{Second Part 5}
CHAP. II.
Touching the Light of Christ within, and Exhortation to Obedience thereof.
Those Faithful messengers of the Gospel of Christ, whom the Lord in these latter daies sent forth for the gathering of the nations unto the Faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,) that their souls might be saved in the Day of the Lord, frequently sounded in our ears on this wise: Turn in your minds unto the Light within (meaning thereby the Light of Christ within) which shews you that a Lye is not of the Truth; and as through Faith you come to be Obedient unto the Light Within, and that measure of grace given by God, and received by you, so will you come to be made Partakers of that great Salvation.
This Doctrine was acceptable to many, who in the Love of Truth received the joyful Sound thereof; but unto others mean and despised, who notwithstanding that Testimony, accounted the Scriptures of Truth, a More Sure Rule and Guide unto the Father.
The consideration whereof at this time, hath been as an obligation to examine, whether the aforesaid Doctrine (so acceptable to some, and despised by others) be consonant to the Scriptures of Truth; which task is more freely undertaken, because the aforesaid Doctrine hath become so great a stumbling block unto many, as that they have thought it a sufficient evidence, that the professors thereof have been out of the path of truth, readily objecting on this wise.
{Second Part 6} Objection. Do you not think, that those Jews who crucified Christ, acted not from from the Light Within, Since some of them, at least, verily thought they did God good service therein?
Having thus premised, ‘tis now needful to examine, what may be spoken from the Scriptures of Truth for the Light within, and to turn in the mind to the same, to obey it, &c. In order thereunto we find John the Evangelist thus testifying, In him, (meaning the Word, which was God) was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.1 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me, shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. I am come a Light into the World, that whosoever, believeth in me should not abide in Darkness.
These Scriptures plainly show, that we are to believe in, and follow Christ, who is the Light, that lighteth every man that cometh in the world.
Objection. However some objecting may say, What’s this to a Light Within? ’Tis very plain that John the Evangelist meant nothing of a Light Within, in your sense, but of the Personal Appearance of Christ Without, as that Word which was made Flesh; and, Chap. 12. 35. Yet a little while is the Light with you; walk while you have the Light. And ver. The 36. While he have the Light, believe in the Light, that he may be the Children of the Light.
To this may be answered, That these last recited {Second Part 7} Scriptures do in the most favourable construction, on the objectors part, intimate, that Christ the Son of God, while he was in the World, was the Light of the World; but doth not say that he is, or would be no longer the light of the world: Such a saying, or sense, would limit the Appearance of the Light to that Body only, and dispensation of time, where the said Body appeared on Earth, which is contradictory to the very words of the Evangelist, before quoted, viz. That was the true Light the lighteth every one that cometh into the World. Which Scripture sentence, relating to every man, is so universal, that it cannot but extend to those, who never beheld the face of Jesus in his fleshly and Bodily Appearance; nor yet came to be informed by any outward Instrument of his Doctrine, though Partakers of his Light; which therefore may properly be termed by such, his Light within; that is, the Appearance of Christ by his Light shining in their hearts; agreeable where unto in effect we take the Testimonies of the Apostle to be, viz. That which may be known of God, is manifest in them: For God hath shewed it unto them.2 Seeing you seek a proof of Christ, speaking in me, which Riches is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. Who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring Christ again from the dead? but what said it? The Word is near thee, even in thy mouth and in they heart, this is the word of faith which we preach. And all this appears agreeable unto that the Prophet Isaiah hinted at, who speaking of what should be in the last daies, signified, That the God of Jacob will teach us of his Ways; and therefore said, Oh house of Jacob, come ye, let us walk in the Light of the Lord! which being compared with what the same Prophet said in relation to a people, In whose hearts was the law of the Lord,3 and with what the Prophet Jeremiah saith, I will put my {Second Part 8} law in their Inward Parts,4 and write it in their Hearts, and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbor, and every man his Brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest; ‘Tis evident to us, that this written Law in the Heart, is that Light Within, whereof the faithful Messengers of the Lord in our day, have born witness unto, and whereof the same Prophet gave testimony, when he said, as before, O house of Jacob, come ye, let us walk in the Light of the Lord.
Besides, such a limitation, as aforesaid, would have a tendency to make void the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ, who was offered up a sacrifice to take away the sins of many; and on this score doth the author to the Hebrews5 testify, that unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without Sin unto Salvation, which is a clear evidence unto us, that the benefit of the blood of Christ is not witnessed effectually in this our day, but by those, who having looked for his second appearance, have received him in his Appearance; this Appearance we take to be his Appearance by his light and spirit in the hearts of those, who through faith and blood have known their Consciences purified from Dead Works, and so come to serve the living God in Truth and righteousness.
‘Tis now to be considered, Whether these words [Turn in your Minds] be agreeable to truth, for that this kind of objection may be raised:
Objection. Doth not this put the Creature upon Action in his own Self-will, when as the Will of Man cannot bring forth that Birth unto which power is given to become the Sons of God?
For answer hereto, ‘tis necessary to consider, that the faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ commended their {Second Part 9} Exhortations and testimonies to the Conscience of the Hearers in the Sight of God; and the reason doubtless was, because there is a Capacity in Man, which (through the assistance of the Grace of God) renders Man capable to do the will of God in righteousness unto life; those who are so acted, cannot be said to be acted in the Self will of Man. And on the contrary, the same Capacity (letting in Temptation and joyning thereto) renders Man a servant of Sin unto Death, and being one so dead in Sin, no redemption comes to be obtained, but through Christ, as the Apostle testifies, You hath he quickened that were dead in Trepasses and Sins.6
These things considered, ‘tis evident, that through the Appearance of Christ, those who have cast off the Old Man, are become renewed in the Spirit of their Minds unto God, and so have put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness, and therefore since there is such a capacity in man, as aforesaid, 'tis agreeable to Truth to exhort the sons of men, to turn their Minds unto the appearance of Christ by his Light, that through the Assistance thereof, the will of God may be done in their earthen vessels.
The next thing to be considered is, whether there is any weight in the objection, Do you think that the Jews who crucified Christ, acted not from the light within; since some of them, at least, thought they did God good service therein?
To this may be answered, That the Friends of Truth never preached up the Light Within, but with respect to the Appearance of Christ by his Spirit, as that Light Within intended by them: and since Christ cannot be divided, to act against himself; therefore the Jews did not therein act from that Light Within, unto which we have been directed. From {Second Part 10} what then (may the objector say) did those of them act, who verily thought they did God good service therein?7
Ans. From Zeal Without knowledge (not having their Minds staid and rendered according to the universal Principle of Truth, which if hearkned unto, would teach all men to do as they would be done by) in which zeal Paul verily thought in himself, that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus; and in Self-thought (being exceeding mad) persecuted the Church of God, consented to the death of the Saints, and compelled them to Blaspheme; but when the Lord was pleased to appear unto him, and to make him a Minister of his everlasting Gospel, he was sent unto the Gentiles, to open their eyes, that they might turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.8
This eye that was to be opened, was not the Carnal Eye, that so thereby they might be turned from outward darkness to outward Light: for though Paul beheld the Light that shone from Heaven (which we take to be a Light Visible to his Carnal Eyes) yet he after continued three days blind, through the Glory of that Light; and then afterward the Lord appointed him to be his witness and sent him to the Gentiles to open their eys, that they might turn from Darkness unto Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God.
This Eye, that he was sent to open, was the inward eye of the mind; and the Darkness spoken of, was that wherewith their Hearts (and not the Outward Eyes) were over-shadowed, so that they could not behold the Light of the Glory of God shining in their Hearts, to give unto them the knowledge of the Truth.
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