Book IV. s A I N T s COMPARED T O L I G H T. 741 -bringeth the Wheel over them, Prov. xx. 26. So ev.ery wife and godly Chri!l:ian does what in him lies the like: What Darknefs did Martin Luther, that Star of the fir!l: M ognirude, drive away! That bleffed L ight which he afforded the World hath flwne .fo glorioufly, that the Devil, the Pope, and all thetr Adherents, notwith!l:andmg all .their Skill, have not been able to ,put lC out to tlm .Day. M E T AP H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. JV. When rheLightoftheCanIV. So when th.c Saints fuine not in Grace and .die is put our, which is to giv-e Holinef<, or fall into Sin, and wickedly comply l.io-ht w the whole Houfe, how with the Evils of the Times in wh.ich they Jive, do 0 Men !l:umble, and grope in how do the ungodly World f\umble and fall; the .Darknefs? which made our Sav ior to fay, !Vo to the World becaufe of Offences, &c. j'vfc•!l. xviii. 7· it is a -great Judgment to the \'licked, to have thole who fuould be as Lights in the \'l'orld, .darkentd, or g1.vc occa£i.on of Stumbling. N F E R E N C E ~ I. TI-'IJS fl1ews, what a great Blefling .the World receives by means of the Godly: Ther arc fer up as -Ltghrs Ill a dark N1ghr, to d tretl: Men m the nghr Way, -that they may not !l:umble and fall upon the dark Mountains. !I. Let this teach Believers thrir Duri.es; let them remember to have their Conver– fations hontit among the Gentiles. Let your Light fhine fonh to ot·hers, not that you may be praifed, but that the Pr•ife may be given to God, &c. In all your holy Walking, propofe this as your ultimate End, nor that you may be magnified, and lifted up, but that God by you, and through your good Works, may be magnified, and .his glorious Nam~ advanced .on high. Ill. It may be an Ute of Caution to·them to take heed of S:n . If they comply ,wirh Satan, and yield to Temptations, and thereby Jet their Light go out, no wonder if the Wprld !l:umble. Some6mes Profdfors, inflead of being Lights, prove dark . .Stumbling-blocks. As to infrance in two or three Things: r. When P rokffors fail in their Morals, i. e. are not ju!l: i" their Dealings b~tween Man and Man, they give juf\ Caufe o.f Offence. 2. When they are like the \Vorld, and none can di!cern any great Difference be– ·nveen them and others, in refpetl: of their Converfation, how c"n they then be faid to be the Light of the World? 3· When they are overcome with fcandalous Sins, viz. are proud, covetous, Back– ;biters, Tattlers, Drunkards, &c. 4· When they want Love and Bowels of Compaffion to their Brethren, they ceafc to :be the Lights of the World. They are no more a Bleffing to the World, who thus ·degenerate from what they fuould be, but rather the contrary. Therefore if you wanr Motives to !l:ir you up to take heed how you walk and -live .among Men, that you may ,not give occafion of Ofl"encc or Srumbling to them, buc .contrary wife, be as Lig hts to them, take thefe follow ing. (1.) Your good Works, .and holy Converfation, will greatly tend to glorify God 1 ·but the contrary will greatly di!honor bim. , (2.) Your good Works, and godly Life, will greatly tend to the Pn;>fit of the \ Vorld but the contrary will prove to their great Hurt. (3.) Your holy Life will make your Profeffionfl1ine, and alfo further the Promulgation -of the .Gofpel ; but the contrary will bring a Stink or ill Savor upon your Profeffion, and hinder the Promulgation of the Gofpel. (4. l An evil Life hinders poor Souls from enquiring after the Truth, and !l:umbles .them in the Way of their Obedience to it. (5.) it !l:umbles weak Chri!l:ians that are in the Ways .of God. (6.) It weakens the Hands, and grieves the H earts of !l:rong and fincere Ones. (7.) A holy Life will free thee from Blood-guilrinefs; I mean, thou wilt not have -the Blood of other .Mens Souls to anfwcr for : But the contrary may make thee cul– pable. S AI NTS
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