Chapter VI (continued, part 2)
And for those shows of moral virtues, consider, you may be garnished with them, and swept by the light of conscience from gross sins, and yet remain
,>empty of grace ; as it is said in the parable, Mat. xii. 44. And
therefore many that trusted in them are in the end given up to gross sins, and then all these washy, slight virtues, not being rooted in the heart by the
the Spirit of sanctification, are washed off; for, Luke viii. 18, it is said, From him shall be taken away that which he seemed to have.
II. Having discovered that this light of natural conscience falls short of
true holiness in the nature and kind of it, let us, in the second place, inquire into the tenor of its conveyance to us, whether as a legacy bequeathed by nature, or as a mere endowment bestowed from some other good hand,
pitying our poverty and nakedness. And herein that the mind, and the
faculty in which this light is received, is a natural faculty, and an appurte nance of nature, must not be denied; but -yet whether this light itself be in man as an appurtenance that goes by the tenor of nature, with our natures,
as the faculty of the soul, and corruption or flesh now doth, is questioned by some; yea, and they are denied to be so much as the ruins of the former
image left unextinguished by Adam s sin, so to be derived to us by birth, and the right thereof, and it may be some more than probable demonstra tion of it.
First, That the experience both of the partiality of this light in all, and the unequal division and distribution of it to Adam s posterity, may seem to give in some evidence to this, that it is not of nature s inheritance, but moveable, arid so lost, and restored again by a new gift.
For if it was left as relics of the former image to be derived to us, as unex
tinguished by Adam s sin,
1. What reason can be given why there should be left a light to see some kind of sins to be sins., rather than to discern others, which are as gross ? Jude 10, it is said of evil men, that they speak evil of things they know not; and in what they know naturally, they corrupt themselves, which implies they know but some things naturally, and others not. Now there can be no reason given why Adam s sin extinguished light concerning some sins, but the same reason may as strongly be urged, that it is of itself a ruined and razed out light concerning all sins, if, de novo, it was not some way repaired. 2. Why are these sparks of light so unequally shared and parted if they
CHAP. VII.] IN EESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 101
had been left in Adam s soul to have been derived to us-? Borne of the
heathens had more, as Socrates, some less ; some are in a, manner as brute-
beasts, others have more noble and elevated minds. Other gifts of know
ledge and understanding in the mind, being personal, may therefore come
to be unequally distributed ; but this light, if it was natural, and left as the
ruins of the former image, it would surely be much more alike in all than we see it is ; for Adam begat in his own image, that is, of what was left in
him, Gen. v. 3.
Secondly, The Scriptures may further incline us thus to think, as that place
(1.) In the 3d of John, That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; that is,,
all that is derived to man by virtue of his birth is possessed and filled with,
nothing but flesh and corruption, both substance and faculties ; so that if
those sparks of literal light (as I choose with the Scriptures to call it) be more than flesh, as is objected, and will easily be granted, then I affirm, that
they are not derived, as raked up in the ashes of our nature, and so by birth, but struck in by some external hand, which fetches this fire from heaven, as
of old the poets feigned, which discovers the nakedness of our grandmotherEve s nature, and grandfather Adam s, to the full and utmost ; so that now take the faculties of the soul, with their bare birthright-dowry only, and
there is not only no good thing that is holy, but not so much as these shadows of what is good derived to us as native indwellers ; but as nature
brings us forth naked in our bodies, and covered all over with menstruous
blood, so (as the allusion is in Ezek. xvi. 5) also in our souls it would not have
left so much as those fig-tree leaves, either of literal light or moral virtues,, to cover us withal : That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
(2.) That phrase, Rom. ii. 14, proves the same thing, where this light is
said to be written in men s hearts, for writing is opus artificis, non natures, a work of art, not of nature. These characters are written, not born with us ; we by nature have but abraxas tabidas, tables in which everything is razed out ; it is the new work of some second hand hath took the pains to write them there ; and therefore the Syriac calleth conscience lira, from a word
that signifies formavit,. pinxit, hath formed or drawn anything in picture, because it is the table on which these principles are written. And if the question be, By what means this light should come to be de novo derived unto us ?
(3.) For a third ground, let us consider that place, John i. 9, where he
says, that Christ enlighteneth every man that comes into the world. To understand which place, let us view the frame of the chapter, from ver.
1 to 15.
First, He shews what Christ is in himself and in his person. Secondly, What he is and hath been in his dispensation towards the world.
1st, Before the fall, what he was both to all creatures, they were made by him, ver. 3; especially to man, that life and light of grace which was in man
in innocency was from him, ver. 4.
2dly, What he is to men since the fall.
