have eyes Light is seen by it self Again it makes all other things that are in themselves to become actually visible as they speak so by the word of this substantial word Jesus Christ all things in Religion are tryed and discovered The very Authority of the Church which they obtrude so confidently must be stopt and examined by these Scriptures which they would make stand to its courtesie Doctrines and Worship must be tryed by this Light and what will not endure this Trial must not be endured in the House of God To the Law and to the Testimonies says the Prophet if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8. 20. The rays of Christ's Light are display'd thro'both his Testaments and in them we see him But oh How sublime is the knowledge of him None is ignorant that there is Light yet what Light is few know the best wits are troubled to define it So all that bear the Name of Christians acknowledge that Christ is but to know what he is is of marvellous difficulty In a speculative way unsoundable is the depth of his Nature and Properties and his Generation who can declare says our Prophet I define not whether his eternal Generation or his Incarnation in time These are mysteries that shall hold the very Angels busie in admiration for ever and for experimental knowledge by Faith how small is the number of those that are truly acquainted with it Again Light fitly resembles Christ in purity it visits many impure places and Lights upon the basest parts of the Earth and yet remains most pure and undefiled Christ sees and takes notice of all the Enormities and sinful pollutions in the World as David says of the Sun Psal. 19. there is nothing hid from his Beams ye many of those foul evils he cures and purgeth away these pollutions and yet is never stained by them in the least degree he is a Physician not capable of infection and therefore while he dwelt among Men he shunned not Publicans and Sinners but sought them rather for with such was his business and employment Indeed for a frail Man to be too bold in frequenting profane and obstinate persons though with intention to reclaim them is not always so safe Metus est neattrahant They may pull him in that would help them forth and pollute him that would cleanse them But our Saviour the Light of the World runs no such hazard he is stronger
Ezek. 28. 4 5. That dexteâ—ity of gathering Riches where it s not attended with the Christian art of right using them abases mens Souls and indisposes them wholly for this Wisdom that is from above There is a natural Wisdom far more plausible then the other two more harmless then that hellish Wisdom and more refined than that earthly Wisdom yet no more able to make man holy and happy than they Natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t is the word the Apostle St. Paul useth 1 Cor. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naming the natural man by his better part his Soul intimating that the Soul even in the highest faculty of it the Understanding and that in the highest pitch of excellency to which Nature can raise it is blind in spiritual objects things that are above it cannot be known but by a Wisdom from above Nature neither affords this Wisdom nor can it of it self acquire it This is to advertise us that we mistake not Morality and common Knowledge even of Divine things for the Wisdom that is from above This may raise a man high above the vulgar as the Tops of the highest Mountains leave the Valleys below them yet is it still as far short of true supernatural Wisdom as the highest Earth is of the highest Sphere There is one main point of the method of this Wisdom that is of most hard digestion to a natural man and the more natural wise he be the worse he likes it If any man would be Wise let him become a Fool that he may become Wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. There is nothing gives Nature a greater prejudice against Religion than this initial point of self denial when men of eminent Learning or the strong Politicians hear that if they will come to Christ they must renounce their own Wisdom to be fit for his many of them go away as sorrowful as the young Man when he heard of selling all his Goods and giving them to the Poor Jesus Christ is that eternal and substantial Wisdom that came from above to deliver men from perishing in their affected folly as you find it at large Prov. 8. St. Paul in the 1 Chap. of his first Epistle to the Cor. calls him the Wisdom of God v. 24. That shews his excellency in himself and verse 30. He tells us that he is made of God our Wisdom That shews his usefullness to us and by him alone is this infused Wisdom from above conveyed to us In him are the hid Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col 2. 3 And from his fulness if at all we all receive Grace for Grace and of all graces first some measures of this Wisdom without which no man can know himself much less can he know God Now this supernatural Wisdom hath in it both Speculation and Prudence It is Contemplative and Practical These two must not be separated I Wisdom dwell with Prudence Prov. 8. 12. This Wisdom in its contemplative part reads Christ much and discovers in him a new World of hidden excellencies unknown to this old World There are Treasures of Wisdom in him Col. 2. 