The Psalmist says, ' Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.' Psalms 119, 105. And St. Peter, ' We have also a more sure word of prophecy ; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts.' The great light, the Sun, with his golden beams, scatters night away, and renders the objects in creation visible ; the spiritual light, the word, arrayed with heavenly glory, banishes spiritual darkness, and renders many of the hidden mysteries, which were shrouded in the secret mind of God before the world began, visible to men and angels. I. Pet. 1, 12. The rising sun, with his penetrating beams, opens the eyes of the sleeping ; so St. Paul was also sent to the gentiles with the gospel-word, 'to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light,' &c. Acts 26, 16–18. The sun also possesses a fountain of heat, for light is not without heat ; he thaws the frozen bodies, and animates all nature. The light of the gospel has also spiritual heat, to melt and quicken the frozen and dead hearts of sinners, and causes them to burn with pure seraphic love. The sun is seen by his own light ; he borrows no light ; he blazes in his originality : the light of the gospel is also seen by its own light ; it needs no superior* revelation ; it is perfect ; and every other valuable luminary in Christ's church must be kindled, and perpetually nourished, by this original fire from heaven.
* NOTE. It is a prevailing opinion among many, that another revelation must be added to the written one, in order to understand it. But what would be the use of such a revelation, if we must have another one ? Such a revelation would be no revelation. The sun would be but a feeble light, if another light was requisite to see him by : he would be no better than an ignis fatuus. Is it not ridiculous for Christian men to pretend to revere the written revelation, when they in the meanwhile look for another to understand the written one by ? Thus they make is so miserable a light, that it cannot be seen by its own light, much less to illumine other objects : hence no better than an ignis fatuus.
Many also, say the word of God is not to be understood as it is written, but it must be spiritualized. I answer : the scriptures must explain themselves, and be their own dictionary. The parables and metaphors that are found in them, are not of any private interpretation. The Bible must explain its own language ; the light must be seen by its own light. The words of God, inasmuch as they respect man's salvation, are spirit and life. What folly must it therefore be, to spiritualize a thing that is already spiritual ! How strange it sounds, when men are brought to the doctrinal test, and acknowledge, ' We know the word reads so, but it does not mean it !' Is the idea not shocking, that God would give us his word, and yet not mean it so ? Would not this be duplicity ? which ought never to be ascribed to a God of truth. The devil says one thing, and means another, because he is a liar. What would be the benefit of a revelation on whose declarations we could not depend, so that we must still guess at its meaning, or wait until God gives another revelation ?
posted by reader | 7:02 PM
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