T Is a work that requires our choycest thoughts , the exactest discussion that can be ; a thing very material and desirable , to give unto Reason the things that are Reasons , and unto Faith the things that are Faiths ; to give Faith her full scope and latitude , and to give Reason also her just bounds and limits ; this is the first-born , but the other has the blessing . And yet there is not such a vast hiatus neither , such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between them as some would imagine : there is no such implacable antipathy , no such irreconcileable jarring between them , as some do fancy to themselves ; they may very well salute one another , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , osculo Pacis ; Reason and Faith may kisse each other . There is a twin-light springing from both , and they both spring from the same fountain of light , and they both sweetly conspire in the same end , the glory of that being from which they shine , & the welfare & happines of that being upon which they shine . So that to blaspheme Reason , 't is to reproach heaven it self , and to dishonour the God of Reason , to question the beauty of his Image , and by a strange ingratitude to slight this great and Royal gift of our Creator . For 't is he that set up these two great Luminaries in every heavenly soul , the Sun to rule the day , and the Moon to rule the night ; and though there be some kinde of creatures that will bark at this lesser light , and others so severely critical , as that they make mountains of those spots and freckles which they see in her face ; yet others know how to be thankful for her weaker beams , and will follow the least light of Gods setting up , though it be but the Candle of the Lord .

But some are so strangely prejudic'd against Reason , and that upon sufficient reason too ( as they think ) which yet involves a flat contradiction , as that they look upon it not as the Candle of the Lord , but as on some blazing Comet that portends present ruine to the Church , and to the soul , and carries a fatal and venemous influence along with it . And because the unruly head of Socinus and his followers by their meer pretences to Reason , have made shipwrack of Faith , and have been very injurious to the Gospel ; therefore these weak and staggering apprehensions , are afraid of understanding any thing , and think that the very name of Reason , especially in a Pulpit , in matters of Religion , must needs have at least a thousand heresies coucht in it . If you do but offer to make a Syllogisme , they 'l strait way cry it down for carnal reasoning . What would these men have ? Would they be banisht from their own essences ? Would they forfeit and renounce their understandings ? Or have they any to forfeit or disclaime ? would they put out this Candle of the Lord , intellectuals of his own lighting ? or have they any to put out ? would they creep into some lower species , and go a grazing with Nebuchadnezar among the beasts of the field ? or are they not there already ? Or if they themselves can be willing to be so shamefully degraded , do they think that all others too are bound to follow their example ? Oh , what hard thoughts have these of Religion ? do they look upon it only as on a bird of prey , that comes to peck out the eyes of men ? Is this all the nobility that it gives , that men by vertue of it must be beheaded presently ? do's it chop off the intellectuals at one blow ? Le ts hear awhile what are the offences of Reason ; are they so hainous and capital ? what has it done ? what lawes has it violated ? whose commands has it broken ? what did it ever do against the crown and dignity of heaven , or against the peace and tranquillity of men ? Why are a weak and perverse generation , so angry and displeased with it ? Is it because this daughter of the morning is fallen from her primitive glory ? from her original vigour and perfection ? Far be it from me to extenuate that great and fatal overthrow , which the sons of men had in their first and original apostasie from their God ; that under which the whole Creation sigh's and groanes : but this we are sure , it did not annihilate the soul , it did not destroy the essence , the powers and faculties , nor the operations of the soul ; though it did defile them , and disorder them , and every way indispose them .

Well then , because the eye of Reason is weakened , and vitiated , will they therefore pluck it out immediately ? and must Leah be hated upon no other account , but because she is blear-ey'd ? The whole head is wounded , and akes , and is there no other way but to cut it off ? The Candle of the Lord do's not shine so clearly as it was wont , must it therfore be extinguisht presently ? is it not better to enjoy the faint and languishing light of this Candle of the Lord , rather then to be in palpable and disconsolate darknesse ? There are indeed but a few seminal sparks left in the ashes , and must there be whole floods of water cast on them to quench them ? 'T is but an old imperfect Manuscript , with some broken periods , some letters worn out , must they therefore with an unmerciful indignation rend it and tear it asunder ? 'T is granted that the picture has lost its glosse and beauty , the oriency of its colours , the elegancy of its lineaments , the comelinesse of its proportion ; must it therefore be totally defac'd ? must it be made one great blot ? and must the very frame of it be broken in pieces ? Would you perswade the Lutanist to cut all his strings in sunder , because they are out of tune ? and will you break the Bowe upon no other account , but because it 's unbended ? because men have not so much of Reason as they should , will they therefore resolve to have none at all ? will you throw away your gold , because it 's mixt with drosse ? Thy very being that 's imperfect too , thy graces , they are imperfect , wilt thou refuse these also ? And then consider , that the very apprehending the weaknes of Reason , even this in some measure comes from Reason . Reason , when awaken'd , it feels her own wounds , it hears her own jarrings , she sees the dimnesse of her own sight . 'T is a glasse that discovers its own spots , and must it therefore be broke in peices ? Reason her self has made many sad complaints unto you ; she has told you often , and that with teares in her eyes , what a great shipwrack she has suffered , what goods she has lost , how hardly she escaped with a poor decayed being ; she has shewn you often some broken reliques as the sad remembrancers of her former ruines ; she told you how that when she swam for her life , she had nothing but two or three Jewels about her , two or three common notions ; and would you rob her of them also ? is this all your tendernesse and compassion ? Is this your kindness to your friend ? will you trample upon her now she is so low ? Is this a sufficient cause to give her a Bill of divorcement , because she has lost her former beauty and fruitfulnesse ?

