Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part · Sermon 42
God is asserted to be light.
1 John 1.5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Verses.
This is the message we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkn…sse at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darknesse, we lye, and do not the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have f…llowship one with another; And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne.
If we say that we have no sinne, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confesse our sinnes, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sinnes, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse.
IN this Epistle of Saint John all Expositors finde a great difficulty; and that which encreaseth it, is, because they have not well observed the stile a…d forme in which it is written. For the Syntax of this Epistle is not as some other books, where the whole is by a perpetual connexion linked and filed together; it being foreign & foreign, containing short, brief and compendious sentences, out of which the whole web, as of divers strings and threads is made up, consisting of certaine precepts of Doctrine and Rules of life, that the man of God may thereby be made perfect. Here then we shall meet with many golden Aphorismes to informe our judgement, and direct our manners: Theological conclusions to cure our ignorance, and Moral precepts to mend our Ethicks; our Apostle being like the learned Masters of Physick in the one, and the Teachers of Morality in the other. Both these have their Aphorisms to cure diseases and vices: He his, to remove mistakes and Heresies; and to shame licentious Christians.
In his time there were who boasted very much of their fellowship they had with the Saints, of their Society with God the Father, and his Sonne Jesus Christ. That there was such a Society, he grants; but then presseth them with divers other consequences, as undeniable Notes and Characters, by which it might be known whether they were of this Society; for example,
1. They must not walk in darknesse, for God is light, Verse 5.6, 7.and in him there is no darknesse at all.
2. They must not say, they have no sinne; and desire pardon,Verse 8.10, 9. for else they deceive themselves, and are lyars.
For there are two especial works of a good Christian; the study of a pure and holy life, that he may be like God; and a sense and confession of his sinne, that the blood of Jesus Christ may cleanse him. To these two endeavours there be two very great impediments; a vitious course of life, and an over-weening presumption of his own perfection and goodnesse. Now in Saint Johns dayes, some there were that thrust themselves into the society of both kinds. First, there were inordinate walkers, that lived in darknesse and the shadow of death, who yet no nay, would be esteemed of this Communion;Verse 6. to these Saint John gives the flat lye. If we, even we the Apostles, say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darknesse, we lye, and do not the truth. Then there were dissemblers and hypocrites, a sort of people pure in their own eyes, who took upon them not to be like other men; holy creatures they would needs be, and not as other Publicans; other men they knew to be sinners, but they forsooth were free. Now Saint John tells such Saints, that they gave God the lye. If we say that we have no sinne, we make God a lyar, and his Word, that is, his Doctrine, hath no place in us. A great error then and mistake there is on both hands. The safe way lies in the middest, viz. To avoid sin as darknesse, and to confesse our sins to God, as becomes miserable wretehes. The one will keep us from profanesse, the other from spiritual pride.
The foreign, then, or main question in these Verses, is, how we shall know whether we have fellowship ot no with God and his Saints? and for clearing a point of so great consequence, Saint John sets down these infallible Characters; Two of which are of sincere Christians: Two of Hypocrites.
1. Good Christians walk in the light.verse 7. verse 9.
2. Good Christians confesse their sins.
1. Hypocrites walk in darknesse.
2. Hypocrites say they have no sin.verse 6. verse 8.
The resolution then of the whole context consists in these Aphorismes, or short Propositions, of which the first sort concern Almighty God, who is in his Nature most pure, in his Attributes most perfect.
1. In his nature so pure, that He is light, that in him there is no darknesse, verse 5.
1. In his Attributes most perfect and absolute: for,
1. He is faithful, verse 9.
2. He is just. verse 9.
3. He is of great mercy, authority and power. For he forgives sinnes, He clenseth from all unrighteousnesse. verse 9.
The second sort of Aphorisms concerns men
Badde
or Good.
1. Badde men have two ill conditions.
1. They walk in darknesse, verse 6.
2. They say they have no sin, verse 8. For which doing and saying they are lyars, they do not the truth, verse 6. they deceive themselves, the truth is not in them, verse 8. Nay, as much as is in them, they make God a lyar, verse 10.
