not in darkness; but this light fhineth in the darknefs, that having difpelled the darkness, it may produce and beget faith. And lastly, We must believe through that, and become believers through that, by walking in which, fellowship with God is known and enjoyed; but, as hath been aboveobferved, it is by walking in this light that we have this communion and fellowship; not by walking in John, which were nonfenfe. So that this relative dur, muft needs be referred to the light, whereof John bears witness, that through that light, wherewith Chrift hath lighted every man, all men might come to believe. Seeing then this light is the light of Jefus Chrift, and the light through The light is which men come to believe, I think it needs not to fupernatu- be doubted, but that it is a fupernatural, faving, and fuffici and fufficient light. If it were not fupernatural, it could not be properly called the light of Jefus; for though all things be his, and of him, and from him; yet those things which are common and peculiar to our nature, as being a part of it, we are not faid in fo fpecial a manner to have from Chrift. Moreover, the evangelift is holding out to us here the office of Christ as mediator, and the benefits which from him as fuch do redound unto us.

ral, faving,

ent.

Obferv. 2.

Secondly, It cannot be any of the natural gifts or faculties of our foul, whereby we are faid here to be enlightened, because this light is faid to shine in the darkness, and cannot be compreThe dark- hended by it. Now this darkness is no other nefs is but man's natural condition and ftate; in which ral state and natural ftate he can eafily comprehend, and doth condition. comprehend, thofe things that are peculiar and

man's natu

common to him as fuch. That man in his natural condition is called darkness, see Eph. v. 8. For ye were fometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. And in other places, as Alts xxvi. 18. Col. i. 3. 1 Theff. v. 5. where the condition of man in his natural state is termed darkness: therefore,

fore I fay this light cannot be any natural property or faculty of man's foul, but a fupernatural gift and grace of Christ.

Thirdly, It is fufficient and faving.

Obferv. 3.

That which is given that all men through it may Arg. i. believe, muft needs be faving and fufficient: that, by walking in which, fellowship with the faints and the blood of Chrift, which cleanfeth from all fin, is poffeffed, must be fufficient:

But fuch is the LIGHT, I John i. 7.

Therefore, &c.

Moreover;

That which we are commanded to believe in Arg. 2. that we may become the children of the Light, must be a fupernatural, fufficient and faving principle:

But we are commanded to believe in this light:
Therefore, &c.

The propofition cannot be denied. The affumption is Chrift's own words, John xii. 36. While ye bave the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of the light.

To this they object, That by [light] here is un- Object. derstood Chrift's outward perfon, in whom he would have them believe.

ward perfon

That they ought to have believed in Chrift, that Answ. is, that he was the MESSIAH that was to come, is not denied; but how they evince that Chrift in- Whether tended that here, I fee not: nay the place itself Chrift'soutfhews the contrary, by these words, While ye have was the the light; and by the verfe going before, Walk light. while ye have the light, left darkness come upon you: which words import, that when that light in which they were to believe was removed, then they should lofe the capacity or feafon of believing. Now this could not be understood of Christ's perfon, elfe the Jews might have believed in him; and many did favingly believe in him, as all Chriftians do at this day, when the perfon, to wit, his bodily prefence, or outward man, is far removed

M

Chrift's

outward

fon.

The light of removed from them. So that this light in which Chrift is not they were commanded to believe must be that inward fpiritual light that fhines in their hearts for a man or per feafon, even during the day of man's vifitation; which while it continueth to call, invite, and exhort, men are faid to have it, and may believe in it; but when men refuse to believe in it, and reject it, then it ceaseth to be a light to fhew them the way; but leaves the fenfe of their unfaithfulness as a fting in their confcience, which is a terror and darkness unto them, and upon them, in which they cannot know where to go, neither can work any ways profitably in order to their falvation. And therefore to fuch rebellious ones the day of the Lord is faid to be darkness, and not light, Amos v. 18.

Cyrillus
Alexandri-

chap. 11.

