the Saviour of it, God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. Confidering the great wickednefs of mankind, it might juftly have been feared and expected, that God fhould have fent his Son into the world upon a different errand, to have punished the wickedness of men, and to have deftroyed them from off the faceof the earth ; but he tells us at the 17th verfe, that God fent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be faved; and that the only way to avoid this condemnation, and to obtain that falvation which God defigned for us, is to believe on him whom God hath fent. Ver. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He is condemned by this very act of rejecting the Son of God, because he rejects the only way whereby falvation is to be had and to aggravate the condemnation of fuch perfons, our Saviour here in the text reprefents himself and his doctrine as a light come into the world, on purpofe to discover to us our finful and miferable condition, and the way of our recovery out of it, and falvation from it; and thofe that believe not on him, who do not entertain and welcome this clear and gracious difcovery of God's love and goodness to mankind, as doing the abfurdeft thing imaginable, and making the moft prepofterous choice, preferring darknefs before light: This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

In which words there are thefe fix things obfervable: First, The defcription which is here given of our Saviour and his doctrine, they are called a light : Light is come; that is, the Son of God preaching the doctrine of life and falvation to men.

Secondly, The univerfal influence of this light; Light is come into the world. It is defigned for il

lumination and inftruction, not only of a particular place and nation, but of a whole world.

Thirdly, The excellency and advantages of this doctrine above any other doctrine or inftitution, even that of the Jewish religion, which was likewise immediately from God; they are all but darkness in comparison of it, Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.

Fourthly, The abfurdity and unreasonableness of rejecting the doctrine of the gofpel; it is a preferring darkness before light: Men loved darkness rather than light; that is, they choose rather to continue in their former ignorance, than to entertain this clear and most perfect discovery of God's will to mankind.

Fifthly, The true reafon and account of this abfurd choice: Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Sixthly, The great guilt of thofe who reject the doctrine of the, gofpel; by this very act of theirs they are condemned, nay they condemn themselves, because they reject the only means of their falvation: This is the condemnation, this very thing condemns and argues the height of their folly and guilt, that when light is come into the world, they preferred darkness before it. I fhall difcourfe diftinctly on these particulars.

First, We will confider the defcription which is here given of our Saviour and his doctrine, they are called light Light is come into the world. Light is a metaphor frequently ufed in fcripture for knowledge, efpecially for fpiritual and divine knowledge; and those who teach and inftruct others are faid to be lights. So our Saviour is frequently called the light of the world, and the true light; and his di fciples, who were to inftruct the world, are called light, ye are the light of the world; and the doctrine of our Saviour is likewife called a light, the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, 2 Cor. iv. 4. And it is with refpect to his doctrine, that he is here faid in the text to be a light come into the world which phrafe of coming into the world, does not so imme

:

diately

diately refer to his nativity, as to his commiffion from God; for this phrafe of coming into the world, is of the fame importance with that of being fent from God; as verfe 17. where he fays of himself, that God fent him not into the world, to condemn the world; and here in the text, this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, that is, that when God fent his Son on purpose to preach fuch a doctrine, men fhould reject it, and fet it at nought: And in this fenfe, this phrafe of coming into the world, is I think, frequently used in the New Teftament, for coming in God's name, upon fome meffage to the world. So chap. vi. 14. fome of the Jews being convinced of our Saviour's divine commiffion, exprefs it thus ; of a truth this is that Prophet which was to come into the world. So chap. xii. 46. fpeaking of himself as fent of God, fays he, I am come a light into the world; he had faid juft before, he that feeth me, feeth him that fent me; and then he adds, I am a light come into the world. There is one text indeed, where this phrafe feems to be taken for being born into the world, chap. i. 9. And that was the true light, which enlightens every man that cometh into the world: But feveral of the Fathers, as St. Cyril and St. Augustin, read this text otherwife, and that with great probability, confidering the ufe of this phrafe every where elfe; I fay, they read it thus: This was the true light which coming into the world, enlighteneth every man; that is, which was fent from God to enlighten all mankind: And fo this phrase of coming into the world, refers not to men's being born into the world, but to our Saviour's being fent from God; and this our Saviour feems to diftinguifh from his birth, John xviii. 37. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth, meaning that he was not only born, but commiffioned by God for this end.

But enough for the explication of this phrafe, the proper importance whereof is not unworthy our knowledge; efpecially fince a fect amongst us build their doctrine of a light within them, and born with them,

fuf

fufficient to conduct every man to falvation, upon that text I mentioned before. This was the true light, which enlightens every man that comes into the world; for which there is no pretence, if we read it, as the original will very well bear it, This was the true light, which coming into the world, enlighteneth every man. And fo our Saviour fays of himfelf, chap. xii. 46. I who am the light, am come into the world.

But that which I principally intended under this head, is the unfolding of the metaphor, which runs through the text, that fo we may come at the plain fenfe and meaning of it, namely, why our Saviour, or (which is all one) the doctrine which he preached to the world is reprefented to us by light. And here I might tell you, that the doctrine of the gospel is called a light, with regard to its chearing and reviving nature; for light (fays Solomon) is fweet, and it is a pleasant thing to the eye to behold the fun: fo the gofpel is glad tidings of great joy. In regard likewife of its purity; as light is the pureft of all corporeal beings, fo the doctrine of the gofpel doth enjoin a greater holinefs and purity than any other religion ever did. And (not to be tedious in flight things) in regard of its fudden communication and fpeedy propagation in the world. As light darts itfelf from east to west in a moment; fo the gospel was propagated with incredible fwiftness, and did in a very fhort space diffuse itself over the world. Thus I might tell you, that in these and many more fuch refpects, the doctrine of the gofpel is called a light : But I do not love to hunt down a metaphor; for I know very well, that the fcripture, (like other authors) ufeth a metaphor only to one purpose at one time; and though many more fimilitudes may by fancy be found out, it is certain, but one is intended; which I take notice of on purpose to reprove the vanity and injudiciousness of chafing metaphors farther than ever they were intended: For a metaphor is commonly used to reprefent to our minds the first and most obvious likeness of things. Thus the dotrine of the gospel is called light, in respect of the

clearness

clearness of its difcovery, it being one of the chief and most obvious properties of light, to discover and make visible itself, and other things. So the Apoftle tells us, Ephef. v. 13. But all things that are reproved, are made manifeft by the light: And in this refpect and no other, the doctrine of the gofpel is here called a light; becaufe it clearly dif covers to the world thofe things, which they were either wholly ignorant or uncertain of before; and withal it carries its own evidence along with it, and hath plain characters of its own divinity upon it.

And here I might fhew at large these two things: Firft, What difcoveries the doctrine of the gofpel hath made to the world.

Secondly, What evidence it brings along with it of its own divinity, that it is from God.

First, What difcoveries the doctrine of the gospel hath made to the world. It hath more clearly difcovered,

1. The nature of God, which is the great foundation of religion.

2. Our own finful and miserable state.

3. The way and means of our remedy and recovery out of it.

4. A more perfect and certain law and rule of life.

5. A more powerful affiftance for the aid and encouragement of our obedience.

6. And lastly, The gofpel hath more clearly dif covered to us the eternal rewards and punishments of another world, which are the great arguments to obedience and a holy life. I fhall go over these as briefly as I can, having elsewhere treated more largely on fome of them.

1. In the doctrine of the gofpel we have a clear discovery made to us of the nature of God; which is the great foundation of all religion. For fuch as men's notions and conceptions of God. are, fuch will their religious worship and fervices of him be; either worthy of him, and becoming his great and glorious

VOL. X.

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* See bis Grace's fermons published by himself, Vol. 1. Serm, 5.