2. Good men have two contrary properties.
1. They walk in the light, as God is light, and consequently have fellowship with God and the Saints, verse 7.
2. They confesse and acknowledge their sins, upon which there follows a purgation and a pardon.
1. A Purgation, for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sinne, verse 7.
2. A Pardon and Remission; for God who is faithful and just, forgives their iniquities, verse 8.
Thus have I gathered for you the harvest of this whole Scripture, some sheaves of which I shall only thresh out for you at this time. But here it must not be forgotten, that the corn is Gods, and the labour only mine. For the message I have heard from him, I do only report and declare it to you; it proceeds not out of mine own head, it comes from his mouth. Saint John, no not Saint John who was his beloved Disciple, and lay in his bosome, would not assume so much to himself, and therefore I dare not, neither may any other of Christs Embassadors; with him we ingenuously acknowledge, that the message is his, and we only declare it so. So he begins, and so will I.
Verse 5. This then is the message we have heard of him, and declare unto you.
A message is that which a man receives from another, and is to impart unto another; and such ought to be all our Sermons; messages heard from God, and reported to men. So that first the matter must be received from the Lord, and the manner by way of declaration.verse 1.3. Thus much we heard but now from Saint Johns mouth; That which we have heard and seen, and looked on and handled, that we declare unto you; a man would think it was needlesse so presently to inculcate it again. Howbeit this repetition is needful and useful, very profitable for the Messengers, and very profitable for them to whom the message is sent, that the first remember themselves, that they are but Messengers, and therefore declare no more than they have heard; the other, that they are Messengers from God, and therefore hear them.
Joh. 8.16. Joh. 3.17. Joh. 1.6.1. The highest in the Church was but Apostolus, that is, a man sent from God, and it is not for a Messenger to falsifie the errand of him that sent him: If he be, as he should be, faithful, his report will be no more, nor lesse, but just that he hath heard. And how dangerous is it for a Messenger of God to exceed the bounds of his Commission by taking words into his mouth, which God never brought to his eares; or else in falling short, or falsifying any of that counsel which his Master hath disclosed to be made known; let that fearful commination in the end of the Book testifie to the world.Revel. 22.18, 19. I protest to every man that hears the words of the Prophesie of this Book, If any shall adde unto these things, God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this Book. And if any man shall take away from the Word of the Book of this Prophesie, God shall take away hid part out the Book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things which are written in this Book. A protestation of weight enough without any help of Art, to sinke into the heaviest brains of such who falsifie, adde and diminish, wrest as a nose of wax the Scriptures at th…ir pleasure, speak that which they never heard, nor any w…se man before them. Do they not tremble at this threat? Are they not amazed at this fearful sentence? Will nor plagues, nor addition of plagues! Cannot the erasion of their names out of the Book of Life, nor their Exile from the holy City of Heaven startle them!
Would those Cacevangelists of our age, who preach themselves, and come in their own names, and say, The Lord hath said, when he never said it▪ Jer. 23 16, 31, 32. Isa 30.10. Jer. 23.25.that have sweet tongues, and pr…phesie smooth things, that cry out, I have dreamed, I have dreamed, when what they deliver is indeed but dreams: who sell the Word of God for gain, and make merchandise of the pearl of price: would to God, I say, such Preachers and Messengers would lay to heart this fearful threat of the Angel. For then there would not be so many that start up in the Church as the Gyants children in Samuel, with a finger and a toe too many, nor with Adonibezeks captives, with a thumb too little; 2 Sam. 21.20. Judg. 1.7.not such who fall short, or exceed; not who adde, or diminish. But God shall adde to their plagues; and one he hath added to the amazement of all wise men, that they who have varied from what they have heard, are come to that variance, that they know not where to fix, being as far from union as they are from unity. They tugg and pull as P…inies amphisbaena; they rend the very bowels of their Mother, strugling to bring to light their unheard of phancies; what the issue will be I cannot divine; but they who are skilful, take upon them to presage, that they who divide Christs seamless Coat, shall in the end rend and tear their own bowels.
