An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

And where the light is as darkness.

And where the light is as darknesse.

Some read by the verb, where it shineth like darkness, or thus,¹ where it lighteth like darkness. The Vulgar paraphrases rather then translates, Where there is everlasting horror. Job said before, it was a land of darkness, and of darkness, like darkness it self: yet now he seemeth to affirm, that there is light in the grave, and if there be, how is that darkness like darkness it self? His meaning is, that which looks most like to light in the grave, is darkness, and it is therefore darkness, like darkness it self, because if you can imagine any thing to have a show of light in the grave, that very light is as darkness. When the Apostle would invincibly argue the infinite wisdom and strength of God, he saith, The foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God is stronger then men (1 Cor. 1.25.) God is only wise, only strong, how then speaks this Apostle of the foolishness or weakness of God? His meaning is, look what act soever of God appears to man, as having foolishness or weakness in it, even that foolishness is wiser, and that weakness stronger then men. In what sense Paul saith, The foolishness of God is wisdom, the weakness of God is strength, or (which is all one) the darkness of God is light: in the same Job saith, The light of the grave is darkness. For as God is wisdom, and in him there is no foolishness at all, strength, and in him there is no weakness at all, light, and in him there is no darkness at all: So Job supposeth of the grave, that in it there is darkness, and no light at all, while he affirms, the light found there is as darkness. Christ speaks near this ⟨p. 586⟩language of Job (Mat. 6.23.) If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! he had said before, The light of the body is the eye, and if the eye be single, the whole body is light, that is, if a man have right aims and pure ends, these will keep him right in all his course, but if his eye be dark, his ends base, how base will his actions be, how great his darkness? We may argue thus to the point in hand, if the light of the grave be darkness, how great is that darkness? The Prophet Amos sets forth great changes in States and Kingdoms by prodigious changes in the air, Lo, he makes the morning darkness, Cha. 4.15. Again, He turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night, Chap. 5.8.