. 7'8 'T/;e Perfon of C!-ii.ft tl;e great ~pojitory and the Life is the Light ·of men, John I. 4· He is the true Light wbich lighteth every man that cometh· into the world, v. 9· Wherefore as Truth is the only means of Illumination, fo it cannot communicate any light unto the mind, but only as it is a leam from him, as it is an Organ to convey it from that Fountam. Separated from him and its Relation unto him, it will not retain 7 it cannot communicate any real fpi– ri:ual Light or Underfl:anding to the fouls of men. How 1hould it, if all Light be originally in him, as the Scripture teil:ifieth? Then alone is the mind irradiated with heaven– ly Truth, when it is received as proceeding from, and lead– ing unto the Sun of Righteoufnefs, the b1eifed fpring of all fpiritual Light which is Chrifl: himfelf. .Whatever no– tional Knowledge men may have of Divine Truths, as they are docrrinally propofed in the Scripture, yet if they ~now them not in their refpefr unto the Perfon of Chrifl as the Foundation9fthe Counfels of God; if they difcern not how they proceed from him, and center in him, they will bring no fpiritual faving Light unto their Underfl:anding. For all fpiritual Life and Light is in him, and from him alone. An Inil:ance hereof we have in theJews.They have the Scriptures of the 0 Id T eil:ament, wherein the fubfiance of all Divine Truth is r-evealed and expreifed. And they are diligent in the·fl:udy of them. Howbeit their minds are not at all il– luminated, nor irradiated by the Truths contained in them, · but they live and walk in horrible darknefs . And the only Reafon hereof is, becaufe they know not, becaufe they re– jeer the Relation of them unto Chrifr, without which they are deprived of all enlightning Power. · Ejjicacy or Power is the fecond Property ofDivine Truth. And the End ofthis Efficacy is to makeus like unto God, Eph• . 4· 2o, 2 I, 2 2, 2 3, 24. The Mortification qffin, the Renova– tion ,ofour Natures, the Sanctification of our minds, hearts and
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