B. Chap. 37. sáo Verf, 19. an,Expo Lion upon the Bookof J © ( and fadly experienced by force ) that this kindof darknefs loth exceedingly hinder a man from orderini his fpeech before God. A poor foul, that is walking in the darknefs of a fpiruual, trou- bled, deferred Rare, that is bewildred with fear and doubt about the favour ofGod tohim, and his acceptance with him, knoweth not what co do or faybefore God,heknoweth not bow to order his fpeech in prayer er difcourfe. This darknefs hindereth us mighti- ly in ordering our fpeech before God. Yet I conclude, that nei- trier is this the darknefs here underfiood, which is a darknefsfò1- lowingupon the prefent going down or letting oftheSun of Rigk.. tuoufnefs upon the foul, who was himfelonce thus grievoufly ,be- nighted, when' nayled to the Crofs, he cryed our, my God,myGod, why haft thoufirfallen me, Fourthly, Darknefs is taken for that remaining ignorance or imperfartion of knowledge which abides even in the bet}, in the hol.yef} of men after their converfcon, while on this fide Heaven. This ignorance is darknefs (r C'or, t 3. 9.) and this is that dark- nefswhich El hu here intends,when-he taith,we cannot order our fpeech byreafon ofdarknefs. As if he had faid, Though I, and they with me, are not altogether rude nor ignorant of God and his Wayes r though we have received (through grate) a competency of divine light, to guide us through this world, yet we are fenfble of fo much dimnefs and darknefs, that we cannot order our fpeech before god, nor direr our felves what to fay for thee, as thou haft l kindled the matter. Furrher,The darknefs that (as Elihu faith) hindereth man in or- deringhis fpeech before God,may be taken,nor only for the dark- nefs of the man, or of the perton fpeaking, as bath been hewed already, but alto for the darknefs of the matter,.or of the things about which he is called or occafioned to fpeak. As there is a darknefs of the Subjedt, fo a darknefs of the objea, which David thus expreffeth ( Plat, 49. 4.) Iwill utterda"k fayings'upon the ha:p : And again ('Pfal. 7g. z. ) ! will openmy mouth in a para- ble, l' will utter darkfayings of a?d. A parable is adark laying, that is, a myflerious faying,a fentence nor obvious to every underflan& itng ;. there is a fecret inparables (Prov r. ç, 6.) Aman ofun- derffand+ng /hall attain unto wife cows fels, to underfiand aproverb . (or parable) and the luterpretat,on, the words of the wife and their elarkf"oing, When Elihaa: faith, we cannot order our fpeech by real!u.
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