Let them please themselves then with their struglings, let them draw and pull every one his own way: It is but justice, when a Messenger will presume to be wiser than he who gave him his instructions, should split upon a Rock. The true Ambassadours of the King of heaven never durst be so presumptuous, they durst not falsifie nor alter their message, nor say more, nor less than they had heard. Balaam, though a Hireling, yet told the King in plain terms, if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, Numb. 24.13.I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or evil of my own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak. 1 Kings 22.13, 14.The Messenger sent for Michaiah to fetch him before Ahab, sp…ke him very fair: Behold now the Words of the Prophets declare good unto the King with one accord (a Synod of Prophets here was, but yet of lyars, and among them a full vote) and is it now any wisdom in thee, being but one, to be singular and to contradict? Let thy word I pray thee, be like the word of one of these, and speak thou good. But the man might sooner have craved his head, and obtained it, than the falsifying of his message; for the Prophet knowing that that speech is best which pleaseth not the humours of men, but pleaseth God, answers stoutly and wisely; As …e Lord liveth, though I dye for it my self, whatsoever the Lord saith unto me …h…t will I speak.
And the Apostles were every whit as co…sciencious in this, as were the Prophets. St. John speaks not here for himself, but for the whole Colledge: That which we, we in the plural number, we have heard, that we decl…re; 1 John 1.1.though dispersed into several Countries, and scattered among many peo…le, yet they preached one and the same thing; and to that end, antiquity teacheth, before they parted from Jerusalem, they compos'd the Creed, which to th…s day bears their name. And he, St. Paul I mean,1 Cor. 15.8 1 Co…. 11.23. 1 Tim. 6.20. who was pleased to speak of himself, as one born out of due time, professeth that what he receiv'd from the Lord, that he d…livered; and this tradition is left with Timothy, and commands him to k…ep that wh…ch was comm…ed to his trust, avoiding prophane and vain bablings, and o…positions of science falsly so call'd.
Upon which words Vincen…ius Lyrinensis moves this question,Vin…ent. L…rinen. cap. 27. Quis est hodiè Timotheus? who is at this day this Timothy? who else but the universal Church, the Corps of Pastors, Doctors, Priests; and what are they to keep … Depositum, quod tibi creditum, non à te inventum; the gage, the pledge committed to them, not invented and found out by them; received, not devis'd, rem non ingenij, sed doctrinae, a matter not of wit, but doctrine, not privately catch'd up, but universally taught, of which they may not be Authours, but Keepers; not prime Masters but Schollars; not so properly Guides, as followers. Gold thou hast receiv'd, bring forth gold; good silver, let it not be embas'd with thy tin; allowed it is, that any cunning Bezaliel do cut and set, and give a right water to any pearl of price; he may give grace, and beauty, comliness and lustre by all art, wit, industry to any word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, but he must not exchange the Jewel, and for a Diamond, foist in a Christal; what he hath learn'd, he must teach, and so teach, that cum dicat novè, non dicat nova, when he speaks in a new manner, he speak not new things. Let his eloquence be what it will, yet it must immutably remain …dem dogma, idem sensus, eadem sententia; the same position, the same sense, the same sentence.
Every Pastour may learn thus to preach from his own body, which is constant even from his cradle to his grave in the same parts. By process of years these grow bigger and stronger, but in number and proportion they are still the same. A great difference there is betwixt the verdure and spring of youth, and the Autumn and Winter of old age; and yet the old man hath the same eyes, hands, arms, head that he had when he was a child; he hath the same nature, and is the same person. So should it be also in out Doctrines; still they ought to remain for substance, one and the same, although they be flourish'd with eloquence, and strengthened by time, and ripened and matured by age, yet they may not suffer any essential permutation, but retain the same properties, the same principles, the same parts that they had at first: and the reason is, because it is the message which we have received from God, who being immutable, the Word which he hath put into his servants mouthes is immutable also. New light then is a notion of a hot brain,Gal. 1.8, 9. and twice accursed by St. Paul. Inconstant minds as Larks at a glaring glass, may stoop to it, and be taken in the net, but all wise men know,Tertull. that Quod primum, verum, what message was first delivered was true, and all after light to be a counterfeit. That which they have heard then from the beginning, that, and that only they deliver, knowing well that it was not put into their mouthes to dye there, but to be declared, insisting in the steps of St. John, who saith here, the message which we have heard of him,
