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Saviour, by saying, "Rabbi, when camest "thou hither?" to whom our Lord replied, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me

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not because ye saw the miracles, but because "ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.” John vi. 25, 26.

As the natural sun has opposite effects upon different bodies, by softening some, such as the wax, and hardening others, as that of the clay; yet is this hardening effect not to be attributed to the sun, but to the nature of the clay upon which it shines: So the Sun of righteousness proveth the savour of life unto life to some, but that of death unto death to others. Some sinners are melted under the preaching of the gospel, while others become more hardened thereby ; nor is this hardening owing to any fault in this Sun, who from unrighteousness is altogether free, Psal. xcii. 15. but totally to their own depravity and unbelief. True, indeed, by the fall of Adam, all men are naturally alike, but the nature of the elect being renewed, is the alone cause why these receive gracious impressions, while others do not.

Where the sun-beams directly shine, the eye beholds it full of motes, though before there appeared none. In like manner, when the Sun of righteousness shineth into the heart of a sinner, the man seeth what he never thought of before, even his whole inward part, as well as the outward, to be full of sin and filthiness.

In the rays of the sun the rainbow is seen, that token of the covenant which God made of not destroying the earth any more by a flood of water: So in the rays of the Sun of righteousness, the believer beholdeth a token of that covenant of grace which God made with his Son Christ, in the elect's name, that he would not destroy them with the flood of wrath for his sake.

The sun in the firmament is unchangeable and constant; every morning he arises and performs his course from east to west, shining forth for the benefit of all the terrestrial creation, though his benign beams are often obscured from the earth by reason of intervening clouds. With respect to immuta

bility, the Sun of righteousness incomparably excelleth, for he is eternally unchangeable; he still shineth forth in the firmament of his grace, for the good of all his elected ones, although his cheering beams may often be obscured from the soul by reason of sin, which, like intercepting clouds, prevent them from having this comfort: Yet let such solace themselves by viewing the Sun of righteousness, with the eye of faith, as still shining for their good in the firmament of his grace, though the eye of sense may not behold him, still hoping and waiting for a brighter day, when their sky shall be cleared, and they enjoy again his gladdening beams.

The naked eye cannot directly look the sun in the face, without much danger of being hurt (unless in some secondary way) his lustre is so great. In like manner, sinful man, made naked by the fall, cannot look directly in the face of the Sun of righteousness, as he is one in essence with the Father and Spirit, the infinitely holy, just, and pure, dreadful, almighty Jehovah, without great

danger of eternal destruction, unless in and through the Mediatorship of Christ Jesus ; and so through his human nature behold his divine; for, to the sinner who is out of Christ, God is a "consuming fire." Deut. iv. 24. Heb. xii. 29.

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The sun never takes the traveller at a disadvantage, but gives him, timely warning of his going down by his cooling the evening, and making the shadows long; so that if he be benighted, and lie in the fields, he has only himself to blame. In like manthe Sun of righteousness giveth warning to those who travel Zion-ward, in profession only, of his total withdrawment from them, by his leaving them to a coldness and carelessness about the things of God, and to delight in the shadows more than in the substance of religion; so that with the rest of the reprobate they have only themselves to blame for being eternally benighted. How then ought not those who observe such signs of his withdrawment, whether as individuals, or a particular church,

Joshua like, to pray that this sun may stand still; and if they pray in faith, like Joshua, they shall be heard, Josh. x. 12, 13.

When the sun goes down, darkness does not immediately ensue ; but though the light is protracted for a little, yet are there not the smallest hopes of his rising again that day; for it is ended.

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In the twilight, which is quickly lost in the blackness of the night, the votaries of lewdness walk forth, as well as the beasts of the forest, to hunt for their prey. So the Sun of righteousness may end the day of grace, and I doubt not, often doeth, before the day of a sinner's life; but where there is the smallest hope of being again blest with his beams, or the least desire after this, it is a sign the case is not desperate the Sun of righteousness as to them is not totally gone down; for the Lord is good to them that seek him, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; for he satisfieth the longing soul---will be found of them that seek him, and accomplish the

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