Several Works

I Would take up two or three brief Notes from these words.

That men may come very near to heaven, and yet be shut out, never enter into heaven.

Which, though it be much what the same with a former observation, I will speak a few words to it here, if it were nothing else but to refresh your memories, and but a word or two of it. It is plainly taken up from the Parable here, the foolish Virgins they kept their Lamps burning long, until the very point of the Bride-grooms coming; yea not only so, but when the door was shut and others received, which whether it be at the day of judgment, or at each particular souls particular day, we will not now inquire; but yet they come (mind you) after all this, and they bounce against heaven gate, as I may • ay, they cry, Lord, Lord, open to us; they would have heaven, and come to the very gate, as I may say, and they seek it of Jesus Christ too, and they are very earnest in it, the doubling of the expression imports; it is not a cold frozen prayer, such as many an hypocrite, yea sometimes many a child of God puts up, but an earnest cry, Lord, Lord, O Lord save us, shut us not out, save us, we perish, we sink, hell opens her mouth to swallow us up, O quickly open to us, or we are gone. Did not Israel come out of Egypt, and march through the wilderness, and through many difficulties, and enemies, and temptations there, and come to the very borders of Canaan, and yet fell back again, were turned into the wilderness again? the Lord sware they should never enter into his rest: Many run, saith the Apostle, but all obtain not; yea some do run to the very last, until they be even within sight of the Goal, and yet there sink and perish. So Joash did, he ran far, and yet fell short when all was done. And when many fell back from Christ, Judas continued with him, the Bag its likely kept him more then Christ; but he continued until the very last, and then perished. There was but one step, as I may say, between the young man in the Gospel and heaven, he went very far, did much, he had kept all those things from his youth; yet there was one thing wanting, which he could not reach too; our Savior convinced him thereby how short he was, and had need of a Savior; but we find not that he came to him anymore: How near was Ananias to the Kingdom of God? he professed Christ in those persecuting times, owned him, but it seems his love of the world and distrust was not killed; he went far as well as others, to sell all he had, and to lay it at the Apostles feet, a very great piece of self-denial, only a little reservation in hypocrisy you see, carried him aside, and he perished. To make this a little better appear, consider,

First, That the light and principles of nature will carry a man very far; how far did many of the Heathens go? how Saintlike would they speak? and how heroically and self-denyingly would they act many times? Yea, and some of them in their whole course, to the shame of most Christians; the sparks of our own kindling will rise and fly upward, but yet they fall short: Because alas, 1. It leads us not to Jesus Christ, and by his own strength no man shall prevail for heaven, but he must lay hold upon the strength of God in Christ. The Doctrine of Jesus Christ is a mystery hid from ages, from all people, but where the Lord is pleased by the preaching of the Gospel to make manifest the savor thereof. Now there is no other name, but the name o • Jesus Christ whereby men can be saved. 2. Because alas, there is not any of them but they hold the truth in unrighteousness; though they do much, yet they have a light more abundant in them then they walk up to. It is imprisoned in their understandings, not shed abroad upon their hearts, so that they could see nothing but folly and that which is worse. And so everyone must needs be condemned of his own heart.

Secondly, Common grace and gifts of grace, that will carry a man very far, there is a taste of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come; and this will seem to enliven and warm the affections, and carry out a man to do great things; as those foolish Virgins had, and so Ananias, and others.

Thirdly, with all these, a man's secret false ends concurring, help to carry on a man far. Judas had the bag, which he loved more then Christ, and as long as he had the bag he was well enough, he could follow on; so long as there were loaves to be had by following Christ, what multitudes follow him, and throng upon him? Our Savior knew their deepest ends, though haply they saw them not; their hearts were too deep for themselves, but not for him. So many ends, so many springs and weights there are upon a man, which will add somewhat of strength to him in his course; they are indeed the marrow of the bones that moisten them, and give life and vigor to his actions. So it may be a man cannot keep his conscience quiet, it is roused a little, and is dogged, and snarls, and it will not be quiet, except he stop the mouth of it with some duty and service, and following the ways of God as to the externals. And so a man's glory and honor, specially when Religion is in repute, it is a dishonor to be esteemed otherwise; men's reputations will carry them further then we are aware of. Yea, if the ways of God were discountenanced, yet a man may go far in them upon this end, to have his name much set by, as a courageous heroical spirit, he may suffer much, and yet not love Jesus Christ: It is then, love to himself, to his honor, or somewhat else that is the ground of it; but alas, Brethren, when all this is done, it may carry a man near the Kingdom of heaven, but he shall fall short. And that upon these two considerations.

First, because, though they may come near Christ, and haply delude themselves, and think they have him, yet they never were ingra • ted into him; and historical faith and temporary, that will comply with the times, a man may have, and miraculous too, and yet never implanted into Christ; and then, though a man may come near the Kingdom of heaven, yet if be he Christless, he is undone, he must needs be shut out. The Lord will in giving those gifts, those common gifts of the Spirit to men, honor himself by them; he will have glory, but they may never have the comfort of them, they may tend to their further sinking and condemnation.

Secondly, because that all those things, though precious in themselves, yet they never change a man's heart, it remaineth the same still, so they never do him real spiritual good; Judas a traitor, a Devil, though it appeared not to men, because clothed over with so many common gifts and graces. And so Ananias his heart was not thoroughly changed. Alas Brethren, the giving of these gifts to men, whereby they do much, as a gift of prayer, or a gift of prophesying, or preaching, whereby they do much, and pass for eminent persons with men, they are but like flowers laid in a window, as Doctor Preston compareth them, they grow not; Or else, as outlandish plants removed into another Country, they grow not, they prosper not, because the soil is not changed; the grace they have doth not redundare in personam, make their persons good, no more then a pearl in a swine's snou • , changeth the nature of the swine; the pearl is a pearl and precious, but the swine is a swine, and filthy in her disposition. And so beauty in a whorish woman, it is beautiful and lovely, but she is nevertheless whorish and abominable; and therefore notwithstanding all the Attainments of a man by nature, by common grace, by his own ends, which will carry him very far, put a great luster upon him, seem to bid fair for heaven, carry a man after the things of God to the very last, it may be, yet it will not change a man, and therefore no admittance for him, he is shut out when all is done.

First then Brethren, If a man may go so far and yet fall short, What will become of them that never set foot forward toward heaven to this day? It is true, many come to hear the word now and then, or constantly; I make account this is but little, when it cometh to the doing, the practicing: What have you done to this day many of you? the young man in the Gospel did all those things, he thought, and that from his youth, and yet you see he fell short: Thou never didst any of those things, thou never didst love the Lord thy God, worship him as thou oughtest, makest nothing of renting his name in pieces, of profaning his day: what else meaneth so many idling, so many sporting themselves, so many walking up and down, so many drinking upon the Sabbath-day? thy parents, thou never didst honor them; thou hast been an unclean wretch, injurious, thy tongue taught to tell lies and speak folly, a covetous wretch. Brethren, what do you mean? sure you will never come so much as near the Kingdom of heaven: If any perish, you are the sinners are sure to perish. They fell short that came to Canaan, what will become of you that never came out of Egypt? if you are yet by your flesh-pots, your Garlic and Onions of Egypt, and will not be beaten off your loathsome delights of the flesh, your mirth, and company, and gaming, and dicing, and drabbing, and drinking: Must a man's righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, or he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; Do you believe this Brethren? What will become of thee then, that art so far from what they did? they prayed often, much, and long; they fasted often, they gave much alms, paid tythe of all; they were no extortioners, nor unjust, but thou art such a one; they were no drunkards, but thou art a drunkard; they were no unclean adulterers, but thou art one; and yet they fell short, and where wilt thou appear? the Lord show you how unlikely you are for heaven.

Secondly, this showeth also the woeful condition of hypocrites, they carry a sair sail, and seem it may be to be driven with as fair a gale as any; only there is a Leak spr • ng in the bottom, and they sink, or rock themselves just in the very harbor; this is the saddest of all the rest, many a storm they have ridden out, they have endured many a wave, and to split themselves in the very harbor, within sight of the land; as a man miscarrying just at the gate of the City of Refuge: O how high must such men's hopes have been! and how low will their hearts sink now when so • adly disappointed? hope so disappointed maketh ashamed, confoundeth the soul: as Esau his hopes were at the highest, when he came with his Venison to his • ather; this will kill the heart. O Brethren, above all others, hypocrites will be clothed with the deepest confusion, because they have been men of the fairest hopes for heaven. Therefore it is said, he went away sorrowful; for it must needs be so, for he was a man of more light then others, and surely had a conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, & that it would be advantageous to have him, and therefore coming so near to him, and yet put back, he went away sorrowful: another man would have made nothing of such a repulse: hypocrites have great enlightenings, and they have had a taste of the heavenly gift, as I may say, as Israel had a bunch of grapes to taste the sweetness of Canaan, and encourage them to go in to possess it. O this, when God turned them back into the wilderness for their rebellion, that they should perish there, was a great aggravation of their misery; if they had never come so near it, and never tasted of it, they had not known what they had lost, what they had deprived themselves of. So here surely Brethren, hypocrites have many a taste, they have some glimmerings of heavens light and glory, somewhat they have to draw them on to the very borders, therefore for them to be turned off here and shut out, O sure it will much aggravate their misery: Ah wretch that I was, to come so near, take so much pains for heaven, and yet that I should miss it, will be the doleful ditty of hypocrites to eternity.

Thirdly, It may teach all young beginners, that are now, as I may say, starting in the race that is set before us, that you look to it, Brethren, you be so furnished as to be able to run so as to obtain; you are now launching into the deep, O look to it there be not a privy leak somewhere, though it be but small, yet it may make a shift to sink you even at the very haven of heaven. Ah dear friends, it will be worth your pains to look into the truth of your condition, though it cost you many an hour, many a hot and cold fit, yet give it not over, be sure of this one thing, that you be bottomed on Jesus Christ, and have his Spirit to dwell in you, his fear put in you according to the Covenant of grace, and then you shall never depart from him, you shall never fall short. If once you be but in him, you shall enter in with him; the reason why these foolish Virgins entered not, they were not in Christ, they had nothing but their own account, their own profession, and what they could rap and rend, and get from the creature: alas, this was nothing, though it might carry them thus far, it would not make way for their entrance into glory; therefore let me beg of you to make this one thing necessary sure, neglect this, and all is nothing.

Fourthly, It may teach all of us, even such as have not only begun, but gone far, taken much pains for heaven, to tremble and fear, lest for want of a little more, we fall short. Ah dear friends, if we would offer violence to heaven, it must be while we are here, when the door is shut it is too late; therefore now let us press, and spare no pains, and look to these two things.

1. That what we do, we do it in Christ, and for Christ; else what do we differ in our work from the glistering Sinners among the heathens? And,

2. That our hearts be changed, and made better, and growing liker heaven every day then other, else they will nothing avail us at all; we shall be shut out notwithstanding all our prayers, preaching, gifts, performances, privileges; nothing but an interest in Christ, and an heart sanctified by him, will give entrance into heaven; but so much for this Doctrine.

Another Note I will take up from the Virgins crying to God, now when they saw the Gate of heaven shut against them.

That the hearts of sinners are full of self-confidence and presumption; That they could have an heart to cry to Jesus Christ to open the door to them when it was shut, it is strange presumption and boldness indeed, for they had not one word to say for themselves, why they should have entrance, but only, Lord, Lord, open, &c. in respect of any pleadings of Faith, or the Covenant of Grace they were dumb, not a word of this, but if they had anything to say, it was such as those in Mat. 7. had to say for themselves; he had preached in their streets, and they had eat and drunk in his presence; so here, Lord, Lord, open to us; why, we had Lamps burning until a little before thy appearing; we walked in fellowship with them that are truly admitted now into thy presence; we have endeavored to get some oil to renew our Lamps, though alas, they found none; but however they would have heaven: this is very strong impudence, and confident presumption that is in the hearts of Sinners; the Lord Jesus turns them off, and they will not be turned o • f, now they will offer violence to the kingdom of heaven, when it is too late.

Whence ariseth this? Haply out of the ignorance whereupon heaven is to be had, upon what conditions; or else out of the presence of their eternal misery; now they see they are sinking to hell, they begin to cry out for opening of heaven Gate to them, now the Gate is shut upon them, they never cried before: but I will not insist upon this.

Only a word or two of Application: First then, it is no marvel brethren, if sinners are so full of boldness and presumption; now let us tell them, that we will set life and death before them, as you have had it set before you many a time, every Sabbath, every opportunity almost, alas, they care not for it, they hang out a flag of defiance against God, they have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, and this they make account shall stand, let the Lord say what he will; though he tell them, he will break that Covenant, he disanulleth it in the day he heareth it; for both they and death are under his command, and therefore he may disannul their Covenant, he is Sovereign over them all; yet they believe it not, they rage, and are confident, for when the very overflowing scourge cometh upon them, they are so confident to go, and cry to God, when they see the very gate of mercy shut against them: O say sinners, here we shall have peace, though we walk after the imaginations of our own hearts, to add drunkenness to thirst; though • gh God have told such men, His anger shall smoke against that man, yet they are confident nothing will drive them to seek a Christ, to make their peace with him, to accept of deliverance; and no marvel, for when they see the mouth of hell opened for them, and the belly of hell moved for them, and the gates of heaven shut against them, and they have no Christ to appear in, yet they have the face and boldness, as to cry, Lord, Lord, open to us.