Or is Reason thus offensive to them , because she cannot grasp and comprehend the things of God ? Vain men , will they pluck out their eyes because they cannot look upon the Sun in his brightnesse and glory ? What though Reason cannot reach to the depths , to the bottomes of the Ocean , may it not therefore swim and hold up the head as well as it can ? What though it cannot enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum , and pierce within the Veile ; may it not notwithstanding lie in the Porch , at the gate of the Temple called beautiful , and be a door-keeper in the house of its God ? It 's wings are clipt indeed , it cannot flie so high as it might have done , it cannot flie so swiftly , so strongly as once it could , will they not therefore allow it to move , to stirre , to flutter up and down as well as it can ? the turrets and pinacles of the stately structure are fallen , will they therefore demolish the whole fabrick , and shake the very foundations of it ? and down with it to the ground ? though it be not a Jacobs ladder to climbe up to heaven by , yet may they not use it as a staffe to walk upon earth withall ? and then Reason it self knows this also and acknowledges , that 't is dazled with the Majesty and glory of God ; that it cannot pierce into his mysterious and unsearchable wayes ; it never was so vain as to go about to measure immensity by its own finite Compasse , or to span out absolute eternity by its own more imperfect duration . True Reason did never go about to comprize the Bible in its own Nutshel . And if Reason be content with its own sphere , why should it not have the liberty of its proper motion ?

Is it because it opposes the things of God , and wrangles against the mysteries of salvation , is it therefore excluded ? An heinous and frequent accusation indeed , but nothing more false and injurious ; and if it had been an open enemy that had done her this wrong , why then she could have born it ; but it 's thou her friend and companion , ye have took sweet counsel together , and have entred into the house of God as friends , 't is you that have your dependance upon her ; that cannot speak one word to purpose against her , without her help and assistance . What mean you thus to revile your most intimate and inseparable self ? why do you thus slander your own beings ? would you have all this to be true which you say ? Name but the time if you can , when ever right Reason did oppose one jot or apex of the word of God . Certainly , these men speak of distorted Reason all this while . Surely they do not speak of the Candle of the Lord , but of some shadow and appearance of it . But if they tell us that all Reason is distorted , whether then is theirs so , in telling us so ? if they say that they do not know this by Reason , but by the Word of God ; whether then is there 〈◊〉 Reason , when it acknowledges the Word of God ? whether is it then distorted , or no ? Besides , if there were no right Reason in the world , what difference between sobriety and madnesse , between these men and wiser ones ? how then were the heathen left without excuse , who had nothing to see by but this Candle of the Lord ? and how do's this thrust men below sensitive creatures , for better have no Reason at all , then such as do's perpetually deceive them , and delude them .

Or do's Reason thus displease them , because the blackest Errours sometimes come under the fair disguise of so beautiful a name , and have some tincture of Reason in them ? But truly this is so farre from being a disparagement to Reason , as that 't is no small commendation of it , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Men love to put a plausible title , a winning frontispiece upon the foulest Errours . Thus licentiousnesse would faine be called by the name of liberty , and all dissolutenesse would faine be countenanced and secured under the Patronage and protection of free-grace . Thus wickednesse would willingly forget its own name , and adopt it self into the family of goodnesse . Thus Arminianisme pleads for it self under the specious notion of Gods love to mankinde . Thus that silly Errour of Antinomianisme will needs stile it self an Evangelical Honey-comb . Thus all irregularities and anomalies in Church affairs must pride themselves in those glittering titles of a New Light , A Gospel way , An Heaven upon Earth . No wonder then that some also pretend to Reason , who yet run out of it , and beyond it , and besides it ; but must none therefore come near it ? because Socinus has burnt his wings at this Candle of the Lord , must none therefore make use of it ?

