This verfe hath in it the first work of diftin&tion; for, whereas before it was a blinde lump, wrapped up in Clouds of waters, as in his Clouts, and fwadled with darkneflc as with a fwathe, as Fob faith, now God took off from it his swadling clouts, and clothed it with his own garments, Pfal. 104. 2. that is, endowed it with light. In fhewing thereof we are to confider two things: First, the precept and mandate of God, Fiat lux. Secondly, the execution Fiat lux & thereof for the performance, Et erat lux.

In the firft, two things are to be observed. First, the authority from whence the mandate came, Dixit Deus. Secondly, the tenor and contents of the precept, Fiat lux.

First, couching the authority of the precept, we fee it was God that faid it, dicere autem, faith Auftine, eft verbum proferre, whercout we gather two obfervations. 1. The mouth of the Lord, from whence this fpirit before, and this word came. 2. Of this word, from whence this work came..

Touching the first, it were abfurde to fay, that God should speak after the manner of men, with an audible found of words; for it were in vain and to no end, to speak when there were none to hear therefore this is that which we must conceive of it, that when God fpeaketh to us in his word, he doth it, as it were, in our diale&t, that is, fo as we may understand what he meaneth; for if he should speak properly of himself, we are not able to comprehend the manner of his works: therefore as the Holy Ghoft taketh a name, and title from a Dove, fo doth God here borrow his manner of doing from a Prince, which is the greatest thing we can conceive, for what is In our conceit (more forceable to the fpeedy execution and through dispatch of a thing) then a Princes ftreight commandement, and mandate, which on a fodain can cause whole Armies of men to be ready at his pleasure.

Men doe unfold and manifeft their wills and counsells in all matters, by word of their mouthes: Sicut voluntas fermo ejus, ita natura opus ejus, faith one, his word is his will, and all the frame of nature is his work, proceeding therefrom. Wherefore, in that it is faid God fpake, it is meant, that he plainly revealed and meant to declare his will.

This uttering and revealing the will is after two forts, which the two Hebrew words doe fignific. First when a man, by a fecret discourse doth reafon or speak in his heart, which doth cut off the audible found of words, Preach. 2. 3. 1 in my heart purposed with my felf; fo the fool pake in his heart, that he durft not utter by found of voyce. Pfal. 14. 1. So there is a double word fpeaking, the one is verbum vocis, the other cordis But to speak truly and properly, there is but one word, which is in our hearts; as our word is firft cloathed with aire, and fo becommeth audible to mens eares; fo faith one, Chrift, the word of his Father, being cloathed with flesh, was visible and manifeft to all men: So to conclude, the word is that he conceived firft in the Closet, as I may fay, of his breft, and

then

erat lux.

The procee
ding of the
Sonne is four
Solde.

Chrit diftin&

in fubftance.

then doth make it plain here by Creation, and after by redemption.

And here we may learn the difference between us and God: In us there is one thing by which we are, and another thing by which we understand and conceive things, but in God both his being and understanding are of one and the fame fubftance: And this fubftantial Word of God, is that wherewith St. John beginneth his Gospell. God created that which was not, but the word was in the beginning. Therefore it is verbum increatum: it made all things at the beginning, Coll. 1. 15. 16. Therefore it was before the beginning, John 17. 5. Thus we fee, as Chrift faith, how Mofes fcripfit de me, Fohn 5.46. this word of God is proceeding from God, Fehn 8. 42. as the holy Ghost doth also, John 15.26.

But Chrifts manner of proceeding is determined after four forts. First, as a fonne proceeding from a Father. Secondly, as an Image from a Picture. Thirdly, as the light from the Sunne. Fourthly, as a word from the speaker, as a Sonne from the Father, Pfal. 2.7. this day I begot thee; this day, that is, from all eternity, for to God all times is as one day: alfo he begot him in refpect of the connaturality and identity of nature and fubftance that he hath with God the Father.

As an Image from a pattern, that is, in likeness and resemblance to the Father, Cell. 1. 15. for he is like God in property and fimilitude of quality, and therefore is called, the lively and exprefs charaGer and graven Image, form, and stamp of his Father, Heb. 1.3. Thirdly, in relpect of Coeternity; For, as the light proceeded from the Sunne, fo foon as ever the Sunne was, fo did Chrift, the word, from eternity, Heb. 1. 3. and therefore he is called, the brightness of bis Fathers glorie: So at what time God was,at that time the brightnefs of his Sonne appeared and fhone from him. Laft of all, in regard of the immateriality, 1. Fehn 1. For,as a word conceived in us, is no matter or fubftance, fo this was Cócmateriall, but an incorporeall generation: Thus we fee that his proceeding is foure fold.