Secondly, It may teach us to have an holy jealousy, and an holy pity over poor creatures that can be, and are upon their death-beds, so confident, so presumptuous, they can come to God without a Christ, having all their life long trampled his precious blood under their feet, rested in their formalities, and yet can cry out then to God to open to them, as if thy were the only Saints upon earth, and were the only men of faith. Ah brethren, so they may do, and yet be but foolish Virgins; how have they carried it in their lives: they would never be persuaded to call upon God morning and evening, to pray in closet, in family, to make sure of Christ, and yet now they will not stick to appear and cry for heaven without him. O this presumption will not prosper, though believing always prosper; you may have the Gate of heaven shut upon you, your souls shut out forever, and yet in your extremity have a Lord, Lord, in your mouths, therefore look to it betimes, before hand; but enough of this.

The third Note of Doctrine is this; Though men will not come to Christ for Grace, yet they will come to him for Glory. While Jesus Christ is dispensing the Grace of the Kingdom, they neglect him and his Grace, they are busied about somewhat else; but when he is to dispense the Glory of his Kingdom, then everyone will come to him; Luke 14. 18. They cannot come, but now they will come. This is clear in the present case: These foolish Virgins, they would not come to Christ for Grace; for you see how many times they were beaten off from the Creature, and yet they fastened again, when their Lamps failed, which were sparks of their own kindling, or else some common work at most; then they went to the wise Virgins, not to Christ; when they repulsed them, sent them away empty, they went to them that sold, they would by no means come to Jesus Christ, not a word of that; and yet now the Glory of the Kingdom is to be dispensed, you see n ow they cry Lord, Lord, open to us: if they had taken this course before, and cried, Lord, Lord, when their Lamps were gone out, O Lord, now we see our own sparks die before they reach heaven. O pardon this our Hypocrisy, and O give us of thine oil, thou art the Olive-tree, pour out of thy oil into our vessels, as they went to the wise Virgins, and this in truth of heart, they had had oil, they had been ready, and entered with Christ; no, but they would not; and see now, when the Gate was shut upon them, now they cry, Lord, Lord, open to us; they would not come to him for the wedding Garment, but they would be beholding to him to let them in to the Feast without one; though heaven would have held them but a little while, if they had entered in that condition. So the Jews, They would not come to Christ, that they might have life; that they might have the life of Grace, and then the life of Glory; but they would come to him to have the life of Glory. Ye shall seek me, and ye shall not find me, but shall die in your sins. This is Esau's case: profane Esau, he would not keep his birth-right when he had it, nor seek it again when he had lost it, but the blessing he would have without the birth-right; he could part with the birth-right for a mess of pottage, for his lust rather then extreme hunger, (as some think) but the blessing, he could seek it with tears.

The grounds of this are such as these; First, Because it is a principle indelebly written in nature, to will happiness the end in general; (that is to say) happiness is not that which cometh under deliberation and matter of choice at all, but only the means that tend to that end: no man living can possibly prevail with himself to be willing to be miserable: it is as natural as for the fire to fly upward, or the stone to decline downward. A Balaam would die the death of the rigteous, he would go to heaven when all is done, notwithstanding his Sorceries and Enchantments against Jacob, and Divinations against Israel. A man would think such a wretch as he, that would have cursed Israel fain, if God would have hearkened to him, a deadly enemy he was to them, that he should scarce have desired to come where they should be; As I have heard of some whose spleen hath been so great against the people of God, that if they came to heaven, they would never come thither; such are worse then Balaam, yet he would die the death of the righteous.

Secondly, Because of the woeful ataxie and disorder that is in all our souls, whereby we are in all things preposterous, in all things that are supernatural; in things purely natural and civil we do not expect the end without the means, none but fools and mad men do it. A man would live and have his health, this he desireth, therefore he will eat, you cannot persuade him to starve himself with hunger; he will take physic, though never so loathsome, never so bitter to him, & what ever it cost him, skin for skin, and all he hath, he will give for his life; this is the highest end he hath in these things; but now in spirituals there is nothing but confusion, the end we do confusedly aim at, we would have it; doubtless there is not the veriest unbeliever that heareth this, this day, but would have heaven, and you cannot with all the arguments you can bring, make him willing to perish in an everlasting separation from God, if he understand anything what he saith; yet he would have this without the means, without this union and fellowship with the Lord Jesus, whereby he may be made meet for it.

3. Because of men's unbelief and unacquaintance with the mystery of salvation, the mystery of free Grace in Jesus Christ: they do not believe that a man must come to Christ for Grace, or else they can have no Glory from him; That he is the way, the truth, and the life; they think he will save them upon any terms; he came to be a Savior of sinners, and sinners they are, and a Savior he is, and therefore let Ministers say what they will, they think if they have but time to cry Lord, Lord, though it be when the Gate is shut, as these foolish Virgins, it will do. Ah brethren, if the foolish Virgins had been acquainted with this, that they must have their oil from Christ, or else they should never hold out, nor enter with him; would they not instead of those trifling, impertinent endeavors, made some application to him all that while? but they saw it not, it was hid from their eyes; The Lord will give Grace and Glory, and never will he give Glory sure, if he give not Grace. O for hearts to believe this, it would be a cure of this disorder.

Fourthly, Because of the enmity that is in our hearts against Grace, nothing is more contrary: wherevever Grace cometh, there is a continual quarrel between it and sin: the holy Ghost when he cometh to dwell in a heart, he knoweth he must have no peace there, but continually lust against the flesh, and endure the lustings of the flesh against itself. O brethren then, where a heart is altogether in sin, what an enemy is it to Grace, and to Christ, as the Author of Grace? (so saith the Apostle) you, while you were enemies in your minds through wicked works, hath he reconciled: now a man will hardly come to an enemy to help him, except he be in very great straits indeed: as when men are sinking into hell, then they will come to Christ for entrance into heaven: for then their misery is present and imminent, they see there is no avoiding of it: hell is at their backs, the avengers of blood are now upon them, ready to hurry them away to destruction: therefore now it is high time for them to cry, Lord, Lord, open to us: but while they can but keep these things at a distance, put off the thoughts of heaven and hell, they care not for coming to Christ at all: yet as great as their enmity is, it may be overlaid by the present apprehensions of their necessity and danger they are in if they come not to him; and this is that brings in any soul to Christ for Grace here, while he is dispensing Grace, until the Lord let the Sinner see his sins in order before him, see the hand-writing upon the wall against him, Mene, Mene, until God write his condemnation upon his Conscience in bloody Characters, and visible, that he that runs may read it; he careth not for coming to Christ for Grace, and so for heaven; if a man neglect all this, yet when God showeth him the rivers of burning brimstone, showeth the teeth of the worm which is ready to fasten upon him, opens a man's ears to hear Satan come jingling with his chain to fetch his soul, to tear it away whether he will or no: O then, though he hath no mind to go to Christ, now he will go and cry, Lord, Lord open to me.

Why, But you will say, If he be such an enemy to Grace, and to Christ, as dispensing Grace, is he not much more an enemy to Christ, as glorious, and receiving sinners to Glory? Yea brethren, I believe for my part, that they are such enemies to an heavenly work, a glorious state, that if they were admitted with such hearts as they have, it would be a weary place to them, they cannot endure the reflection of the sun upon a burnish'd soul▪ how will they endure the face of the Son of righteousness himself? but the sense of their danger, and looking upon heaven as a place of freedom from the torments of the condemned, not as upon an holy place, wherein Grace is made glorious, therefore they desire to enter; alas, what would these foolish Virgins have done there, if they had entered in this unready condition? heaven would have been too hot to hold them; but freed they would be from misery, happy they would be, poor creatures, though they mind not that the happiness of heaven is such, as if they had not had Grace first to make them meet for it, it would have been no happiness to them. What is more tedious to them then the Glory of Holiness upon the Saints, then spiritual communion with God? they cannot bear this. All delight ariseth from suittableness between the object and faculty, and all grief and trouble from the unsuitableness of the object and faculty, and truly Grace glorified is so much the more unsuitable; but yet I say, they apprehending that misery is approaching, would go any wihther for shelter.

Fifthly and lastly, Because now they can keep their lusts no longer, therefore now they would have heaven; as long as the sinner can keep his lust, he will be for no other Master nor Lord, he cares for no other pleasure; the pleasures of sin are the fools paradise to the wanton, and so is sport and pastime to the young gallant, they care not for anything serious. If men could keep the world forever, they would never desire to come to heaven; they could be contented to have their heaven upon earth; their inward thought is, they shall continue forever, they call their houses after their own names, and they think as they would have it; now when they see they can hold the world no longer, now they would have heaven; therefore they care not for Grace, so long as they can have their fill of these delights; if men be Hypocrites, close Hypocrites, have no open profaneness or lust, yet some secret Delilah they have that they delight themselves with; but when the pangs of hell begin to catch hold upon men, when their consciences do catch of the fire of hell, and this to flame, they see they are going, and there is no other way with them but one, and being at the brink (as I may say) the flame catcheth upon them, as it did those Executioners in Daniel, then, O for heaven; Lord, Lord, deliver us, save us.

For the Application, This may serve then in the first place to justify the Lord Jesus: let him be forever clear when he judgeth, and justified when he speaks, though he speaks condemnation and everlasting separation from himself, to many men at the last day, or at his coming to Summon; if you call then, and he answer you not, if you cry, Lord, Lord, open to us, and he give you this answer, I know you not, blame yourselves, you cannot but justify him; why, because you might have had heaven and salvation in his ways; If you had sought early, you should have found, but you never seek him, until the Gate be shut against you; as long as you can keep the world, and your lusts, you will not come unto him, that you might have Pardon, might have grace, that you might live forever; now your sins leave you, the world leaves you, or you must leave the world, they are ready to take away your souls from you, now you will come and cry, Lord, Lord open to us, is it not just and righteous if he cast you out?

Secondly, It may serve then to humble us brethren, all of us, before the Lord; for this is the frame of all our hearts by nature, though the Lord Jesus so loved sinners, that nothing was too dear for them, even to his very life and blood, and yet we are all of us so unkind to him again, that we would never come to him, we would not be beholding to him, through the pride of our hearts, until we cannot subsist without him, and then we will come, though it be too late; so that upon the matter Brethren, we do but make Jesus Christ our sinning stock all the days of our lives, and yet when we can sin no more, we would serve our own turns upon him merely, we would have entrance into heaven by him, we desire him not for any loveliness that is in him, or in the Grace which is revealed by him: Is not this great cause of humbling? As suppose a Prince that deperit virginem, a poor, ragged, filthy creature, and he even dies for love of her: so be that she will but come and take him, she shall have all the privileges of a wife; his honor shall be hers, his crown hers, his beauty hers: she shall be like him also, be she as uncomely as she may, he will put off his comeliness upon her: no, she will not hear of coming to him at all, until at last, she is even perishing, and then cometh, and would have his Glory, but not himself, merely to serve herself upon him. O this is great unkindness! do you thus requite the Lord, ye foolish people and unwise? And thus it is with all us, until the Lord mightily change us.

Thirdly, It may serve to convince us of our folly herein: folly is a thing we cannot endure the imputation of: But what greater folly is it, then brethren, to dis-join the end from the means, specially where the end is so necessary to be had to happiness, and the means so absolutely necessary to that end? surely then this is gross folly: he is a fool that would have health and strength, and yet will not eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor recreate, will not use the means: well brethren, you would have heaven everyone of you, you would have this blessed slate after death, we are carried to it with a natural impetus, the end is necessary, we must enter or perish forever. 2. This means is as absolutely necessary to come to Jesus Christ, when the door stands open, while his bowels and bosom are open and ready to receive us, for when the door is shut, there is no remedy; we may enter, if we come while the door is open, afterward we cannot. Now is not he a fool in grain, that will trifle when the door stands open, and even goeth a begging to poor sinners, and yet think to enter when the door is shut? Ah Brethren, this folly fills every sinners heart: What is the reason else so few are persuaded, while it is called today, to come, to seek him early, that they may find him? You are wise for the world, and men will speak well of you, if you do well to yourselves; but you are fools in God's account, in the account of Saints and Angels, they speak not well of you; witness the Fool in the Gospel, that spent himself for vanity, and neglected his soul, which that night was to be taken from him. O that the Lord would so convince us, that we might not dare to linger and trifle away our day of Grace, lest when we come to cry, the door be shut against us.

4. Hath the Lord so far shown us this our folly, as now while the Gate stands open, to make ready, to get our oil, not to put it off until it be too late? O bless his name, magnify that Grace of Jesus Christ towards us: when others are mourning, ye may rejoice; when others howl for sorrow of heart, you may sing for joy of heart; when others are crying, Lord, Lord, you shall be singing everlasting Halelu • ahs. Thou wouldst have Grace as well as Glory, thou wouldst have Christ, and none but Christ, with him all things else shall be given in; and thou wouldst have him poor soul, thou thinkest it long before thou have him; why, whence isit that thou art not trifling away thy time, going to them that sell? whence is this, but from the free mercy of the Lord towards thee? magnify him, give him the glory of it forever and ever.

