Secondly, We please God by doing what he hath required of us in his word. There are certain things evident by the light of nature
VeR.- 10.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 293
which belong to our duty ; these must not be overlooked : Micah vi. 8, ' He hath sliowed thee, 0 man, what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ? ' The things there mentioned are evident by the light of nature. That we should carry ourselves justly towards men, and with reverence and obedience to the divine majesty, is evident by the light of nature, as well as sci-ipture. But the revelation that he hath made of our duty to us by the word is more clear, full, and certain.
1. It is more clear : Ps. cxix. 105, ' Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a liglit to my path.' The use of a lamp is by night, and the light of the sun shineth by day. Whether it be by day or night with us, we clearly understand our duty by the word of God ; in all conditions we may know there how to behave ourselves. Once more, the word ' path' noteth our general choice and course of life; the word 'feet' our particular actions. Now whether the matter that we would be informed of concernetli our choice of the way that leadeth to true happiness, or else the direction of any particular action of ours, still the word directeth a humble and well-disposed mind. So that here our duty is clearly stated ; and if a man standeth in awe of the word, and be not divided between conscience on the one side, and lusts and interests on the other, he cannot easily remain in doubtfulness, or miscarry.
2. It is more full; for the book of nature is blurred by man's apostasy from God, and degeneration from his primitive excellency ; and our chief good and last end being altered by sin, we strangely mis- take things, and weighing them in the balance of the flesh, which we seek to please, we put light for darkness and evil for good : Isa. v. 20, ' Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil ; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter ; ' and so miserably grope in the dark, and cannot see clearly our way to true happiness. And besides, man's condition is such, that he needeth a supernatural remedy by a redeemer, which, depending on the mere grace of God, cannot be found out by bare natural light; for natural light can only judge of things necessary, and not of such things as depend upon the arbitrary will and love of God, as our redemp- tion doth : John iii. 16, ' God so loved the world that he gave his only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Besides, nature is dark in things proper to its cognisance. The great lines of our duty are fair and legible, the out- ward work is written upon our hearts : Eom. ii. 15, ' Which show the work of the law written in their hearts.' Abstinence from gross sins, performance of external duties, some notices of good and evil, are escaped out of the ruins of tlie fall, and serve in part to convince of sin and mind us of our duty ; but that full, entire, spiritual obedience which is due to God is not known by nature. Therefore, besides the candle of the Lord within us, which is reason, God hath set up a lamp in his sanctuary, which is the scripture, to direct us in the way to heaven ; and this is clear and full, and compriseth all that is necessary to our duty and happiness.
3. It is more certain, as having a greater stamp and impress of God
294 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. XII.
iipoa it. Everythinp: that liatli passed God's hand discovereth its author. Tlie light of nature showeth itself to be of God, much more the light of scripture, wherein he hath discovered more of his wisdom, good- ness and power, as being sucli a revelation of the mind of God as is fit for God to give and us to receive, suited to the nature of God, to preserve a due honour, esteem and reverence of his blessed msijesty, and exactly calculated for our necessities, to teach us the way of recovering out of sin, and obtaining our true and proper happiness, and coming attested to us with such evidence from heaven as we cannot rationally withstand : 2 Peter i. 19, " We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts.' It is surer than the light of nature, as not liable to such debate and uncertainty, which must be cleared before man's duty can be stated to him ; and more sure than miracles, oracles, visions, as being put into writing ; and a faithful record, as the constant measure, standard, and rule of faith and manners for the use of God's people in all ages. Now it is good to see how David compareth those two revelations of the mind of God, Ps. xix., where he first adniireth the brightness of the sun, and then the purity of the law ; the joining of both which meditations showeth that the world can be as ill without the word of God as with- out the light of the sun. What would this inferior world be without the light of the sun, but a great cave and obscure dungeon, where men would creej) up and down like worms out of their holes ? And besides, the comparing of both together showeth that there are two books wherein we shall do well to study, and both made by God himself, and both manifesting and discovering God to the world — the book of nature and the book of scripture. You cannot look upon the book of the creatures, but in every page and line you will find this truth presented to yonr eyes, that there is an infinite eternal power that made all things, and is to be owned, reverenced, worshipped, and obeyed by us ; this is enough to leave the world without excuse. But in the book of the word you may see more of God and the way to enjoy him. This doth more powerfully convince man of his misery, and clearly show him his remedy. The use which the psalmist makes of these books is notable; of the first, to admire the glory of God by the beauty of the heavens ; of the second, to humble and awe man by the purity and strictness of the law, as all religion lieth in the knowledge of God and ourselves. This latter book being more perfect, should be our daily study, to pre- vent error and mistake, and that we may get the true knowledge of God's will ; for many do many things out of zeal and religion which God abhorreth : John xvi. 2, ' The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service.' And others obtrude many things on the faith of believers without warrant : Isa. viii. 20, ' To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' Examine all tilings by the rule of God's word, what is conformable to his will, what not, without suffer- ing yourselves to be deceived by false opinions or persuasions. And besides, in our practice we may know what is acceptable, either as to our speeches or actions. As to our speeches : Prov, x. 32, ' The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable ; but the mouth of the wicked