642 t e Grid is in darknefs before the go fpci comes. but as Chrii faith, lab). 9.41. lefus fillet' unto them , if reere blind, ye (pall have no (n, bur now ye f9y, we fee, therefore your fn rern4i,leth. The more conceited men are that they are in the light, their tin renaaineth fo much the rather, or is the more excees':ing finful now then before it was, no man can naturally judge 6f his natural eflate,becaufe he is in darknefs , much- lets judge of fpiricual things, let us never take the judge- ment of men, becaufe they-have. great and Prong parts of na- ture , in fpiritual things , becaufe their foolilh parts are darkned; in dark vaults there are toads and noifome things , and fo there are in dark hearts, 441.74, 20.. have refpee& unto the Covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitation of cruelty. It is nomar - veil though men be fo fierce and froward , becaufe in the darke places of their hearts there are the habitations of ctuelty , men are in darknefs before the Gofpel comes where the light of the Gofpel comes not, the Divel, the prince of darknefs Both rule in a kind of outward wily as wellas in à kind of inward way, in force places where they have not heard of the Gofpel , the people worfhip the di- ve! in a vifible fhape.; this darknefs that men are in naturally it is that that is oppofite to God himfelf for God is light,- it is at that is hateful to God , yea the darknefs of mens fpirit is not onely privative but pofitive, that is, there is in, their hearts an oppofition to light, an hatred to light , all the darknefs in the world cannot oppofe the shining of the light of the least candle , the light of the lea(} candle will prevail againft all the darknefs of the, world , but the darknefs that there is in mans heart, there is not the ,want of the light of things , but there is an oppofitidn ha his heart that keeps the light out, that hates the light, their darknefs is the fhadow of death, hellifh darkneffe , not onely that that tends to hellish darkneffe, but it is the beginning of hell that is in their hearts ;: no marvail thotagh men do ref} on fnich vain hopes and props of their eternal falvation: Ye are the light of the world,hence the whole world is in darknefs, this being the flare of man by- nature to be thus in darknefs, that that brings light into the world it is the Gofpel) the Gofpel in the Mii. iftery of it , ye
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