on the i19. Pfame. 561 blinde,ifyou doenot willinglie fhut your eyes. But wee muff note , that Gods word is a lanterne, whenGods Ipiricworketh thereby : for whileltwegoe about the bare and lite. rail fènfe,it is no otherwifè,then ifa blindeman should read,or a man hauing fight fhould put a vaile before hiseyes. Wherefore the man ofGodprayeth port. i7. s.direttmyHeppet in thyword&c. & verfe 7. Shenthe lightofthycountenance vponthyferuant, and teachmee tby ffatutes. Whythen doe we fo little profit by theword? becaufe wee thinking that of our (clues wecan conceiuearight, doenot pray to be taughtbyGod hisfpirit. Foras no man feeth,orcan fee,what is inman,but the fpirit ofman , and thatwhich heevttereth with his tongue: nomore canwe feewhat is in God, but being eaught.bythe fpirit of Godand his word.Wherefore theApoftlefaith r . Cor.a. so, Godhatbeveealedthem untovt byhitfpirit; for the fpirit fearcheth allthings,yea thedeepeThings ofGod. r r. forwhat man knoweth the things ofemale, bast thefpiritofamanwhich isinhim: euenfo the thingsof God knowethno rnan,but the ipitit ofGod.Flefhand blood isour Sauiour witneffeth to Peter, cannot re- malethethings of our faluation vnto vs,but thefpirit ofGod, But whythenare weyet fo vnprofitable ? finely becaufe we arenotguiltie ofourowne infirmities, and we fee notthedarkenefFe and blsndneffewhich is inVs, or ifwefeeir, we fed not our felues prellèd withthe miferable captiuitie and bondage, wherein itboldeth our foules. This fightmade theProphetfo often vie this prayer, leachmeteor iudgemenr teach metruevnderflanding, teachme thytatutet&c. All which repetitions might otherwile bane feruedtohaue bina vaine bábling, had henotvfed fischanarrow fightof his inward corruptions with adelire to bee deliuered from them, which may condemne vs of our darkeneffe,and teachvs,that there is no light invs,but bythe word. Many indeede areof a model fpirit, and hate fomefightof their ignorance, yetthey particnldt ha uenota feelingof their miferie inparticularthings, and donotexamine themfeluesin fightand led- euery particular thing, whack is to be indarkenes; and therefore, aswe hauelaid, doe no thingfpeeiall moredelire tobeenhghtned and gouerned byanother, thenhe thathoning aMender eye- inner fight and hardlydtfeerning hisway, refufeth to hauea guide, as though he wereblinde. And though the Lordoften finned r vponvs, and maketh vs guiltieof our blindies, yet we doe not feehow loathfome,yirkfome, and vncomfortable a thing darkenes is,nor how pleafant,amiable, and comfortable a thinglight is, although weconfeflèingeneral!,that w liaise not thehight botare in darkenes. The want offeeing the monftrous ouglines of this palpable darkenes maketh vs dull in prayerfor the lightof Godsfpirit. Whereforewe muff defirethat that may be thicken into ourconfciersccs wlsicis we liaisein iudgeissenr, thatis, that wemay feehow amiable,,, Pate, glorious, andheauenly a thing it ïs'to beeenlightned with Godslight, andhow horrible ,, arising it is to beplunged in the darkenes ofthefoule; how fweete, excellent,and beauti- fulla thing it is, to beleeue and louethe word,andhow loathfome andpalpable is míftrult and ignorance. We mullthenbeperfwaded, that thoughwe are not inprifon, we walke in thenight and in thedarkenes,whilf weare in ignorance, yet the Lordwillgore vs in time to fufpeht our heartsof ignorance, and worke in vs both a delire and a delight re lone and lineafter the word,and that we(hall finde the truthofthisverfe inourfelues to faywith theProphet, Thy word is lanterntomyfeete,anda lightto mypaths. Many there are which,doe not fo muchas acknowledge this donbrine; Someare come out ofthis darkenes into.theglorious kingdomeofChrift, and yet fwaruefomuch in life, that they (hew not themfelues tohaue this truefaith. Andwhere mens manners fwarue beffdes theirprofe(Gon, wefee this fentence, more profelred in mouth, then praélilcdin life, and they onely doe beleeue this tobe truewhich enterprife nothing but that which Iyarroeokt 'habit warrant out of theword. For theft acknowledge, that in themfelues there is no- oftheword, thing but darkenes,andthat they(land inneede to be inlightned by the minifterieof the word,and working of his (pint. And as weconk& thetruethof this ingenerall, mull we deduce itto particulars and fem.. aVorkewith. rats, fo that curryman may fay,Iam either in light orindarkeneffe, ifI basea warrant forthis anrOmenaitu r, 'which ldo,out of the word,lam in light;butif1 doeitbytiemotionofmineowile braine,,,I darké,etr
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