Presbyterian Church -- Sermons; Sermons, English; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 17th century
“And to complete the resemblance more, there may be something of the
infallibility and incomprehensibility of the divine majesty here
represented. For though nothing be clearer than the light, yet there is
nothing in its own nature darker than light, that which is so manifest to
the eyes, how obscure is it to the understanding. Many debates and
inquiries have been about it, but yet it is not known what that is by
which we know all things. Certainly such is the divine light. It is
inconceivable and inexpressible, therefore is he said to dwell in light
inaccessible and full of glory, 1 Tim. vi. 16. There is a twofold darkness
that hinders us to see God, a darkness of ignorance in us, and a darkness
of inaccessible light in him. The one is a vail upon our hearts, which
blinds and darkens the souls of men, that they do not see that which is
manifest of God even in his works. O that cloud of unbelief that is spread
over our souls, which hinders the glorious rays of that divine light to
shine into them. This darkness Satan contributes much to, who is the
prince of darkness, 2 Cor. iv. 4. This makes the most part of souls like
dungeons within, when the glorious light of the gospel surrounds them
without. This earthliness and carnality of our hearts makes them like the
earth, receive only the light in the upper and outward superfice, and not
suffer it to be transmitted into our hearts to change them. But when it
pleaseth him, who at the first, by a word of power, commanded light to
shine out of darkness, he can scatter that cloud of ignorance, and draw
away the vail of unbelief, and can by his power and art, so transform the
soul, as to remove its earthly quality, and make it transparent and pure,
and then the light will shine into the heart, and get free access into the
soul. But though this darkness were wholly removed, there is another
darkness, that ariseth not from the want of light, but from the excessive
superabundance of light,—_caligo lucis nimiæ_, that is, a divine darkness,
a darkness of glory, such an infinite excess and superplus of light and
glory above all created capacities, that it dazzles and confounds all
mortal or created understandings. We see some shadows of this, if we look
up to the clear sun. We are able to see nothing for too much light. There
is such an infinite disproportion here between the eye of our mind, and
this divine light of glory, that if we curiously pry into it, it is rather
confounding and astonishing, and therefore it fills the souls of saints
with continual silent admiration and adoration.”(76)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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