But for what do we love the sun most? Is it because of that resplendency that he is possessed of? or is it not rather on account of the benefits we derive from his cheering rays and fructifying beams? But far otherwise is it with respect to the Sun of righteousness; his people love him more on account of what he is, in and of himself, and what he hath done for them, than for all the good things he hath purchased for them, nay, than for heaven itself. I will not indeed say that this is always the case upon a person's immediately closing with Christ; for like as one who findeth himself inevitably perishing in a mighty flood, ready every moment to be overwhelmed in the impetuous surge, will cry vehemently out for help, and, when a rope is thrown in for his delivery, self-preservation maketh him eagerly grasp the same; but no sooner doth he find himself escaped the danger, than he contemplateth with love the benevolent hand that preserved his life. So the shipwrecked sinner in Adam, when he seeth himself perishing in a sea of wrath, ready to be swallowed up in the inexorable billows of divine justice, will be apt, like a woman in pangs, to cry out

with the jailor of Phillippi,

"What must I

"do to be saved?" And when by the hand of power a cord of mercy is let down for his delivery, with a "Believe on the Lord Je

sus Christ, and thou shalt be saved;' will he not eagerly take hold of it, and hold for life? But no sooner doth he see his interest in Christ, than he loveth him mainly because of his own excellency, and what he hath done for him, even far more than on account of the good things he hath purchased for him. Indeed if our love to Christ rise no higher than for the benefits he hath procured for us, it is only specious self-love springing from a false faith, and that which will stand the soul in no more stead than those fine words and fair pretensions did to them who thought to impose upon our Saviour, by saying, Rabbi, when camest "thou hither?" to whom our Lord replied,

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me "not because ye saw the miracles, but be"cause 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 un to 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 immutability, 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

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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.

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 manner, the Sun of righteousness giveth a warning to those who travel Zion-ward, in pro