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are about to do, devoting the actions of the ensuing day in this or the like manner :

My God, whatever I shall this day speak or do, yea, whatever I shall think, I offer wholly to thee; these prayers, these meditations, these alms, these devotions, this fasting, these works, these businesses, these actions, these my affairs, I dedicate and consecrate unto thee, nor desire I any thing else, than that what I shall perform this day may turn to thine honour.

How sweet is it in the beginning of the day, before a man takes any new matter in hand, to lift up his heart to God, and to say thus within himself :Lord, I will undertake this action by thy help, and for thee this day; for thee will I labour; I will think this for thee; for thee now will I hold my peace, and now I will speak for thy honour and glory; I will cast myself on thee for the following day!

Use yourselves constantly to this course, that your consciences may check you when you neglect it. Such a constant course will keep off divers temptations that may otherwise surprise you, and engage your hearts to God for all the day.

SECTION IV.

AT THE DAWNING OF THE DAY, AND RISING OF THE DAY-STAR.

MEDITATE how the gospel is as the day-star; and the work of the Spirit enlightening the mind is as the dawning of the day, or rising of the day-star in the heart of a Christian. So St. Peter commends those to whom he writes, for making use of the Old

Testament, of the truth whereof they were assured, 2 Pet. i. 19, until, by a further work of the Spirit of illumination, their hearts and minds were more effectually instructed, and more strongly assured of the truth of the gospel of Christ. The Old Testament is as torch-light in a dark room; the New Testament revealed by the Spirit is as the dawning of the day, or rising of the day-star, in comparison of that light which shall appear at Christ's second coming, which shall be as the bright rising of the Sun of Righteousness.

Consider, that as the dawning of the day is in respect of the night, such is the state of a soul enlightened with the saving knowledge of the gospel to one in his natural blindness. And,

First, if we compare such a soul to those poor creatures that want the outward means of knowledge, it is manifest that these have no light offered them, whereby they may come to know God in a saving way; therefore, in respect of this knowledge there is a mere night of ignorance among them. The condition of those that want the means of knowledge is plainly expressed by the apostle, Eph. iv. 17, 18, where he shows, that the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Where you may consider, that they are so far from having such knowledge as guides them unto life and salvation, that they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them. It is said, that "the world by wisdom knew not God," 1 Cor. i. 21. They had a kind of wisdom wherein many of them excelled, whereby they knew many secrets of nature,

and many affairs of state and government. But all their wisdom, for want of the gospel, did not teach them the right knowledge of God in a saving way.

Consider also, that as the heathens that wanted the gospel, so the unregenerate that live under the ministry of the gospel, remain in darkness; the day doth not dawn unto them, nor doth the day-star arise in their hearts; or if the day dawn in their heads, it is dark night in their hearts; if they have some knowledge of the gospel and mysteries of salvation, yet this light doth not pierce so as to win them to the love of that truth and light which appears unto them, and to subject their hearts unto its power.

But in the regenerate, the gospel revealed to them by the Spirit is as the dawning of the day, and the rising of the day-star in their hearts, in comparison of that night of blindness which was in themselves before regeneration, and is yet in others that are unregenerate; for, first, the day dawns in their understandings, and then the day-star ariseth in their hearts; then the night begins to wear away, and the day breaks and dawns upon them; then they begin to see what they could not see before, and to see that far more clearly and effectually which they saw in some imperfect measure before. Now the Spirit, having caused the day to dawn in their understandings, proceeds also to enlighten the lower region, and to cause the day-star to arise in their hearts. In the night time, when the sun is on the other side of the earth, it shines brightly, and enlightens the stars, as we see, yet the body of the earth being between the sun and us, makes it dark here below so when the Spirit enlightens the understanding of an unregenerate man with the knowledge

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of the gospel, even at the same time there is a body of death in his heart, and a mass of sinful corruptions, which cast a shadow, and keeps the heart and affections in miserable darkness. Now, as every corruption is a degree of darkness, so every grace is a beam of heavenly light; for "God is light,' and every grace is a part of the image and likeness of God, and so is lumen de lumine, light issuing from the Fountain of light. Consider what St. Paul says to the believing Ephesians, "Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,” Eph. v. 8. Ye were darkness; dark all over, dark understandings, dark judgments, dark hearts and affections; they had a dark veil of natural blindness upon their judgments, a dark cloud of worldly and fleshly lusts and corruptions upon their hearts; but now they are light in the Lord, having lightsome understandings, and lightsome hearts and affections.

SECTION V.

AT THE BREAKING FORTH OF THE LIGHT.

CONSIDER With thyself that there is a fourfold light spoken of in Scripture, and that God is called, "the Father of lights," James i. 17.

1. There is material light, which God created in the beginning, and of which he made the sun and moon to be as fountains and vessels, that with the beams proceeding from them the world might be illuminated. Consider how God was the Father of this; "God said, Let there be light and there was light," Gen. i. 3. He "commanded light to shine

out of darkness," says the apostle, 2 Cor. iv. 6. And it is said, that he set two lights in the firmament of heaven, "the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the might," Gen. i. 15.

2. There is that which we commonly call the light of nature; and it is the same knowledge and conscience which were at first planted in the mind of man, by which he was made able to distinguish between good and evil. Of this also God is the Father; it is he that hath created in us an understanding to discern, and conscience to bear witness of good and evil.

3. There is what we commonly call the light of grace; and from this there arise two beams:

(1.) That which shines into our hearts to dispel the darkness of sin in us; of which I have spoken before. It is in this sense that the children of God are called "the children of light," and the holy conversation that they lead is said to be "walking in the light." Now, of this also God is the Father; it is he who, by his Spirit, enlightens our hearts with grace, as I spake before.

(2.) There is a light that shines in our hearts to cheer us with the assurance of God's love and favour; "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart," Psa. xcv.i. 11. Light and joy are sown together in the same furrow : of these also God is the Father; it is he only that can make us hear the voice of joy and gladness. So David prays, 66 Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us," Psa. iv. 6. The light of his countenance is the light of his favour: where the light of his favour shines, no clouds of affliction can darken our joy; it will make our hearts merrier than corn and wine.

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