584 Veri. 19. e4° Expofition upon the Book of J o a. Chap. 37. rant and alienated from the life ofGod, through the ignorance that is in them,as the Apofile defcribes them (Eph.4.141.) We pity chofe that are bodily blind, becaufe (as we fay)tuey are dark,they cannot fee the Sun;'urely, if bodily darknefs,or the da,knels of the,bodi- ly eye, be to bepittied, if filch are to be p' ayed for that they may receive fi2hc, how much more is the darknefs of the foul to be pittied,and the blindnefs of the mind ! and therefore are others ( o picythemthe-more, becaufe they (not icing their dang_r, nor their milèry by it) donot at all pity themfelves. Secondly, If ignorance bedarknefs,and that an uncertain,a dan- gerous and an uncomfortable condition, then we fhould ufe and improve all themeans we can, or, within our comp tfs, fo- the cu- ring of our own fouls and others of this evil how lliould they that are in a (late of ignorance delire knowledge ! The great end of fending the miniliry of the Gofpel to anypeople, is to open their eyes, and turn them from this darknefs to light (Ail-s z6. 18.) Chrifi faith to the Church of Laodicea, in that cafe ( Rev. 3.18.) I counfel thee to anoint thy eyes with eye-falve, that thou mayefl fee; that is, ufe thofe means that are proper for the gain- ing of true knowledge in the things of God. Thou pretendefi to have knowledge, but thy darknefs is more than thy light, and thy ignorance more than thy knowledge ; therefore I counfel thee to buy of me eye-falve, that thou mayefi fee. Secondly, Forafmuch as Elihu faith, We cannot order ourfpeech by reafon of darknefs ; we, though knowing men, knownot what to lay. Note ; There is much darknefs remaining in thofe that have moll' lhghtin this world. They that know much and have the cleareft fight, are yet dark in many things ; what they fee is but little to what they fee not ( i Cor. a 3. 9.) We know but in part, and (verf. as,) We fee through aglafs darkly. The fight that we have of things, though in a Gof41-way, is but akind of dark fight, wefee through aglafs darkly. Elihu law himfelfcompafi about with much darknefs; and who may not find darknefs yet abiding in him ? What-ever our light or knowledge is, all that we know is not halffo much as that which we know not ; this should humble us. Weare very apt to be
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