dar neffe of this World. 113 aid world, that is, fuch who are in darknt ffe. This word is u- fed fometimes to expreffe the defolate condition o: a creature in force great clifireffe, ifa. 5 o. He that walks tn darknele, And fees no light; fornetimes to expreffe the nature of all fin ; fo, Eph, 5. r*.* fin is called the wo:k of darknefle; fometimes the particular fin of ignorance; often fet out by the darkneffe ofthe night, blindneffe of the eye, all thefe I conceive may be mean's, but, chiefly the latter for though Satan makes a foule flir in the foule; that is, in the dark of furrow, whether it by from out- ward. croffes or inward defertions ; yet if the creature be not in the darkneffe of finne at the fame time, though he may di- flurb his peace as an enemy, yet cannot be laid to rule as a Prince. Sin only lets Satan in the Throne; fo that 1 (hall take the words in the two latter Interpretations. for the darkneffe of fin in general.. Secondly, for the darkneffeof ignorance in fpecial ; and the fenfe will be, that the devils rule is over thofe that are in a flaw of fin and ignorance, not over thole who are finful or igno- rant, fo he would take hold of Saints as well as others ; but o- ver thole who are ina flare offin, which is let out by the al) Nati, Rider of the darknefre, the more to expreffe the fulneffe of the fin and ignorance that polleffeth Satans flaves ; and the Notes will be two. Firfl,Every foul in a Hate offin is under the rule ofSatan. Se condly, Ignorance above 'other fins enflaves a foul to Sa tan, and therefore all fins are fet out by that which chiefly ex-, preffeth this, viz,. darkneffe. Every foule in a Elate of fin is under the ruleofSatan ; under Dal. xi. which point there two things .muft be enquired. Firft, the reafon why fin is let out by darkneffe. Secondly, how every one in fuch a Rate appears- to be under the devils rule. For the firft, Firff, fin may be called darkneffe, becaufe the fpring and common caufe of fin inman is darkneffe. Theexternal caufe Sa- tan, who is the great promoter of it, he is a curfed fpirit held in chaines of darkneffe. The internal is the blindneffe and darkneffe ofthe foule : we may faywhen any one fins, he cloth) he knowes not what, as Chrift Paid ofhis murtherers. Did the creature know the true worth of the foul, (which he now fells- Ee 3 , for.
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