May he not be conquer'd with his own weapons , and beat out of his own strong holds ? and may not the head of an uncircumcised Philistine be cut off with his own sword ?

Or lastly , are they thus afraid of Reason , because by vertue of this , men of wit and subtilty will presently argue and dispute them into an Errour , so as that they shall not be able to disintangle a truth , though in it self it be never so plaine and unquestionable ? But first , Reason it self tells them that it may be thus , and so prepares and fortifies them against such a tryal ; and then , this only shews that some mens Reason is not so well advanc'd and improv'd , either as it might be , or as others is ; a sharper edge would quickly cut such difficulties asunder . Some have more refined and clarifi'd intellectuals , more vigorous and sparkling eyes then others , and one soul differs from another in glory ; and that reason which can make some shift to maintain Errour , might with a great deal lesse sweat and pains maintain a truth .

There 's no question but that Bellarmin , and the rest of the learned Papists could have if they had pleased , far more easily defended the Protestant Religion then that of their own . Besides , the vigour and triumph of Reason is principally to be seen in those first-born beames , those pure and unspotted irradiations that shine from it ; I mean those first bublings up of common principles that are own'd and acknowledg'd by all ; and those evident , and kindly derivations that flow from them . Reason shews her face more amiably and pleasantly in a pure and cleare streame , then in those mudded and troubled waters , in which the Schoolmen ( that have leasure enough ) are alwayes fishing . Nay , some of their works are like so many raging seas , full of perpetual tossings , and disquietings , and foamings , and sometimes casting up mire and dirt ; and yet these vast and voluminous Leviathans love to sport therein , and that which is most intolerable , these grand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that seem'd so zealous for Reason , at length in expresse termes disclaime it ; and in a most blindfold and confused manner , cry up their great Diana , their Idol of Transubstantiation ; and the Lutherans are very fierce against Reason too , much upon the same account , because it would never allow of that other monstrous and misshapen lump of Consubstantiation .

But why have I all this while beaten the air , and spilt words upon the ground ? why do I speak to such as are incurable and incapable ? for if we speak Reason to them , that 's that which they so much disclaim : if we do not speak Reason to them that were to disclaime it too .

But I speak to men , to Christians , to the friends of learning , to the professors of Reason : to such as put this Candle of the Lord into a golden Candlestick , and poure continual Oile into it . Yet lest any among you Athenians , should erect an Altar to an unknown God ; lest you should ignorantly worship him , we will declare him to you .

And that which we have now said may serve as a Porch and preamble , to what we shall speak hereafter out of these words .

Where we shall see

1 ) How The understanding of a man is the Candle of the Lord .

2 ) What this Candle of the Lord discovers ; where we shall finde

NOw as for the words themselves , we cannot better judge of the fitnesse of this expression , then by considering who it was that spoke it .

Now these words were spoke by him that had a large portion of intellectuals , one that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they were spoken by Solomon in whom the Candle of the Lord did shine very clearly ; one that had ask'd this as the choisest favour that he could expect from the bounty of heaven ; to have a glorious lamp of knowledge shine in his soul for the enlightning of it . And though the envious Jews would fain perswade the world that he lighted his candle at hell it self , for they esteemed him no better then a Magician ; as they esteemed him also that was greater then Solomon ; yet we know very well , that Solomons was a purer Candle then to be lighted at a Lake of fire and brimstone ; 't was not of Lucifers setting up , but it came from the Father of lights , 't was lighted with Sun-beams from heaven .

And 't is a modest and humble expression in him to call his understanding the Candle of the Lord , when as the world look'd upon him as a star of the first magnitude , nay as a Sun shining in the firmament , gilding the world with knowledge , scattering beams of light , sparkling out in wise and proverbial sayings , so that the bordering Princes and Nations are ready to adore such an orient light ; and the Queen of the South thinks it no small happinesse to sit under the shadow of it . But yet to be sensible of his own narrow sphere , of his own finite compasse and influence , did not at all take from his lustre , but did rather set it off , and adde to his glory .

Thus that wise man among the Heathen Socrates did so farre complain of the weaknesse of his candle-light , as that he tels us his lamp would shew him nothing but his own darknesse . And though a wiser then Socrates be here , yet he is much in the same measure sensible of the dimnesse of his own intellectuals . And yet he was one that had made many discoveries with this Candle of the Lord , he had searcht into the mines , and several veins of knowledge ; he had searcht into the hid treasures of wisdome , he had searcht to the depth of State-affairs , he had searched into the bowels of natural causes , into the Magnalia & Mysteria of Nature ; as if among many other wives he had espoused Nature also to himself , he had searcht into the several tempers and intellectual complexions of men ; he had searcht long enough with this Candle of the Lord , to see if he could finde any good under the Sun , he went with his Candle to finde out a summum bonum ; he searcht into all the corners of being ; and at length being sufficiently wearied ; you may see him sitting down ; you may hear him complaining that he had but spent and wasted the Candle of the Lord in vaine ; for so much is implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ this was but depastio spiritûs , as he himself calls it .

