1f7 The third Sermon. Verle 79 To gild light tothem that fit indarknelp and in thefhadoWof death, andteguide our feete into the way ofPeace, Eare nowcome vntothe feauenth and !aft branch, namely, the (peciali end why this Day.fpring path appeared , which is, Togineligbt,+rc. The fummeof theplace is, A kindnelfe or benefit be.. ftowed:the part by whom it is bellowed we haue heard of: (The Day fpringfrom onhie). Nowwe haue here two things to bee coufidered of: r. The liate and condition of the parties to whom it iß given (they fie indarkene andin eke fhadow ofdeath.) z. The qualieieof the benefit, (Togiae light,and, toguide into themy ofpeace.)The former lheweth how miferablewe bewithout Chrift: The latter, what happineffe is offered to vs in Chrift. In handling the former wemutt fitlt enquire the fenfe, namely, what is meant byDarkeneffè,and what by theßeadowofDeath. The word(Derkaeffe)mnit not be taken literally,forany outward ,materiali,earthly orfen fiole darknelfe ; fucñ as is when theheavensareouerwhelmed with clouds , theSurine fer , the Starres hid- den, and the Moose not appearing , and neither firenor candle to bee gotten : But it mull beetaken in a fpirituall fenfe, with reference to the inward parts, to the fouleand confcience.And being fo taken,it betokeneth two things. r. Want of true fauingknowledge : z. Want oftrue fpirituall comfort. Thus Light, in Scripture is taken : firíl,fortrue knowledge : That theeyes ofyour vnderflanding may belightened.. Secondly fortrue comfort: Light isfowenfor the Righteoas,and mEph.ta8. icyfar the upright in heart ..So alfodarknef ,is put forcontrary.Veit, for lgno_ npf,;, 97t r. ranee:Men toneddarknefe rather thenLght o: Hawingtheir cogitation darkened P. Se- oieh. kondly, foramazedneffe and perplexitieoffpirit : If they lobe to the earth, behold P EPh41s. darkened1-e andfoerow s. Therefore hell, which is the feat of Horror, is called jr,y f4o Darkniffe. So then by thole whichfitinderk `neffe,aremeant thofe which liebu- rMath8.tz, tied in ignorance and blindneffe, vtrerly defituteofall true fpirituallconfola- tion. Now to this, there inadded another claufe,(Thefhadowofdeatb.)Aphrafe vfu- allinScripture , fignifyingan efface brought, asitwete, within thecoaftes and borders,and(as I mayfofpeake) within the reachof death., So that the meaning of both claules together is this ; That thofe to whomChrift bath appearedasa Sauiour,were without knowledge,without comfort, without any meanes orpoi. fibility of life eternal in themfelues. This is the leak. Hecre then is ample occafion given to fpeakeofournatural eftare without Chrift : The miCery whereof{lands in three things. r. Wantof true knowledge. a. Want of true comfort. 3. Subie&ion andliablenelletodeatheternall. That there three are all true ofcuery natnrallman,I will declarebriefly. And firh, That emerynatnrall man isdeflituteoftrue lmowledge, the Scripture fpeakethplainly. Faul faith,that naturally our Cogitations aredarknedthroughig- The r. doff° norancec: that we are vuwife°, thatis, filch asvnderftand not What the leaofthe t y 4.0;. Lord is v: that the Wifedome ofourApt isdeath and enntitisagainffGod'. thatwee a Hph.ísv. neither pereciste , nor can know things ofthe fpirit of god Y. Andof this ignorance nRom.s.6o. we haue examples; as in Nicodcmue,who could nottell what to makeofthedo- Y t. C".2,14. O 3 &tine
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