2. That we declare unto you. foreign. Annunciamus.
Acts 2.13.It was laid to the Apostles charge, that they were full of new wine; with the vessels being fi…'d, the spirit is so active, that it labours to vent it self: and so it fared here with them; being fil'd with the spirit, they could not co… tain themselves from shewing what was within; for what they heard, they declar'd.Rev. 10.10. The little book which St. John eat in the Revelation, was in his mouth sweet as honey, but in his stomack bitter as gall. Such is the gospel of Christ, a sweet Doctrine being relish'd and well tasted, but digested it is bitter in the bowels where it contests with corruption, and the errours of flesh and blood: and a Messenger that hath received it, can no more conceal it, then a man who hath taken down some displeasing food, which will beget a tumult in the bowels till it be up again. I held my tongue and spake nothing, saith the Prophet,Psal. 39.2, 3. but this was pain and grief to me, at last the fire kindled, and I thus spake with my tongue. In this sense it was that Jeremy protests, that the Word was like fire in his bowels, which could not be smothered, Jer. 20.9. Job 32.18, 19.nor kept from breaking forth. Elihu also tells Job, that his womb was like a vessel full of new wine, which will burst if it have not vent. Thus it was with fhe Apostles, they were fil'd, they spake so;Acts 2.4. In all their names St. John professeth foreign, Annuntiamus. Annuntiamus is the constant word used by all Translatours, and it shews what they were, and what all their successors must be, foreign, Nuncij. Gods Nuncio's of the Gospel, the subject whereof is glad tidings, and they are bound being commission'd to report it.
1. Commission'd I say; for if Nuncio's, they then must have their Commission, and not run of their own head, for so may not Nuncio's; they alwayes under seal bring their letters of Credence with them. Here am I, Isa. 6.8.saith the Prophet Isaiah, send me; though he shews a ready mind, yet go he would not till sent.
Where then are they who boast much of their private motions, and make themselves Nuncio's without a warrant! The Prophet might have said, O now I feel a motion from the Spirit, therefore I will go and preach! But notwithstanding a Seraphim flew, and with a live coal from the Altar touch'd his tongue, mouth, and lips; notwithstanding his iniquity was taken away, and his sin purged,Ver. 9. yet he sate still, and staid till God said to him, Go and tell this people.
2. And then, and not till then, he must deliver his message.Acts 2.3. For Nuntio's must not be mutes. To these Nuncio's the spirit of God appeared in fiery tongues, in fire to make them zealous, in tongues to make them eloquent. And this ability in them is not to be silent, when God bids them speak to Israel, or cry against Nineveh, as occasion required. Messengers they are both of War and Peace; when sin is the Tyrant, and reigns,Hosea 8.1. then they set the Trumpet to the mouth, and proclame War; where sin is the servant,Mat. 10.12, 13. their Commission is to say, Peace be to this house. As old Fabius, then the Embassador for the Romans at Saguntum, opening the Lap of his Robe, told them,Silius. Ital. That in it he brought them War and Peace, and wished them to make their choice: So do we, who are the Messengers sent from God to you, offer a fair option; continue to War against Heaven, and you shall have nothing but War, Wrath, Anger: But submit and come in, and by penitent tears indeavour to pacifie your God, and you shall be forgiven; your heavenly Father is faithful, and just to forgive your sins, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness: Which is a main point of St. Johns Message in this place, and is to be a great part of our Declaration also.
3. Which that it may the better be understood, we are to open Gods mind to you by way of Declaration, in which all ought to be plain and clear, and powerful. Plain, clear, and evident our Declaration must be; for how else should the unlearned man perceive his faul…s discovered? 1 Cor. 14.9, 23, 24, 25.And powerful it must be; for else how should the unbeliever be convinced? The commendation then of one of these Declarations is not the Rhetorique, the sweet cadence of the periods, the quaint phrase, or the deep learning; but to speak so plainly to the capacity, and yet so powerfully to the conscience of the Auditor, that he may fall down, and confess, Out of doubt God speaks, and not the man.
