[This was the case with the Jews, notwithstanding they were God's professing people, and had continual access to the word and ordinances of God. And it is the case with us, notwithstanding we are called Christians, and have the word and sacraments administered amongst us. We are like persons immured in a dungeon, or bereft of sight : light is shining all around us, but we see it not : we are as much in darkness as if there were no light at all. The Scriptures uniformly represent us thus ; and experience abundantly confirms their testimony. How ignorant are men of their own hearts ; of God ; of the way of acceptance with him ; and indeed of the whole circle of divine truth ! Nor is this ignorance confined to the illiterate : it obtains as much among the great and learned, as among the poorest and meanest of mankind.]
But by the Gospel the eyes of their understanding are opened —
[All were not enlightened by the preaching of Christ and his apostles ; nor are all instructed now by the word they hear : but they whose eyes are opened, do attain by the Gospel a wonderful insight into " the truth as it is in Jesus :" they dis- cover the depth of their own depravity : they behold " the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ :" a thousand other things, " which the natural man cannot receive," are open to their view : " they are brought out of darkness into marvellous light "^r" "neither do they from thenceforth walk any more in darkness, because they have the light of life^."]
Together with light, the Christian is filled with, II. Joy- That which in the text we read " Thou hast not in- creased the joy," is in the margin translated, " Thou hast increased to it the joy," namely, to the nation of saints that are multiplied. This seems to be the more proper rendering of the words, and to agree best with the context; for all who are illuminated with divine truth, have,
1. A sacred joy —
[Whatever joy a carnal man partakes of, let him only be brought into the divine presence, and it vanishes at once. To speak to him of God and heaven and hell, is to make him melan- choly. But the Christian's joy is a holy sacred joy: "he joys before God." It was appointed under the Law that the people at the beginning and end of harvest should bring their first- fruits and their tithes to the temple, and, feasting upon them
^ 1 Pet. ii. 9. « John viii. 12.