512 Chap. 17. An Expofition upon the Book of J O $, Verfr 2, comforts or light which he once received from God. The light itfbort becaufe of darkjoefr ; that is, it is ready to end and expire. We may fay ofall the light which we have in this world, that it it frort becaufe of da: knefs : Spiritual light , or the light of Godscountenance finning in, or upon his people, riïorä Ire. bath a darknefs attending upon it in this world. The ex-. Lri periences of mod Chritiians anfwer that of one of the An- Bcrn. dents about this heavenly light, It comes bat feldome, and is Pon gone: we have but Come glympCes and glaunces of divine tavour here, not a fleady fence of it ; that (except to a very few) is referved for Heaven.: `Tis fo alto about temporal, light ; the light ofGods providence towards us bath dark. nefs attendingupon it, yeaa darknefs mixed with it : when our comforts have fcarce faluted us, or Cpoken with us, they are interrupted and taken offby approaching forrows.Thofe creature enjoyments and relations which have molt light in them, have alfo much darknefs hanging about them, and . hovering over them. Man at the beft eftate it altogether vanity; andhir longeft light here is 'hart becaufe of darknefr. But job fpeakes not this in reference to the general flee ofman, much lefs to the bell eflate of man in this life; he applyes it fpecially to anafflicted eftate, and particularly to his own : how thort is the light of an afflicted foul, how quickly do cloudes come over him, and Eccliples (hut the fhining from him, when the light of a man in profperity is but short, and his day in danger of a night every moment ? All our light on earth dwells upon the borders ofdarknefs the light of heaven hathnoneighbourhood with it, and therefore is not only long, but everlafling. 111-e tenebrof a Yet I find a learned Interpreter making this Verfe fpeak re8"ionet o memowieadi; the return of Jobs light ; 7hechangingofnight into d1y, is cedentes, pro to be underflood (faith he) in a good fence : And the break- notlejurundurrt ingofhis thoughts and purpofes is (according to this in- quicri: diem& terpretation ) nothing elfe but the fcattering of his dark Pre renebris lu- and meiacholly thoughts and purpofes, which being remo- eem maaninarn ved and ; th offorrow was turned into a day i. e. opto tatem g one e night pacem fli, of joy, and the morning light( here called thenear light,be- tuunt,Bold. caufe it immediately fucceeds the darknefs, which the noon- light
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=