560 An Expof tion upon being like to the man born blinde, Job. 9. whole eyes Chrift muff open before he can fee: fo muff he enlighten our mindes before we can have found and Paving knowledge of God. The reafon is rendre_d, t Cor. 2.14. This milerable date of the chofen be- fore faith is called darkneffe, Ephef. 5. 8. and the power of darkneffe, Ail. 26. 26. and night in this text : and them- felves abiding in this eftate, are called children of the night and darkneffe, r Ile: 5. 7. Therefore as Paul being blinde, muff have the fcales taken from his eyes,that he may fee, fo theele& can have no knowledge of God unto falva- tion, till they are delivered by him from their naturali ignorance, which is the firft work of grace in them, called illumination of the Spirit ; who begin - neth the converfion of the ele& at the enlightning of their underflanding, Rom. 12.2. T i M. What profit are we to make of this dollrine ?. S 1 L. It confutes the Popifh opini- on, touching liberty of will to turn our felves to God ; for how can we turn our felves to that which is good, lince we are not able to fee what is good ? If we cannot perceive the things of God,much leffe are we able to embrace and follow them, for Volun- tas fequitur intellelïum. Secondly, it muff move the chofen which are called and enlightened, both to joyfull thank= fulneffe, that they have efcaped the night ofignorance,and are become chil- dren of the day, laying, I praife the Lord, who bath turned my night into day: And unto hearty forrow in behalf of fuch as do yet flick in their groffe darkneffe of fin and ignorance, pitying them, and not upbraiding them; remembring our felves that we were once filch as they be, Gal. 6. i. And laftly it teacheth, that all wicked impenitent finners be in darkneffe to this hour, what foever knowledge of God they feem to have. T t M. What is thefecond Dollrine t S i L. That they which are regene- rate, are not wholly freed from igno- rance and unbelief, whereof ffill they Chap. 13.1 have the remainders though they reign not now as before their calling. Paull confeffion touching himfelf, PH/.3.s 2. and touching all the Saints, i Cor.9. 25, &c. fuflhciently teach, that there are imperfe &ions Rill flicking to our knowledge. If in his, how much more in ours fò far inferiour to him ? As it is in the twilight, fo it fareth with the godly in this life, much darkneffe mixed with their light. Hence it i's,that in the next words he writeth not, that the day, (that is) the knowledge of Chrift by the Gofpell is prefent and come, but approaching, and at hand only. It fhineth not forth fully, but is in part light, force in part dark : as at the dawning or break of day, fo is it with the godly in this life, they are fomewhat illuminated, but not whol- ly enlightned. Indeed their know- ledge now after their new birth, being compared with their ignorance before, may be termed day, but it is not fo; rather Iike a night, in refpe& of that knowledge they (hall have in heaven, for then they (hall fee him as heist Cor. 13. 10, 12. Diffinguifh thefe three times : Firft, night before our calling: fecondly, day after effe&uall vocati- on : thirdly, full day at ourglorifica- tion. T r m. To what ufe muff Chriftians labour to turn this dolfrine ? S t L. That we marvail not when we fee tome learned godly men over- taken with force errors, yea and whole Churches alto, as the Galatians erred about juflification, the Corinthians about the refurre &ion from the dead. Chryfo- ffome was tainted with an opinion of free will, and Peters primacy : Origen maintained univerfall falvation of men and devils : Cyprian held rebaptization : Auguf}ine wrote doubtfully about Pur- gatory, and held (for a while) confi- dently, that children could not be faved without the Lords Supper : Ill }ricus failed about Originali fin : Hierocie im- moderately extolled virginity above marriage: Eufebiuswas anArrian, alto defended Peters abjuring his Lord after marriage : Luther held confubfiantia- Lion.
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