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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 crea∣tion, 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 dead∣ly and not a liuely light.
The second light is a new knowledge, that is, the knowledge of God in Christ. Of God in Christ recon∣ciling the world to himselfe: of God in Christ our mer∣cifull 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 vt∣terly 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, tur∣ning the curse of the earth, with all afflictions and trou∣bles, 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, Car∣buncles, 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 exhor∣teth 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, redemp∣tion.
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 deceiueable∣nesse 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 appre∣hend it.
Secondly, the light is pleasant, delightfull, cheerfull, comfortable, ioyfull, and hopefull; but in the absence
of light there is heauinesse, sadnesse, sleepinesse, pensiue∣nesse, sorrowfulnesse, dispairfulnesse, fearefulnesse: euen so, this sauing knowledge placeth the soule in much more happinesse, and felicity, affording true and euer∣lasting 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, vnder∣standing, 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 visi∣ble to vs, and euery thing is discerned and knowne: euen so by this sauing knowledge are all things made mani∣fest to the eyes of our minds. For by vertue hereof, we discerne betweene good and euill, betweene holinesse and prophanenesse, betweene true wisedome and world∣ly 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 confi∣dently
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 eter∣nall blisse, and guideth vs without falling into the pitfalls of Satan, and this wicked world.
Ioh. 12. 35. 36.