But what I pray hath been the reward of this plain dealing? what the issue? scarce is there a Declaration, which is not received with censure, with indignation: To declare, as after I must, for confession, may be will be thought Popery; to declare that all men are sinners, perhaps censured for a position contrary to purity. Dangerous sure it will be to tell our new-lights, that they walk in darkness, and have not fellowship with God and Christ; unmannerly 'twill be thought to give Professors the lye, and to examine what's done in darkness by the light. This simple and honest dealing hath made the true Prophets of God odious.1 Kings 21.8. Acts 24.5. Jer. 20.7. Ver. 14. I hate him, saith Ahab, of Michajah, because he speaks no good; and he is a pestilent Fellow, saith Tertullus of Paul, because he declared for Christ. Jeremy for this uncivil and barbarous usage, laments his own case; because I cryed out of wrong, and proclaimed desolation, therefore the Word of the Lord is made a reproach to me, and had in derision daily. And the injury for this he suffered was so intolerable,15, that he cursed the day of his birth, and the man that brought newes to his father, 16,that a Man-childe was b…rn, wishing, that he had rather been a Messenger to one of those Cities that God had overturned, 7.than unto so stubborn, sullen, self-willed a people. Possibly, had he lived before as Jonah, and been sent to Nineveh, where the King put on sack-cloth, he might have found more kindness; like enough, had he lived after, as Daniel, to have interpreted Mene Tekel to Belshazzar, Dan. 5.25.he might have been had in honour: But it was his fate to declare the Will of God to a rebellious Nation, to be undone, and scorned, and cast into a Dungeon by them. This made him cry out,Jer. 15.10. Woe is me my mother that thou hast born me a contentious man, and a man that striveth with the whole Earth; every one doth curse me.
We that live now are the Successors of those Prophets that lived in former times; we were born to be contentious, we strive and struggle with the whole Land; for this we are despised, despighted, cast aside, hated, cursed of most men; because we freely declare what we have heard, every mans hand is almost against us; because our tongue is against every vice, the tongue of the most is invenomed with hatred against us; linguam habent ad maleloquium, aures ad receptaculum maleloquii; without probability, witness, just cause, men cry Belzebub, Samaritan, Glutton. Our plain Declarations are called Raylings, Scoldings, Clamorous Invectives, and our sharp and conscientious Reproofs censured for seditious and pestilent.
2 Cor. 12.13.O you who are of the same society of Saints with us, I beseech you forgive us this wrong: Do not think but the Grave, Learned and Pious Divines that as yet remain alive, could be as cautelous and wise as any of the people: They could no doubt be as mute as fishes, and swim with the stream, could they answer for their silence to Him who hath sent them on His Message. A necessity is laid upon us;1 Cor. 9.16. and as it is our woe that our Mothers hath born us to so quarrelsome a vocation; so it is another and a greater woe, if we preach not the Gospel, if we declare not the Law also. Woe to us, if we bring not the glad tydings of joy to those who rejoyce in our Message:Rom. 10.15. Woe to us, if we thunder not the terrours of judgement to those who walk in darkness; if we pipe not to those who will dance, Matth. 11.17.and mourn not to those who will not weep.
If we be the light of the World, we must discover and make faults manifest; if Voices, we must be vocal, and heard to speak; if Seers, we must not be blind; if Cryers, we must not be Tongue-tyed; if Embassadours, we must declare our Message; out of love we speak, whatever we speak. We are your friends, and as friends we will go along with you, so far as we may, and the Law of fr…endship will suffer, usque ad Aras; and he is no friend to God or himself, who will press us farther. Compell us to go a Mile with you, we will go twain; Mat. 5.40, 41.ask our Cloak, and take our Coat also; smite us on the left Cheek, we will turn the right: But leave us our God, our Soul, our Religi…, our Conscience; for he that demands of us either of these, shall receive this round answer, It is better to obey God, Acts 5.29.than man.
