82 A~> A N T H R 0 P 0 P A T H Y. Book .[ from Eternity,* as Light does from Light: For. ""~"'Y"~f'"'• fignifies, a fhining again, or a Refplendency, os it were fro1;11 the Sun. ~eaoas; and fo by the Force of the li'ropo! fition, his etennal Original from tbe Father is indicated:or fiu:w.n. Brightnef3 cannot be tepararcd from the Sun,. and is o£ equal Age with it; fo, from the Father of Lights, (of whom on Jam. i. 17. we have fpoke) this Brightnefs, viz. the Son, can never be feparated, becaufe eo-eternal with him, John xiv. w.Lyranus, thus expreffes hi_rnfelf, the Son proceeds from tbe Father, as Light or Splendor from tbe Sun: Which Splendor is of the fame Ag-e with tbe !Jun, and would be eternal, if the Sun were eternal. A fecondary Reafon may be in Refpe<'l: of Men, and that Manifd!ation which the heavenly Father made to us by the Son. The Light of the Sun is fent on the Earth to cherilh, vegetate, and render it fruitful; Chri(t the Brighmefs of the Father's Glory is fent tO illun1inate, vivifx, and fave us. God is faid to be a L ight aud a Sun, with Refpe<'l: to his Energy, or Power and Operation amongfr Men, Pfal. xxvii. 1. '!"he Lord is li'J Light, that is, who gives the true alld Cwing Light of his Spirit unto me, where the Pfalmi(t exegetically (or b1 Way of Expofirion) adds, 'l"he Lord is the Strength of my Life. Pfal.lxxxiv. I2. '!"he Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, the Expofition is annexed; '!"he Lord will give Grace and Glory, 110 good (Thing) will he withhold from the;;z that walk uprightly. !fa. x; I 7· And the Light of lfrael Jhall be for a Fire, and his Holy One for a Flame; that is; God fhall illufrrate, and fan<'l:ify the Jfraelites. From hence arife thofe different Phrafes, wherein the Light of God fignifies, ( t.) His Fa"or and Grace, as when his Face is faid to jbine, Numb. vi. 25. Pfal.lxxx; 3, &c. Or, (2.) His faving Revelation of Light and Truth by the Word, Pjal. xliii. 3· Send o11t thy Light and thy 'l"ruth, let them lead me, &c. Pfal.lxvii. J, L et God cauft his Fae< toJhine upon ttJ; which is meant of the Revelation of his Way and Do<'l:rine, as Verfe 2, See Pjal. xix. H. Prov . vi. 15. 2 Cor. iv. 4, 6; &c. Or, (< .) Eternal Glorifying, as lfa.lx. ' 9· 20. '!"he Lord jha/1 be to thee an everlafling Light, which Rev. xxii. 5· is applied to eternal Life. In general, the Light of God is to be taken with Reference to fame celefrial Be– nefits, as Pfal. xxxvi. 9· In thy Light Jhall we fee Light, where the preceding and following \Vords fhew, the Senfe tO be, that by the Grace of God manifefted in his Word, we come to true Bleffednefs. By the Light of God here Ga!atinus fays, Lib. 8. Cap. I 1. and Drufius Lib. '5· obfervat. Cap. 4· That fome ancient Rabbies under– ftood the Mejfiab. Hence we come to our Savior, who is particularly called the Light and Sun, not with RefpeCl: to his Divine Effence, and Perfon as difrin<'l: from the Father, as before, but with RefpeCl: to his Office, Benefits, and Operations, !fa. ix. 2. xlii. 6. xlix. 6. and lx. I. Matt. iv. t6. Luke ii. 23. John i. 4• 9· iii. '9· viii. I2, and xii. 35, 36. Afls xiii. 47· The Metaphor of LJGH'l", in Scripture expreffes Information, whereby the Darknefs of the Underfranding is difpelled, as alfo a taking away of Sin, which is compared to Darknefs, and a giving of Comfort, all which our Savior moft eminently exhibits from himfclf to Bdievers. Concerning the Appellation of SUN, thefe two Places are moll eminent. (t.) Mal. iv. 2. But mzlo you that fear my Name, foal/ the Sun of R ighteoufmfs arifl with Healing i11 his ?Vi11gs. Thar this is fpoke of our Savior Chrifr, plainly appears irom rhe Scope and Context of the Prophet. See Chap. iii. I, 2, 3· and iv. 5· with Matt. xi. 10. and xvii. I I, 12, '3· Luke i. 17. &c. For there is a moll fair and fweet Comparifon betwixt Chrifl and the natural Suu. As, , (L) With Refp•Cl: to Onmefs, there is but one Sun, which is the Eye of the World, which is enough to enlighten and cherit:h all; fo there is bm one i11ediator between God and j\,fmz, the Mmz Chrifl Jejits, 1 'J.im. ii. 5· (2.) · That the Sun only O>ines by its own Lght, and communicates Brightnefs to the 1\-foon and Stars, fo Chrifl is the Fountain of tnre Light, illuminating the Church, and • Ut in Niceno /ymbofD tj!, as in the ll'iane Crud. Teachers
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