HEre is the sad Catastrophe of all the hopes of the Hypocrite in the Parable, and that wherewith I shall conclude my thoughts upon this Text; they would not be beaten off, though the door was shut against them; they come and bounce against it, with a Lord, Lord, open to us; to you, who are you, that I should open the Gate now it is shut upon you? upon what acquaintance shall I do this for you? you are strangers to me verily, I say unto you, I know you not. In this similitude is held out to us the doom of Hypocrites, and such as are not found ready for the coming of Christ; Or if you will, rather the reason of the doom; the door was shut upon them, before they are excluded heaven, there is no entrance, there is a repulse; and here the reason of it is given, as there in Mat. 7. Depart from me, saith he, which is equivalent, it is as much as the shutting the door at least, if not more; the same reason is there given for it, I know you not. So that here seems to be two or three things note-worthy in these words: I will speak briefly to them, and dismiss all, winding it up in one application.

First, That many that profess to know Jesus Christ, and to be his people, yet are not known of him; he knoweth them not.

Secondly, Such as he doth not know, shall not enter; the door is shut against them; and when they plead to have it opened, they have a denial, which is presupposed, and (as I may say) included in the exceptive particle but; Lord, Lord, open to us, But he answered, I know you not; therefore I will not open the door to you.

Thirdly, Whatever formal Professors may delude themselves with, as if known of God, then it shall be declared to them, that he knoweth them not.

For the First, That many that profess Jesus Christ, and to know him, yet are never known of Christ; That this is so, I think the Text is as clear as the noon-day; as for these foolish Virgins, they did go forth to meet the Bridegroom, had their Lamps, took pains to trim them when they were out, and you see they have a Lord, Lord, in their mouths, at the very last, and yet saith our Savior, saith the Bridegroom, I know you not; do but add that other Text, and there will need no more proof; and that is in Mat. 7. Many shall say unto me at that day, Lord, Lord, open to us; just as here, as if the door was shut upon them there as well as here; but what is it they plead? O say they, We have prophesied in thy name, and done many wonderful works, wrought miracles in the name of Christ; thou hast eat and drank in our streets; surely prophesying and working miracles in the name of Christ, will amount to as much as profession of him; they must needs have his name called upon them, that could do such things in his name: and yet mark the return, Depart from me, I never knew you: never knew you, not before time, nor since the world began did I know you; but chiefly I never knew you, (that is to say) when your profession was at the highest, when your Grace was most green upon the house-top, then I knew you not, therefore now I know you not.

Here I shall only endeavor to open to you what is to be understood by Christ's knowing of a soul, and so come to the next Note from the words, because I would hasten to an end.

First then, it is not to be understood, as if the Lord did not understand the ways of an Hypocrite, and see the close contrivances of his heart, as if he did not know who they are: and properly to speak of knowledge, it is not the paint of the sepulcher can hide the rottenness within from his all-seeing eye; it is not the fair leaves that can deceive him, and cover the rottenness of the root from him; did he not understand Judas from the beginning, and knew he was a white Devil, a son of perdition, though he followed him as his Savior? well were it for Hypocrites, if in this sense the Lord did not know them; and surely their hearts do so conclude with those Atheists in the Psalm, The Lord beholdeth it not, and is there knowledge in the most high? but thus he doth know them, and that appears plainly by his not knowing of them, as afterwards we shall mention; and that appears by his declaration to them, that he knoweth them not; he knoweth full well to whom he speaketh this fearful sentence, but this is but the first.

Secondly, Yet after the manner of men, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 yet we must understand it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he may be said not to know them. I know you not, you are so deformed and dis-figured, so utterly unlike the men you were when you came out of my hands, that I know you not. As Jobs friends when they came unto him, his visage being so marred with the affliction, it is said, they knew him not; which some understand as a weak affirmative, (that is to say) they scarce knew him; is this Job their ancient friend? Is this Naomi? they scarce knew her to be the same person that formerly, she was so altered; paint will exceedingly deform them that use it, they say; but sure I am, Hpyocrisie is the greatest deformity, it is the picture of Satan, who changeth himself into an Angel of light, and therefore after the manner of men, we may look upon this speech of Christ as thus, I know you not, you have such strange apparel on, you have such paint, such deformity, so ugly have you made yourselves, I know you not.

Thirdly, He is said not to know them, in that he doth not approve of them; in this sense knowing persons and things is often taken, Psalm 1. The Lord knoweth the way of the upright, the righteous, he approveth of it, though this be not all in that expression, as by and by you shall see; but this is one thing, He deligheth in his way, he knoweth his people, at the last day, as he knoweth not Hypocrites, and this is part of it, Well done, good and faithful servant, &c. he approveth of them. And so the Jews, that is, One inwardly and circumcised in heart, whose praise is not of men, but of God; he is approved to God, and approved by God. So the Apostle Paul, That evil which I do, I allow not; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I know not, (that is to say) I approve not of it. I judge and condemn myself for it; I would not do it, because I allow not of it: and to come nearer, even to the same use of the expression, applied to God himself, They set up Kings, but I knew it not, saith the Lord, it was not by me, by my advice, I approved not of it; They would needs have a King, and I yielded to them indeed, but it was in wrath and displeasure; I never knew it, (that is to say) never approved of it: else he did understand it, and reproved them for it also at that very time by the Prophet Samuel. And by Jeroboam, though there was his disposing hand in it, and in a way of providence he gave the ten Tribes to him, yet he approved not of their revolting; the people had no command from him, nor did they stay for it, to separate from the house of David.

Fourthly, He is said to know men, when he not only approveth of them in their ways, but loveth and favoreth them; and not to know them, when he doth not love them nor favor them: as we are said to know God, when we love him, and keep his commandments; so he is said to know us, when he loveth us; and so that may be understood, He that loveth God, is known of God; (that is to say) is loved of him, favored of him: For he that loveth me, my Father will love him, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him. In the Hebrew Verbs of knowledge, affection is included: and the ground of this seemeth to be, because we know Love breedeth familiarity, and familiarity breedeth knowledge and acquaintance: and so on the contrary, where no love, there is estrangedness, and that ends in a not knowing of a Person; so then, he knoweth not many that profess, (that is to say) he loveth them not.

Fifthly, This knowing here spoken of, may be also an owning of them for his own; an acknowledging of them: You only have I known, (saith the Lord) of all the People and Nations of the earth, and therefore I will not pass by you unpunished; (that is to say) I have owned you of all the families upon the earth: you have been taken for my family: I have owned you, and therefore you shall be sure to be visited with the stripes and rods of men, not to destroy. So saith he to Moses, I know thee by name; (that is to say) I acknowledge thee, and own thee in a near manner indeed; therefore that place of Amos is no more then that of the Apostle, I chastise every son whom I receive: this knowing them then, may be such an acknowledging of them for his own, they never were his children, never given of his Father, nor came to him, and therefore he acknowledgeth them not as his in so near a relation.

Sixthly, He knoweth them not by experience, (as I may say) he hath had no experience of them, they never came to him, to touch him, that virtue might go forth from him to heal them, and pardon them, and therefore he knoweth them not, (that is to say) he never had a touch of faith from them, whereby they are said to know him, for then he should have known them, and have known that virtue went forth from him to heal them; he had no acquaintance with them, they never acquainted themselves with him, but their hearts were always estranged and far from Jesus Christ: though they drew near with their lips, their hearts never touched one with another; they rested in somewhat else, as gifts and miracles, and therefore he knoweth them not by experience of communion with him, and letting out his healing power upon them.

Seventhly, and lastly, He knoweth them not, (that is to say) he careth not for them, nor their souls, to defend them, save them: let them do what they will, be regardeth them not: As in that first Psalm, The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish: by the opposite, there it appeareth, that God's knowing the way of the righteous, is to keep it from perishing, the antecedent including the consequent many times in the Hebrew, and so the perishing of the way of the ungodly, the Consequent including the Antecedent, his not knowing of their way, or else it is all on • , Thou hast known my soul in adversity; this is one part of the meaning, thou hast had a care of me in six and seven troubles, to see that no more were laid on then I could bear, to keep me that the Spirit that thou hast made did not fail &c. so the righteous man knoweth the life of his beast 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he knoweth it, he is tender of it, to keep it; and so some understand that, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, I will know them to eternal life; now many professors he knoweth not, that is to say, he regardeth them not what becometh of them, let them sink or or swim, shift for themselves, take their own course, he regardeth them not.

Now who these are among professors that the Lord knoweth not, I believe you easily understand; they are such as are merely formal, have a Lamp and no Oil, a form and no power. But so much for this first.

Secondly, The next Note from the words, you may remember was, That such as he knoweth not, shall never enter into this Marriage-Feast, the door is shut upon them; and th • s is given as a reason, wherefore our Savior would not open it to them upon their crying Lord, Lord; but he answered and said, I know you not, there is no reason you should expect to have the door opened, for I know you not; and so in that of Matthew, if he know them not, he sends them away from him, Depart from me, for I know you not.

First, Because many that profess Jesus Christ, yet are very strangers to him, and he to them, and therefore they shall not have the door opened to them, they never knew him, nor he never knew them, there was never any acquaintance; now strangers that we never saw, who useth to admit to a Marriage-feast; they are the familiars and favorites; if Jesus Christ knew them not, surely they are strangers, for he knoweth all his own children, his own sheep, let their condition be what it will, under never such desertions and cloudings, and questionings of his love, he knoweth them: A woman may forget her children, but God cannot forget his people, if once acquainted with them; he writes their names before him; yea, upon his very heart they are written, whither nothing can come to blot them out; now many a professor is a mere stranger to Jesus Christ, though he throng upon him, yet never toucheth him, he never had a sight of Christ, a touch of him, is a stranger to the righteousness of Christ, to the holiness of Christ, to the joy, and peace, & Kingdom of grace, and therefore surely he will not admit them, he knoweth them not it is no place • or strangers, but • or favorites; they must be friends of the Bridegroom, that must hear his voice, & behold his bea • ty, & rejoice in it forever, which every professor, alas is not.

Secondly, Because of the pride of heart, which indeed is the great root of the former estrangedness of many a professor from Christ, and Christ from them; what was the reason the Prodigal would feed upon husks rather then go to his Father? O his stomach was too big to acknowledge his failing to his father, as long as ever he could hold out; and you see it plainly in the poor woman that had spent all she had upon the Physician, a stout heart would not down while she had a penny. And surely you see you see here these foolish Virgins, they never went to Christ for oil, but up and down where they could beg or buy of anybody, they were too stomachful and slout; so the Apostle, They submitted not to the righteousness of Christ, as if it were an act of submission and self-emptying indeed, as it is to close with the righteousness of another, to be righteous and stand before the Lord in; this they would not do, they would have heaven by their own works, or never have it: so the foolish Virgins would have oil sowewhere short of Christ▪ or they would go without, and so they do. Ah, we are proud beggars, proud of rags filthy rags; and the Lord knoweth the proud indeed, but it is afar off, he will never admit them to the nearest comm • nion with himself forever, therefore he will not open to them. This is the case of many a professor, who will spin his own web, and 〈…〉 lk by sparks of his own kindling, and not by the light of God, they will to their Herb to heal them, and not to Christ the Physician of their souls; and therefore if they be so stout, let them take what followeth, he will not regard them, he knoweth them not near, as his friends, but afar off.

Thirdly. They are all of them workers of iniquity, and therefore he will not know them; he approveth them not, he careth not for them, he will not admit them. David that had but a spark of the holiness that is in Jesus Christ, the holy one of God, and God equal with his Father, he would not know a wicked person, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, away with you, I am not company for you, I am a companion to all that fear God, both small as well as great, though he were a King; and a vile person he contemned, be he as great as he would, away with him from me, what communion can light & darkness have? can they dwell together? surely no: Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquity; into that holy place none that defileth can enter: now in this we may understand two things. (1.) That they do work iniquity, some sin they live in, if not many, notwithstanding their profession of Christ, and therefore they are workers of iniquity. (2.) That the very form of godliness and all their show, is but a working of iniquity.

First then, they are workers of some iniquity or other, and that either, in an outward gross manner, as gross hypocrites, or else more closely and inwardly, as close hypocrites, and yet they are workers of iniquity, and the Lord Jesus will not know them, nor own them. First then, for gross hypocrites such as have their hands full of blood, full of bribes, their houses are built by wrong, and their chambers by unrighteousness • and yet they bless themselves in being a people to God; surely the Lord will not away with this: such are the gross hypocrites, among us, that will all the week long make a trade of lying in their shops, in their callings, of swea • ing & forswearing, of drunkenness and adultery, and come and wipe their mouths with the Harlot, and say, hey have done no wickedness, they are pure in their own eyes, yet not washed, &c. come upon these days and sit before the Lord as his people, as if they were delivered to do all these abominations; the drunkard will not believe, nor the swearer, but they are as good Christians as any, though all have their infirmities, and theirs are no more; well, th 〈…〉 e are lying words you trust unto, they will deceive you; for saith the Lord, I will not hear when you make many prayers, your hands are full of blood; God doth not regard the services of such a people; he examineth men's hands, to see if they be hard with laboring in their iniquities, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , if so, it is not your words that are smo • there then oil, that shall serve your turn, Quid verba cum sacta videam? to cry Lord, Lord, and yet go and serve, and drudge for the Devil, as if he were their good Lord; will not the Lord search this out? O surely he will not know such a person as this.

