n of the grace and
goodness of God in Christ, which discovers a way of salvation, and
delivery from sin and wrath, and this perfumeth and refresheth all the
faculties of the soul. Thus the soul is in a part conformed to that
original light, when a beam is sent from it, and hath pierced into the
heart, and scattered the darkness that did alienate the minds of men from
God. But it is not only an illumination of the foreface, and outer side of
the soul, not only a conviction of the judgment in these things, but by
virtue of that divine heat that is transmitted with the light of the
gospel, the soul is purified and cleansed from its grosser nature, and so
is made transparent, that the light may shine into the very inwards of the
heart. And this is the special point of conformity to God,--to have our
souls purged from the darkness of sinful, earthly, and muddy
affections,--to have them purified by the light of God, from all the works
and lusts of darkness, and the shining beauty of holy affections and
inclinations, to succeed and fill up the vacant room. If knowledge only
reside in our brains, and send not down warm beams to quicken and inflame
the heart, then it is barren and unfruitful, it is cold and unprofitable.
If it hover only alone in our heads, and keep a motion there, but send
down no refreshing showers to the affections, which may make us abound in
good fruits, then it is like the windy clouds, clouds without rain, that
pass away without any benefit to the thirsty ground. Let us then take this
along with us, let the impression of this description of the divine
Majesty abide in our hearts. "God is light," and if we often ruminate and
ponder upon this, I think it will make us often to reflect upon ourselves,
how we are darkness, and this will breed some carefulness and desire in
the soul, how to have this darkness removed, that there may be a soul
capable of divine illustration. This is it that advanceth the soul to the
nearest conformity with God, the looking often upon God, till our souls be
enlightened and our hearts purified, and this again puts the soul in the
nearest capacity for that blessed communion with God. "Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God," Matt. v. 8. Truly it is not
profoundness of ingine,(242) it is not acuteness and sharpness of wit, it
is not pregnancy in understanding, or eminency in parts, that will dispose
the soul to this blessed vision of God, and frame it to a capacity of
f