Hebr. 13.17.God hath set us upon the Watch, and we watch for your souls, as those who must give an account; and if any soul through our default perish, our soul must go for his. Read but the thirty third Chapter of Ezekiel, His blood will I require at thy hands. What did we write those words? Dare any of you blot them out? Let any of this Company undertake to do it, and he shall sleep in his sin without disturbance, and never more hear a word from us against him. But if this be beyond your power, then pity, and forgive us; Be not offended that we stand on our watch, and give warning; that we lift up our voyc…s like Trumpets, Isa. 58.1.and tell the House of Jacob of her transgressions, and the House of Judah of her sins. Let it not displease, that we thus frame all our Declarations.
1. That God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
2. That if we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lye, and do not the Truth.
3. That if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, will cleanse us from all sin.
4. That if we say, we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and there is no truth in us.
5. That it is our Duty, to confess and forsake our sin.
6. Which if we do, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
These are the Heads of our Declaration, and these will you have patience, and hear me, I shall in order open unto you. The first whereof is: Ver. 5. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Two things there are in this Proposition.
1. What God is, He is light.
2. What he is not, In him is no darkness at all.
Many wayes there are, by which God reclaimes man from sin, and perswades to obedience: He allures him by the hope of li…e, Do this and live: Luke 10.28. Gen 3.3. John 14.6.He disswades by the fear of death, In the day thou eatest, thou shalt dye: He takes upon him many names, that we may assimilate, and be like him, as the Way, the …ruth, the Light; then which there is not any thing more amiable,John 8.12. nor any thing more opposite to the filth and darkness of sin.
In the Apostles time there were, who boasted of their society with God, and yet lived an impure and unholy life; which in the Apostles judgment was an impossible thing; for opposites and contraries will never meet and join i… one. Such men were darkness, and God was light; when then you can make Night and Day, light and darkness, Purity and Corruption, holin ss and unholiness meet together, then you may imagine a society and fellowship betw xt a most pure substance, and such a foule soul. Whosoever therefore intends to have any communion with God, must not think to walk in the thick darkness of s…n, but give himself to the study and practice of a holy life; for God is light. This is the strength of our Apostles Argument: And his Medium is of great force; For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what co… munion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16.VVhen there can be a concord betwixt God and Belial, then there may be an agreement betwixt the Temple of God, and a profane wicked man. There is a four-fold light.
1. The light of Natu…e, that wh…ch God first created, a great part of which was afterward embodied in the Sun, Moon and Stars, being the most glorious of his Creatures.
2. The light of Reason infused into all men in some measure, but in the learned eminent, by which they discover what is hid from the unlearned.
3. A third light there is of the Word of God, by which holy men being illuminated, see the wonderful things of Gods Law.
4. The last is an eternal and uncreated light, having nor beginning of dayes, or end of time; and such a light we call God; not that he is so in Nature and Essence, but because there is a great Analogy and Resemblance betwixt God and light, which is expressed in this manner.
1. Light is the most excellent of all Gods Creatures; the first, the purest, that which in an instant disperseth it self over the whole Horizon; and God is the most perfect of all Entities, the first and Father of the rest; who, quicker than a thought, passeth into all places, into all hearts, there being nothing hid from his eye.
2. Light again, though most visible, yet is hardest to understand; not any one question hath and doth more trouble the Philosophers, than to resolve this one Probleme, Quid est lux? what the nature of light should be? Nor in Divinity, though for the quod sit, there be nothing more apparent than that God is; yet for the quid sit, if you press us to define what he is, we are at a stand, and resolve it best, when we tell you, we cannot tell. The light of the Sun dazleth the eyes of them that too much gaze upon it: and so the Divine Majesty dwelling in the light that no man can app…oach, confounds the apprehensions of such who over-curiously pry into it.1 Tim. 6.16. De Deo vera discere periculosum; melius scit…r nesciendo.
3. In a light body, there is luminare, lumen, lux, these three; the body, the beam, the splendour or shine issuing from it: In some sort so it is in the Deity; the Father as the great Luminar, the Son as the Beam, the Holy Ghost as the Splendour of both. These three concur to one effect, and these three to make one light.
