136 Chap. 38. Án .Expof:tíon upon the Bookof B. Vert, 74, face of theearth, even as ifit had received a newor frefh ref. f ,n as clay loth from a real. A piece of clay is a rude lump, without form or figure ; but if you rake a Peal and (tamp it, that clay, readily receives any figure or coat of arms engravers on the feal ; and fo 'tis turned from what it was in appearance. Thus the meaning feems to be this The earth before the Sun rifeth . is like a rude piece of clay (in the night we fee nomore beauty in the earth , than if it had no beauty at all ; go to a well ccmpo- ledgarden, walk there in a darknight, you cannotdircernthefi- gure of any border, nor the rareft beauty of any flower , nor the.. plearanteft fruit of any tree planted there, your eyecannot take in nor feat+ it felf upon any of thofedelights , while dark. exroi ad mmlio nets covers the face of the earth) but when the light comes,then aara,no unm You fee the'form and figure of every thing beforeyou , then the ata, rerum a_ earth is turned as clay to the fear; the Sun, as it were Ramps and felbtltu imprefl'eth a new beauty and bravery upon it ; and then the earth, formas,inflarlu- which lookt like a void or rude heap , appears in its form and fi- ti, quodfi'uli gate , v.hether natural or artificial. This fenf is.muchinfitted arbitrpie efki. upon in opening this Scripture ; and 'tis a good retire , letting qúibr rangicare forth that benefit of the light, caufing the earth to appear in vef overfrcolo- its proper (nape, which night or datknefs had hidden or ob. riinduurur. fcured. Hence Note; The ¡hining of the light puts anerd face, in appearance, sawn the faceof the earth. Things that appear not , are as if they were not. Nothing ap- pears, but by the light. This is molt true of fpiritual light ;when thatarifeth upon any place or people , that place or people are turnedas clay to the teal , onely with this difference , the natu- ral light of theSun doth only manifelt what figures or (+amps are already impreffed upon the earth , it doth not make any there, which were not there before ; but where the Sun-fhine of the Gofpel comes, though it were a place as rude as Barbarifine it fell, 'Lis turned into another fhape, the people areequite another people in their manners and converfation. It was fo with this Nation , wewere once as rudeheathens as any in the world ; but by the light of the Gofpel we were turned as clay to the feal ; we received the figure of Grace, the figure of Chriflianity. And at
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