Saints Compared to Light

    SAINTS COMPARED TO LIGHT

    "Ye are the Light of the world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid" Mt 5:14.

    IN this metaphor the Lord Jesus commends unto us an holy duty, viz., to shine before others in a holy life and doctrine. Saints should be like John Baptist, burning and shining Lights.

    1. Light is taken properly.

    2. Metaphorically.

    Properly, for that noble quality that enlightens the world. Lux, claritas et splendour in corpore luminoso, vel extra a corpore luminoso exiens, quae et Lumen dicitur. "God said, Let there be Light, and there was Light," &c.

    2. Metaphorically, it is put for several things. See Book III. p. 526, 527. "Ye are the Light of the world," &c., Joh 1:9. Principally Christ, himself is the Light of the world, the great Light that gives Light to the other luminaries. The Saints receive, light from Christ, as the moon receives her light from the sun, and thereby gives Light to the world in the night. The Saints are but small Lights, hence called stars, who give but little Light in comparison with the sun; or they are rather as candles, which God hath lighteth and set up.

    METAPHOR

    I. Light discovers and makes manifest the nature of things to men; it hath a directive quality in it, men thereby know which way to go; it directs travellers in their way.

    PARALLEL

    I. So the Saints of God, by their holy Life and doctrine, reveal and make manifest, not only the works of darkness, but also the excellency of Christ, grace, and divine things to men: nay, the holy angels are said to know many things by the Church, Eph 3:10. The Saints, by their holy lives and doctrines, teach and direct others how to live, how to behave themselves towards God, and towards men.

    METAPHOR

    II. Light shines forth, and is visible to all; every one that hath eyes may see the Light. A candle should not be lighted, and put under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the house.

    PARALLEL

    II. So the Saints should let their good works appear to all. "Let your Light so shine hefore men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven," Mt 5:16. Though the Saints should do nothing through vain glory, i.e. to be seen of men; yet their good works, and holy walkings should be so done, that others should see them.

    METAPHOR

    III. It is a great mercy and blessing to see the Light; Light is sweet, &c., Light drives back, or expels darkness.

    PARALLEL

    III. So it is a great blessing to enjoy the company of God's people, to dwell among such whose conversations shine; for such godly ones drive back or scatter wickedness. As Solomon saith, "A wise and godly king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them," Pr 20:26. So every wise and godly Christian does what in him lies the like: what darkness did Martin Luther, that star of the first magnitude, drive away! That blessed Light which he afforded the world hath shone so gloriously, that the devil, the pope, and all their adherents, notwithstanding all their skill have not been able to put it out to this day.

    METAPHOR

    IV. When the Light of the candle is put out, which is to give Light to the whole house, how do men stumble, and grope in darkness?

    PARALLEL

    IV. So when the Saints shine not in grace and holiness, or fall into sin, and wickedly comply with the evils of the times in which they live, how do the ungodly world stumble and fall; the which made our Saviour to say, "Woe to the world because of offences," &c. Mt 18:7. It is a great judgment to the wicked, to have those who should be as lights in the world, darkened, or give occasion of stumbling.

    INFERENCES.

    I. This shows, what a great blessing the world receives by means of the godly: they are set up as Lights in a dark night, to direct men in the right way, that they may not stumble and fall upon the dark mountains.

    II. Let this teach believers their duties; let them remember to have their conversations honest among the Gentiles. Let your Light shine forth to others, not that you may be praised, but that the praise may be given to God, &c. In all your holy walking, propose this as your ultimate end, not that you may be magnified, and lifted up, but that God by you, and through your good works, may be magnified, and his glorious name advanced on high.

    III. It may be an use of caution to them to take heed of sin. If they comply with Satan, and yield to temptations and thereby let their Light go out, no wonder if the world stumble. Sometimes professors, instead of being Lights, prove dark stumblingblocks. As to instance in two or three things:

    1. When professors fail in their morals, i.e., are not just in their dealings between man and man, they give just cause of offence.

    2. When they are like the world, and none can discern any great difference between them and others, in respect of their conversation, how can they then be said to be the Light of the world?

    3. When they are overcome with scandalous sins, viz., are proud, covetous, backbiters, tattlers, drunkards, &c.

    4. W hen they want love and bowels of compassion to their brethren, they cease to be the Lights of the world. They are no more a blessing to the world, who thus degenerate from what they should be, but rather the contrary.

    Therefore if you want motives to stir you up to take heed how you walk and live among men, that you may not give occasion of offence or stumbling to them, but contrarywise, be as Lights to them, take these following.

    (1.) Your good works, and holy conversation, will greatly tend to glorify God; but the contrary will greatly dishonour him.

    (2.) Your good works, and godly life, will greatly tend to the profit of the world, but the contrary will prove to their great hurt.

    (3.) Your holy life will make your profession shine, and also further the promulgation of the Gospel: but the contrary will bring a stink or ill savour upon your profession, and hinder the promulgation of the Gospel.

    (4.) An evil life hinders poor souls from enquiring after the truth, and stumbles them in the way of their obedience to it.

    (5.) It stumbles weak Christians that are in the ways of God.

    (6.) It weakens the hands, and grieves the hearts of strong and sincere ones.

    (7.) A holy life will free thee from blood-guiltiness; I mean, thou wilt not have the blood of other mens' souls to answer for: but the contrary may make thee culpable.