An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

There is a generation of people grown up and spreading amongst us, who cry up the light within them, with neglect of, if not in opposition to the Word written and preached to them. These make a very ill use of this notion; For whosoever bids us look to the light within us, to draw us off from the Word or light without us, err greatly, and may quickly draw us into the greatest errors both in Faith and Practise. 'Tis dangerous to go or act against the light within us, yet if we go or act always by that light alone, we shall be in da•kness before we are aware. Natural light without Scripture-light, proves a false light, and may quickly lead us out of the way, and besides our duty. Therefore the Prophet, when any should say, Seek unto them that have familiar Spirits, &c. doth not say, look to the light within you for resolution, whether ye should hearken to such or no, but to the Law, and to the Tes•••ony: if they speak not according to this w•rd, it is because there is no light in them, (Isa. 8.20.) If that which is called light within us, speak not according to the light of the Law and Testimony without us, there is no true light (or as the Margin hath it) no morning in us; the Day-star hath not risen in such hearts, nor do they speak like children of the light. Take heed of striking and so splitting against that Rock; yet certainly there is a light within us that must not be resisted. The Apostle reports that as the sin of the old Gentiles (Rom. 1.28.) They did not like to retain God in their knowledge; they had a light of God by nature, God was in their knowledge, but they liked not to think of God, but rather thought of the world, and of any vanity, than of God, rather of the creature, than of the Creator; for this cause God gave them up to a reprobate mind, ¹to do those things which are not convenient. They who obey not, who answer not the light of Nature in doing good, shall be left to the doing of those evils which are against the light of Nature. Such were those things which the Apostle calls (by a modest word) not convenient, or not fitting that duty and decorum, which man as man should carefully and religiously observe. By which negative expression, Not convenient, he positively intends the vilest evils and debaucheries of Nature, not to be named.