A child of light walking in darknessA childe of light vvalking in darknesse

First,¹ take a true believer, who hath had the least beam,² of the light of the glory of God, which shines in the face of Christ, let in upon his soul, and his heart, so taken with that sight, as it became eternally divorced from all things here below, and resolved to adventure all his future hopes of comfort, and happiness in the enjoyment of that Light of Gods countenance alone: Which, that he may enjoy, he feareth to offend the Lord, more then Hell; and endeavoureth as truly, to obey the voice of his Servants, as ever he desires to attain unto that happiness. Think with your selves, what is the worst thing, next, to the eternal loss of God, really, and indeed that can be supposed to befall this man? What worse, then to have that cranny, through which he first espied that beam, to be as it were, clean shut up, the Light of Gods countenance withdrawn, yea all Light, and appearance to him, of his own graces, withheld, and overclouded; The face of heaven so overcast with Darkness, that neither Sun-light nor Star-light appeareth to him: so as he hath no light: yea further, finds his soul beset, and besieged round with all the powers of Hell, and darkness, and the terrors of the Almighty shot into his soul: And, he thus quite left, walking in this darkness, is filled with strong fears and jealousies, that God is not His God; nay questioning whether he ever will be? ³yea, apprehending by the wrath he feels, God, to be became his enemy. ⟨p. 3⟩All this is set forth to us here, as the very estate of one who feareth the Lord and obeys him: and is comprehended in these words; That walketh in Darkness and hath no Light. You see him at his worst.

First,¹ take a true beleever, who hath had the least beame,² of the light of the glory of God, which shines in the face of Christ, let in upon his soule, and his heart, so taken with that sight, as it became eternally divorced from all things here below, and resolved to adventure all his future hopes of comfort, and happinesse in the enjoyment of that Light of Gods countenance alone: Which, that he may enjoy, he feareth to offend the Lord, more then Hell; and endeavoureth as truely, to obey the voice of his Servants, as ever he desires to attaine unto that happinesse. Thinke with your selves, what is the worst thing, next, to the eternall losse of God, really, and indeed that can be supposed to befall this man? What worse, then to have that cranny, through which he first espied that beame, to bee as it were, cleane shut up, the Light of Gods countenance withdrawne, yea all Light, and appearance to him, of his owne graces, withheld, and overclouded; The face of heaven so overcast with Darknesse, that neither Sun-light nor Star-light appeareth to him: so as he hath no light: yea further, findes his soule beset, and besieged round with all the powers of Hell, and darknesse, and the terrours of the Almighty shot into his soule: And, he thus quite left, walking in this darknesse, is filled with strong feares and jealousies, that God is not His God; nay questioning whether he ever will be?