How, then, shall we know whether Christ be a sun to us or not ?
I answer, If ire Jind that we feel the heat and comfort of a Christian, \i is a sign Christ hath effectually shined upon us. We know that a stone, being naturally cold, if it be hot, that either the sun hath shined on it, or it hath been near some fire. The papists ask us how we know faith to be faith. We may ask them how they know heat to be heat, or hght to be light. Even so, by experience, do we find Christ his presence by enlightened hearts and holy affections. They, forsooth, will have the pope judge of these main things, and of the Scripture itself, and thus teach men to look for the sun by candle light.
Secondly, He shall see his marvellous light, and admire it, even as a man newly out of a dark prison, or a blind man restored to sight, how cheerful and joyous is he ; or a cripple, when he is healed, oh how he skips and leaps ; so a Christian he shews forth the joy of his own heart by telling how good God hath been to his soul. Carnal men wonder at fair buildings, precious jewels, and the like, but David crieth out, ' Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, and then I shall rejoice,' Ps. iv. 6.
Thirdly, If Christ have shined upon any effectually, theij icill walk comely as children of the liyht ; and therefore if they live in a course of sin against conscience, the light will tell them their conscience belies them, if they think the light hath shined on them. And indeed it is a wonder how a man should be thus sottish to think he is a child of the light, and yet live in such sins as indeed a man should be ashamed to name ; yea, such as the heathen did condemn. This shall be their condemnation, even because they sin against the light ; ' light is come into the world, and yet they love darkness more than light, because their deeds are evil,' John iii. 19.
But how shall we carry ourselves, that Christ may shine on us ?
For answer thereunto ; we should ever be under sanctified means. All the light is gathered into the Scriptures. Attend we, in humility and obe- dience to God's commandment, on them, and let Christ alone for the pro- fiting of us. It is he that gives us to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Use we the company of those that are good, for by conference God works strangely many times, as in the hearts of the two disciples that went to Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 13. Contrarily take we heed of filthy com- pany. Christ will not shine on base houses, and company where all serves to fire temptations and strengthen our lusts.
Quest. But here may it be demanded what comfort was this to the Jews, * Qu. 'her'?— G.
THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
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to whom this was spoken, whenas it was now near a hundred years after, before Christ came ?
A71S. To which I answer, it was a comfort to them to be assured that their seed and posterity should see this ' Sun of righteousness.' Abraham rejoiced because the promise was made to him; the Jews rejoiced because of the conversion of the Gentiles which was to come ; and where grace is, there will be joy for any good that ariseth to others that are led by the same Spirit, and one spiritual member is engaged in the good of another.
Secondly, Christ was a son"^' be/ore he was in the flesh. He was ' a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world,' Rev. xiii. 8, in virtue and force, and also to the eye of faith, so as thereby those Jews saw this Sun of righteousness as present, and thus Abraham saw Christ's day and rejoiced ; and thus is the second glorious coming of Christ present to every be- liever, and wraps up the soul in joy, as if it were in heaven ; for faith regards no distance of time nor place, and therefore it sees Christ really present in the sacrament without the help of popish presence.
Now for use of this doctrine.
Use 1. Is Christ a Sun of righteousness ? Then should wejnty their estate that are in darkness, and never had Christ to shine on them by his Spirit nor ordinances, as in many j)laces of this kingdom. It is a cruel bloody practice of those lay pastors, that for want of the ministry of the word do betray the souls of many poor people into the jaws of the devil. f
Use 2. Secondly, If Christ be the Sun of righteousness, we should, when we are cold and benumbed, repair to him, and conceive of him as one having excellencies suitable to our ivants. Are we dark ? He is light. Are we dull ? He can heal us. Are we dying ? He is life. And are we in discomfort ? He is the fulness of love. He is therefore the Son,* that we should seek to him, and make him ours all in all ; our Prophet, to direct us by his light ; our Priest, to make atonement for us ; our King, to help us over- come all our corruptions, and to make us more than conquerors.