3. But they are Hid and no eye sees them but that which is enlightened with this Wisdom No it s impossible as he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when he renewed understanding of a Christian is once initiated into this Study it both grows daily more and more apprehensive and Christ becomes more Communicative of himself and makes the Soul acquainted with the amiable Countenance of his Father in him reconciled No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him S. Joh. 1. 18. What wonder if the unlettered and despised Christian know more of the mysteries of Heaven than the Naturalist though both Wise and Learned Christ admits the Believer into his Bosom and He is in the Bosom of the Father But withal know that all this knowledge though speculatively high yet descends to Practice as it learns what God is so it thence teacheth Man what he should be This Wisdom flows from Heaven and a Heavenly Conversation flows from it as we find it there Charactered by these practical Graces of Purity Peace Meekness c. This Wisdom represents to us the Purity of God's Nature 1 Joh. 3. 3. It gives the Soul an eye to see the Comeliness and Beauty of Purity as the Philosopher said of Vertue to the end it might be loved he would wish no more but that it could be seen and as it thus morally perswades so by an insensible vertue it assimilates the Soul to Christ by frequent contemplation It also produces all the motives to Holiness and Obedience it begets these precious qualities in the Soul it giveth a Christian a view of the matchless Vertues that are in Christ and stirs him up to a diligent though imperfect imitation of them it sets before us Christ's spotless Purity in whose mouth there was no guile and so invites us to Purity it represents the perpetual calmness of his Spirit that no tempest could reach to disturb it in his mouth there was contentious noise his voice was not heard in the Streets and this recommends Peaceableness and Gentleness and so in the rest here mentioned Hence I conceive may be fitly learned for our Use seeing there is a due Wisdom and Knowledge necessary for guidance and directing in the ways of Purity and Peace 'T is evident that gross ignorance cannot consist with the Truth of Religion much less can it be a help and advantage to it I shall never deny that a false superstitious Religion stands in need of it not too much Scripture Wisdom for the people The pomp of that vain Religion like Court Masks shews best by candle light fond Nature likes it well the day of spiritual Wisdom would discover its imposture too clearly But to let their foul Devotion pass for such it must needs be that is born of so black a Mother as ignorance let this Wisdom at least be justified of these that pretend to be her Children 'T is lamentable that amongst us where knowledge is not withheld men should through Sloth and Love of darkness deprive themselves of it What abundance of almost brutish ignorance is amongst the Commons and thence uncleanness and all manner of wickedness a darkness that both hides and increaseth impurity What 's the reason of so much impiety and iniquity in all places but the want of the knowledge of God Hosea 2. 1 2. and 2 Thes. 2. 9. Not knowing Jesus Christ and not obeying his Gospel are joyned together It will be found true that where there is no obedience there is no right knowledge of Christ But out of all question where there is not a competency of knowledge there can be no obedience and as these two lodge together so observe what attends them both ibid. He shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God and
amongst them he sees the multitude of these that are driven to his House by the power of Civil and Church Laws or carried to it only with the stream of Company and Custom and those I fancy take up the most room in our Churches But he sees here and there where such are in any corner that Worship him in singleness of heart out of conscience to his holy Command and of their many obligations that dare not let pass any opportunity they can reach of doing service to their Lord and that dare not slight his Word And thus coming for conscience sake they do present their Souls to receive his Word give their hearts up to receive the impression of it put themselves under it to be stampt by it according to that Rom. 6. 17. But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you So likewise he sees those that bear his Name to his people the Ministers of his Word If they Preach constantly and live blamelessly and are diligent and irreprovable in all the external parts of their walking This last satisfies Mens questions in their inspection and visitings but Gods enquiry and visiting searches deeper he asks from what heart all this comes if from a holy conscience of the weight and high importance of their holy calling and a faithful respect to the interest of their Masters Glory and his Peoples Souls And thus he as Supream Judge sits and considers the proceedings of Judges and Magistrates not only whether they do that which is Just for often they cannot easily or safely do otherwise but whether they do it with regard to him or not that is whether they Judge righteously for conscience sake or not whether they do consider him as sitting above them when they sit down upon the Bench or Seat of Justice and do indeed truly speak righteousness Psal. 58. Or if in heart they work wickedness if they have any corrupt end or hearts that are not straight he sits on their heart and Judges it Or if this be done either for base gain or vain-glory or by compulsion or outward necessity or danger of censure or if it be this latter and inward necessity of Conscience which makes a true willingness