(2.) It may be it is more secret; there is not an hypocrite but he regardeth iniquity in his heart, and in heart he works wickedness, if not with his hands; it may be he may wash his hands with Pilate, but not his heart. O how do men's mouths water after the pleasures of sin, the stolen waters and bread eaten in secret; if they durst do it for fear of being discovered and ashamed before men, or for a galled conscience▪ a secret lust, a secret wound which bleedeth inwardly, is not so visible, is as deadly as any other; now, I say, be it never so secret; let Judas cover his Treasury never so close, and Ananias and Sapphira their double dealing, their covetousness, it is to no purpose; burning lips and a wicked heart, are like a Potsherd covered over with silver dross, it maketh a glorious show, burning of lips with love, much love shown with it, but the heart is wicked, and therefore base as a Potsherd, a vessel of dishonor fitted to destruction, and shall never enter into glory, but be dashed in pieces.

But Secondly, the very form of godliness, though in itself materially it be good, yet as they use the matter, to make it a cloak for their sin, a fair skin over, a belly full of Garbidge and filthiness, it is iniquity; it is iniquity saith the Lord, even your sol • mn meetings, Incense is an abomination to me, I am weary to bear them. What was the matter? why, they did but flatterwith their mouths, their hearts were not with him, therefore the Lord hated it; this is working iniquity, working out a form of godliness with much pains, and sticking there; the prayer of the wicked is sin, it is an abomination, it will amount to no more then to filthy garments, filthy rags; and in these brethren, the Lord will not know us: O no, workers of iniquity shall not dwell with him, Dine and Sup with him in heaven, the feast of new Wine, he will not open to them; and what greater iniquity then hypocrisy? Simulata sanctitas, duplex iniquitas; an hypocrite when he thinketh he is at the best, is at the worst, then his hypocrisy is at the height, and God will not admit any, he knoweth them not.

Thirdly. Not our part of the Conclusion: that at that day it shall be declared openly to hypocrites, that the Lord Jesus knoweth them not; that is to say, that he owneth them not, notwithstanding all their seeming delight in his ways, and their following of him in a profession yet this is the doom they are like to receive, He knoweth them not; this is also plain from this Text, and also from that in Mat. 7. At that day, that is to say, the day of general Judgment, or the day of death, which is every particular souls. Dooms day they shall say, Lord, Lord, &c. and then will I say to them, Depart from me, I know you not, I never knew you.

First then, Why is this so, that at that day many Professors shall have this doom I know you not, I never knew you; it shall be thus declared from the mouth of the Lord Jesus himself; it may be taken from the Office of Jesus Christ to be Judge; God hath appointed to judge the world at that day by one, even by Jesus Christ, and therefore he shall pronounce the Sentence either with his own mouth, or the ministration of Angels; but rather me thinks with his own mouth this word shall go forth, which shall be as a flaming two edged Sword to enter into the bones & bowels of sinners, and divide them in sunder forever here sinners are shut up under sin, they have chains of darkness upon their hearts already, and hypocrites are liable to this condemnation, and are held with the cords of their sins, and then shall be the time of the doom, therefore then it shall be declared; a Prisoner feareth what the sentence may be before he cometh to the trial; and so hypocrites sometimes may have some foretaste, some fearfulness may surprise them, but they skin it over again; but now it shall be declared by the Judge himself, he knoweth them not, and therefore they must depart from him.

Secondly, For a confirmation of the words of his servants, and an everlasting rebuke of their unbelief of his Word by them; for this hath been the message of Christ to formalists in the mouths of all his Messengers, your form of godliness will not carry you through all conditions, it will fail you sooner or latter; your fig leaves will not shadow you from the everlasting burnings, the hope of the hypocrite shall perish and give up the Ghost, God loatheth no sort of sinners more, though they take themselves to be highly favored, yet they are deeply abhorred of God; yet alas, there is scarce an hypocrite but hath his shifts to put by an hundred such thrusts as these, by the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and he hath a deceived heart within him, telling him he hath fruit as well as leaves, though it be not fru • t found from him, and he hath had so many testimonies of his love to him, he cannot conclude he is a person abhorred of God, his hopes are high, he will not believe, not a word fasteneth upon him, and he is apt to think the Minister too strait when he goeth to the quick, and tells them, if any iniquity be regarded in the heart, the heart is not right with God, they will not believe, but keep their sin, and doubt not of their salvation: well now the Lord will dash this presumption of theirs, the height of unbelief, though they will not see their hypocrisy, and their forlorn condition, now he will make them see; if the servants word will not convince them, his shall, and confound them also, therefore he pronounceth it with a Verily I say, &c. that in the sinners own conscience he may be justified: you see, let Ministers say what they can, be they never such Bonerges, thundering from heaven upon men, yet they will not be beaten off, but at the very last come bouncing at the gate of heaven, with a Lord, Lord, open to us. The Ministers have often enough told them, that when they cry, the Lord would not hear them, they would but appear before the everlasting burnings to be consumed; they will not believe, and therefore now the Lord Jesus himself he speaks, he declareth it, and with a full conviction to their consciences; for he with his Word reacheth the soul and conscience, so that now their confidence must needs be dashed, not a word more hath a sinner then to say for himself; and to confirm the words of his servants, his faithful Messengers, they have spoken as much as this cometh to before, and it hath been slighted, they thought God would be more merciful then those bloody Ministers are, who wound and spare not; but the Lord will now make them know that whose sins they retain, clave non errante, by a right application of the threatenings and terrors of God, not one word of theirs shall fall to the ground, but that they had the mind of Christ what ever you thought of them; that is another Argument.

Thirdly, For a Declaration and Vindication of his own Wisdom, and Justice, and Holiness; his Wisdom in that now hypocrites shall see there was nothing could be hid from his eyes, he knoweth through and through, even when they made the most dazzling profession to the eye of the world, that his piercing eye saw through all this, saith the sinner there in that Psalm, and it is the language of all hypocrites in heart, Tush, the Lord seeth not, neither doth the God of Jacob regard it? doth he look to the thoughts, to a man's ends, the secrets of his soul? if he carry fair outwardly, will not this pass the test? yea with men: but thou shalt know hypocrite, that thou hast not to do with men, but with God; you may juggle so, as to cast a mist before men's eyes, but not before his; and though you think you can, yet he will now manifest it, that you have all of you been a deceived people, who have thought to deceive him; he will now appear to be a God of wisdom, and one that searcheth your hearts, and will recompense into your bosoms the very secrets of your iniquity. And so his justice and holiness; because an hypocrite hath flourished long, and hath had the use of many common gifts, and flourished in the eyes of men, made a great show, and God hath born with much patience; Justice hath been, as I may say, asleep, but now he will repay them into their own bosoms; and so his holiness, they thought God was such a one as themselves, but he will reprove them, and set their sins in order before them. Now he will keep silence no longer, that it may appear how he hateth all their hypocrisy that hath been fathered upon him, and men have looked upon them as Saints, yet now his holiness will endure no longer, but shake them off; they shall now see that such impure hearts he cannot away with, to dwell with them, though with much patience he did bear them here, yet that he never knew them here, never owned them, cared for them here in the very height of their profession.

Fourthly, Because now is the separating time, nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, saith our Savior in another place, though chaff may go for wheat, and gilt for Gold, and alchimy for gold, and dross and tin for silver, now they shall be separated, it is high time now to unmask the hypocrite, he hath long enough deluded himself and others, now therefore he will make it known, himself will declare it, to put an end to their false imaginations: but enough for this.

Now to wind up all in a word of Application: In the first place, then it shall be a terrible word to all Formalists, all gross and close hypocrites; the Lord search you out this day, and make it a word of terror, a shaking in your bones, that you may be shaken off your security. There are two or three things you shall see that are terrible to you herein, It is your portion, I must deliver it to you. Let not any poor trembling child of God catch at the dogs portion, no more then the dogs should at the children's bread, God would not have such saddened, nor would I speak anything to the grief of such as God hath wounded. But for Hypocrites and Formalists let me speak it: 1. He knoweth you. 2. Therefore he doth not know you, because he knoweth you. And, 3. He will not know you at that day.

First, I say, He knoweth you; that is to say, he understands you, there are windows of Crystal into your breasts, all is naked before him with whom you have to do; it may be you are a little affected with hearing the death of Jesus Christ, that so innocent a person should be so unworthily, treacherously and cruelly handled, and now you take yourselves to be such as have received the Spirit of grace and supplication, and mourn over Christ whom you have crucified; and it is nothing but a natural tenderness, that would be as much affected or moved with hearing any sad story of another person: Believe it Brethren, whether you see this deceit or no, the Lord knoweth it. Your ends are deep in your actions which seem to be for Christ, and with much self-denial sometimes, and yet even then in that self-denial, there may be an end for self at the bottom, the commanding wheel that setteth all a work; it may be this is too deep for any other to discern, or for yourselves sometimes, yet the Lord seeth it, he knoweth all the depth of your heart. You pray, and fast, it may be, when you are in any distress, but little think it is for carnal end, for your corn, and wine, and oil; that you howl upon your beds, you little think, when you pray and seek after God, it is for ends merely that you might spend these things upon your lusts, that you may appear to be somebody, be esteemed among men, be of esteem among the Saints. Well, Brethren, carry it as covertly as you can, so that your own souls are juggled into a delusion it may be, yet be not deceived, God is not mocked; men are apt to be deceived, and think that their secrets of sinning, their bread eaten in secret, their morsels under the tongue shall never be discovered, but the Lord seeth all this, he knoweth you thoroughly, he searcheth the hearts, and trieth the reins of the sons of men.

Secondly, because he knoweth you, therefore he doth not know you, he approveth not of you; it may be men do approve of you, your praise may be among the Churches, among the Saints, but yet your praise may not be of God, he loveth you not, savors you not with that favor that he bears to his people; indeed some love Jesus Christ had to the young man in the Gospel that was but near to the Kingdom of God, he doth not disallow of a form and profession, it hath its use, the leaves of the trees of righteousness they may be for healing to others; an holy profession, and walking to the appearance of others, may win others to Christ, and yet a man may perish when all is done; and a profession may serve as a Motive to quicken up themselves to look to the power; if the power of godliness be not good and necessary, why do men take up a form? and if it be good, why rest they in a form and neglect it? but if there be no more, he will not know such a man, he doth not know him.

Thirdly, What ever you dream of now, he will pronounce that sentence upon you at that day, O that dreadful sentence, that he knoweth you not, he never knew you. Ah dear friends, if the Lord would but single out any one of us, and tell us we are the men, what agonies would it put us into? Ah Brethren, this will make sinners ears tingle to hear this word from the Lord Jesus: O let fearfulness surprise the hypocrites; yea I tell you, this will make your hearts to bleed, and your heart-strings crack within you, this will pierce you through with the sorrows of hell. Ah dear friends, if the voice of his Messengers, discoursing of righteousness, temperance, and Judgment to come, be so great as to make a Felix, a great man, a stout hearted sinner tremble that was not converted. O what will it be when the sentence is pronounced against them from the Lord himself? for while you hear Preachers, though it be terrible when the conscience is opened, yet there is a Cordial at hand, but when once pronounced by the Lord Jesus, there is no more remedy; if one word from the Lord Jesus, when the Soldiers came upon him, and he asked them whom they sought, I am he, saith he; this struck them to the ground; soldiers in such Garrisons in Countries kept by the sword they were won by, use to to be men of stoutest spirits, that would dare sometimes the very Devil himself, and yet one word from Jesus Christ's mouth struck them to the ground. O Brethren, surely this word of sentence will speak men not to the ground, but to the lowermost pit: It will speak them dumb forthwith, that they have nothing to say for themselves; It will speak them into confusion and amazement, it will speak them into the flames of hell in a moment: O this roaring of the Lyon of the tribe of Judah, who may abide? If the Law was so terrible in the giving, what will it be in the execution? You read how the Mountains shook, & Moses himself trembled, but the sentence of the Law is nothing to the sentence of the Gospel, as this condemnation of hypocrites will be; it is to men that have in appearance owned Christ, followed him, done much in his name, and yet he will profess he never knew them, they pretended acquaintance with him now, but he will never own them.

You then Brethren, that have only a semblance of holiness, you seem to have somewhat, and have nothing, then shall be taken from you that which you seemed to have, then your vizard will be plucked off; you pretend to be friends of Christ, and of his people, to be his Father, Brethren and Mother, but now will he profess he knoweth you not; you that preach in the name of Jesus Christ, and do not preach for his name, for his glory, but for your own; he will not own you, he will say to you, he knoweth you not, you rest in this your form, this you are ready to plead, and not stay yourselves upon him, he will not know you, O but we do lean upon the Lord: so you say, but mark that of the Prophet, you lean upon the Lord, and say, the Lord is among us, and yet they build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity, the heads thereof judge for reward; and the Priests teach for hire: that is to say, their tongues may be hired to say anything, pass any judgment right or wrong, and yet lean upon the Lord; say you lean upon the Lord, and yet will be drunk, swear, lie, cheat, over-reach, be filthy and unclean, allow your • elves in c 〈…〉 mplative wickedness, be sure the Lord will not know such. You that regard any iniquity, never so little, never so secret in your hearts, believe it, the Lord will not own you, he will not know you, he will not here own you, much less will he when it cometh • o the judgment. It may be thou mayest soar a higher pitch in respect of parts, and gifts, and confidence, and pretend to live higher then other men, as many men of higher dispensations, they say now do; but yet as the Eagle, when at the highest pitch, hath a learing eye after her prey below; so have they such a learing eye, a lingering heart after their iniquity, and their mouths water at it, but for shame. O surely, Jesus Christ will never own such, fear and tremble at this word, as many as it concerneth. O how will such souls be filled with amazement, when they made no other reckoning but to come to heaven; if any men in the Country should be saved, a man would have thought they should have been the men; they have done much, suffered much, wrought wonders, &c. and yet when all comes to all, the heart was never right with God, and therefore the heart-searching Judge will never own them, never care for them, become of them what will, he will never know their souls.

