"cles with men."" This is the bleffed Emmanuel-state, God with, and God in men.

I might here fubjoin the account we have of the great illumination of Daniel, and the Gentiles clear acknowledgment of the fame, as it is given us in the fcripture; which they could never have done with that seriousness and conviction, but from fome glimpse of the fame divine light; for it must be the fame light, that fhews the fame truths; but that I fhall pafs over, with several other paffages of the leffer prophets; and conclude my fcripture-proof of the gift of the light of God's Spirit antecedent to Chrift's coming in the flesh, with Stephen's testimony, "Howbeit, the Most High "dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as faith

the prophet: Heaven is my throne, and earth is "my footftool; what house will you build me, faith "the Lord? or what is the place of my reft? Hath "not my hand made all these things? Ye ftiff-necked " and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, ye do always "refift the Holy Ghoft; as your fathers did, fo do "ye." By which it is plain that the rebellious Jews had the Spirit of God; it ftrove with them, but they refifted it and if the rebellious had it, the obedient were not without it.

And left it fhould be objected, that it was only the fpirit in Stephen then, and the holy prophets of old, that both they and their forefathers refifted, and not in themselves, remember, reader, that weighty paffage in Nehemiah, "Thou gavest also thy good fpirit to in"ftruct them, and withheldeft not thy manna from "their mouth;"" by which it is most evident, that they had the manna to feed them, had the Spirit to instruct them: but all had their portion of the manna to feed them, therefore all had also their portion of the Spirit to inftruct them. So that the light of God's Spirit, or the Spirit of God, was given as well to the rebellious as obedient, that it might "condemn for "fin, as well as lead into all righteousness." And s 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. t Acts vii. 48, 49, 50, 51. "Neh. ix. 20,

fince we are to fuppofe God's Spirit, and the light thereof, to be fufficient to falvation, (for God's gifts are perfect in themselves, and are given to accomplish' their ends perfectly) we may, without any offence, I hope, conclude, that during thofe many ages before the coming of Chrift in the flesh, he did illuminate mankind with a fufficient measure of his divine light and fpirit.

CHAP. VI.

Another objection, that though the Jews had it, it will not follow that the Gentiles were fo illuminated. It is answered by feveral fcriptures, that they were not exempted; but had a measure of light, fome divine feed fown in their hearts, fome talents given, and that it was fufficient. A challenge to give an instance of one that by the light within was reproved for not believing that Jefus was the Chrift, is anfwered. Such as believed in the light, and walked up to it, did receive Chrift when he came. high pretenders were they who opposed the scripture, and crucified him. The light from fcripture concluded univerfal and faving.

The

UT here I expect this objection, having run our

Badverfaries unavoidably to it:

Object. Very well: taking for granted what you have faid in reference to a faving light or fpirit universally bestowed upon the Jews, that were a DISTINCT PEOPLE from the rest of the world, under very many peculiar rights; yet cannot we think it good arguing to infer the gifts of God's light and fpirit to the Gentiles, that make far the greatest part thereof, from thefe fcriptures, that only feem to prove it the privilege of the Jews.'

To

To which I anfwer, that I conceive that I have urged those scriptures already, which give a plain conviction of the truth of that general inference: but because I am defirous from my foul, in perfect love to theirs that shall read this difcourfe, of removing what objections I am able to foresee it may meet with, after it. fhall have paffed my hand, I will yet endeavour to make appear, firft from Scripture; and next from the best account we have of the doctrines and lives of heathens; and lastly from reason, the thing; that God's love, in the illumination of his fpirit, was univerfal; or that mankind was, before Chrift's coming in the flesh, enlightened with fuch a measure of the light of his fpirit as was faving in itself, and fo experienced of all fuch as received and obeyed it, in the love of it. In order to this, I fhall briefly infift on a few fcriptures, fome of which have been already quoted, though not fo directly to this matter.

