by feeling after him; but he immediately proves the Being of him the only true God, from the Creation and Confervation of all Mankind, and that he is not fuch an Idol as the Heathens used to Worship, faying, Though he be not far from every one of us; for in (or by) him (that is, through his creating and conferving Power) we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own Poets have faid, FOR WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING. Forafmuch then as we are the OffSpring of God, we ought not to think, that the Godhead is like unto gold, or filver, or ftone, graven by art or man's device, v. 27, 28, 29.

It seems plain, that God's being not far from every one of us imports, that the right understanding and knowledge of his Being may be attained without any great difficulty. For the reason the Apoftle gives, why God is not far from every one of us, is because, 1. in (or by) him, that is, through his creating and conferving Power) we live,and move, and have our being; as certain of the Heathen Poets have confeffed by faying, that we are his Off-Spring; 2. by our being his Off-fpring it appears that he is no Idol. For the Apoftle faies, Forafmuch then as we are the Off-fpring of God, we ought not to think, that the Godhead is like unto gold, or filver, or Stone graven by art and man's device. Now fince the common Argument for proving the Being of the true God, is alledged by the Apostle to prove, that he is not far from every one of us; it feems to follow, that his being not far from every one of us, which is proved thereby, imports (as I have already faid) that the right understanding and knowledge of his Being may be attained without any great difficulty; the Argument by which 'tis proved being fo very obvious,

and

and drawn from our own Creation and Confervation, which we cannot but be conftantly fenfi ble of.

And if this interpretation be admitted, it will help our Adverfaries as little as the former. For the right understanding and knowledge of the Lord being what they are to feek and feel after, and the Argument by which they are affured they may attain it being drawn from their own Creation and Confervation; certainly 'tis abfurd to fay, that they are directed to feel after a pretended Univer fal Light within. Unless our Adverfaries can fhew, either that the pretended Univerfal Light within is the right understanding and knowledge of God's Nature; or that Man cannot attain a right knowledge and understanding of God's Being, if there be not fuch an Univerfal Light within, as they pretend; or that the Apoftle's Argument for the proof of the Truth of God's Being will not hold, unlefs there be fuch an Univerfal Light within to confirm it; or that the proof of the Truth of God's Being is a proof of their pretended Univerfal Light within.

6. They fay, that the Word, the Word of the Kingdom, or the Word of God, in the Parable of the Sower, which is mentioned, Matt. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. is exprefly called the Seed, which they understand to be their Univerfal Light within. Now 'tis true, that the Word, the Word of the Kingdom, or the Word of God, is called the feed: but that what is there called the feed, is the fame with our Adverfaries Univerfal Light within, I utterly deny; nor is there the leaft shadow of an Argument to prove it.

But there is abundant reafon to understand it in a quite different fenfe. For, 1. the Kingdom, or

which is all one) the Kingdom of God, does in all the New Testament conftantly fignify, either the time of the Meffiah, or the Kingdom of Glory which the Saints fhall inherit hereafter, or God's reigning in the hearts of his People, or his coming to deftroy Jerufalem. I do by no means affert, that 'tis fometimes taken in all these fenses; for perhaps there are just reasons to exclude the two laft: but I fay, 'tis never ufed in any other fenfe befides these; and that probably 'tis never ufed in any but the two first. 2. The Word, or the Word of God, never fignifies any thing like the pretended light of our Adverfaries; but it often fignifies the Doctrine or outward preaching of Christ and his Apostles. Of this I fhall give a few inftances. His Word (that is, his Doctrine outwardly preached) was with power, Luk. 4.32. 'Tis faid alfo of Martha, that the fate at our Savior's feet, and heard his Word, that is, what he outwardly preached, Luke 10.39. and they (viz. the Apoftles) went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word (outwardly preached by them) with figns following, Mark 16. 20. and the people preffed upon him to hear the Word of God, Luke 5.1. which Word was outwardly preached, or else they need not have preffed upon him to hear it. And, to mention no more places, in that very Chapter, wherein the Parable of the Sower is recorded, Chrift's outward preaching of the Doid &trine of the Gofpel is calling his fpeaking the Word, Mark 4.32. and that very Parable of the Sower is part of the Word then spoken by him.

Now the Word of the Kingdom, the Word, and the Word of God, are one and the fame thing. For in this very Parable, related by the feveral Evangelifts, the fame that is called the Word of the King

dom,

dom, Matt. 13.19. is called the Word, Mark 4.14. and the Word of God, Luke 8. 11. And accordingly the Word of the Kingdom is the Doctrine of the Kingdom outwardly preached. But of what Kingdom? Is it the Doctrine of that Kingdom of Glory which the Saints fhall inherit hereafter, or of God's reigning in the hearts of his people, or of his coming to deftroy Jerufalem? Let any of thefe be fuppofed, 'twill do our Adverfaries no fervice. For certainly that Doctrine outwardly preached is far from being what our Adverfaries mean by the Univerfal Light within.

But the truth on't is, this is the Natural interpretation of thofe Phrafes in this Parable. The Kingdom is the time of the Meffiah, the Seed is the Word or Doctrine, the preaching of the Do&trine is the fowing of the Seed, the Hearers are the ground in which 'tis fown, and the Preacher of the Word or Doctrine is the fower of this Seed. And furely, that Man must have fomething very peculiar in his eyes, who can perceive the fmalleft ray of our Adverfaries pretended Light in all

this.

7. From what has been faid it appears, what is meant by the engrafted Word, which is able to fave your fouls, James 1. 21. For the engrafted Word is the asps, that is, the implanted Word, or Word that is fown, viz. the Doctrine of the Gofpel outwardly preached; which being received with Meeknefs, and accompanied with the Divine Bleffing, is able to fave, or bring to Salvation, the Souls of the Hearers.

8. The Author to the Hebrews faies, that the Word of God is quick and powerful, and fharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing afunder of foul and spirit, and of the joints and mar

L

"

rows

row, and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature, that is not manifeft in his fight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, Heb. 4. 12, 13. This place our Adverfaries interpret of their Univerfal Light within. But let them fhew, if they can, that the Word of God does ever bear that fenfe in all the Bible. I have fhewn, that the Doctrine of the Gospel outwardly preached is called the Word of God; and fome perfons do understand this place of that Word of God, viz. the Doctrine of the Gofpel outwardly preached. Others understand it of the fecond Perfon in the Trinity, the eternal Word which was incarnate; and the Expreffions do agree very well to him. I fhall not determine, which interpretation is to be preferred; but either of them overthrows that of our Adverfaries.

9. Our Savior faies, the Kingdom of God is within you, Luke 17.21. and by the Kingdom of God, in the judgment of our Adverfaries, is meant the Univerfal Light within. 'Twas but a little before, that the Seed of the Kingdom was the Light; and now the Light is the Kingdom it felf. But for what reafon? Why, becaufe they have a mind to have it fo. For there is not any place of the Bible, where the Kingdom of God denotes any thing like their pretended Univerfal Light with

in.

But (as I have already obferved) the King. dom of God does often fignify the time of the Meffiah, and 'tis plain that it is fo to be underftood in this place. For the Context runs thus, And when he was demanded of the Pharifees, when the Kingdom of God fhould come, he answered them and faid, The Kingdom of God cometh not with obfervation.