Expositions and sermons upon the ten first chapters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to Matthew. Written by Christopher Blackwood, preacher to a Church of Christ in the city of Dublin in Ireland.

Motives.

1 This inlightened understanding and sanctified judge∣ment will be as useful to thy practice as a bright shining light, whether torch or candle, will be to thy foot-steps, which keeps thee from stumbling, Luk. 11.36. If thy whole body be full of light having no part darke, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light: for want of light we are apt to stumble, Joh. 11.9. but where we have this light there's none occa∣sion of stumbling because we abide in the light, 1 Joh. 2.10. Wisdom is rightly to understand the knowledge of faith and doctrine of Christ, understanding is to take heed of the snares of the devil, hereticks, &c. and all deceits proposed under the name of the word, Luth. Tom. 4.324.

2 The woful falls we are exposed unto; being without this light, we stand at the devils mercy. Judge what the great world would be were it deprived of the light of the sun, so forlorne are our souls deprived of this spiritual light. Original sin hath done with us as the Philistins with Sampson, who put out his eyes, and then led him to the basest drudgery, and this is the case of all till a new light be set up in their hearts.

3 The gradual proceedings both of light in the mind, and discerning in the judgement, alas they are at first very

small; we see the things of God, as the blind man, Mar. 8.24. who saw men like trees, hence the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians, who had these in some measure, that they might have more of them, Eph. 1.17, 18. so doth he for the Philippians, cap. 1.9, 10. the sight of an infant is not so strong as the sight of a grown man, so the light in weak Christians is not so strong as in grown Christians.