John 1.9.4. Or lastly, He is light, because he is the Father of all lights, and by those illuminates every one that is enlightned in this World; the light of Prophesie, the light of the Word,Luke 2.32. the Gospel, that light ordained to lighten the Gentiles, and his people Israel, is from him: As we cannot see things on Earth without light; so had we never discerned the things of Heaven, unless this light had shined into our minds, and enlightned our hearts. And as upon the rising of the Sun, all the darkness of the Night is dispell'd, and if it shines forth in its beauty,Luke 1.79. then the thick Mists and Clouds are chased away; so at the rising of this day-star in our hearts, the Night of ignorance and sin, the Clouds and Mists of a wicked Conversation are put to flight. For
2. In him there is no darkness at all.
Darkness is opposed to light; and as contraries, they serve well to illustrate one another; all our light in this World hath its Defects and Eclipses; but in this light there is no Defect, no Eclipse at all.
1. He is full of knowledge clearly and intuitively, understanding himself, and in himself all things;Hebr. 4.13. for all things are bare and naked, and open to his eye; so that he can never be said to suffer the least defect in his Intellect.
Hab. 1.13.2. He is goodness, justice, holiness it self; for he is a God of pure eyes, and can no more communicate with iniquity, than light with filth; which though it be cast upon impure places, as Sinks and Dunghills, yet is not defiled with them; he suffers no defect in his holiness.
Hebr. 3.12.3. No nor in his life neither; for he is the living God, not subject to mortality, no kind of darkness is to be found in him.
But with us it is quite otherwise; naturally there is gross darkness in our understanding by ignorance and errour; a Night of hatred and malice of the true good upon our will; clouds and mists of perversness upon our affections. And this inward darkness exposeth us to those ex teriores tenebras, that outer darkness, where there is no manner of light at all, none to be seen, none to be felt.
It is then the purpose of Saint John in this place, not so much to express unto us, what God is in himself, as what he is to us, and in us. That as in himself he is a pure light, so also in us he is the fountain of all light, that is, of all truth, all goodness, all justice which is in us; he expels the darkness of ignorance from the mind, and purgeth the will from the love of sin. He enlighteneth the understanding, and teacheth us what is to be done, and effectually and powerfully excites the will to choose and embrace it: As in him, so also in that light he holds forth, there is no darkness at all, no ground for error, no countenance for wickedness; no nor in us neither, if we have any fellow-ship with him; no such palpable darkness as will destroy the light of Truth, nor such malicious wickedness as can no way consist with his holiness.
The APPLICATION.
1. Is God light? Is he the father of lights? is he such a Father in which there is no shadow of darkness? then it behoves us to take heed of all dark works because they are opposite to him, the Mother of them being our own concupiscence, and the father the prince of darkness. Many are the names in Scripture given to sin, by which we may be warned to abhor it.Hos. 6.4. Jer. 5.25. Zach. 6.7. Lev. 13. T'is a cloud that hinders our prayer: T'is a wall that makes a partition betwixt God and man: T'is a weight of lead, that hanging at our hearts, puls them downward: T'is a leprosie, a soul disease, that pollutes the flesh, the house, the man. But there is not any, that expresseth the nature of it so fully as this of darkness. For as in darkness all things lie confus'd and heap'd up together, as in the chaos; when light was created, every thing was put in his his right place: so it is in sin; there is nothing but confusion, but disorder; It is the light of truth and equity, that must set all right. Again, cold is the companion of darkness, as heat of light. The frosts fall in the night, at the approach of the light they give and thaw; so in a dark soul there be but cold, heavy, frosty affections; the more of God, the more light; and the more light, the more warmth of love. Or lastly sin bears this name of darkness, because it is at rest in a dark soul; begotten there by the father of darkness, and leads to the place of eternal darkness. Take it in what sense you will, enough there is in it to make you hate it, if you love God; for he is a God of pure eyes, and cannot behold the foulness and pollution of wickedness; he is the God of Order, and hates confusion. His light warms the heart, and therefore will not dwell with frosty affections. Nothing so opposite to him as deeds of darkness, which arise from the father of darkness, and therefore he will not cohabit with him in a black soul.