Thus people if they obey for Wrath which is for fear of the Magistrates Sword more than for Conscience of the Lords command God accounts not this Obedience but in his Judgement it goes for no better than Rebellion It is to be feared too many Magistrates and others have in this Natien embrac'd the Reformation not at all for Conscience sake but only for Wrath fear of Laws and Authority But although we are not able to follow forth this search to the full that being the Lords own Prerogative yet truly where it is evident to us that there is nothing of Conscience though in civil things it may pass yet in things that are peculiarly matters of Conscience in Religion men ought to be somewhat wary according to the utmost of due discerning and are possibly somewhat to blame in promiscuous admitting of such whose Carriage yea whose Profession and Religion speaks aloud that their compliance was wholly constrained Obedience only for Wrath and not for Conscience If Civil Authority is to be obeyed most for Conscience than Church Authority that is more Symbolical with Conscience and hath nearer reference to it ought to aim most at that Conviction and Conversion is our Work and not Constraint to bring people both by the Word and by a way of Discipline suiting and backing it to a sense of Sin and Spiritual thoughts of God and his Holy Law that they may be subject more for Conscience than for Wrath. And ye People labour more to find the actings of that holy fear of God and conscience of his Will in all your ways study to have an inward Light a practical sanctifying Light directing you and be not meerly held in as Beasts by the Authority and Laws of men but learn to know and be sensible of the Soveraign Authority of the most high God and his Law and to have respect unto all his Commandments If this were once done how regular a motion would it keep amongst all Superiours and Inferiours of all sorts in Families and States the one commanding the other obeying in God It would be as sweet Musick in the Celestial Quire of their Lives and Affairs right informing and right moving Consciences would be as continual Teachers within directing all in Obedience and would make it both more constant sweet and pleasant as natural motion whereas it it grievous and violent that is from wrath or outward power and therefore lasts not as the Israelites worshipt God aright while their good Judges lived and run after Idols when they were removed Again This same obedience for conscience ennobles and sublimates mens action even in Civil things makes them have somewhat Divine turns all into Sacrifice to God when all is done for God even Servants and Children obeying Masters and Parents Subjects Magistrates for his commands sake And still thinking in the whole course of their regular due Carriage in their very Callings This I do for God my ordinary Labour and Works and my just Obedience to Men I offer up to him This is the Philosophers Stone that turns actions of lower Metal into Gold I set the Lord always before me Ps. 16. Obs. 2. Kings and other Powers of the World who are the Enemies and sometimes the enraged Persecutors of our Holy Religion mistake their quarrel and are very wrongfully misprejudiced against it and upon that false supposition do hate and oppose it suspecting it as an Enemy to their Dignity and Authority whereas there is nothing that doth so much assert their Just power as Religion doth Civil Laws may tie the hands and tongue to their obedience but Religion binds all due subjection to them upon the very Consciences of their people therefore they are both ingrate and unwise in using their power against Religion which it so much strengthens Their power should strengthen it both by way of due return to correspond with it in that and even for its own Interest receiving a new Establishment to it self by Establishing Religion Even that Master of Irreligious Policy confesses that the profession of Religion is a friend to Authority but if the shadow of it do any thing that way we see contrary to his prophane supicion the substance and truth of it doth it much more Obs. 3. If for Conscience sake subjection then sure in nothing against the true Rule of Conscience and prime Object of Conscience the Authority and Law of God That is the first and highest and the perpetual unalterable engagement to him binding Kings and Subjects high and low and if they leave their Station we ought to keep ours still in a streight subjection to God for the extent of Friendship and all other Relations and of all Subjection and Obedience is to be ruled and bounded
matter one would think smal the eating of the Fruit of a Tree 't was rebellion against the Majesty of God casting off his Law and Authority and aspiring to an imagin'd Self-Deity And this is still the treasonable Pride or Independency and Wickedness of our Nature rising up against God that formed us of nothing And this is the power and substance of Religion the new Impress of God upon the heart and Obedience and Resignment to him to be given up to him as entirely his to be moulded and ordered as he will to be subject to hiâ— Laws and Appointments in all things to have every Action and every Word under a Rule and Law and the penalty to be so high Eternal Death All this to a carnal or haughty mind is hard not only every Action and Word but even every Thought too must be subject not so much as thought free every thought brought into Captivity as the Apostle speaks And so the Licentious mind accounts it not