DISC. VII.) ND NIGHT IN REAV f. 431 moreeffectual for our spiritual advantage, I shall consi- der the words of my text, " there shall be no night there," in their metaphorical or spiritual meaning, as well as in their literal sense. There is no night of ignorance or er- ror in the mind, no night ofguilt or ofsorrow in the soul: But the blessed above shall dwell surrounded with the light of divine knowledge, they shall walk in the light of holiness, and theyshall be for -ever filled with the light of consolation and joy, as Ihave explained it at the be- ginning of this discourse. The first Remark then is this, " When, heaven, earth, and hell, are compared together with relation to light and darkness, or night and day," we then see them in their proper distinctions and aspects. Every thing is set in its most distinguishingsituation and appearance, when it is compared with things which are most opposite. The earth, on which we dwell, during this state of trial, has neither all day nor all night belonging to it, but some- times light appears, and again darkness, whether in a na- tural or a spiritual sense. Though there be 1png seasons of darkness in the win- ter, anddarkness, in the summer also, in its constant re- turns, divides one day from another, yet the God of nature hath given us a larger portion of light than there is of darkness throughout the whole globe of the earth And this benefit we receive by the remaining beams of the sun after its setting, and by the assistance of the moon and the stars of heaven. Blessed be God for the moon and stars, as well as for the sun-beams and the brightness of noon. Blessed be God for all the lights of nature, but we still bless himmore for the light of the gospel, and for any rays from heaven, anybeams ofThe sun of righteousness, which diffuse, in lower measures; knowledge and holiness and comfort, among the inhabit- ants of this our world. God is here manifesting his love and grace in such proportions as he thinks proper. Some tams of the heavenly world break out upon us here in this dark region. God, the spring of all our light, and the Lamb of God by his spirit communicates sufficient light to us, to guide as on in our way to that heavenly iconntry,. In hell there is all night and darkness, thick darkness in every sense, for the God ofglory is absent there, as
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