First, When that light in man and the image of Goci was extinguished and turned into darkness, he is become the light of the world, and shines into
: ver. 5, And the light shineth
that darkness which else would want all light
in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not; so as all light is now from him, renewed and dispensed by him, which he shews more particularly, going over all the degrees of light which now shines to men.
(1.) That common light in all mankind: ver. 9, He is the true light, that lighteth every man that comes into the world.
(2.) That especial light of the knowledge of the law and gospel, which he
102 AN UNREGENERATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK II.
had dispensed to his own kinsmen and countrymen the Jews, ver. 10, who
yet received him not. But then,
(3.) In those that did believe he comes with a further light than both
these : ver. 12-17, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name : which were
bom, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and
truth. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ ; yet so
as even that natural light (which I may so call in comparison of the other) which lighteth every man that comes into the world, ver. 9, is also from
Christ, the second Adam, as a fruit of his mediation ; here we light all our
lights, which otherwise would be cceca lumina, but blind lights.
Now, that that speech is spoken of that common light vouchsafed to all mankind appears,
1. That he says not only in general, that it is a light that enlighteneth
* which cometh into
every man, which is general enough, but further adds,
the world ; that is, every man that is born into the world ; and this is in
opposition to that saving light, which only those that are born of God receive,
ver. 13.
Then also the series of those three degrees of light afore mentioned, argues this to be meant of common light vouchsafed to Jews and Gentiles.
2. He speaks of this light as restored by him since the fall in man s nature
corrupted ; therefore,
First, When he speaks of the light given man in innocency, he says in the
time past, He was the light of men; but now of this light he speaks in the
present tense, which shines and enlighteneth.
Secondly, That in verse 5 he says this light shines in darkness, not com
prehending or embracing it. It is evident he speaks of man s nature now as
corrupted, and not as created at first, nor as regenerated by grace, there being nothing but darkness covering the deep heart of man, as once that deep, Gen.
i. 2, till Christ says, Let there be light, by a new work, and as a common
print* of his mediation.
Thirdly, That this is spoken especially of that light whereby we understand bonum et malum, good and evil, and not of that only whereby we understand verum etjakum,, truth and falsehood (though I think it true of that also), appears in that it is such a light as the darkness of man s sinful nature com
prehends or receives not, but labours to avoid, as discovering their darkness unto them (which it doth), not the knowledge of natural truths.
Fourthly, This light must either be understood of light in natural truths, or moral, or both. If of that in natural, then I argue, If light of under
standing to discern of other things be from Christ, then much more to descry those which are moral ; and hence now it comes so unequally to be divided and dispensed to men that
* come into the world, as all common benefits of his death are ; and yet the Scripture for all this calls it natural, as in Rom.
ii. 14. St Paul expresseth it in opposition to that other light which is vouch safed from the preaching of the word, which is not a privilege vouchsafed to
all, as this is to. every man that comes into the world ; and therefore that term of natural light is distinguished from the other, as being in men want
ing the light of the word, left to mere nature, and as being the common
privilege to men, and every man that comes into the world. And of this light, brought thus de novo into the dark lanthorn of man s
*Qu. fruit ? ED.
CHAP. VII.] IN EESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 103
mind, may that place be understood, Prov. xx. 27, where Solomon says, that
* the spirit that is in man is the candle of the Lord, searching the chambers
of the belly, or the heart, so it is in the original, which is not meant of the
natural faculty of reason in common, for it is described by a peculiar office
of looking and searching into a man s own heart; and therefore surely it
peculiarly means this light of conscience, whereby a man reflects upon him
self. And the meaning seems to me to be, that whereas a man hath many rooms or chambers in his soul, several faculties, upper and higher rooms,
understanding, will, and affections, and all filled and taken up with some
thing or other ; all which rooms now are in the state of corruption, Adam
having left them in the dark, and as bare walls ungarnished; so also with
out light, though not in regard of seeing what is done within them, in ordine
natures, that is, materially, what thoughts and desires are there (for so a man differs from a beast, 1 Cor. ii. 12), but in regard of what is good or
evil in those thoughts and desires in ordine mom. And thus though a man had a reflecting faculty left, as in order to the first, yet in regard of discern
ing the good or evil of what was done or acted in these chambers, a man
should be still in darkness, if God did not set up a candle of a seminal light, a spirit or disposition inspirited, therefore called spirit; as Job xxxii. 8,
* There is a spirit in man, and this is the inspiration of the Almighty which
gives understanding, that is, quickness and ability, which is as a candle of
the Lord s, not innate, but brought in anew, as such lights that are by a new
inspiration from the Almighty.