Secondly, then it may be for a searching word to poor creatures; O be not deceived, God is not mocked, he knoweth a Balaam to be a Balaam, though he profess never so much love to Israel: And O if he would give me a house full of gold and silver, I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord; And O that my latter end might be as his: Yet the Lord can see he is but a wretch for all this: therefore Brethren, I beg of you, that it may be a searching word to us all, Whether ever we have known him, or be known of him; have you ever touched him with the touch of faith, for the pardon of your sins, for the healing of your corruptions? and have you found healing come from him, yea or no? have you known him, the power of his death, the power of his life, and Spirit, yea or no? If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you are none of his, whose ever you be, and he will not own you be sure, Brethren, for his sons, for his friends, to admit you to the feast, except you be his indeed. Ah dear friends, I doubt many of us will be found with the foolish Virgins, following after the creature, resting in somewhat else beside the Lord Jesus. Do not think your crying Lord, Lord, will do it, this you may do, and fall short; did not Judas come with his hail Master, and kiss him, and yet his heart full of treason against him? was this his kindness to Jesus Christ? and do not many of us kiss him, salute him with a kiss of love, and homage or obedience in show, and yet in our lives deliver him up to be scourged by our looseness of carriage, that there is no difference between us and other men, open the mouths of the wicked, and this constantly, and without a returning to him, will he own such a soul think you? O how can we be contented to be uncertain in our conditions, lest when all is done, we should be disowned, shut out at that day.

Thirdly, Then Brethren, let us all labor and be exhorted to it, to study to approve our hearts to God, more then to men; a needful lesson to us all, and it will be our wisdom surely; for alas, what if men know us, and own us, and favor us as Saints, and precious people, and Jesus Christ will not know our souls, will this countervail? O Brethren see to it, that your praise be not of men but of God! O how apt we are to be lifted up and cheered if men think well of us! and dejected if we suffer in their breasts, if they disown us, to be cast out of their hearts, would go to our hearts it may be, and we could not be quiet. Alas, what is this to that fearful sentence, I know you not: If Christ disown us, what is it if all the Saints should own us? and if he own us, what should it discourage us, though they none of them own us. O labor to be more inward Christians, and build your comforts upon the sure mercies of David in Jesus Christ. No matter what is the rising way in the world, which is the rising Sun; Look to the mind of Christ, keep a conscience void of offense toward him, and make this your work, to be found in him when all is done, not in your gifts, not in your duties, not in your graces, but in Christ. O such a soul knoweth the Lord Jesus, and such a soul is known of him, and shall be known to all eternity.

Fourthly, Here is an encouraging word to poor doubting souls; It may be they are ready to pass this fearful sentence upon themselves, sooner then many a wretched hard-hearted hypocrite, to whom it properly belongs; No matter man, though thy gifts be not so great as another man's, thou canst do little, or hast not those sweet refreshings and enlargements which another hath; Is thy heart approved to Jesus Christ, canst thou approve thy soul to him, that thou lovest him? as Peter, Lord thou knowest that I love thee; though it may be not so much as other Saints do, nor so much as the great things he hath done for thee call for; yet thou lovest him, and wouldst fain love him more; be of good 〈◊〉 , for thou art known of him: If any man love God, he is known of God. A Judas may be an open professor of Christ, and come to him in the day. And a poor Nicodemus at the first, dare but come in the night it may be, and was a very shallow Scholar in Christ's School, which is the discouragement of many a poor soul. And Judas in the mean time a renowned Teacher of others, and yet behold how the one betrays the Lord Jesus, and the other sticks to him when he was dead, and professeth him openly at such a time as that, when there was most discouragement against it. O therefore, Brethren, though your grace be weak and little at the first, if there be the root of the matter in thee, if thou canst approve thy heart thou lovest him, there is nothing in heaven nor in earth thou wouldest have in comparison of him, though thy infirmities be many, temptations be many, thou art a poor wearied creature, it may be with thine own heart, be of good comfort, the Lord Jesus hath already owned thee, and he will own thee in that day. And me thinks, Brethren, as on the one hand when such bold confident souls, that make no other reckoning but of salvation, but they reckon without Jesus Christ, when they meet with so sad a disappointment; instead of an admittance, they meet with I know you not: O how will their hearts die within them! So on the other hand, when a poor, trembling, doubting Thomas, that it may be knoweth not what to think of himself nor his condition, he is searching, and trying, and praying, and fasting, and humbling, & running, and pressing hard forward, and can get little ground of his corruptions, which much discourageth him. O he walks tremblingly, lest he should receive this fearful sentence at the last, that the Lord Jesus knoweth him not, hath never had anything to do with him; notwithstanding all his profession, sin is in strength, corruption prevails, though it is the bitterness of his soul. O when such a poor doubting creature that haply many times looks for nothing but a fearful sentence, depart from me, shall have this pronounced, O come thou poor soul, I know thee, I have known thee from the beginning of the world; though thou hast been doubting of my love, yet I know thee; though thou hast been made black with affliction, and thy visage so mar'd, as others knew thee not, refuge failed thee, no man cared for thee, for thy soul, yet I know thee; though thou hast been wounded with many sins, many temptations, and walked under many a discouraged heart, yet I know thee. O how will this be as everlasting life from eternal death, to such a soul▪ So that the soul shall now have now more place for doubting, the satisfaction shall come with a mandamus, he will speak salvation to the heart, that it cannot refuse it, the desire accomplished is a tree of life, as hope deferred is a sickness of heart, but now where a man could scarce act hope, as it is the case of some poor creatures; O when the Lord shall against their hope, own them, and that to eternity, it will be unspeakably sweet, this will fill them with fullness of joy and glory for evermore.

But so much for this Time and Text.

M Alachy is the proper name of this Prophet, it signifieth an Angel or Messenger, only with the addition of (') as is usual when common names are made proper. He is not so called, as if he were an Angel incarnate, as some have imagined, nor ye • as if he had his revelation by Angels. But haply the name might be put on him without 〈…〉 foreknowledge of what the Lord would call him unto▪ haply 〈…〉 Prophetical Spirit it might appear that God would make h 〈…〉 Messenger: But however, such an one • e was and 〈…〉 mporarie with Nehemiah, because he exhor 〈…〉 to the building of the Temple, as Haggai and 〈…〉 those corruptions among the Jews, 〈…〉 the last, showeth to have been among 〈…〉 over the Jews, as marriage with 〈…〉 ng the tithes, Chap. 3. 8. Depravation of Divine worship, Chap. 1. 13. and 2. 8. And that this is the last of the Prophets, they themselves acknowledge, therefore he admonisheth them that they should take heed to the Law of Moses, keep that, they might expect no more Prophets until the great Prophet, the Lord Jesus come (and John his fore-runner). God did in Babylon cause Visions to perish from among them in anger. There is none to tell when this calamity shall end (said they in the Psalmist) and now again he causeth it to cease from them; that their expectations of the Messiah, that great Prophet, and of Elias his fore-runner might be raised, and that by the want of Prophecy they might be the more ready▪ to receive Christ that great Prophet, and to praise him when he should be revealed; the Law and Prophets Prophecy until John; Zech. and Elizab. and Simeon, and the Baptist, were so immediately before him, that they rather shown him, pointed at him come, than prophesied of his coming.

After he had reproved those corruptions among them (as you hear) he threateneth spiritual Judgments on them: he tells them their expectations would be frustrated, they looked for the day of the Lord, as if that would heal all their troubles: No (saith the Prophet▪) it shall be such a day as you dream not of: they looked for peace, but behold trouble; for light, but behold darkness; they looked for a day of shadowing from the displeasure of the Lord, but behold (saith he) the day of the Lord shall burn like an Oven. What day this is, is very much questioned, some would have it to be the day of the last Judgment only, and suitably they understand the rising of the Sun of righteousness to be his last appearing, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , illustrious appearing: But this seemeth not to be the All, if it be intended here; but this seemeth not to be a time for growing up as Calves; now is the time of perfection in glory. Nor yet secondly do I take it only of the day of their calami • y, when they suffered so much under the Grecians, Kings of Syria and Egypt, the Seleucidae and Lagidae▪ (the two legs of that Image in Dan. as some understand it.) though this also might partly be meant: But this day I understand to be the time of Christ's appearing and manifestation to Israel; which to some would be a day of grace and rejoicing indeed, to others a day of gloomyness (according to that in this third Chapter; The Angel of the Covenant shall suddenly come into the Temple, but who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like the Refiners fire, and like Fullers Soap. And (alas!) the most of them would be found but dross, and stubble, which must be purged away, they could not abide the fire. So when they rejected the Lord Jesus, how fearful a day came on them? who could abide it? At the destruction of Jerusalem 1100000. slain, (beside near 100000. taken captive) This day burned like an Oven; O! a devouring fire it was: so fearful a thing its to have a day of grace, a day of Christ come on a people, and yet they sleight it and reject it: Greatest love rejected, turns into greatest displeasure; flaming love into flaming wrath; heat of affection into a burning of an oven, a furnace. Hear and tremble (Brethren) at this, we who now have a day of Christ, and a day of grace, lest we find it in the end such a day as this, so terrible to us.

But now, lest those mourners in Zion (that did wait for the consolation of Israel, did fear the name of the Lord, were tender, and did tremble at this his word) should be discouraged; he opens here a creek to let them in to hide themselves; provideth a shadow, a screen to set between them and this consuming fire, in the words of my Text, But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness (saith the Lord) arise with healing in his wings: Ye that tremble at my word shall not be scorched, nor this smell of the fire pass on you; as it was with the three children. The day of the Lord shall be a wounding to others, but it shall be a healing to you: they shall be cast into a burning oven as stubble or hay, but ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall.

So that the words are nothing else (as I conceive) but a Covenant of grace tempered into a cordial for poor drooping Spirits, which might now be ready to faint to hear how terrible a day this day of the Lord would be, which they had expected, promising themselves so much happiness in it, and their expectations should not be frustrated, he would not make them ashamed of their hope.

But unto you that fear my name, &c. Here is Christ promised (who is the Covenant, the substance of it, the mediator, the surety of it) and with him all things else: Syn •• hdochi understood in these few things here implied and expressed, as light, and healing, and liberty, and growth, going on from strength to strength, growing fat, and flourishing, prosperping into a Kingdom, yea an everlasting Kingdom. The Text then you see (being the sum of the Covenant of grace) must needs be a bundle of promises made to such as fear the Lord. I may not stand to open each of them, until I come to speak particularly to them, lest I hold you too long in the porch, and we not be able to view any of the inner rooms of the Text, so full of sweetness and comfort.

Therefore first we shall speak to that promise of Christ, unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and yet before we speak to the promise itself, something we must say to the notion under which he is represented in this promise, and that is a Sun of righteousness; from whence we will observe this Note.

That the Lord Jesus is a Sun of righteousness.

There are two things (Brethren) here to be cleared. First, that he is a Sun to his people. And secondly, a Sun of righteousness, and what is meant by that.

First then, for that he is a Sun; if it be granted that its he who is here meant, there need not much more to be said to make it good. And that its a particular promise of Christ-God, manifested in the flesh (surely) none will question: for who else is it that's that good Physician that can give healing but he? I am the Lord that healeth thee; but that will appear better afterward. Let me add for the present a Scripture or two more to back this with, That Christ is held forth to us in Scripture, under the Metaphor of a Sun, arise and shine (saith the Lord to his people in their low and afflicted state) he commands Babylon to come down, so he would have his people to lift up their hearts, arise out of the dust wherein they had wallowed: Why, what is the matter? thy light is come, the glory of the Lord is risen on thee: and who is this but the Lord Jesus? is it not he that was given to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, to be the glory of his people Israel? the Sun is the glory of the heavens and earth, when it breaks out, it maketh a glorious day, and everything glorious whose beauty before did not appear, yea puts glory on things that had none before; its strange to see (Brethren) things how glorious (even over-dazzling the eyes) they appear, when the Sun shines on them, which have little or no glory at another time. And here in the second verse, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: But the Lord shall arise on thee. Well, its he that is that light, that is that glory of the Lord. Add but that place in Luke, where he is said to be the day-spring from on high, visiting us through the tender mercies of our God: its true, the word there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ), which signifieth either the rising of the Sun most ordinarily, or else the place of the Suns rising, the East; or else some render it, a branch that did arise out of the root of Jess. But me thinks that is not so agreeable to the scope of the place, for the next words are, to give light to them that sit in darkness: therefore we may here note, that the day-spring, or rising of the Sun, is put for the Sun itself by a Metonymy, and the Sun by a Metaphor put for Christ, he is the Sun, which rising, maketh it day; yea some there are that would have it understood of the Sun at noon-day, of the rising of the Sun to the meridian, where it shineth most gloriously and most hot, according to that in Matthew, where the Sun riseth they wither that spring up quickly, and have no root; that is, the Sun arising to its height, then it scorcheth and withereth. And this I will not altogether reject here, because this seemeth to be spoken then comparatively, because the promise is made here to the comfort of such as did then fear the Lord, and may afterward fear him, which could not be, except the Lord Jesus this Sun of righteousness had had some influence on them; therefore this may seem to be meant of his rising to the height of the increase of his glory, when manifested in the flesh. I mean the glory of light manifested to us, though it were his own diminution: but haply more of this afterward. Now I will consider it only absolutely, that he is this Sun. The Lord is a Sun and a shield, and how can he so be, except it be in Christ, as God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself? So of a consuming fire, he becometh a refreshing Sun to his people, in his influences on them.

