Troposchēmalogia: Tropes and figures; or, A treatise of the metaphors, allegories, and express similitudes, &c. contained in the Bible of the Old and New Testament To which is prefixed, divers arguments to prove the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures wherein also 'tis largely evinced, that by the great whore, mystery Babylon is meant the Papal hierarchy, or present state and church of Rome. Philologia sacra, the second part. Wherein the schemes, or figures in Scripture, are reduced under their proper heads, with a brief explication of each. Together with a treatise of types, parables, &c. with an improvement of them parallel-wise. By B. K

Affliction compared to Darkness.

Isa. 8.22. Behold Trouble and Darkness, &c.

Lam. 3.2. — And brought me into Darkness, &c.

Joel 2.2. A Day of Darkness, &c.

DArkness is taken properly, or metaphorically.

1. Properly; Darkness is nothing else but a Privation of Light;* 1.1 'tis no posi∣tive Creature, it hath no Cause in Nature, but is the Consequent of the Sun's Absence.

2. Metaphorically, or improperly; it signifies divers Things: (1.) The State of Na∣ture, or Unregeneracy, or deep Alienation from the Life of God: Ye that were sometimes Darkness, &c. (2.) Several Sins wherein wicked Men live. (3.) Desertion. (4.) The Grave.* 1.2 (5.) Hell. (6.) Afflictions.

Note. Afflictions, Calamities, and spiritual Desertions, may be compared to Darkness.

Parallels.

DArkness is a Judgment; thick Darkness was one of the Plagues of Egypt: So some Calamities and severe Afflictions are brought upon a People or Nation, as a just and dreadful Judgment of God.

II. Natural Darkness is occasioned by the Absence of the Sun, and Obscurity of the other Luminaries of Heaven: So some Afflictions and Calamities are occasioned by the absence of the Light of God's Word, and hiding of his Face. When the Gospel is taken away from a People, that People are presently involved in thick Darkness, which is a most sore and fearful Judgment.

III. Darkness is very uncomfortable, 'tis a dolesom thing to have no Light: So to be under some Afflictions, especially Desertion, is the most uncomfortable State in the World.

IV. Darkness causeth a Man to lose his Way, and wander about, and exposeth him to many Dangers: So spiritual Darkness causes a Man to stumble. Walk whilst you have the Light, lest Darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in Darkness,* 1.3 knoweth not whither he goeth. Give Glory to the Lord your God,* 1.4 before he cause your Feet to stumble upon the dark Mountains; and whilst you look for Light, he turn it into the Shadow of Death.

V. There are Degrees of Darkness; Darkness, and thick Darkness, and the Blackness of Darkness, &c. One degree of Darkness may attend the Day; a Day may be dark, but not like the Darkness of the Night; and some Nights are darker than others, as Experience shews. And hence we read of Darkness, and of the Shadow of Death:* 1.5 Tho I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil, &c. That is, the greatest Darkness and Evil that can befall a godly Man. The Shadow of a Thing in Scripture (saith Mr. Caryl) denotes the Power of a Thing; and to be under the Shadow of a Thing, is to be under the Power of it: To be under the Shadow of the Almighty, is to be under the Power of the Almighty, &c. To be under the shadow of Death, is to be under the power and reach of it: Tho I may be so near Death, that it may seem to others to be really Death, and that it is impossible to escape Death, yet I will fear no Evil. Some Afflictions threaten Death upon God's People, and upon his Concerns and Interest in the World, and Christians may seem to be under the Influence of Death. The Influences of Death are those Fears and Doubtings, Divisions, Distractions, and Vexations of Heart and Mind, Cries and Confusions, which usually accompany or prepare the Way for Death,* 1.6 Let Dark∣ness, and the Shadow of Death stain it, &c. That is, such Darkness as dwells with Death, such Darkness as fills the House of Death, the Grave. Such Darkness as this, Heman com∣plained of: I am accounted with them that go down into the Pit, &c, free among the Dead,* 1.7 like the slain in the Grave, wh••m thou remembrest no more, and they are cut off by thy Hand. Thou hast layed me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, in the Deep: Thy Wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves. Selah. He seemed to be under the greatest Dark∣ness, so sorely deserted, that he saw no Light, he sate in the very Shadow of Death,* 1.8 viz deadly Darkness, thick Darkness, stifling Darkness, such as is in deep Pits and Mines under the Earth, where Vapors and noisom Damps do many times strike Men with Death, in the most deplorable State and Condition imaginable. 'Tis one thing to have some Afflicti∣ons,

and some Doubtings of Mind and Spirit; and another thing, to be in these great Deeps of Affliction and Desertion.

