Chap. 3g, a,,4n Expofitton upon the Book cf J o e. Verf. a2: 123 as this of light. As God is love ( John 4. 8. ) fo God is light, (t Sohn I. 5.) yet the light which Chines to us, the morning, which God bath commanded for us, is but darkness to God, who bathcotnmandedit. Light it felf is darknefs, compared with God ; yet 'cis the cleared Ghadow, the bell refemblance of God. in Nature. Secondly, M we fhould confider the, excellency and beauty of God in the appearance of the morning , fo hisgoodnefs, who bath made fuch a creature for us, who bath alfoprepared fomany ye-- fels to hold it and hold it out, or todifpence it to us. I'is God who bath made thofe great lights , theSun to rule theday, and the Moon and Stars to rule the night (Gen. 1. 16.) The day would be night tous, if God had not prepared the Sun (for though: there were three days before the Sun was made , yet now 'cis the Sun which makes the day) and the night would be nothing but darknefs to us , if God hadnot prepared the Moon and the Stars. How great then is the goodnefs of God to man , who bath made light for us, and who thus conveys and difpenfeth it to us acs cording to our need, both by day, and by night Thirdly , We fhould hence be minded to pay our debt of thankfulnefs roGod every day. Hitiory tella us, that the ancient ;Rhodiens or inhabitants of the Ifle called Rhodes , ere &ed a mighty Coloffus (according to their heatheniCh fuperflirion) in honour Of the Sun , who once a day at Intl opened his face upon their Ifland , though it were over-cal+ with clouds, muffled up , and wailed to all other parts of the world. Though, pofbbly, we do not fee the face of the Sunevery day , yet we enjoy the light and influences of it everyday. God bath commanded the Sun in the Firmament to attend us, to be about us, to comfort us, every morning; and (hall webe unthankful! If in a darknight a friend will but lend us a candle and a lanthorn , we thank him ; What matter of thanks to God then fhould it be , that he bath letup thole candles, thofe torches , thofe lamps of light for our com- fort and guidance continually. Fourthly , If God bathcommanded the light , fo excellent to creature to ferve us, tobe for our ufe, then let us make aft of the _ light to ferve the Lord inand by ; let us make ufeQf natural light, that of the Sun in the air ; and of fpirirual light, that of Chrift the Sun in the Golpel , moft of all. Let us make ufe of natural R 2 light,
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