But wherein is Christ said to be a Sun? We might follow the Metaphor very far, yet not too far neither. We abhor that dotage of the Manichees, who said Christ's body went no further then the Sun, but there it was incorporated, on which account they worship the Sun. But we will a little instance in two or three particulars, wherein the resemblance holdeth between Christ and the Sun.

First, the Sun is one, and therefore called Sol from Solus, he only hath the ruling of the day ascribed to him. And so, Brethren, the Lord Christ is one, though he be two natures, yet he is but one Christ, one person; though he be God and man truly, yet he is but one Jesus, one Mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ, he speaks of him as man, not excluding the God-head: but to suit to the weakness of poor unbelieving creatures, we may go the more boldly to him, the distance between us now being not so great, he having taken part of flesh and blood, whereof the children, his poor people, are partakers. Its true, many false Christ's there have been, and some there are now in our days; but these, alas, they are but blazing Comets, make a little streaming light for a while, and fall into a filthy slime at last. There are also some Parelii (as they call them) images of the Sun made in a cloud, fitly disposed for such a reflection of his beams. But alas! how soon do these images and appearances vanish, as soon as by any disturbance the clouds cease to be so disposed; the Image of a beauty in a glass, in water, is far from the beauty itself: So do all false Christ's, and false Savior's whoever vanish. He is but one.

Secondly, the Sun is the glory of the heavens. Moon and stars have their glory, but one star differs from another in glory; but there is none like to the glory of the Sun. O! the Lord hath put the excellence of glory on the Lord Jesus; he is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the shining forth of his Fathers glory: he speaks here of Christ as incarnate, as the glory of God did shine in the face of Moses, so that the people could not behold; so now the glory of the Lord shineth in the face of Jesus Christ (as the Apostle hath it) so that we cannot behold it, it dazzles our eyes steadfastly to behold this his glory, as it doth to behold the Sun in his glory: Here is the glory of his grace, the glory of his wisdom, of his mercy, his power, and all in Christ: he is the glory (as it were) of divine attributes, they all shine forth in him, each with his peculiar glory. The Temple, the glory of the Lord filled it, so that they could not stand before him to minister sometimes. So, Brethren, now the Lord hath placed his name in Jesus Christ, he hath filled him with his glory: therefore (saith the Prophet) the glory of the Lord is risen on thee: that is, Jesus Christ is manifested to thee: was not his glory so great as to confound John, though a vessel fitted to be filled with those glorious revelations from-him? He fell at his feet as one dead at the sight of him in that vision. How glorious is an Angel, that the very sight of him was an astonishment to John? what is the Lord of the Angels? If the Moon be so glorious, what is the Sun?

Thirdly, the Sun is full of light in itself, and filsall things capable of its light, and yet hath never the less; the twinkling Tapers of heaven, they have each of them their light, some more some less: and the Moon hath much light, and giveth much; but what's borrowed light? First, she hath it not in herself, nor in such abundance as the Sun hath. So its here, the Saints they are lights of the Sun (as our Savior saith) but alas! like poor candles that burn dim, and sometimes through the thickness of the damps of corruption in our hearts, burn blew, and are ready to go out for the most part 〈…〉 but as the light in the socket, sometimes up and sometimes down, and every moment a man would think it would go out▪ the Angels and spirits of just men made perfect, are like stars shining more gloriously and constantly: But alas! nothing to the Sun, he sheds the light abroad throughout the whole hemisphere at once: Set up many lights at once in a dark night, they will give light but a little way, and how poor and weak a 〈…〉 light, so that when the Sun shineth they appear not at all; and that the Sun should so long fill the world with his light and have never the less, this is admirable. But this is but a shadow (Brethren) to the light of Jesus Christ; he is the true light, that is, such a light as that nothing else deserveth to be called a light in comparison of him; as far as the subject is recipient, a glorious spirit is before a vile body, so far is the light of Christ in its own nature above the Suns light. And then for fullness there is no comparison, though there be hardly anything obvious to ou • senses (which are to • et in light to the understand 〈…〉 ) that is more glorious, and so is more • it to set forth the Lord Jesus his fullness of Light by. Light maketh manifest all things; and that that maketh things manifest is the Light: now the light of the Sun, its true, discovers much, that before it arose appeared not; but its possible to hide from its light (Brethren) in the depths of the earth, in the bowels of man, it discovereth not any of those, much less the secrets of hearts, there's no suitableness between such a cause and such an effect. But the Lord Jesus, he searcheth all the deep things of men, the very Marrow of their bones (which is the deepest, and hath the most coverings upon coverings) he searcheth them. So doth Christ the ends of men, which are the most hidden usually in all their designs, they are deep as the Marrow in the bones, clothed over with flesh, and skin, and bones, pretence upon pretence, but Christ this Light is so piercing, that there is no hiding anything from it.

Fourthly, The Sun, his Tabernacle is in heaven; there he made a Tabernacle for the Sun; there is the seat of the eye of the world, from whence he views all that is under his Government; there is his Palace, and from thence he dispenseth light and influence. So, Brethren, its with Jesus Christ, he hath his Tabernacle in heaven, that is, in his Church, (for so oftentimes the Church is called) there the Lord placeth his Tabernacle; as he saith of Israel of old, I will place my Tabernacle among them, and dwell in the midst of them. He walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks to behold them, to be nigh them, to dispence of his light to them, and of his influence. So doth the Sun communicate of his light to the Moon, and to the Stars in heaven, and to the inhabitants upon earth. We are not to understand all this of Christ his person merely, but Christ, as held out in his Ordinances, in his Church, therefore he is said by the Church to make manifest the mercy and wisdom of God; his Ordinances are the rays and beams (as afterward we shall speak, when we come to open that part of the Text.) But his Tabernacle is the Church, thence he shines forth on many others, as the earth is lightened by the rays from heaven.

Fifthly, From the warming of the Sun; how cold and frozen are those Northern parts of the world, because remote from the Sun? how cold is the hemisphere when the Sun is set for a time? • ow warm when it shines▪ So the Lord Jesus it is that's the Author of heat; the Winter is past, the Summer is come, the rain is over, the flowers appear on the earth, and the voice of singing of birds heard: that is, Christ is revealed in the power of his love to poor sinners; this is that which warmeth the coldest heart when we are frozen in our affections; and as waters frozen up, cannot run this way nor that way, so we can do nothing, nor move towards God. Then, Brethren, its a sight of the Sun of righteousness, the Lord Jesus, a hot gleamfrom him that thaws all, and melts all, warmeth all again: and therefore in this respect also, he may be compared to the Sun.

Sixthly, because of influence (which may be, they say, where there is no heat nor light at least) and therefore Philosophers tell us, that by the influence of the Sun, the gold is concocted in the bowels of the earth, whither its light cannot come. And this is that (Brethren) that calls forth the fruits of the earth, that in the winter for fear of cold were retired, the sap recoiling to the root, there to be preserved until a season for it: Now the Sun, the heat, and warmth, and influence thereof calls it forth again; so that the grass, and fruits, plants and herbs, put forth, bud and blossom (as we see it in the spring) so the face of the earth is renewed. And so its in this case, the Lord Jesus from heaven shineth forth, and conveying secretly the powerful influences of his Spirit, and of the Word to poor sinners (though they were as dead and dry sticks before, as trees that are starven with the frost, and seem dead) then they put forth again, then they grow green and flourishing, then the heart of a sinner that was little worth before, becometh a golden Vial full of odors, its concocted, then the spices flow forth in the garden enclosed.

Seventhly, the Sun dispels the mists and fogs which are unwholesome, would poison the air; yea, and thick clouds which would muffle up the Sun from us, we know this by daily experience. So doth the Lord Jesus (Brethren) all the mists, fogs, and clouds of sin, he dispels them for his name sake, he blots out the transgressions of his people as a cloud. Its the very heat (Brethren) of the love of Jesus Christ, that consumeth, (as I may say) melts away those clouds, that they intercept not our communion and fellowship with him. O! there is not a day, but the streamings of our filthy hearts would gather into a thick cloud and cover his face from us, were it not that the warm beams of his love did continually dispel them and scatter them; we should never enjoy the light of his countenance an hour together, if it were not for this; and for his names sake he doth it. And so the cloud of sorrow, let the diseases of the people of God be what they will, never so great and black clouds they are compassed about with; their day is a day of gloominess and thick darkness, how come these to be dispelled? is it not the Sun of righteousness breaking forth on poor sinners that doth it? one sight of Christ as reconciled to him puts an end unto all.

Eighthly, the Sun is the cause of the sweet intercourse between the earth and the clouds, and the clouds and the earth: for its the Sun that exhales the vapors from the earth, and draweth them up into the middle region of the air, and there with the cold of the air its condensed into a cloud, and hangs until it be dissolved, and render itself to the earth again to make it fruitful: and so the dew is in like manner begotten, only is not far lifted up above the earth, and with the cold of the night is congealed into little drops, and so sweetly distills. So the Lord Jesus, he draweth out the hearts, the affections of his people in prayers, sweet breathings after himself; and these prayers come down again sometimes on the same soul, sometimes on another place: they fall, but abundance of sweetness, and blessing, and mercy is poured out by this means on poor creatures, whereby they become fruitful.

Ninthly, The Lord Jesus may be compared to the Sun, for that the Sun Giant-like rejoiceth to run his race, and who can turn him back? alas! all the clouds that gather about the Sun, that to our apprehensions might haply seem to threaten a blotting of it out, a clogging of it, they are all below it. Its true, prayer once did hold him in his course, and it looks like a word of command, Sun stand thou still: and so prayer may do much with Jesus Christ, but not hinder him in his course, riding on in his triumphant chariot, conquering and to conquer, enlightening poor dark places and people. Before we come to the other, we will a little apply this to ourselves.

First then (Brethren) if the Lord Jesus be a Sun, then they that have this Sun risen on them, they are children of the day; if the Sun be up, it must needs be day; and is not the Sun up Brethren, among us? is not the Lord Jesus gone forth as a Giant to run his race among us? we now have a day of Grace among us, and how long, or how short it may be, I know not; Brethren, it seemeth to be declining in some respects, and the shadows of the evening growing low; O that we would be persuaded, and stirred up to do the work of our day, in this our day! our great work, which is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. I doubt, if the Sun should set, and the night come on you, wherein no man can work, you should have this work yet to do many of you, especially, brethren, you into whose hearts the Lord Jesus, this Sun of righteousness hath shone. O how should you walk as children of the day, not in surfeiting and drunkenness! I mean not with meat and fire only, but with any creature-comforts, and delights on this side Christ; away then with all the works of darkness, all practices which did suit better with the times of ignorance and blindness and now walk as becometh the light and the day, that the Sun may not be ashamed to behold you.

Secondly, Such as the Lord Jesus then hath not risen on, they are yet in darkness, children of the night, and walk at uncertainties, know not whither they go. Alas, many a poor soul thinketh he is as sure to go to heaven, as he is to die, when he is in the very rode to hell; only some go in the broad trodden path, open profane impudent sinners; some steal thither behind the hedge; they are going to hell, but in a closure, walk hidden from others and from themselves. Many night-Birds there are among us, children of the night indeed, though in one respect many of us may be said to be children of the day, because Jesus Christ in the dispensation of the Gospel is held forth unto us, as they are said to be the children of the Kingdom; yet in respect of the inward revealing of Christ in the heart, I doubt many of us are strangers to it; though we fly about in the light, yet we are but Owls and Bats, darkness agreeth better with us; our souls are full of darkness, our works are nothing else but works of darkness. How sad a consideration is this Brethren, that in the midst of light we should be children of darkness! 〈◊〉 noon-day, when the Gospel is at the heighth, and Christ, the Sun as it were at the meridian, we should be stumbling and groping as at midnight, not knowing whither we go.

Then thirdly, As there is this difference of persons where Christ cometh, from them where he cometh not, so it is in families and people. Brethren, what a sad people and family is that where they are all in Egyptian darkness! Jesus Christ is not risen unto any soul among them, they know him not experimentally, but they are all in blindness: Alas, none can help another, the Israelites and Egyptians (though they dealed among one another) in one family there was light, in the other there was nothing but gross darkness that might be felt. O who would live in such a family! who would not haste out of such a condition? you would think that a sad conditioned house, that the light of the Sun and warmth of the Sun never entereth into, of all places you would not live in it: this is is nothing brethren, to the total absence of Christ, where neither Husband, nor Wife, nor Fellow-servant, nor Children, none of them have had the Lord Jesus shining into their hearts; Gross darkness shall cover the earth, (saith the Prophet) But on Zion shall the Glory of the Lord arise. Look into what families, brethren, you put yourselves: no man would content himself to live in a dungeon continually; that family is worse where Jesus Christ hath never come.

