The Light of the World, Part 3
III. Shall not walke in darkneſſe.
What it is to walke or liue in darkneſſe, the Apoſtle plainly declareth, Epheſ. 4. 17. 18. 19. the 17 verſe is a dehortation, Walke not as other Gentiles doe in the vanity of their minds. Vanity of mind is a priuation or want of true wiſedome and knowledge, whereupon the imaginations of the minde, the affections of the heart, and actions of life, are not according to true wiſedome and knowledge, but vaine, that is, fooliſh, fruitleſſe, vnprofitable, Rom. 6. 21.to no end. Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had you then in theſe things whereof you are now aſhamed? for the end of theſe things is death.
In the two verſes following, he farther expreſſeth this vaine and fooliſh life of the Gentiles, ſhewing and declaring it by the cauſes thereof, which are two. The firſt is in the 18. verſe, namely the corruption of the mind. The ſecond is in the 19, verſe, and that is remorceleſneſſe of conſcience.
The corruption of the minde ſtands in two things. Firſt, in the preſence of euill (hauing their cogitation darkned.) Secondly, in the abſence of good (Being ſtrangers from the life of God.)
Concerning the darkneſſe of the minde, I thus expreſſe it. Man was created in the image of God, that is, Col. 3. 10.in the true knowledge of God. Col. 3. 10. And hauehave put on the new man, which is renued in knowledge, after the image of him that hath created him, and in true righteouſneſſe and Epheſ. 5. 24.holineſſe. Epheſ. 5. 24. Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe. This knowledge was as a pure and eleare light in the minde of man; but after that by the fall man was ſeparated from God, this light was darkned, that is, this knowledge was corrupted with ignorance as a puniſhment of the fall, ſo that there remained onelyonly ſome ſmall notions, glimmering, or remainders of light or knowledge in him. Then againe, this light or remainder of knowledge is farther corrupted by the frowardneſſe of the affections and will. Now this ſmall remnant being taken away, there ſucceedeth meere darkneſſe, and brutiſh ignorance. Mat. 6. 23. If the light that is in thee be darknes, how Mat. 6. 23.great is that darkneſſe? As if he had ſaid, if thy naturall reaſon be darkned through the malice of thy heart, there is nothing but meere darkneſſe.
Secondly, the corruption of the mind ſtandeth in the abſence of good (ſtrangers from the life of God.) Life is naturall, or ſpirituall; the former we hauehave by generation from Adam, and it is the function of the ſoule in motion, ſenſe, and reaſon.
Spirituall life is that which we hauehave by regeneration or new birth, which is the action of the holy Ghoſt begetting faith in vsus, by the power whereof we deſtroy the body of ſinne, and are renued into the image of God, which is here called the life of God. This life of God Paul doth plainly declare, Gal. 2. 19. 20. That I Gal. 2. 19. 20.might liue to God I am crucified with Chriſt (as touching the old man) 20. Thus I liue, yet not I now, but Chriſt liueth in me (his ſpirit worketh new obedience in me.) In the words following he defineth this dying to ſinne, and newneſſe of life by the cauſe (And in that I now liue in the fleſh, I liue by the faith of the ſonne of God.) The Gentiles and prophane perſons are far from this godly life.
Furthermore this their ſtrangeneſſe from the life of God is declared by the cauſe thereof, that is, their ignorance: their ignorance is declared by the cauſe alſo, to wit, the hardneſſe of their heart, which is the peruerſeneſſe of the will and of the affections in the heart. And becauſe froward and peruerſe men doe reſiſt, and ſeeke to quench the ſmall light that is in them, therefore God giueth them vp into a reprobate minde voide Rom. 1. 28.of all iudgement. Rom, 1. 28. This is the firſt cauſe of vaine, fooliſh, and fruitleſſe liuing.
The ſecond cauſe is remorceleſneſſe of conſcience, verſe 19. Which being paſt feeling, hauehave 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 vponupon the conſcience, and taketh away all remorſe of ſinne, which is a token of reprobation. The Apoſtle 1 Tim. 4. 2.calleth it a ſeared conſcience that cannot bleed. 1▪ Tim. 4. 2. Thus hauehave 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 1 Pet▪ 4. 4.from euill. 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein it ſeemeth ſtrange vntounto 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 vnderunder 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 Eſay 59. 5. Pſal. 14. 5.commeth from them is deadly poyſon. Eſay 59. 5. The poiſon of Aſpes is vnderunder 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 Ier. 5. 8.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 Ier. 50. 11.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, Luk▪ 11. 32.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, eueryevery Superiour treading his Inferiour vnderunder 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 hauehave the light of life. Thus much of the negatiue reaſon: the affirmatiue followeth.