232 SERMONS upon Senn. 24. the riling of the Sun Both not only difpel Darknefs, but Milts and Vapors ; fo doth a faving Light, not only difpel Ignolince, but Lugs. This way is Spiritual Life begun. Ephef 5. 14. lwake thou that flcepefi, and arife from the Dead, and Chrif hall give thee Light. A Man would have thought, the Apoftle Ihoukl rather have find, and Chrift fisll give thee Life, than give thee Light. It is the Apottle's word, ávn4)LQe agi, he (hall thine upon thee, rather than cstmn aas, he (hall quicken thee. But Light is enough, the Power of Grace breaketh in upon the Soul by the Light of the Gofpel. As it is laid of the Natural Life, John i. 4. In him was Life, and the Ltf war the Ligbt of Men. Reafon and Underltanding are the Fountain of Life to Met); fa is Spiri- tual Reafon, and Spiritual Under(landing to the Soul. If the Mind of a Man were once Spiritual, inlightned and poffeffed of the Ways of God, the Heart could not ut- terly tejed them. There is a notional Illumination, that like a Winter-Sun, Ihineth, but warmeth not, leaveth no comfort and profit upon the Heart. But a Spiritual Light is always effedual5 for tho theWill and the Judgment are diftind Faculties, and the Will is averfe,as the'Under(tanding is blind ; yet God doth never foundly and through - ly convince the Judgment, but he moveth and inclineth the Will. If we know things as we ought to know, as the Truth is in plus, Ephef.4,2 I. the Heart mull needs dole with the Ways of God ; for the Will of Man is not bruti[h,but reafonable, and aéleth reafonably. Anfwerably to the difcovery of Good or Ill"in the Underflanding,there is a . Prolecution or Averfation in the Will. Therefore a through couvidion of Judgment, mull be the ground of Grace in the Heart ; for God worketh in us, not only by a .powerful and real Efficacy, but agreeably to an intelligent Nature, by teaching, per - fwading, counfelling 5 nothing can be wrought in this moral way, unlefs Light and Knowledg go before. 2. It mull be a true, and not a falle Light. Truth fandifieth, and Error defileth 5 Titus i. t. According to the acknowledgment of the Truth, that it after Godlinefs. Right thoughts of God and his Ways, preferve an awe in the Heart, which both re(traineth and reneweth. Tà 4,9u en yi.ter i etíë Atyóµlva äÿ(e*1 zhv vuxdr, faith Chryfo- fom. It is Truth that "cleanfeth the Heart, Error leaveth a (fain and defilement. The Underfianding and the Will; are like the Head and Stomach; a corrupt Heart blindeth the Mind, and a blind Mind corrupts the Heart, they mutually vitiate one another. As in a ruinous Houfe, the upper Room being uncovered, lets down the Rain, to founder the Supportersbelow ; and the rottennefs of the Supporters below, weaken - eth all above. Erroneous Perlons are generally reprelented in Scripture as vain and fenfual 5 Jude 8. Theft filthy Dreamers defile the Fiefs : Fir(t, there is Dreaming, and then Defilement. Error maketh way for Loofenefs, and a vain Mind for vile Affecti- ons. Partly, by God's juft Judgment : fome Opinions feem to remote, and lie far enough from practice ; yet the Perlons that profels them are generally look. Nay, fome Errors feem to encourage ftriftnefs, as Doctrines concerning the Power of Na- ture, and the Merit of good Actions ; bur we find it is otherwife. Duty is bell pref- fed upon God's Terms. Phil. 2. 12, t3. Wherefore, my Beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence ; work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his own good pleafure. By the Judgment of God, fuch are of loofefl Life. God will have his Glory kept unflained. Idolatry is expreffed by Whoredom : Bodily Unclean - nefs ends in Spiritual. Hofea 4. 12, 13. My People ask counfil of their Stocks, and their Staff declareth unto them ; for the Spirit of Whoredom,. have caufed them to err, and they go a whoring from under their God. They facrii ce upon the tops of the Mountains, and burn Incenfe upen the Dille, under Oaks, and Poplars, and Ein,,, Lecaufe the fsadow thereof is good : Therefore your Daughters .hall commit Whoredom", and your Spoufes hall commit Adultery. So, Rom. 1:23, 24. They changed the Glory of the :incorruptible God, into an Image made liké to corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four footed Beafis, and creeping things. Wherefore God alfa gave them up to uncleannefs, through the Luffy of their own Hearts, to difhonoter their own Bodies between themf lees. Partly, by a natural Efficacy, the Spirit is cmbafed by Error, and all falle Principles have a feéret and pellilential in- fluente on the Life and Practice. We lofe a f nfe and care of Piety, if we have not a right apprehenfion of God's Efíence and Will; a frame of Truth keepeth an awe: Therefore where there is fo much Truth as to fandify, yet becaufe it is mingled with Fal[hood, there ii no fuch reverence of God; no fuch f ridnefs. Unbelief is the Mo- ther of Sin, Mifbelief is the Nurfe of it. In Error there is a finful confederacy be- tween
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