Fourthly, Then take notice how sweet a condition it must needs be, to have an union and fellowship with Jesus Christ, especially where that fellowship is constant: truly light is sweet, And it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun (saith Solomon): but alas, that is nothing to a sight of Christ! poor sinners in a dark condition, when they become sensible of it, will tell you what its worth to have a glimpse of Christ, of the light of his countenance: poor creatures that for half an year together are without the Sun, will tell you how sweet a condition it is to have the Sun shining on them. Mary Magdalene will tell you, (when she wanted her Savior, her Lord) with many tears, what a want it is, and what a joy to have his presence. O what light is there in that soul: what joy, what peace, what comfort, what warmth, what melting over the Lord Jesus! it is a little heaven on earth indeed, this enjoyment of the Lord Jesus.

Fifthly, We may hence learn then brethren, whence cometh all our light, and all our warmth, and all our fruitful influences, whereby we spring forth, and bring forth abundantly, it is from the Lord Jesus. Thy heart was as very a dungeon as any, full of darkness and bugs, frogs and serpents, and how came it to be lightened, but that the Sun of God was pleased to shine on thee, yea into thy heart more then another, and freely with his presence to scatter those lusts thy soul was full of before. Art thou enabled so much as to bud, to think a good thought? its from hence, because that the Sun of righteousness hath arisen on thee; thou hast received some influence from him: doth it come to a blossom, a good word, holy communication? its from the same principle: doth the fruit knit and grow up into a ripeness, increase into an holy action, an holy walking with God, whence is it but from the Sun of righteousness? doth the Marigold open? its according to the heat of the Sun : do our hearts open? are our hearts enlarged? hence it is (Brethren) forget not the fountain, we are apt to think, the sparks are of our own kindling, &c.

Sixthly, Then (Brethren) we should hence learn to whom, to your all give the Praise, the Glory of all. Let the Moon and Stars then fall down before this Sun, as it was in Josephs dream: they shine but with a borrowed light, and the borrower is servant to the lender. How do the Birds each morning chant and chirp, when their little spirits are revived by the Sun rising on them? and shall our mouths be sealed up, when the Sun of righteousness hath visited our hearts, quickened them, enlightened them? The Stars you know appear not when the Sun ariseth in his Glory: O dear friends, so should we when the Name of Christ cometh in competition with our names, not appear, be content to be nothing, to decrease, so he may increase; Let him have the Glory of all.

Seventhly, Then (Brethren) learn to prize the Lord Jesus, set a true esteem on him: should we want the Sun for one month, what a value should we set on it? it is true worth indeed, brethren, to value things by their enjoyment, rather then by their 〈…〉 ant: now thou hast the Sun-shine it may be, many a sweet refreshing warming from the Lord Jesus, O prize it; everyone is looking at and admiring a Comet, but who considereth the Sun? who admireth that? prizeth that? how much ado hath the Lord Jesus with us to bring us to this? he is fain to put us in a dungeon, to make us bear the iniquities of our youth, to hide his face, to make us walk in darkness, before we will prize it; what a grief is this to him? is it not a trouble to ourselves? and what a folly is it Brethren, to grieve the Lord Jesus, and grieve our own souls, when we might save all this? O labor then to do it; beg such a heart of Jesus Christ.

Eighthly, Then Brethren, shut not the windows against the shinings of this Sun of righteousness: sometimes the Lord Jesus getteth within a sinner for all his fence and guard, light cometh in at some chink, beginneth to discover the condition in which he is, showeth him the filthy vermin that are ready to run away with his soul, that the heart swarms withal, that he saw not before: and yet alas, he maketh a shift to clap to the window, to smother the light with both hands, puts it away, he desires not the presence of it; this is a sad condition, when men are ignorant, and will be ignorant; when the Lord Jesus would have healed them, and they would not be healed; O how canst thou tell, whether ever thou shalt be healed till thou die? O take heed Brethren, of this! it is the way to bring the blackness of darkness on you, to provoke God to clap the everlasting chains of darkness on you, wherein you may be reserved to the last day. Oh it is a sad saying, that, Let him that is ignorant, be ignorant still; the time may come, when the hour of darkness shall fall on your souls at the day of death, that you would give a world then but for a glimpse of that light you now shut out, and fence yourselves against; when your works of darkness and secret pleasures of sin (for whose sake you have done it) do fly in your face, buffet you, ready to tear your throat out, hale you before the judgment-seat of Christ, O then for a sight of Christ, but he is far from you; no, he would have enlightened you, but you would not; Therefore now the things which belong to your peace, are hid from your eyes. He might pity Jerusalem, and weep over her, but alas her condition was past cure; I would the condition of many a poor soul here were not such; yea Brethren, the people of God themselves, take heed of sh 〈…〉 ing out the light of this Sun of righteousness; for what will become of the light in the room, when its fullest of light, if the windows be clapt too? will it not be cut off? will it not become a dungeon? we complain many times of a dark, and sad, and dead condition: the truth is, Brethren, we have shut him out, we have thought; Oh now we are full, now we have knowledge and heat enough; we have been so warmed with the influence of Christ on us, now it matters not for altogether so strict a walking, now we have gotten the light of his countenance; this is a secret frowardness of our hearts, and then he is provoked to withdraw, and alas, we are in darkness again. Therefore take we heed Brethren, how we hide the face of God in Christ from ourselves by such wantonness under the beams of Grace.

Ninthly, Then Brethren, learn we not to rest in the common influences of this Sun, the Lord Jesus he shineth on the good and bad, Brethren, but he shineth only on the heads of some, but into the hearts of others (as the Apostle saith) the passages between the head and the heart are opened, and the light seizeth on the will and affections, as well as the understanding; the Sun may shine on thee, thou mayst have much knowledge, and an head full of notion, and yet be but a weed; for it shines on the weeds as well as on the flowers; on the dunghill as well as on the garden; the dunghill never savors so bad, as when the Sun beateth most on it. O what steams are there then, enough to poison a man! Ah Brethren, the shining of Jesus Christ, on some poor sinners, what doth it but raise steams of lust within? men are more vile, more wicked, their guilt greater, their condemnation surer, their sins more loathsome to God then any others; therefore stay not here (Brethren) except we find that the light we receive from Jesus Christ do scatter our lusts, for they will not endure the light that is saving indeed: except thou find that it change thee indeed, and transform thy heart into his image from Glory to Glory: if thou find thou art rather changed from dishonor to dishonor, from one vile affection to another, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Apostle calls them) all the light thou hast received, is nothing.

Tenthly, They are not friends to Christ then Brethren, that would make more Suns then one; what, is not the Lord of Glory a glo 〈…〉 s Sun enough? is there not a fullness of light in him; sufficient for us all? a fullness of heat and influence in him for us all, but we must be flattering ourselves and others into a rivalship with Christ? how gross are the Papists in this point? making the Saints their mediator of satisfaction and intercession both? I do them no wrong: they are the words of their Missal, praying for pardon by the merits of their Saints, and praying to them to intercede for them: yea and to the Virgin to command her son; O horrid! but in them its not so much, because either they are in Egyptian darkness, and denied the means of light, or given up to strong delusions to believe a lie; but for us that have the light of the knowledge of Christ in such a rich manner among us, and yet have a Pope in our bellies, the indignity is much greater to Jesus Christ: how prone are we to set up our own works, as our Savior? who can say his heart is clean, and thoroughly purged from this evil? O that we were but ashamed of it, and were able to say that we do it not in our hearts; for then its not so deeply chargable on us, (as I doubt) its on many of us. Therefore take heed of this Brethren, of setting up any spark of our own kindling (or of his kindling) in us, in defiance to the Lord Jesus, in opposition against him, or partnership with him in our salvation, in our comfort, or peace, or joy of faith: if we do, and give him not the whole, we do much dishonor him, and shall find that we much wrong our own souls. No readier way (Brethren) to bring an eclipse, then when the Moon will be interposing between the Sun & the Earth.

Eleventhly, What enemies are they then to Jesus Christ and to Mankind, that would pluck the Sun out of the Firmament? would we not account him a desperate enemy that would endeavor it? and are they any better? are they not much worse, who would pluck away our Christ from us? whether they be sins, or lusts within, which do indeed rather cloud or eclipse at most. But there are some who would even pluck him out of his throne that the Father hath set for him in Heaven, in his Church, such as deny the Lord that bought them, such as will not yield him to be the most high God, equal to the Father; though Christ counted it no robbery, they count it a robbery for him be equal with him. Can a creature-Christ be a sufficient Christ to give light, and life, and healing to poor sinners? will this ever satisfy any tender conscience, quiet any trouble 〈…〉 ul? let it go then for a damnable heresy, and let us abhor it, and beware of it; for nothing is so gross, but in these times Satan finds some vent for it; and bewail it (Brethren) that ever any poor creatures that expect salvation by Jesus Christ, should attempt such an high indignity against him? what is it but to kiss him with Judas, and yet to betray him? with Joab to kiss the Son, and yet to stab him? he that would bring the Sun down to the light and condition of the Moon, were a wretched man, but this is nothing to the case in hand.

Twelfthly, Then admire (Brethren) the tender mercy of the Lord that would give us such a Sun, the Lord Jesus, the Sun of righteousness! if he had left the world in a Chaos at first, and never commanded the light to shine out of darkness, never set any Sun in the Firmament, who could have charged anything on him? But he knew what a miserable world it would it be without the Sun, and how little of the beauty, and excellence, and perfection of his works, and wisdom would appear, if there were no Sun. But here (Brethren) shining forth more of his • enderness and bowels unto poor Sinners in a dark and dead condition, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from an high hath visited us; here are the soundings of his bowels toward us indeed, when we were forlorn and helpless in ourselves, to cause this day-spring from on high to visit us. And truly for us in this Land, how long have we had the Sun of righteousness risen on us? and that yet it is not set, that he is not altogether eclipsed by the world of iniquity; that he hath stood still (as it were) and not hastened to a setting; this is unspeakable mercy, admire it, bless the Lord, be filled with his praises!

Thirteenthly, Brethren, Then let us be exhorted to set our selves in the warm Sun. I mean, to wait diligently on the Lord Jesus in his Ordinances, for these are the Orb in which he moveth in his Church, the Heavens, and doth, as it were, wheel about the Church in them, as the Sun in the Orb, to communicate his light, and heat, and influences; and therefore its observable, that David saith, I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God, then dwell in the tents of wickedness; why, saith he, The Lord is a Sun, and a Shield, Glory, and a Defense round about them, therefore he would be a door-keeper in the house of God; because there, and then, and to them, he is a Sun in a special manner. O Brethren, have you not experience of it? where and how come in your warmings on your spirits? is it not in the Ordinances of Christ? doth he not breath there, and feed there with his people? if a man should be so peevish as that he would not have the Suns influence, except he did shine in his chamber, did move there, or shine on the earth, or move there, were he not most justly deprived of them? Here Brethren, here in the Word preached and heard, in the Seals, and Prayer, and all the Ordinances of Christ he will be found of his people, and above others in private; be much in maditation of the sweetness, the riches of his love to poor Sinners, such as thou art, this is to set our faces Brethren; towards the Sun. O how will this clear the eyes of an Eagle indeed, one that is gloriously born of heaven, though Owls are blinded by it? How will this (Brethren) darken the beauty and glory of all things here? You complain of earthliness, and you are fast glued to the world. O beg of God, that he would turn your eyes toward himself, toward the Lord Jesus; behold this Sun in his strength and glory, and see if this do not make all things else dull to you, to have no excellence in them, in comparison of Christ, that you shall cry out, none but Christ, none but Christ. O Brethren, this would make us sparkle, like Diamonds, lying under the influence of the Sun: its for want of this that Christians are like Diamonds in the dirt; this will make us sparkle, as Moses face did shine; this Brethren, is the way to contract the beams as in a burning glass, and set the heart on fire with love to Jesus Christ; then our affections will flame, then shall we be a zealous people of good works; otherwise not.

Fourteenthly, Arise then and shine, thou poor fearing soul, that liest in the dust, be enlightened, lift up thy eyes thou that languishest, and thy spirit is ready to faint within thee, thou art even dying, and couldst with fears of thy condition: Oh thy light is come! is not the Sun in the Firmament, though he may be clouded from thee? what though there be much darkness in thee of ignorance, of discomfort, thou walkest in darkness and seest no light, the Sun may be up, though it appear not? it may be day with thee (poor soul) and thou a child of light and of the day, though thou beholdest not the Sun, nor the b •• ms from the Sun; if thou hast not the light of the Sun, the light of his countenance, thou mayst have the influence of the Sun notwithstanding, that reacheth the parts where the light cometh not. And be not discouraged at the enemies of Christ: what though the clouds of ignorance, error, profaneness and idolatry gather together, and seem to threaten the Sun? Alas, how soon can he dispel them, consume them with the brightness of his glorious appearance? what if the Dogs do bark at the Moon, the Church, or at Christ, the Sun? will that hinder him in his course? what though the People when they are scorched with the heat of the Sun (as some Pagans are) do curse the Sun? can they hinder his course? O no: as a strong man he will run his race, and who shall hinder it? and those that will not be made fruitful he will burn up and consume; therefore be not discouraged; and thou that hast much deadness, and coldness, and hardness, be not discouraged, there is influence enough in Christ, go to him, labor to act faith on him, set thyself under his influence, wait on him in his Ordinances, and see if it come not into thee, to warm, to melt, to make fruitful in the work of the Lord.

Now for the second, which is, that Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness. But lest I should dwell too long on the Text, if▪ I should at large handle every part, therefore I will rather sum up several things in one Observation, and its this.

Unto them that fear the Name of the Lord, the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, or d • th arise with healing in his wings. Wherein I will labor to unfold several things, and then come to the Application of all to ourselves.

