r` 342 CORRUPTION OR URPRAVATION , in darkness. In this state of things, God, by an al" mighty act ofhis power, created light, ver 3.. God said, let there be light. and there was light. And no other- wise is it in this new creation. " God, who command- s' ed then light to shine out of darkness, shines into the " hearts of men, to give them the knowledge of his " glory in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. Spi- ritual darkness is in and upon all men, until God, by an almighty and effectual work of the Spirit, shine into them, or create light in them. And this darkness is that light within, which some boast to be in themselves and others. Sect 7. To clear our way in this matter, we must consider, First, the nature of this spiritual darkness, what it is, and wherein it doth consist; and then, Se- condly, Shew its efficacy and power inand on the minds of men, and how they are corrupted by it. First; the term of darkness, in this case, is metaphor- ical, and borrowed from that which is natural. What natural darkness is, and wherein it consists all men know; if they know it not in its cause and reason, yet they know it by its effects: they know it is that which hinders men from all regular operations, which are to be guided by the outward senses. And it is twofold: (1.) When men have not light to see by; or when the usual light, the only external medium for the discovery of distant objects is taken from them. So was it with the Egyptians during the three days darkness that was on their land' they could not see for want of light; they had their visive faculty continued unto them; yet hav- ing no light, they saw not one another, nor arose any from his place, Exod. x. 23. For God, probably to augment the terror of his judgment, restrained the vir- tue of artificial light, as well as he did that which was natural. (2.) There is darkness unto men, when they are blind, either born so, or made so. Psal. lix. 29. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. So the angel smote the Sodomites withblindness, Gen. xix. 11. and Paul the sorcerer, Acts xiii. 11. However the sun shineth, it is all oneperpetual night unto them that are blind. Sect. 8,Answerable hereunto, spiritual. darkness may be referred unto two heads: for there is an objec- tive darkness, a darkness that is on men, and a subjec- tive darkness, a darkness that is in them. The first consists in the.want of those means whereby alone they their renovation; as thatthe proudest andmost petulent of them shall not be able to return any thing of a solid answer thereunto. And herein we plead for nothing but the knowndoctrine of the ancient Catholic church, declared in the writings of the most learned fathers and determinations ofcouncils against the - Pelagians, whose errors and -heresies are again revived among us by a crew of socinianized Arminians. Sect. 6. We may, to this purpose, first, consider the testimonies given in the scripture unto the assertion as laid down in general, Matth. iv. 16. " The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them "-that sat in the region and shadow of death, light is +' sprung up." Of what kind this darkness was in par- ticular shall be afterwards declared: For the present it answers what is proposed, that before the illumination 'given them by the preaching of the gospel, the people mentioned sat indarkness, or livedunder the power of it: and such as was the light whereby they were relieved. of the same kind was the darkness under which they were detained, And, in the same sense, when Christ . preached the gospel, the light shined into darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not, John i. 5, gave not place to the light of the truth declared by him, that it might be received in the souls of men. Thecommission which he gave to Paul theapostle, when he sent him to preach the gospel, was to open the eyes of men, and to horn them from darkness to tight, Acts xxvi. 18. not a light within them; for internal light is the eye, or see. ing of the souh but the darkness was such as consisted in their blindness, in not having their eyes open. To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness, Ephes. v. S. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. What is the change and alteration made in the minds of men, intended in this expression, will at: terwards appear, But that a great change is proposed none can doubt; Col, i. 13. Who loath delivered usfrom the power of darkness.; as also 1 Pet. ii. 9. Who Leath called us out ofdarkness into his marvellous light. And the darkness, which isin these testimonies ascribed unto persons in an unregenerate condition, is by Paul com- pared 'to that which was at the beginning, before the creation of light; Gen. i. 2. Darkness was upon theface 'of the deep. Where was no creature that had a visive faculty, there was darkness subjectively in all, and there zcas no light to see by, but all was objectively wrapt up
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=