ads 17. 28» And thus it 15another demonſtration of the Deity 7 Chriſt. Others think, that here is ratier a tranſition from Crea?t- on to Redemiption ; you hath he quickened, Eph. 2. 1. Others un- derſtand it of Eternal Life, becauſe our Evangeliſt more generally taketh the term of Life, as a bencht lowing from Chriſt in this ſenſe, as Chap- 3+ 16+ and 4- 14. avd in a muititude of other Texts. [I know no reaſon why. we ſhould not underſtand it of all Life; all Life being iN Chritt,as God equal with the Father 3 and 5piritual and Eter- nal Life lowing alſo from him *n a more peculiar contidcration, as Mediator» 7 But though as God he diſtriutes Life according to their degree to all his Creatures, yet is he the peculiar light of men, enlightning their minds with Light, of which Vegetative and Senf1- tive Creatures are not capable z fo as by L72ht 15 not here to be under- ſtood the emanations of any lucid Bodics, as that of the Sun or Stars 3 (for other Creatures as well as men are c:pable ofthatz ) nor is it to he underſtood of the L725t 97 Reaſon, though that be the Candle of the Lrd in the Soul ; but that L729 by which we diſcern the things of God ; in which ſenſe the Apoftle ſaith, Eph. s. 8. Tou were darkneſs, but now you are light in #52 Lord, and therefore he ſaith of men, exclufively to Angels, who, tho lightfome, noble Creatures, 'et had not their nature aſſumed - by Chrift, Heb. 2. 16. Beſides that it is ſad in the next Verſe, that this Light ſhined in the darkneſs, that is, awongſt many men who ye: had reaſonable Souls, but the darkneſs comprehended it mt. That cannot be, that men did not comprehend Reaton, but even rational men comprehended not this Lizht of ſupernatural Revelation : So 99 15 ſa1d to have come to Telifie of that Light 5 who did not come to reftifie of Chriſt, as the Author of Reafn. Nor is there any Text of Scripture, in which the Term Light ſiznifteth Reaſon.
5 And * the light & ſhineth in darkneſs /: and the
þ He had faid before, That Life was in Chriſt, in him as in the Fountain 3 and the Life in him was the Light of m+n, giving Light to men. Now this Light which was in him, had its emanations (as Light in the Sun) and /th- d.rbreſs, that 15, men of dark minds, {the ahſtra> being put for the concrete) comprehended (that is, re- ceived) it nofs m This was true concerning the Fews in former timzs upon whom Chriſt the true Light had thined in many Types -nd Prophecies 3 it was alſo frue concerning the Fes of that preſent Aze, to whoir: throvgn the favour of him who had undertaken the Redemption of man, the mein of Grace were continued ; through the blinduef of their minds and hardaeſs of their hearts, they wilful- ly rejetted thoſe means of illumination whici Gad granted to them.
6 © * There was a man ſent from God 7, whoſe name
was John 0 : |
1 Not the Chriſt, not an Angel, but a man 3 yet, one, than whom (2s our Saviour ſaith) there had not riſen a greater amongſt thoſe that were born of Women ; he did not come upon his own kead, but was ſent 3 for he was. he of whom 1t was written, Mal. 3. 1. Behold I will ſend my meſſonger before my face, &c, Luke 7. 27. He was not ſent of men, but of God, foretold by the Angel. as to his exiſtence, name, work, and ſucceſs, Luke r. 13, 14, Is, 16, 17. 0 His name was 7obhn, named by the Angel, Lake 1. 13. betore he was born; by his Father and Mother, Luk.” x, 50, 63, when he was born. Fohn ſignifieth Grace 3 and doubtleſs the Baptiſt obtained that name, Hecauſe he was to be the firit, and a famous Preacher of the Grace of the Goſpel which came to the World through Jeſus
Chriſt,
7 The ſame came for a witneſs p, to bear witneſs of the light q, that all men through him might be.
lieve r,
þ Fibn was called a M-fſenzer, to denote his Authority ; a Witneſs, to denote his Work, winch 1s the work of every true Miniſter of the Goſpel, Fobn was the fir} Witneſs, and Witrefled a thing wholly un- known {before him_) to the- generality of the World ; for though the Shepherds, and Simeon and Ama had given ſome Teſtimony to Chriſt, when he was horn and brought into the Temple to be offered to the Lord; yet that was | hirty years ſince, and generally forgot 3 neither could they bear a Teſtimony to him as an actual Miniſter of the Gol- pel. The Apoſtles were to be Witnefles to Chriſt, A#s 1. 8. Wit- nefſes of his Reſurre&ion, Ads 1. 22. and 4. 33. and 5g. 32. and 10. 41, and 13, 31. Ail the Prophets, Atts 10. 43. bare Witneſs to him, that whoſoever belicveth in his Name ſhould be ſaved. So did John alſo; and 1nbn further pointed to him, paſſing by, and Witneffed that he vas he of whom the Prophets ſpake. So that the Apoſtles, and fo fol- lowing Miniſters, were, and are greater Witnefſ s than John. the baptiſt. "The Prophets witneſſed that he ſhould come ; John Bap- tiſt wineſ.d that he was come z the Apoſtles witneſſed that he was not only come, but had Died, and was again riſen from the Dead. 9 For Job's Office wzs to givea Teſtimony to Chriſt the true Lignt, mentioned before z ſo called, becauſe he mabeth manifeſt, Eph. 5. 13. He revealeth his Father, Matth. 11. 29. He 1s the brightneſs of his fa- thers glory, Heb. 1. 3. who is Light, 1 John 1. 5s. and the World 13 by him in!ightned. Tt was Propheſied, Ia. 11. 9. ofhis times, That the earth (hol be full of the knowledge of the Lord, q The end it 1bns Teſtimony was, That multitudes of all ſorts might believe Y him, or by it, as an inſtrumental cauſe of their Faith. If we
H N.
8 He was not that light /; of that light -. f John the Baptiſt was a Light, as all Saints are /i2ht in th? Lord,
but was ſent to bear witneſs
nfs, that he was 4 burning and ſhining light ; bet he was not that i717
which lItghteth every one that cymetb into the World, John borrowed his Light from that Original Lizht ;, that Light was God, he was but a
either wholly reje&ting God's Miniſters and Witneſſes, or e'{ adoring them 3 as the World 15 concerned to take heed of the f5-:ner, 1o the Miniſters of Chriſt are alſo highly concerned not to admit of the latter. See Lithe 7. 33. Ads 14. 13, 14+ but both Jobn here, and P74! there, were very cautious not to rob their Maſter of the honour duc unto him alone. t John, as was ſaid before, cam... only to hc: Witneſs of that Light, that he was come, aid thineth forth, 7:.4 4s the true Light, as it followeth, |