Fourthly, To evince that these are not the appurtenances of nature derived
by birth, let us consider the end for which this light is appointed, and brought thus in by Christ ; and thus it may seem to be (as also moral virtues are) a means to curb and restrain, control and rebuke, corrupt nature, and the
swelling forms of it. It is not there as a native inhabitant, but as a garrison
planted in a rebellious town by the great Governor of the world, to keep the
rebellion of the natives within compass, who else would break forth into pre sent confusion. In the 14th Psalm, David, speaking of the corruption of man by nature, vers. 1-3, after this question, Whether there be not some
knowledge to discover their evil doings to them ? yes, says he, have they no knowledge, ver. 4,
< which eat up my people as bread? Yes; and
* they are often in fear, God having placed this there to overcome them with fear, and by that to restrain them from many outrages
therefore, ver. 5,
against God s people, whom in their desires, and sometimes practice, they eat up as bread. Therefore this knowledge is put in as a bridle to corrupt
nature, as a hook was put into Sennacherib s nostrils, Isa. xxxvii. 29, to rule and tame men, and overcome them with fear. That as it is said of the horse and the mule, Ps. xxxii. 9, David there compares our nature, for the out
rageous fury of it, if left to itself, without this understanding as the bridle of
it : Be not as the horse, and mule, that have no understanding ; whose
mouth, says he, must be held in by bit and bridle, lest they come near
thee ; that is, kick and fling, and hurtthee. So would man s nature, there would be no Ho with them, no man could come near another. If they had no knowledge, they would eat up one another, and the church, as bread :
but there is their fear, says he, that is, thence it comes to pass they are kept
in awe. God puts in knowledge and conscience as a bridle ; which, as a
bridle that curbeth a horse, is no part of the nature of it, it being to break
its nature ; so also this infused light ; only by nature we have a tender part or faculty of mind, as a horse hath a mouth which is sensible of the guides of this bit or light when God holds the reins hard, as sometimes he doth.
104 AN UNREGENERATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK II.
First, You have seen how this light of conscience, suppose it had been de
rived by nature, yet it is not holy.
But, secondly, that it is not only not holy, but that it is not there from
nature.
III. Now, consider what inherency this light hath in the mind, or what
entertainment it hath, and you will see it cannot be said to dwell there. It
never becomes naturalised, as I may speak, in man s nature, into a subject suitable to it; but as it is a stranger by birth, it hath a stranger s entertain
ment, and is not admitted or incorporated into the society of man s heart ; not enfranchised, or as a naturalised free denizen, only it crowds in there by force of arms, and so holds residence ; for it comes thus to judge and reprove
only, and men entertain it, as the Sodomites did Lot, saying, Gen. xix. 9,
* This fellow comes in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge. Nay, the
heart of man deals more unrighteously, imprisoning it in unrighteousness, xars^w, Bom. i. 18, affording it not a dwelling-house, but a prison, to be
in ; so as it dwells not there, but is imprisoned rather. The Scripture tells us that the darkness in man receives it [not], John i. 5 ; nay, puts it away, not
* Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck. AKuaapzvoi, putting away a good conscience, so as it cannot properly be
willing to entertain it: 1 Tim. i. 19,
called theirs, it being neither from nature, nor owned by or received as a
nature in their hearts ; whereas true grace and light in a godly man, though
it be not in him by nature, is made a new nature in him ; therefore he being partaker of it, is said to be partaker of a divine nature, 1 Peter i. 4, there being such a connection between him and grace and the light of it, as
is between natural dispositions and the subject they are in. But it is not
so in an unregenerate mind, as to the light that is in it, and therefore for
all this light the conscience still remains defiled ; for as it takes away no in herent sinfulness, but restrains it only and curbs it, so it cannot be said to dwell there.