Now this word is diftin&t from the Father in person, and one in perfon, one with him in substance: That he is diftin& from him, it appeareth Gen. 19.24. Pfal. 110. 1. the Lord faid to my Lord, 30. Prov. 4. what is his name, and what is his fonnes names, Efay 36. 9. the father brought forth a fonne; erge, diverf from himfelf. Touching the Godhead of Chrift, Fob faith, furely my Redeemer liveth, and I shall fee God with thefe eyes, Fob. 19. 25, 26. Pfal. 45.7. God, even thy God, shall annoynt thee: There is God annoynting God, for he is called thy God alfe, whom wee must worship; Efay 9.6. Fer. 63. 6. his name is the righteous God. In the new Teftament, Rom. 9. 5. even as he was verbum incarnatum, 1 Tim. 3. 16. and John 17. 2. this is eternall life, to know God, and him whom he fent, Jefus Chrift. I have made it plain before, that the Heathen had notice of his fecond perfon: As the Perfiancalled him the fecond Understanding; The Caldeans called him the Fathers Understanding or Wifdome; Macrobius, a Coun

fell

fell or Wisdome proceeding from him: fo may we fay likewife of this word as, which is attributed to Chrift; for they feem not to be ignorant of that name. Some called him on which is verbum: Hermes calleth him the Naturall Word of God: Orpheus, the Word of the Father; And Plate most plainly in his Epiftle to Hermias : Bút most strange is that which Auftine writeth in lib. de preparatione Evangelii, fcited out of Æmilius and Heraclitus, and let this fuffice for the diftinction of the duty and notice of Christ, which is verbum

Dei.

Now this word hath a relation to him that speaketh it, and also to the things Created: therefore it is called verbum expreßivum in refpect of God, and verbum factivum in regard of his works: for his Precept did, in refpect of himself, exprefs his Will; but, in respect of us, it had a power to Create,and make things that were not. Theréfore, 1. John 3. he is called as wegros, and in the 15. verfe he is Ages envos: fo that both in regard of his Father and us, he is a word. Little divinity, and much danger, is in those late Divines, which say, that this was but a temperarie word, which God ufed in Creating all things; for we fee this is verbum increatum, and the very root; of which, all that is faid after, are but as branches derived therefrom.

And thus much for the authority of this Word.

Now to the Creation of light. Mofes maketh plain mention, Fiat lus. That the firft feveral thing which God perfectly made was Light: Wherefore we will firft fpeak of the Order,then of the Nature. God is Pater Luminum, Jam. 1. 17. Therefore firft he brought forth light, as his funne: But fome, having little Philofophie in them, doe reafon against this work of God very impiously, as if it were not to be faid, that light was made three dayes before the Sunne, which is the caule thereof. But if we refpect God, the Father of lights, or the Sunne, which is the light of the World, or the neceffity of light, for Lux eft vox verum, becaule that which things cannot exprefs by voyce and words, they doe plainly fhew by the comming of light, which manifesteth all things. Again, God being about the work of diftinguishing, it was neceffary, firft to make the great diftinguisher of all things, which is light; for in nocte eft color omnibus idem, & tenebra, rerum difcrimina tollunt, but the light diftinguisheth one thing from another. Again, of the three beginnings, we fhew that the firft beginning was of time, but we could not have a morning to make a first day, without light of it was firft made; for the naturall common Clock of the world, to diftinguifh times, is the courfe of light and darkness, which is the effence of day and night. Furthermore, we have feen that the Heavens were the first and most excellent: therefore the light, being the first quality and affection of the the Heavens, the firft body made, muft by right order be made firft. Laft of all, we begin naturally, a communionibus, but there is nothing with which all things doe more commonly communicate, than the light of the Son: ergo, it is firft, for it is the communication of Heaven, because all the

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Starres

Starres doe borrow their light of it, and we fee by it on earth; it is oculus nofter, by which we fee, and it is their Creffet to light all

them.

There are fome which will have a reafon of Gods works, and would know how it could be that light fhould be first made, and four daies after the Sunne to be made, which was the cause of it: But to thefe, I answer, that their abfurd doubt, doth argue fmall skill in Philofophy: for they fpeak, as if the light were an affection and quality only of the Sunne; for we fee that the fire on earth, the meteors and lightnings in heaven, the fcales of Fishes, and a dark wood, have alfo light in them: And what doth give light to these? I answer, not the Sunne; But admit the fame were the cause of light, yet we fee that many things have their proceeding in nature before things on which they have, after, their dependance: As all agree that the livor in a man, hath the precedence in nature, and yet after it hath his dependance on the heart as his chief; for though the light hath now his dependance on the Sunne, yet then it had his precedence. And as Chrift was long before he took the body of Flesh: so was the light a certain time before it took, and was joyned, to the body of the Sunne. Again we may fay, that though the Sunne was not created now, yet the fubftance of the Sunne was now made, and fo we may understand lux for corpus lucidum, which after was perfected.