VI. No natural Darkness is so thick and dismal, but God can make it worse; he hath Power over the Darkness,* 1.9 as well as over the Light: I form the Light, and create Darkness; I make Peace, and create Evil: I the Lord do all this. So no Affliction or Sorrow is so grievous, but God can mak•• it much greater. Tho we may be in Darkness, nay, in Night-Darkness, yet this Darkness may increase more and more, to a perfect Night of Darkness. I will punish you yet seven times more for your Sins.

VII. Darkness is more grievous to such as have enjoyed much Light, than to a Man that was born blind; for one that hath had his perfect Eye-sight, and hath known how sweet a thing Light is, how sad and lamentable is it for him to lose his Sight, or to dwell in Darkness! So it is more grievous to a Christian, who hath lived in a Land of Light, and hath long enjoyed the sweet Favour and Light of God's Countenance, to be deprived of all spiritual Light and Comfort, than 'tis to a Person, who never knew how sweet Divine Light, Communion with God, and the Blessings of the Gospel are.

VIII. Let Darkness be never so great, yet God can soon expell it, and bring forth Light in the room of it: So 'tis easy with God to turn our Night of Sorrow and Affliction, into Light, Joy, and a good Day.

IX. Darkness is many times mix'd with Light, so that 'tis hard to say which is most, the Light or the Darkness: So sometimes 'tis with a People, or particular Soul. But it shall be one Day,* 1.10 which shall be known to the Lord, not Day, nor Night, but it shall come to pass at Evening-time it shall be Light. It shall be dark; but at Even Tide, that is, when thicker Darkness is look'd for, and suddenly expected, instead of that there shall be Light. God grant it may be thus with his poor Church in England.

Inferences.

BLess God for Light: O what a sad thing is it to be in Darkness, either to be deprived of the happy Fruition of the Light of God's Countenance, or of the Light of God's Word and Ordinances!

II. Work whilst you have the Light, lest Darkness come upon you. Is not England threatned at this time with a Night of Popish Darkness?

III. But however, there is Comfort to the Godly: Tho their Day may be clouded, and Darkness may invade them, yet it will be Light again. Light is sown for the Righteous, and Gladness for the Ʋpright in Hea••t.* 1.11 Light is like Seed hid under the Clods, but it shall sprout, and spring up gloriously in a little time.

1. 'Tis sown in the Purposes and Decrees of God: He hath purposed and decreed to give Light to the Righteous, and Joy and Gladness to the Upright in Heart.

2. 'Tis sown in the glorious Attributes of God.

3. 'Tis sown in the faithful Promises of God.

4. 'Tis sown in the Fai••h and Prayers of the People of God. There is a plentiful Stock of Seed sown in this respect, and it shall in due time spring up; the Prayers of the Saints fallen asleep, are not lost.

5. Light, and a good Day, is sown in all the Sufferings of the Saints; if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.

6. Light and Gladness is sown as it were in the horrid Wickedness of the Ungodly. Was not Light and Gladness sown for the Israelites, in the Sins of the Amorites? (1.) In the Sin of Self confidence the Seed may be said to be already sown: Behold, I sit a Queen, and shall see no Sorrow.* 1.12 (2.) In the Sin of Blasphemy. (3.) In their Treachery and De∣ceit. (4.) In their bloody Cruelty.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Caryl.
• * 1.2

  Eph. 5.8. Eph. 5.11.
• * 1.3

  John 12.35.
• * 1.4

  Jer. 13.16.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 23.4.
• * 1.6

  Job 3.5.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 88.4, 5, 6, 7.
• * 1.8

  Caryl.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 45 7.
• * 1.10

  Zech. 14.7.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 97.1••.
• * 1.12

  Rev. 18.