only the Affections and Desires but the very Reasonings and Imaginations are brought under this Law Now to yield this as reasonable and due to God to own his Soveraignty and to acknowledge the Law to be Holy Just and Good to approve yea to love it even there where it most contradicts and controuls our own corrupt Will and the Law of Sin in our Flesh this is true Spiritual Obedience to study and enquire after the Will of God in all our ways what will please him and having found it to follow that which is here called the way of his Commandments to make this our way and our business in the World and all others things but Accessaries and By-works even those lawful things that may be taken in and used as helps in our way As the Disciples passing through the Corn pluckt the Ears and did eat in passing as a By-work but their business was to follow their Master And whatsoever would hinder us in this way must be watched and guarded against to reject that we must either remove and thrust it aside or if we cannot do that yet we must go over it and trample it under foot were it the thing or the person that is dearest to us in the World till the heart be brought to this state and purpose it is either wholly void of or very low and weak in the Truth of Religion We place Religion much in our accustom'd performances to coming to Church hearing and repeating of Sermons and praying at home keeping a road of such and such Duties The way of Gods Commandments is more in doing than in discourse In many Religion evaporates it self too much out by the Tongue while it appears too little in their ways Oh! but this is the main one Act of Charity Meekness or Humility speaks more than a days discourse All the means we use in Religion are intended for a further end which if they attain not they are nothing This end is to mortifie and purâ—fie the heart to mould it to the way of Gods Commandments in the whole tract of our lives in our private converse one with another and our retired secret converse with our selves to have God still before us and his Law our Rule in all we do that he may be our meditation Day and Night and that his Law may be our Counsellour as this Psalm hath it to regulate all our Designs and the Works of our Callings by it To walk soberly and godly and righteously in this present World to curb and cross our own Wills where they cross Gods to deny our selves our own Humour and Pride our Passions and Pleasures to have all those subdued and brought under by the Power of the Law of Love within us This and nothing below this is the end of Religion Alas amongst multitudes that are called Christians some there may be that speak and appear like it yet how few are there that make this their business and aspire to this The way of Gods Commandments His intended course in this way he expresses by running 't is good to be in this way even in the â—lowest motions Love will creep where it cannot go But if thou art so indeed then thou wilt long for a swifter motion if thou do but creep be doing creep on yet desire to be enabled to go if thou goest but yet halting and lamely desire to be strengthned to walk straight and if thou walkest let not that satisfie thee desire to run So here David did walk in this way but he earnestly wishes to mend his pace he would willingly run and for that end he desires an enlarged heart Some dispute and descant too much whether they go or no and Childishly tell their steps and would know at every pace whether they advance or no and how much they advance and thus amuse themselves and spend the time of doing and going in questioning and doubting Thus it is with many Christians but it were a more wise and comfortable way to be endeavouring onwards and if thou make little progress at least to be desiring to make more to be praying and walking And praying that thou mayest walk faster and that in the end thou mayest run not satisfied with any thing attained but yet by that unsatisfiedness not to be so dejected as to sit down or stand still but rather excited to go on So it was with St. Paul Philip. 3. 13. Forgetting these things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press forward If any one thinks that he hath done well and run far and will take a pause the great Apostle is of another mind Not as if I had attained Oh no! far from that he still sets forward as if nothing were done as a Runner not still looking back how much he hath run but forward to what he is to run stretching forth to that inflamed with frequent looks at the mark and end some are retarded by looking on what is past as not satisfy'd they have done nothing as they think and so stand still discontented but even in that way it is not good to look too much to things behind we must forget them rather and press onwards Some if they have gone on well and possibly run a while yet if they fall then they are ready in a desperate Malecontent to lie still and think all is lost and in this peevish fretting at their falls some men please themselves and take it for Repentance whereas indeed it is not that but rather Pride and Humour Repentance is a more submissive humble thing But this is that which troubles some men at their new falls especially if after a long time of even walking or running as they think their project is now spoiled their thoughts are broken off they would have had somewhat to have rejoiced in if they had still gone on to the end but being disappointed of that they think they had as good let alone and give over Oh! but the