* Shall the Sun of righteousness arise.' From the most glorious creature, ' the sun,' he expresseth the most glorious Creator, * Christ Jesus,' taking
* That is, ' those that fear temptations and fear not God, are not secure. — G.
THE SUN OF EIGHTEOUSNESS.
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occasion to help our understandings in grace by natural things, and teach- ing us thereby to make a double use of the creatures, corporal and spiritual; out of the excellency of the creatures, raising up our minds to consider the excellency of the Creator, so as if these things have beauty and strength, and are comfortable ; how much more he that endueth these things with these quahties. Thus, as the rivers lead to the sea, so these creatures should lead us to the glorious majesty of God. But the main observation is, that Christ is the Sim of righteousness, for as by nature there was no guile found in his lips, so is he habitually and actually righteous. He is wisdom, justification, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. He is compared to the sun, first, because as all light ivas gathered into the hody of the sun, and from it derived* to us, so it pleased God that in him should the fulness of all excellency dwell, Col. i. 19 ; and therefore those that look for perfection out of Christ, do look for light without the sun. Secondly, as there is but one sun, so there is but one Sun of righteousness; and there- fore what needeth two heads, or two husbands. One must needs be an adulterer. Christ doth all by his Spirit, which is his vicar. Other vicar needs not, though there were a thousand worlds more. Thirdly, as the sun is above in the firmament, so Christ is exalted up on high, to convey his graces and virtues to all his creatures here below ; even as the sun conveys life, and quickens the earth, yea, all things thereon, though itself be but one. Fourthly, as the sun ivorks largely in all things here below, so doth Christ. Fifthly, as the sun is the fountain of light, and the eye of the world, so Christ is the fountain of all spiritual light. * I am the light of the world,' saith he of himself, John viii. 12. He was that light that enlightens the world, saith St John of him, John i. 9, and therefore Zacharias termeth him ' the day-spring from on high,' Luke i. 78. Sixthly, as the sun directeth us whither to go, and which way, so doth Christ teach us to go to heaven, and by what means ; what duties to perform, what things to avoid, and what things to bear. Seventhly, as the sun is pleasant, Eccles. xi. 7, and darkness is ter- rible, so Christ is comfortable; for he makes all at peace where he comes, and sends his Spirit the Comforter. Now he is in heaven. Therefore as ignorance and error is expressed by darkness, so, contrarily, joy and honour and knowledge, which bringeth it, is expressed by light, Esther viii. 16 ; and Christ is our director, our supporter, and without him what are we ? and what do we but glory in our shame ? Eighthly, By the beams of the sun is conveyed influence to make things grow, and to distinguish between times and seasons. Thus Christ, by his power, makes all things cheerful, and therefore is called the ' quickening Spirit,' 1 Cor. xv. 45 ; for he quickens the dead and dark soul, which, till Christ shine on us, it is a dungeon of ignorance and unbelief; and as his Spirit blows on our spirits, so also it works a spring in growth of grace, or a summer in strength of zeal. Ninthly, the sun ivorks these effects not by coming down to us, but by influence, and shall we, then, be so sottish as to imagine that Christ of necessity must come bodily in the sacrament to us, or that there is else no work of the Spirit by that ordinance. Can the sun be thus powerful in operation by nature, and shall not this Sun of righteousness be more powerful by the influence of his Spirit to comfort and quicken us, though he cometh not bodily down into a piece of bread? Tenthly, As the sun doth work freely, drawing up vapours to dissolve them into rain upon the earth, to cherish it when it is dry, so doth Christ. He freely came from heaven to us, and freely draws up our hearts to heaven, which cannot ascend thither but by * That is, ' communicated.' — G.
170 THE SUN OF EIGHTEOUSNESS.
his exhaling power. Christ is our loadstone, that draws these iron hard hearts of ours upward, causing us to contemn this base world, counting it ' dross and dung,' as the church is shadowed out in the Revelation treading the moon under our* feet. Eleventhly, as the sun shines upon all, yet cloth not heat all, so Christ is offered to all. He shines on all where the gospel Cometh, but all are not enlightened ; and all that are enlightened do not burn in love to him ; nay, some are more hardened by it, as it is the nature of the sun to harden some bodies. Twelfthly, and lastly, as the sun quickens and 2)uts life into dead creatures, so shall Christ, by his power, quicken our dead bodies, and raise them up again when he shall come to judgment. And notwithstanding all these particulars, yet he is not everyway like it, for the sun shines upon all alike ; but Christ doth not thus, for many are in eternal darkness, notwithstanding this light. He is mercy, yet many are in misery.