VeR. 6.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 207
and therefore ' depart from me ' is apprehended as a misery, as well as ' go into everlasting torments/ Add further to their darkness that despair that is upon them, and fearful looking for of the fiery indigna- tion of the Lord, which desperate sorrow is expressed by * utter dark- ness and gnashing of teeth/ Mat. xxii. 13.
Let me now come to some observations.
Ohs. 1. Darkness is the devils' punishment, the highest misery of the highest rank of reasonable creatures. Oh 1 why should we love that which is the misery of the fallen angels ? as our Saviour speaketh of some that ' love darkness rather than light,' John iii. 19 ; that is, error rather than truth, lusts rather than Christ, ignorance rather than knowledge. It is one of the saddest arguments of man's dreadful fall, that he is in love with his own misery. We should hate sin, and we hate the light that reprove th it : ignorant people love a foolish ministry, God's faithful witnesses are their torment. Rev. xi. 10. The carnal world would fain lie down upon the bed of ease and sleep ; light is troublesome : those that let them alone are their idols and darlings ; ' the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the ditch,' It is evil not to know the will of God ; it is doubly evil when we de- sire not to know ; the one sort err in their minds, the other in their hearts. Spiritual darkness is far worse than bodily. When Elymas was stricken blind he ' desired somebody to lead him by the hand,' Acts xiii. 11. In such a case we count our happiness to light upon fit guides. In spiritual darkness it is quite otherwise ; we cannot endure a faithful guide : ' The prophets prophesy lies, and the people love to have it so ; ' a blind people are all for blind guides.
Obs. 2. Light that yieldeth us no comfort is but darkness. Satan hath knowledge left, but no comfort: James ii. 19, ' They believe and tremble.' The more sense they have of Gods being and glory, the greater horror have they upon their spirits. It is very miserable when we have only light enough to awaken conscience, and knowledge enough to be self-condemned. To know God but not to enjoy him, that is the devils' punishment. Oh ! then, never leave till your thoughts of God are sweet and comfortable, Ps. civ. 34. Satan cannot but abominate his own thoughts of God, for he cannot think of him without torment; but it is otherwise with gracious hearts ; that meditation which is the devil's terror is their solace and support. God's name to them is as ' an ointment poured out,' Cant. i. 3, full of fragrancy and reviving. Rest not, then, till you can see God with such a light as givetli you fruition and comfortable enjoyment of him : ' In thy light shall we see light,' Ps. xxxvi. 9 ; there is light in thy light, but all other light is but darkness.
Ohs. 3. Do but observe the difference between God and Satan. God is light, 1 John i. 5, and Satan darkness ; God dwelleth in light, and Satan is reserved in chains under darkness. The first creature that God made in the world was light, and the first gift of the Spirit is illumination ; but now all Satan's aim and work is to bring in dark- ness, to blind the mind, 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; ignorance is the veiy foundation of his kingdom, Eph. vi. 12. Well, then, tlie more dark, the more like Satan. A child of God is a child of light, and what have we to do with ' works of darkness' ? Eph. v. 11. There should be such a con-
20S AK EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [YeR. G.
trariety between j-oii and sin as there is between God and Satan ; say then, These actions would only become my night of ignorance and folly ; night-work is unseemly for the day : Kom. xiii. 12, ' The day is at hand, let us cast off the works of darkness ;' leave these things to the bats and the owls. If there be a diiierence and contrariety between Christ and Belial, who are the chiefs of either state, so between the persons that herd under them : ' What communion is there between Christ and Belial, between light and darkness?' 2 Cor. vi. ]4.
Ohs. 4. So much darkness as remaineth in you, so much advantage hath Satan against you. The dark part of the world is the seat of his empire : ' Eulers of the darkness of this world,' Eph. vi. 12. His subjects are ' the children of darkness,' and all the advantage that he hath over the children of light is because of the darkness that is in them : whosoever, therefore, lieth under a state of darkness is under the power of Satan. The great work of the ministry is to recover them, 'to turn them from darkness to light,' Acts xxvi. 18, and so ' from Satan to God.^ Oh ! the sad condition of such persons that are bound together with Satan in chains of darkness ! Poor creatures, how are they hurried to and fro ! from wrath to pride, from pride to lust, from lust to filthiness, from filthiness to worldliness ! Oh, then, ' awake you that sleep, and the Lord shall give you light,' Eph. v. 14. What a blessing is it when it can be said of us, what the apostle said of the Ephesiaus, ' Ye were darkness, but now are light in the Lord,' Eph. V. 8. As soon as you have received light and grace, you are translated out of Satan's power and kingdom, and put into the Lord's.