Laft of all, this of St. Bafill will overthrow their doubt: For if a man will grant to God, that he made all things, without matter, of nothing: then we must also grant that he can make light without the Sunne; for God doth not depend upon ordinary means; he is not bound and tyed to the Sunne, that by the means thereof, light should fhew; for he can give light without it three dayes, by miracle, at the beginning, and will for ever give light without the Sunne, after the end of the world. The Hebrews fpake of three Creations. 1. De mibile: 2. In nihilo: 3. Super nihilum : All things were of nothing, the light was in nothing, the earth hanged upon nothing, Job. 26. 7. Tell me, faith Job, on what the earth dependeth ; and I will tell thee on what the light then did depend, for it was miraculously, giving light without Sunne.

A word of the fecond point, Jab telleth, that it is a probleme, and a hard question, to know from whence the light is, Job 38. 19. and in the 24. verfe, That it is more than mans wisdome to answer it, for the very light is darkneffe, and ignorance to us, for all that reafon can conceive of it, is this, that either it must needs be a substance, or else defluum fubftantia; that is, flowing, or proceeding from a fubftance, as a quality or affection of it: if it be a substance, it must be a spirituall or a corporall fubftance: a spirituall fubftance it cannot be ; for it affecteth a bodily fubftance, bodily it cannot be, for the motion ofit is a moment, for with a flafli it lighteneth all, and also if it were then, it must be granted, that two bodies are in one place, as the ayre and the light at one inftant, but indeed as they fay of the Element, that they are next kinne and affinity to accidents; fo we may fay of light,

Preack.

Preach. 11. 5. there is a light of knowledge and a light of comfort.

The execution of the Precept was of the nature of the Precep- The execution tor and Commander. 2 Cor. 4. 6. For as by his word, he made the of the Precept. Whale bring Fonas lafe to land; fo here he caused light to come out of darkness; Rom.4. 17. calling things that were not, as if they were; as the motion of the lightning is, that is, in an inftant with celerity comming from the East to the Weft, Luke 17. 24. fo was the Creation of it forthe facility of making it we know that no work is impoßible to God, Luke 1.37. For as cafie as it is for man to speak any thing, so cafie it is for God to doe any thing: Gods dictum & factum is all one and alike to him. Wherefore we may conclude with David, that Gods word runneth fwiftly to the performance and execution of his Will: It is cafily and fpeedily done. There is matter to be learned, to lead us to good motions: But of this hereafter.

Viditque Deus Lucem illam bonam effe.

Gen, 1.4.verf.

works and ours

HE meaning of this is, That as we have feen Gods wisdome and power in the execution of his Will, so now we may see the goodness and mercy of God in the confirmation and approbation of the light which he made, herein allowing it as good for our ufe, Fob. 28.3.5. for God gave not the light to the Moon, but to us, that the light might arife to us. The reference that this verse hath with that which goeth before, is this: God made things before; and here Mofes fheweth the quality of it, that it was even in Gods judgement very good and perfect, that is, as the Philofophers fay, God in all his works limiteth together bonum & ens; for all that he maketh is paffing well made, which fheweth the difference between Gods works and ours: For it is our manner, The difference fo we doc a thing that God willeth, or that we purpose, it is no mat- between Gods ter, we care not how it be done : But here God teacheth us by his example, that we fhould in attempting any thing, have a speciall care that it be good, and well done: Alfo it is ufuall with us, that the thing we make in hafte is, as we fay, canis feftinans, that is, it is rudely and blindely done; and therefore that which a man will doe well, he taketh great pains and leafure about it, because it is a hard and difficult matter to doe a thing well; but God doth, and can doe things well, and perfectly well,with cafe,with quick dispatch, even in a moment, with great facility and celerity,and yet we fee,he con- Two parts: firmeth it to be very good in thefe words: Therefore there are two the View, and parts; First, the view which God taketh, in beholding the light: Confirmation to be good. Secondly, his teftimony, affirming and confirming it to be good. Touching the first, As before we haveheard of Gods fpeaking, The View. fo here now we are to confider of Gods feeing. Touching both

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which,