IV. Suppose this light had such an admittance, and was naturalised, yet by that inherence or admittance it hath in the subject of natural conscience
it would be defiled, for, Titus i. 15, Unto the impure all things are
impure, because their minds and consciences are impure. Mark it, he instanceth in the best part of them, their conscience, which defiles all that come near it, as well as any faculty else, and worse, for, as in the old law,
if an unclean thing did but touch a thing, otherwise in itself clean, yet it was defiled by it, Hag. ii. 14. So (says God) are this people, and therefore
all that belongs to them ; so now in the present case, if this light but comes into their consciences and becomes theirs, it is polluted. And indeed nature in other things shews as much, for, quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum
recipientis. What is more pure than the light of the sun, which shines on a
dunghill and is not defiled, because it admits of it not at all ? But if it shines on a thing that can receive it, as on a red glass, it presently is dyed red, the shine of it hath the tincture of the glass ; so this light, either it is beaten back by the darkness which receives it not, and then it is not theirs, or if
it be received, yet their conscience being impure, it becomes impure ; there
fore, Mat. vi. 22, the eye of man, that is, which is in man, which gives light to the whole and is his guide, is called evil, and darkness, that is sinful, though mixed with some light
: Mat. vi. 23, But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
Use I. See then the mercy and goodness of God and Christ now to the darkened condition of man ; consider, he lights a candle, and holds it there in your hearts for you to see to work by, without which a man would be as
CHAP. VII.] IN EESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 105
a horse and mule, yea, as a wild ass, Job xi. 12, so man is born ; which, as
it is the most stupid of creatures, empty of those shadows of reason other
creatures have, so are we of those shadows of goodness, and therefore of
ourselves we would be wild and ravenous, eating up one another, but that God hath put a bit into our tender part, our consciences. All fierce crea
tures have still some tender part left, without which they could not be ruled,
as a horse a mouth to put in a bit, a bear a snout to put in a ring, else none
might come near them ; so hath man a conscience. And that which shews God aimed at the good of mankind in it appears by this, that the light of
those principles which tend most to the preservation of mankind are most
deeply impressed and set on, as against murder, for which, of all sins else,
their consciences use most to trouble them, &c., insomuch as Dionysius Halicarnasseus says that within the walls of Rome, for 620 years, none were found killed by a private hand ; and therefore this sin and the guilt of it
affrights the conscience most, because it is most against the good of mankind. And consider, if God had not put this viceroy into the heart, what villanies would the world be filled with ! Our case would be as the case of Israel when
they had no king Everyman did what was good in his own eyes, Judges
xvii. 6. So, if there was not this king and viceroy, this garrison in man, whose voice is vox Dei, every man would do what is good in his own eyes ; but God hath put it in to tame men, and hereby cuts short even the spirit of princes, takes off their edge and fury, Ps. Ixxvi. 11, by terrifying their
consciences. Hereby Herod s malice against John was restrained, for he
feared him being holy, Mark vi. 20 ; hereby God kept Abimelech from de
filing Sarah, Gen. xx.
Use 2. See the corruption of man s nature, that admits not, but as it were
by constraint, so much as of the light of conscience, though it be but a pic ture. As it is one of the utmost expressions of holiness, to avoid the
appearance of evil, so it is a sign of the sinfulness of man s nature to hate the appearance of God. As the hatred of the panther is argued to be
greater because it seizeth not on a man only, which other beasts do, but it
will seize also on the image of a man, which no other beast will ; so it argues the wildness of man s nature, that it hates not the law and grace only, which
is the image of God, but even this truth, which is but the picture of this
image.
Use 3. Is the light of conscience a work of Christ ? Then take heed how
you deal with it. It was put into you if possible to keep you from hell, or that you might be kept from sins, and so have the less punishment ; but
it occasions the aggravation of all your sins by men abusing it. But con
sider, that to imprison this truth in unrighteousness, what a sin it is, Rom.
i. 18, which men do when they will not suffer it to break forth into practice.
Of all Herod s sins this is made the greatest, that he put John in prison, who preached to him to instruct him, Luke iii. 20. And so this is that which God took so heinously at the Gentiles hands, and for which his wrath
is therefore to be revealed against them, that they imprisoned the light of
their consciences, Rom. i. 18. And if to resist the power of a magistrate is to resist the power of God, then to resist the conviction of conscience, which is placed as a viceroy for the good of them that do well, and to be a
terror to the wicked, is to resist God, for the judgment of conscience is the Lord s. And this also is to change the truth of God into a lie, for a man s actions being the interpreter of his mind, when that truth which is within is not discovered in our actions, we tell a lie ; and though things done errone
ously are sins, and therefore errors arid ignorances were sacrificed for in the old law, yet if against light it is much more sin ; and yet how do men sin
106 AN UNREGENERATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK II.
even against light till they be past feeling, as those in Eph. iv. 18, 19, who
lived in unnatural uncleanness, oppression, contrary to the common light of
nature, which, therefore, is made the aggravation of their sinfulness, Jude
10, to corrupt themselves in what they know naturally. Therefore God
gave them up to reprobate minds, not discerning good and evil, Rom. i. 28, and in the end they do act as brute beasts (as in that place of Jude), so that
there is not a principle to work upon by the word, and their light is taken from them, and they are left in the dark and carried hoodwinked to hell by the devil, as he that is in the dark knows not whither he goes. And you that have been troubled in conscience, and know the bitterness of sin, and
yet fall to sin again, though your consciences have broke forth again upon you as much as ever, take heed how you go on. Though at present your consciences may be drunk and asleep, and the light imprisoned, yet know
that this ligit will one day break prison and rage, and as a madman that when he is awake is more mad than when he lay down, so will your roused
conscience be more terrifying than ever.