Yet he was one that shewed others how they might make better improvement of their intellectual lamp ; and this was his wisest advice that he gave upon his most mature and concocted thoughts , this was tanquam mox emoriturae lucernae supremus fulgor : that men would only follow this Candle of the Lord , as it directs them in the wayes of God , which are wayes of sweetnesse and pleasantnesse , for this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very end why God set up such a light in the soul , that it might search out his Creatour with it .

And as for the minde of the words , though one would think they were very clear , and shining with their own light , yet interpreters are pleased to cloud them , to turn light it self into a Chaos , and to cast darknesse upon the face of the Text ; like some unskilful ones , while they go about to snuff the Candle , they put it out , but we 'l try whether it can be blown in again .

We shall reduce their several meanings to these three heads .

1 ) Some would have it thus . The Candle of the Lord ●s in the understanding of a man , as if the words did run thus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucerna Domini in mente hominis , that is , God with his Candle discovers the very thoughts and intentions of men , he searches into every corner of the heart ; he has lucernam in corde , he spies out every Atome , he perceives the first starting of a motion , the first peeping out of a thought , but this , though it be very true , yet is nothing to the purpose here .

2 ) Some glosse upon the words thus , the understanding of man when 't is enlightned with supernatural knowledge , is then the Candle of the Lord : but these do rather dictate to Solomon , and tell him what they would have him say ; they do rather frame and fashion a Proverb to themselves , then explain his meaning : and these are they that are afraid to give natural light , and natural reason their due . But

3 ) I shall fully agree with them that take this for the proper and genuine meaning of the place , that God hath breathed into all the sons of men , Reasonable souls which may serve as so many Candles to enlighten and direct them in the searching out their Creatour , in the discovering of other inferiour beings , and themselves also ; and this is that which is here implyed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that same spiraculum vitae , nay that same immortal breath , that same rational breath quickened by God himself , and flowing from him as a pure derivation from his own being , and thus the Hebr. Doctors do still look upon this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as that which does expresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , animam rationis participem , and ( as they observe ) it has a plain vicinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but to be sure the being is derived from thence whether the word be or no. So then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it points out the supreme region , the very top and flower of a reasonable soul , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does speak nothing but the dregs and bottome of it , the inferiour and sensitive soul . The Apostle Paul in his learned speech to the Athenians mentions them both , and calls them very significantly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and so some also take that other place of the Apostle in that accurate discourse of his to the Corinthians , that which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and that which he termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , though it be true also that sometimes they take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a more generical sense , for thus they tell us , there are in man 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (1) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vegetable soul , a soul in the bud , the very blossome and flower of life . (2) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anima bruti , a soul looking out at the window of sense . (3) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soul sparkling and glittering with intellectuals , a soul crowned with light , and this is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ Now as for that other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though sometimes the minde of man his intellectual part be expr●st by it , yet the word in its own nature is a great deal more large and comprehensive , and as it extends to some material beings , so it reaches to all spirituals ; hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ and the Angels both good and bad frequently come under this name , but when 't is put for the minde and spirit of man , yet I finde it very well differenced from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly import impetum animi , motum mentis , the vigour and energy of the soul , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rather then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the Hebrew Doctors are pleased to tell us the several situations of these , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they say is in corde , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cerebro , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hepate . Now though I know that some places in the New Testament which speak of soul and spirit meet with this interpretation , that spirit there is the purest eminency , the most refined part of the soul ; yet this is not at all prejudicial to what we now speak of ; for first , they may take it for the regenerate part of the soul , that which the Apostle cals the new creature ; or else (2) suppose it be spoke of the soul in its natural condition , 't is worth the considering then whether it would not be better rendered by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is rendered the spirit of a man ; but (3) grant that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be more answerable to it , and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should have the worth and precedency of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet will scarce ever be shewn or explained ; yet this is very sure and unquestionable , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does very properly speak a reasonable soul , and that the more peculiarly , because when Moses speaks of that very moment when 't was created , and breathed into man , he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Arab. interpreter keeps as close to the words , as so vast a Dialect will give leave , and stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 halitus vitae . And 't is soothworth , the wond'ring at that that learned interpreter of Genesis , who is so well verst in Rabbinical writings should yet expound that of the sensitive ; but they run as far into the other extreme that would understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a soul advanc'd above it self by supernatural principles , and I think this sense will scarce be owned by any that can construe Hebrew .