ehensible,
ineffable essence, even before this light was created, for he is in the
light, and was in the light, when there was no sun to give light, because
he was in himself environed, so to speak, with the infinite light and
splendour of his own understanding, and beauty of his own holiness, and so
dwelling in an all fulness and self sufficiency of blessedness, not only
is he thus in the light, but he is a light to poor sinners, the most
communicative Being, that ceaseth not continually to send forth streamings
of that light and life into dark and dead souls. And therefore he is not
only light in himself, but a sun of righteousness, most beneficial in his
influences, most impartial and free in his illumination, and so he is
often called,--"my light and my salvation," our light, "a light to me,"
Psal. xxvii. 1, Micah vii. 8, Isa. xlii. 6, 7. Now, it is this emission of
light from him that first drives away that gross darkness that is over
souls, for till then, in the darkness all was hid and covered, nothing
seen, neither ourselves, nor God, neither the temper of our hearts, nor
the course of our ways, nor the end they lead to. But it is the breaking
in of a beam of that Sun of Righteousness that maketh any such discovery,
as motes are not seen till the sun shine, though the house be full of
them. In darkness there is nothing but confusion and disorder, and light
only makes that disorder visible to the soul, to the affecting of the
heart. Now, when once the soul hath received that light, there is a desire
kindled in the heart after more of it, as when the eye hath once perceived
the sweetness and pleasantness of the light, it opens itself and exposeth
itself to a fuller reception of more. And so the soul that is once thus
happily prevented by the first salutation and visit of that day-spring
from on high, while he is sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death,
(Luke i. 78, 79) afterwards follows after that light, and desires nothing
more than to be imbosomed with it. That tender preventing mercy so draws
the heart after it, that it can never be at perfect rest till the night be
wholly spent, and all the shadows of it removed, and the sun clearly up
above the horizon and that is the day of that clear vision of God's face.
But in the mean time, this is the great ambition and endeavour of such an
one, to walk in that light, and this is the very entertainment of that
fellowship with God. He is already in the light, that