From whence it appears, that though many receive not the light, as many comprehend it not, revertheless this faving light fhines in all, that it may fave them. Concerning which alfo Cyrillus Alexandrinus faith well, and defends our principle: "With great diligence and watchfulness," faith nus upon he, "doth the apostle John endeavour to anticipate John, lib.1. and prevent the vain thoughts of men: for there is here a wonderful method of fublime things, " and overturning of objections. He had juft now "called the Son the true light, by whom he af"firmed that every man coming into the world "was enlightened; yea, that he was in the world, "and the world was made by him. One may then "object, If the word of God be the light, and if "this light enlighten the hearts of men, and fug"geft unto men piety and the understanding of "things; if he was always in the world, and was "the creator or builder of the world, why was he "fo long unknown unto the world? It feems ra"ther to follow because he was unknown to the " world, therefore the world was not enlightened "by him, nor he totally light. Left any fhould "fo object, he divinely infers [and the world knew

but man

negligence

"him not.] Let not the world,” faith he, "ac"cuse the word of God, and his eternal light, "but its own weakness; for the fun enlightens, The funen"but the creature rejects the grace that is given lighten " unto it, and abufeth the sharpness of understand- through ing granted it, by which it might have naturally buries illu "known God; and, as a prodigal, hath turned its mination. fight to the creatures, neglecting to go forward, " and through lazinefs and negligence buried the "illumination, and defpifed this grace. Which "that the difciple of Paul might not do, he was "commanded to watch; therefore it is to be im

puted to their wickedness, who are illuminated, " and not unto the light. For as albeit the fun "rifeth upon all, yet he that is blind receiveth no "benefit thereby; none thence can juftly accuse "the brightness of the fun, but will afcribe the "cause of not seeing to the blindness: fo I judge "it is to be understood of the only begotten Son " of God; for he is the true light, and fendeth "forth his brightness upon all; but the god of "this world, as Paul faith, hath blinded the minds "of those that believe not, 2 Cor. iv. 4. that the "light of the gofpel fhine not unto them. We fay "then that darknefs is come upon men, not be"caufe they are altogether deprived of light, for "nature retaineth ftill the strength of understand"ing divinely given it, but because man is dulled "by an evil habit, and become worse, and hath "made the measure of grace in fome refpect to "languifh. When therefore the like befalls "man, the Pfalmift juftly prays, crying, Open mine

eyes, that I may behold the wonderful things of thy "law. For the law was given that this light might "be kindled in us, the blearedness of the eyes of "our minds being wiped away, and the blindness

being removed which detained us in our former "ignorance. By these words then the world is ac"cufed as ungrateful and unfenfible, not knowing

M 2

<< its

Grace no

"its author, nor bringing forth the good fruit of the "illumination; that it may now feem to be faid truly of all, which was of old faid by the pro"phet of the fews, I expected that it should have brought forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. For the good fruit of the illumination "was the knowledge of the only begotten, as a "clufter hanging from a fruitful branch, &c."

From which it appears Cyrillus believed that a faving illumination was given unto all. For as to naturalgift. what he speaks of nature, he underftands it not of the common nature of man by itself, but of that nature which hath the ftrength of understanding divinely given it for he understands this univerfal illumination to be of the fame kind with that grace of which Paul makes mention to Timothy, faying, Neglect not the grace that is in thee. Now it is not to be believed that Cyrillus was fo ignorant as to judge that grace to have been some natural gift.

Pro. II.

dom is fown

§. XXII. That this faving light and feed, or a measure of it, is given to all, Chrift tells us exprefly in the parable of the fower, Mat. xiii. from ver. 18. The feed of Mark iv. and Luke viii. 11. he faith, That this feed the king fown in thofe feveral forts of grounds is the word of the kingdom, which the apoftle calls the word of faith, Rom. x. 8. James i. 21. sóz uçu 10, the implanted ingrafted word, which is able to fave the foul; the words themselves declare that it is that which is faving in the nature of it, for in the good ground it fructified abundantly.

in feveral

forts of grounds without

diftinction.

Let us then obferve, that this feed of the kingdom, this faving, fupernatural, and fufficient word, was really sown in the ftony thorny ground, and by the way-fide, where it did not profit, but became useless as to these grounds: it was, I fay, the fame feed that was fown in the good ground. It is then the fear of perfecution and deceitfulness of riches, as Chrift himself interpreteth the parable, which hindereth this feed to grow in the hearts of many:

not