I. My fpirit fhall not always ftrive with man.* Here obferve, that no one nation was interested more than another, but man ftands for the whole Adam, or mankind: from whence I conclude, that mankind was not deftitute of the fpirit, or light of the Almighty, though it might be known in no higher degree than that of a convincer or reprover of fin: yet it follows not, but that if man had yielded to the ftrivings of it, he had been thereby redeemed from the spirit of iniquity, that was the ground of his grievous revolt and refiftance; which redemption I call falvation from fin.

II. "They are of those that rebel against the light; "they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the <<< paths thereof."" Here is no mention made of Jews more than Gentiles in this chapter, if at all in the whole book. For Job is here giving the character of wicked men in general, without refpect to any particular nation. So that we may well infer, he did not understand that the light whereof he spoke fhould be limited in its illumination to any particular people. y Job xxiv. 13.

* Gen. vi. 3.

In fhort, I argue thus; If fuch as pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,* (as the context relates) are thofe that rebel against the light, and walk not in its way; then, because that vice was never limited to the Jews, but other nations wrought that wickednefs as well as they, it will plainly follow, that the light, against which fuch offenders rebelled, was not limited to the Jews, but extended to the Gentiles alfo: unless we fhould fay, that what was rebellion and wickedness in the Jews, was not fo in the Gentiles. But because fin was, and is fin, in its own nature, all the world over; light was, and is light, all the world over; whether men bring their deeds unto it, or not.

III. But again, let us hear the fame book speak, "Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom "doth not his light arife?"

This question carries in it a strong affirmative of the univerfality of God's light; as much as to fay, Who is there among all the fons and daughters of men, that can justly fay, I am not enlightened by him?' If then none can, it must needs follow, that all are enlightened, as well Gentiles as Jews.

Neither is it our conftruction only, but the judgment of men famed in the world for their exactnefs in the original text, or letter of the fcripture. They interpret it to be the light of the divine wisdom; the fountain of light; yea, God himself: that rebelling against the light, is against God To pas 78 'logana, the light of Ifrael: alluding to the Pfalmift, "The Lord is my light " and my falvation." Nay, to the light mentioned by the apostle Paul, "Ye, who were fometimes dark"nefs, are now light in the Lord." And that very light, which is faid to have fprung up to them that fat in darknefs, which is the light of truth; and by all allowed to be the evangelical, and spoke of Christ's manifestation: alfo that the ways of light, are light, leading to the light itself, which wicked men turn

* Job xxiv. 9.

a Ib. xxv. 3.

from.

from, and spurn at: that this is the light, which there is none but it rifes upon, whereby to give them true fight of themselves. See the criticks, Munsterius, Vatablus, Clarius, Caftellio on the 17th verse'; but efpecially Drufius and Codurcus, who fay, All men partake of that light; and that it is fufficient to manifeft and drive away the darkness of error; and that it is the light of life;"' nay, Codurcus calls it, an evangelical principle; and feems to explain his mind. by a quotation of the evangelift's words, John i. 9. "That was the true light, that enlighteneth all man"kind coming into the world."

IV. Thus much thofe two notable parables teach us of the fower, and the Lord that gave his fervants talents. They who believe fcripture, muft acknowledge them to reprefent God's dealings with mankind, in reference to gift, duty, and reward. Obferve the first parable.

"The fame day went Jefus out of the house, and "fat by the fea-fide: and great multitudes were ga"thered together unto him, fo that he went into a cc fhip, and fat, and the whole multitude ftood on the "fhore. And he spoke many things unto them in

parables, faying, Behold a fower went forth to fow; "and when he fowed, fome feeds fell by the way

fide, and the fowls came, and devoured them up; "fome fell upon ftony places, where they had not "much earth, and forthwith they fprung up, because "they had no deepnefs of earth, and when the fun "was up, they were fcorched, and because they had "not root, they withered away: and fome fell among "thorns, and the thorns fprung up and choaked them; "but other fell in good ground, and brought forth "fruit; fome an hundred-fold, fome fixty-fold, fome "thirty-fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him "hear.d

Munfter. Vatabl. Clar. Caftel.

c Druf. and Codurc. Crit. in 24, 25, ch. ver. 13. and 3 Job. p. 3284. to 3308. chap. xxv. 3.

Mat. xiii. I. -10.