A Child of Light Walking in Darkness, Part 1 · Paraphrase
The words paraphraſed,
WEE have in theſe words,The Sum…. A true beleever, in his worſt; and naturall men, in their beſt condition, ſet forth together unto our view. And withall, the power of true faith, as it alone upholdeth him in the ſaddeſt houre of darkneſſe that can befall him: oppoſed unto, and compared with, the falſeneſſe of their preſumptuous confidence, in their greateſt ſecurity: Together with the differing ſupports of either; The one in the tenth verſe: the other in the eleventh.
Firſt,Of the tenth verſe. take a true beleever, who hath had the leaſt beame,2 Cor. 4. 6. of the light of the glory of God, which ſhines in the face of Chriſt, let in upon his ſoule, and his heart, ſo taken with that ſight, as it became eternally divorced from all things here below, and reſolved to adventure all his future hopes of comfort, and happineſſe in the enjoyment of that Light of Gods countenance alone: Which, that he may enjoy, he feareth to offend the Lord, more then Hell; and endeavoureth as truely, to obey the voice of his Servants, as ever he deſires to attaine unto that happineſſe. Thinke with your ſelves, what is the worſt thing, next, to the eternall loſſe of God, really, and indeed that can be ſuppoſed to befall this man? What worſe, then to have that cranny, through which he firſt eſpied that beame, to bee as it were, cleane ſhut up, the Light of Gods countenance withdrawne, yea all Light, and appearance to him, of his owne graces, withheld, and overclouded; The face of heaven ſo overcaſt with Darkneſſe, that neither Sun-light nor Star-light appeareth to him: ſo as he hath no light: yea further, findes his ſoule beſet, and beſieged round with all the powers of Hell, and darkneſſe, and the terrours of the Almighty ſhot into his ſoule: And, he thus quite left, walking in this darkneſſe, is filled with ſtrong feares and jealouſies, that God is not His God; nay queſtioning whether he ever will be? Pſal. 77. 7.yea, apprehending by the wrath he feeles, God, to bee became his enemie. All this is ſet forth to us here, as the very eſtate of one who feareth the Lord and obeyes him: and is comprehended in theſe words; That walketh in Darkneſſe and hath no Light. You ſee him at his worſt.
In which forlorne condition, what is there to bee found to releeve, and ſupport this man? But onelyonly one thing; which is here held forth to him; The name of the Lord, for him to truſt, and ſtay himſelfe upon; Both that Name of God, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God, gracious and mercifull, &c. and that Name of Chriſt, which is called, Ierem. 23. 6. Iehovah our righteouſneſſe. Both, or either of which, Hee, by the naked hand of faith, laying hold upon, may now make uſe of, as of a ſtaffe, (as David compares it Pſal. 23. 4.) whileſt, he thus Walkes in darkneſſe, and through the valley of the ſhadow of death, ſafely to truſt, and ſtay himſelfe upon, Pſal. 36 9.ſo as in the end, to come forth, to ſee Light in Gods Light for evermore. You ſee likewiſe the prop of his ſoule in this condition.
On the contrary,Of the 11. verſe. let us behold, (as all are here called to doe) the beſt and moſt ſecure, of unregenerate men encompaſſed about with all meanes, and ſupports of confidence, and comfort; whether of Legall righteouſneſſe of their owne, (which theſe Jewes made boaſt of,) together with the addition of all worldly and outward comforts: both which the Prophet here compares to Fire and ſparkes, as preſerving Light and comfort in them. As, 1 let their lives, and naturall diſpoſitions, abound with never ſo many ſparkes of legall righteouſneſſe, which themſelves have kindled: for ſo he compares all thoſe ſeverall acts and performances of naturall duplicate page duplicate page and acquired righteouſneſſe, ſtruck out, and educed from the powers of naturall principles, improved; which make a great blaze in a mans owne opinion, & eſteem; which yet, not proceeding from the holy Ghoſt baptiſing them as with fire, and renewing them; nor from internall principles of regeneration, which Chriſt compares to fire, Mar. 9 ult are all in Gods account, but as a ſacrifice offered up with ſtrange fire; which was forbidden, and are here ſaid to be of their owne kindling: And ſuch were the ſparkes, in the light of which, theſe Iewes walkt, who went about to eſtabliſh their owne righteouſneſſe, Rom. 10. 3.and with confidence truſted therein, and not on the name of the Lord. And further, 2 Let theſe men be ſurrounded, and encompaſſed about with the greateſt ſplendor of worldly glory, and abound in all thoſe good things this world can afford them; (the comforts whereof Salomon in like maner compares to a fire of Thornes, and the pleaſures of it, to the crackling of thrones,Eccleſ. 7. 6. as here to ſparkes:) and let them keepe never ſo good fires to warm and cheere themſelves withall, lay on as much every day as ſhall even encompaſſe them about with ſparkes; and in the light, and confidence of both theſe, let them walke for many yeares; deſpiſing that other poore beleever, that feareth to be found in his own righteouſneſſe, and refuſeth to be comforted by any of theſe: yet, let them know, (ſayes Chriſt, who is brought in as the ſpeaker here,) that when they have thus walk… preſumptuouſly, and ſecurely, and even walke themſelves weary; (as it is Iſai. 40. 13.) weary of all their owne wayes, and pleaſures; (as they will be one day,) and then at their death beds, thinke to lye downe and reſt them: They ſhall lye downe indeed, (ſayes Chriſt) and their bed ſhall be of my making, and providing: this you ſhall have of my hand, ye ſhall lie downe; but, in a bed of ſorow, and deſpaire: In which, they ſhall lye downe, never to riſe againe.