'94 Of the 1\!loTPledg of (jod the Father. ·~ !looK Ill. Secondly, [The LifewaJ the Light ofMen. ~ 1. [The Lrght,] That is of Hohnefs, or God's Image, whtch is called Ltght in oppofition to Darknefs, which is Sin, (as verf 5-) The Ltfe of Grace 1 s f~ :1 called; and in Scripture, Light is often put for Life, and Darknds fur Death. 2. [Of Men,] That is ofMen in their Primitive Eflate of Innocency. For i. He joins it with the Creation of?ll Things. 2. He 40th the Word [Wa 1,] as noting a State paft. Now Adam s Holme!S was from Htm; for he was made after God's Image. When Man was Created, all the Perfons ofthe Trinity atl:ed their Ceveral Parrs ; and the Son acted the part of God-Man : and fo the Father eying him as fuch,and as him who was in that refpect the Image ofthe God-head : He thereupon fays,Let YH make Man after our Image: Chrift's Human Nature being the "e911>7Vml,, and Exampler. And fo he breathed in that Breath of Life, and Holinefs, which he had at his firfl Creation. Verf. 5· A11d the Light Jhimtb in Darf<.neji, and the Darf<.neji con1prehe11ded it not. When that Light ofHolinefs in Man was extinct, and Man by the Fall became Darf<!;ef, that is, full ofSin; then all that Light Moral, or the Light of Confci– ence in Heathens, (which is that Truth fpoken of, Ro111. I. t8.) and the Light of the Law, (which the Jews had) to convince them oftheir Darknefs, all this Light thatjhined in this Dark._nefl,was from Chrift: It arifeth not from any Sparks ofthe Old Light which was before the Fall, and now lefi in Man's Nature, but all Light being extinct, this is put in by Chrifl: as the Word and Mediator. And therefore, becaufe he (peaks of Man's prefent Condition, he faith in the prefent [Shineth,] and in that refpect Chrifl is faid, verf9· robe That Light, which en– lightneth every Man coming into the World. That Phrafe [coming into the World,] argues that he fpeaks ofwhat is infufed by Chrifl from their Birth: For the Jewt call Man as born into this World, f1niem in Mundum. And he fays, [ever} one,] to fhew that he excepts no Man. So Chri1t Mat.x8.g7. ufeth the Phrafe; [For thi1 Caufo was I born, a11d came into the World.] So that it is all one as to be bom; and therefore he fpeaks ofa Natural Light from our Birth, which is all from Chtifl:: he pityed Man's Nature fo corrupted, and put into it all the Light and Comfort which Men now have. So as, not only all the Light ofHolinefs,which Adam in Innocency at firfl: had, was from him confidered as God-Man: but all the Light fincethe Fall, which the wife Heathens or Jews had, was. frombim, confidered as the Lamb flain. They all did light their Torches at this Sun, and Fountain ofLight. Yea, not only all Natural Light in Men fallen, but all the Light of Grace, and Holinefs, that bath fhone in the Hearts, Lives, and Gift~ of the heft ofMen fanctified, it was all borrowed from hence. ' To this purpofe he infl:anceth in John the Baptif1, for all the reft. Verf. 6, 7. There was a Man font from God, whofo Name was John ;. The fame came for a Witneji, to bear Witneji •f the Light, that all Men through hit» might believe. He was the moll: known and univerfally acknowledged holy Man in thofe Days and Times, whom all the 1ews efl:eemed as a b11rni11g and fhining Light, Joh,5·35· Yet it is faid ofhim, that Ile was not that Light, lmt was font only to bear witnefs of that Light, verf. 8. John was but a particular Light fhining in Judea, and in that Age only ; as aLanthorn hung ont in fome Street : He was but as the Morning· Star to this Sun. But Chri1t was, and is an Univerfal Light ( as is the Sun) in all Ages, and in all Places, and to all Saints. Yea, as Jobn was not that Light; fo ifall that Grace, and Light, that ever was in all Saints, were gathered into. one, yet all would not make that Light; who enlightned-John and all Mankind univerfally, as the Sun doth the Stars above, and Terrefl:rial Bii>dies below. Verf.
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