Behold, all ye that kindle a fire
To enlighten and warm yourselves; who, rejecting Christ the Light
of the world, and despising the glorious light of his Gospel, and
loving darkness rather than light, set up the light of nature and
reason as the rule of faith and practice; or the traditions and
doctrines of men to be guided by; or their own righteousness for
their justification before God, and acceptance with him:
that compass yourselves about with sparks,
that fly out of the fire kindled, or are struck out of a flint,
which have little light and no heat, and are soon out; which may
denote the short lived pleasures and comforts which are had from
the creature, or from anything of a man's own: walk in the
light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have
kindled;
an ironical expression, bidding them take all the comfort and
satisfaction they could in their own works and doings, and get
all the light and heat they could from thence: this shall
ye have of mine hand;
which you may depend upon receiving from me, for rejecting me and
my righteousness, and trusting in your own: ye shall lie
down in sorrow;
instead of being justified hereby, and having peace with God, and
entering into heaven, ye shall be pressed down with sore
distress, die in your sins, and enter into an everlasting state
of condemnation and death; see ( Mark 16:16 ) . This was
the case and state of the Jews, ( Romans 9:31 Romans 9:32 ) (
10:3 ) (
John 8:24 ) (
John 3:19
John 3:20 ) .
This is one of the passages the Jews F7 say is repeated by the
company of angels, which meet a wicked man at death.