I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

A good man may be much offended: Times of Offences, are dark Times; He that walketh in darkness, stumbleth: and so ⟨p. 8⟩much as I do take offence, and am stumbled, so much I am in the dark. Now possibly a good man, may be much offended, and stumbled; though he be not offended at the good Way of God, and Power of Godliness, nor at all the Saints, yet he may be under much offence: All you shall be offended (saith our Saviour to his Disciples) because of me. And if a good man may be offended, then he may be in the dark, on a dark ground, and in a dark Condition.

A good man may be much offended: Times of Offences, are dark Times; He that walketh in darkness, stumbleth: and so ⟨p. 8⟩much as I do take offence, and am stumbled, so much I am in the dark. Now possibly a good man, may be much offended, and stumbled; though he be not offended at the good Way of God, and Power of Godliness, nor at al the Saints, yet he may be under much offence: All you shall be offended (saith our Savior to his Disciples) because of me. And if a good man may be offended, then he may be in the dark, on a dark ground, and in a dark Condition.

As a good man may be offended, and stumbled; so he may stumble into some mistakes, and errors; Erroneous times, are dark times: every Error is Darkness, as Truth is Light. Now a good man may err; for though he doth see much when his eyes are opened in his first Conversion, yet every man doth not see all things; two, or three, or four may see, and have their Eyes open; yet one may see further than another. God hath several Truths for several Ages, and Generations: As in a great House, there are Hangings for every Room; and the Hangings of this Room, are not fit for that; and the Hangings of that, are not fit for another: So God hath several Hangings of Truth, to furnish several Generations; and those that are fit for this, are not fit for that: Nonnulla video non visa beato Augustino (saies Luther) et rursum multa visuros scio, quae ipse ego non video: I see many things (said he) that were not seen to Austin; and those that come after me, shall see those things that I see not. O! saith Austin, There is such a depth in Scripture, that I do multo plura nescire quam scire, that I am ignorant of more things than I know. Ye see how it is in a Room where there are many Pictures; though ye see some of them presently, yet others have a silken Curtain drawn before them, which ye see not immediately. So here; though God do reveal much unto you, yet there is a silken Curtain that is still drawn before some Truths, and therefore even a good man may be much mistaken. The Lord hath hid this thing from me,