Go to now then you workers of iniquity, plead your priviledge, boast of your fellowship with the Father, with Jesus Christ, and with his Saints, so that you know all this while, you do but deceive your own souls. For although such specious and outside Professors, do out-mouth as I may so say, true believers in bragging of familiarity with God, and his Son; yet the truth is, so long as they walk in darkness, it is impossible they should be children of the light: For in God is no darkness, nor so much as a shadow of it.Jac. 1.17. But of this more hereafter.
Secondly, Since God is light, Joh. 3.20, 21.it behoves us to take heed what we do in his eye; for every thing when it comes to the light, will be manifest. Isa. 29.15.Wo to them who seek to hide their counsels in the dark, and say, Who sees us, who knows it? for let the doors be shut, the windows stopp'd, the chambers wall'd up;Senec. e…o nemo te videat, non tamen nullus; yet the bad Angel sees what's done, the good Angel sees what's committed; and that eye of God, which is far brighter then good or bad, is in thy House, in thy Chamber, in thy Bed, in thy Bosome, by Night and Day he beholds all. Say not then in thy heart, How should God know it? Psal. 73.11.Is there knowledge in the most High? Wipe not thy mouth, and say, I did it not, Pindar.I spake it not; for God is a present witness; foreign. If a man works ill, and hopes to lie hid, he is mistaken. Working ill did I say? nay, if he do but think to do it. Be not deceived, thy very thoughts go for works in the presence of this light; he is as near to the speech of the one, as to the voice of the other, and will one day bring all to light, and reprove all by it.
Cant. 2.9. Ezek. 8.7, 8.Behold he stands behind the Wall, he looks through the Window, through the Latice. He is present at every Pew in the Church, at every Seat, and attends how you hear, how you pray; what service then you do, do it as in his eye; hear as in his presence;Martial. pray as in his presence; and when you are gone, practise as in his presence; — Suo terretur vultu filius & fruitur. A good son, as he doth enjoy the light of his fathers eye, so also he is frighted from evil by it. That Absolon did act his villany in the sight of the Sun, did very much aggravate his offence;2 Sam. 16.22. Cap. 12.11, 12 and that we should commit and justifie our leud courses in the sight of a Father, whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun, must needs make us more culpable.
Remember then before whom you stand, who is the Supervisor, the Witness of your actions;Plaut. quem quia …spicit omnia solus, vere possis dicere solem; and blush, that he sees thee, and forbear; let not the eye of man be more awful, than that of Heaven. Before a friend, before the people, in the presence of a multitude, the leudest strumpet will not prostitute her shame; shew not less Reverence, where thy God is present, sees, looks on, and will punish what he likes not.
My Master (sayes the ill-servant) is gone from home into a far Countrey, and delayes his coming: Luke 12.45. Prov. 7.19.The good-man (saith the Harlot) hath taken a journey, and upon it the one began to fall foule upon, and to beat his fellow-servants, and the other to intice the fool; see what the thought of absence may do. A fair warning, that you imagine not your Lord absent, your Lord removed from you; that he hath not the knowledge, the inspection of your wayes; for no man can then say, what may follow. Better it is to remember, that he is at hand, that all the wayes of man are before his eyes, Prov. 5.21.and that he pondereth all his goings; so that it must be a great folly to please himself with a hope of being hid; sooner you may conceal what's done in the open Sun, than any thing you do from him. For the light, Luke 8.17.which he i…, will discover all, even the secret thoughts of the heart.
1 Cor. 3.20.To conclude all, You who would be taken for Kings and Priests to God, let no man deceive you, deceive not your selves; he that doth righteousness, is righteous; he is the King, he is the Priest, he is consecrated to God, and from him he shall receive his reward. Light from the God of light; light in his understanding, light in his will, light in his affections, light of grace, light of glory: For as God is light, so also is his Son light; a light that enlightens both Hemispheres, this below, and that above; in his light we shall see light; we shall have the light of grace to guide us through the darkness, while we walk upon this Globe, and shall after this life enjoy with him the light of glory.
To which light he brings us, who hath redeemed us with his blood, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen, Amen.