Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v11

6 Chap. 3S. e/fn Expftion upon the Book of J o B Verf. a out excufe, for not doing what it (hewed. Gofpel Myfleries and matters of Faith are purely of Divine Revelation, but what the moral Law commands or tot bids, the light of Nature leads us to do and to forbear. There is a generation of people grown up and fpreading amongfl us, who cry up the light within them, with neglect of,if not in op- podtion to the Word written and preached to them. Theremake a very ill ufe of this notion ; For whotoever bids us look to the light within us,to draw us offfrom the Word or light without us, erre greatly, and may quickly draw us into the greaten errors both in Faith and PraC-fife. i is dangerous to go or a& againfl the light within us, yet if we go or adt alwayes by that light alone, we than be in darknefs before we are aware. Natural light with- out Scripture light, proves a falle lighr, and may quickly lead us our of the way, and betides our duty. Therefore the Prophet,wh,:n any Ihould fay, Seek unto them that have familiar Spirits,&c. loth not fay, look to the light within you for refoiution, whether ye Should hearken to fuch or no, but to the Law,and to theTeffimony: if theyfpeal¿,net according to this ward, it it becaufe there u no light in them, (lfa. 8.2o.) If that which is called light within us,fpeak not according to the light of the Law and Teflimony without us, there is no true light ( or as the Margin hath ic) no morningin us ; the Day-iarre hath not rifen in fuch hearts,nor do they (peak like childrenof the lighr.Take heed of Ftriking and fofplitting againfa that Rock ; yet certainly there is a light within us that mutt not be refiRed. The Aponte reports that as the fnof the old Gentiles Rom. a . 28.) They did not like to retain God in their knowledge ; they had a light of God by nature, God was in their knowledge, but they liked not to think of God , but rather thought of the world , and of any vanity, than of God , rather of the creature, than of the Creator ; for this caufe God gave them up to a repro- a' iu4 GM bate mind, to do thofe things whichare not convenient.They who o- 4/arm bey not,whoanfwer not thelight of Nature in doing good,ihali be left to the doing of chore evills which are againfi the light of Na- ture. Such werechore things which the Apoffle calls (by a mo tlef1 word) not convenient, or not fitting that duty and decorum, which manas man lhould carefully and religioully obferve. By which negative expreffion, Not convenient, he pofirively intends the vileft evils and debaucheries of Nature, not to-benames. And

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