First then, What is meant by them that fear the Lord? here in this place of the Prophet, I conceive by the coherence of the Text, that hereby are meant such, as when the Prophet had denounced the fearful threatenings of Judgment, The day of the Lord to be as a fire; oven, to consume the stubble, &c. they were afraid, they feared the Lord and his judgments; they were apt to be too much dismayed at it; but he tells▪ them, that to them it should be a day of healing, and liberty, and light, and refreshing to his people. The people of God may, and ought to be afraid of the judgments of God, when they hang bound up in a black cloud, but yet in the womb of a threatening; and so Josiah was afraid, and rent his clothes, and humbled himself, his heart was tender, and he did tremble at this fearful word, the judgment threatened against Jerusalem. A stout, stubborn, brawny, hard heart never melts nor moveth, but such as those are afraid; or else if judgment do break out, and the decree bring forth, the clouds pour out upon Sinners, then they are afraid. So David was afraid of the judgment of God executed on Uzzah, and afraid of the Angel of the Lord. Now to such as these, the Lord promiseth a Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing; such fear hath torment in it and anguish, and therefore hath need of healing; but is this to be restrained either to their persons, or to their conditions? surely no: the prophesies are Divine, they are of the nature of the author, with whom 1000 years are but as one day, therefore we are to allow to them a greater latitude, such as is agreeable to them, they are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing accomplishment, and germinant throughout many ages, though the height or fullness of them may refer them to some age; and of all other prophesies, it is most true of that of Christ, with respect to the saving virtues of his blood to his people; therefore for persons we must not confine it to them, no nor for things, to that sort of fear which seemeth to be meant by the series of the context; but this as all other promises of God are appliable to any condition of poor creatures, to which its suitable. As that of Joshua, I will, never leave thee, is applied to want in outward things, and to encourage them to walk without covetousness. Therefore;

Secondly, Fearing of God, may be meant such as God hath begun to work on, hath convinced them of sin, and of wrath by reason of sin; there is a fear wrought in such an heart, as the poor Jailor came springing in and trembling; and the three thousand in Acts 2. To such as these the Promise may be appliable, That Christ will arise on them with healing in his wings; though I know not that its to be taken in any equal latitude with this fear, for there may be such a conviction and fear, and yet haply never any healing for them.

3. Such as fear the Lord and his Goodness (as the Prophet hath i • ) Such as fear his Name, though he himself be in Heaven, and they cannot see him face to face, as Moses did; they seek not 〈…〉 t s • gns of his presence, though they see him but darkly and through a glass: though they see him not, being invisible, • et by his 〈◊〉 they know him; and the greatest part of his name is Mercy (as you have it in Exodus) and his name speaks his nature, the Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, longsuffering, &c. O! such as these, they shall have the Sun of righteousness arise on them; if they have but little, yet they shall have more: Some they have had, else they could not be fearing him in such a manner as this is, for this indeed is a part of the Covenant of grace made good to them already, that he will put his fear into their hearts; and this here is nothing else but the displaying of the same Covenant of grace to his people. Alas! many times the people of God that fear his name, are under cloudings, sometimes in respect of temptation to sin, they are sore pestered with them: Sometime the prevailing of sin over them, to the darkening and disquieting of their souls: Sometime they are in darkness and see no light, and yet fear the name of the Lord. Now to such as these the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings.

But secondly, what is meant by the Sun of righteousness? That Christ the Covenant is meant, I told you before; but for a reason of this title, why a Sun? you have heard at large. But the Sun of righteousness, why so called, is a further question; and for answer to this, let me speak a few words.

First, One reason may be because of his perfection; there should nothing be wanting in him, he should have all perfections which were just and fit for such a Mediator to have; and so some think there is a Hebraism in the words, the Sun of righteousness; the righteous Sun, the absolutely perfect Sun: and this is a truth, in this Sun there was no spot, no wrinkle, no darkness, no deficiency of glory, of light, of heat, of influences, of pains in wheeling about his Church continually for their supply and refreshing; but this is not all.

Secondly, Because in him the righteousness of God was eminently conspicuous, therefore he may be called the Sun of righteousness; Some imperfect footsteps of righteousness there are in the creature, of holiness and conformity to God, some lineaments of his Image, but very naked, they want their filling up, and garnishing with colors, and will do while we are in the body: and there are so many blots, and blurs, and stains, that it scarce appears many times; witness the choicest examples of the Saints, as 〈◊〉 Moses, if you look on him at the water of Meri • ah, you would scarce have thought him so meek a man; and so David in the matter of Uriah, and his dealing with Mephibosheth. These were shadows cast on the beauty of Christ in them, that it was not so conspicuous; the glass is dimmed, and defiled, and so not so transparent: but now the Lord Jesus is a pure glass of divine attributes and perfections, and therefore of this righteousness here spoken of. And secondly, conspicuous in him was the vindictive righteousness of God; it is true his justice is manifested in calling sinners to an account, as he did the Angels, the Sodomites, the old world, and us in our times, his dealings do speak him to be a just God: but never any so much as his dealing with Christ, though a Son, and equal with him in all essential glory; yet if he will be surety for poor sinners, he must as it were for a time veil his glory with rags of flesh, because the children partake of the same; and though the Son of his incomprehensible love, yet if he will so appear under the sins of his people, he shall find them like a poisoned garment, inflamed with wrath, he must drink up the cup to the bottom, though he were amazed at it, and compassed about with fear, surrounded with fear (as the Evangelist hath it) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , though it cost him a bloody sweat, put him into an agony. A strong potion (Brethren) that casts the Lord of Life and Glory into such a sweat as this, though it lay him under reproach and shame, cloud God's face from him, cost him the very blood of his heart, and all the joy▪ of his soul for a time; though he put up strong cries and tears, God will not be entreated to let the cup pass from him, not spare him at all. O! here the Justice of God is conspicuous in him. (Brethren) never was there such a pattern of righteousness in God as this, that he would not spare sin, though in his dearest Son of his love. O then! shall sons by adoption think to make bold with sin, and not smart for it in some measure? Take heed you watchless, careless walkers before God. O! what shall become of poor sinners then, that are never the better for all this, whose sins shall be charged on their own account? Did it amaze the Lord Jesus? With what hearts do you think (sinners) you shall be able to look an angry God in the face, when his flaming indignation shall stream forth on your souls to all eternity? O! think on it sinners, and tremble: but this by the by.

Thirdly, He may be called the Sun of righteousness, as I conceive, as he is the fulfilling of all the promises that were made of him. The Lord made many promises, as the seed of the woman shall break the serpents-head; and that in Abraham, in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed; and that a Virgin should conceive and bear a son, whose name should be Immannuel, God with us; signifying the union of natures in his person.

Now if Christ had not come according to the promise, where had been the truth of God his righteousness? and therefore saith the Apostle, it was to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, that are past, through the forbearance of God; when all the Fathers had believed in him to come, and to be revealed, they died in faith, not having received the promises, that is, not having seen Christ come in the flesh for the accomplishment of their redemption, though afar off they beheld them and embraced them: Abraham saw his day and was glad. Now what had become of the faith of all these, grounded on the faithfulness of God who had promised; they without us, saith the Apostle, were not made perfect, though through forbearance (as it were) their sins were passed over; yet they would have returned on them again, if Christ had not come according to the promise; and therefore herein now Christ may be said to be the Sun of righteousness; but this concerneth most his first appearing in the flesh, though for these ends and purposes, for which he doth arise unto every poor believing soul. Now therefore he is the Sun of righteousness in this respect also, as well by his arising on any soul that stands in need of him now, as by arising on them then: for if God should fail in any of them which he hath given to Christ, where were his righteousness? This is the third.

Fourthly, Another consideration wherefore he may be called the Sun of righteousness, is this, because he is the meritorious cause of our justification in the sight of God, therefore he is called, the Lord our righteousness; he was set forth (saith the Apostle) for a propitiation through faith in his blood, called the righteousness of God, as he accepteth of the satisfaction of Christ, as God in Christ paid the price of it, even the blood of God (as he imputeth it to us, or for Christ's sake doth not impute our sins on us) Enter not into Judgment (saith the Psalmist) with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified; not by the works of the Law, but by the blood of Jesus: in this respect he is called a Sun of righteousness.

Fifthly, in that he doth by his influences on the hearts of his people work on them a similitude, a likeness to himself, to his Father, and so beget an inherent righteousness, putting inward principles and seeds into their hearts, from whence flow all manner of holy conversation; in this also he is the Sun of righteousness: the Apostle is clear in this, he is made of God to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption; which sanctification is sometimes called in Scripture righteousness. So, he hath chosen us in him to the adoption of Sons, that we might be holy and unblamable, that by him we might be brought to such a state and condition, by beholding him, by lying in his beams with our faces towards him, with open face. Now all shadows, and ceremonies, and vails, (such as in the Legal administration of the Covenant of grace were on him) being taken away, we are changed into his Image from glory to glory. In all these respects he may be called the Sun of righteousness: and thus much for the second thing.

The third then, What is meant by the arising of this Sun of righteousness on them? if we understand it with respect to the people of God, of those times that feared his name; then it cannot be understood (Brethren) as if that Christ had never shined on them: for, how come they then to fear the Lord, if he had not yet owned them as his people in Covenant? but it must be understood thus, that they should behold him in a more glorious manner arising; they that should live to see the day. Many waited for the consolation of Israel, as Zach. and Simeon, and many others, who could not have done it if they had had no influence from Christ on their hearts; therefore we must say, that even among the Jews, yea and before, many of them had a dawning of light, had some glimmerings of Christ, he did shine through all the darkness and shadows of the Ceremonies: Christ was held forth in them all, but only as the beauty of the picturre is in the shadow. But now we have the very image of the things, (saith the Apostle.) So that this rising on them (Brethren) may be as the rising of the Sun to some height, rather then his first appearing: for I find that in the Gospel of Matthew, so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is rendered. When the Sun is risen, it withereth: that is, when its up and at an height, then it withereth.

So now, (though before they had the dawning, I say, some scattering beams fore-running the glory of the Sun) yet now they should have it in greatest glory, for he came that his people might have light and might have it more abundantly.

But now to us (Brethren) on whom he hath shone so long, he may be said to rise, as he breaks through any clouds of darkness, on us, as the Martyr at the stake cried out, Son of God shine on me: he meant, that he should show him the light of his countenance, break in on the heart with more light and warmth, whereby he might be armed against that tertible death he was to encounter with; and the Sun in the Firmament broke out in a glorious manner through the thick clouds, as an Emblem, if not an earnest of the other; and a visible evidence or testimony to the standers by, that it should be so. So that now I conceive, when on any poor soul in his first agonies, the throws that he hath to bring forth the child Jesus, his troubles of heart for sin, and thick darkness on him the Lord Jesus breaks forth on the soul with a glorious discovery of his love, yea with an hint of his love, its arising on him; and so as the increase of the glory of his people Israel: the glory of his people Israel is called his arising on them; so where the Lord doth in a more eminent manner appear to his people, either after desertion in respect of comfort and peace, or after desertion in respect of holiness, there he may be said to arise on them. And thus much for the third.

The fourth thing is, what is meant by the wings of this Sun of righteousness? this is so much the more difficult, by how much the more Metaphors it is clothed with, one on another: For first, the natural Sun is said to have wings. And secondly, then this Sun of righteousness being compared to the natural Sun, is also said to have wings; that we may therefore a little unfold it, let us first see what are the wings of the Sun, the natural Sun, and for that we must know it is Metaphorical: the rays, the beams of the Sun are said to be the wings of the Sun; we read of the wings of the morning, wherewith the Psalmist would fly away to the ends of the earth; what is that but the dawnings of the day? the eye-lids of the morning, as Job calls it: the first breakings of light, when the Sun peepeth above the Horizon, the rays and streamings of light scattered before the appearing os the Sun: the Sun is as it were the eye of heaven, governing and viewing the earth; and the dawning of the day is as it were the eye-lids, opening before the eye do appear when it awakeneth. So Caryl and Mercer. they are called the wings of the Sun, (as is conceived) for several reasons.

First, because as wings and feathers compass, clothe and adorn the fowl whose wings they are; so the rays do clothe, and compass, and adorn the Sun as it were; how naked would a bird be without his feathers? and how naked would the Sun be without his rays and beams?

Secondly, because of the swift motion of the Sun, not only in his diurnal course, as in Psalm 19. He rejoiceth as a Giant to run his race: but no sooner is the Sun up, but he doth in a manner spread his rays to all the Hemisphere, as a bird quickly when she riseth spreadeth her wings abroad; and therefore the Egypitans Hieroglyph. of the Sun, was a fowl spreading long wings every way.

Thirdly, because the wings of a fowl, are those under which she gathereth her young, cherisheth them, refresheth, warmeth them, that they may grow and increase: So here, the wings of the Sun are those whereby the creatures in their kind are healed and cherished; as you know how the body will be benumbed, and languish with the cold of the night: when the Sun beams come to beat on it again, how doth it quicken and revive?

But now for the wings of the Lord Jesus, what are his wings as he is the Sun of righteousness? whatever answers to this Sun-beams are his wings; and what are these? In a word then, I take them to be the Word and Spirit especially; not excluding other Ordinances of Jesus Christ, but these especially; yea (truly) the Spirit in the Word, and in other Ordinances of Christ, I take to be these wings here spoken of. The Spirit in the Word, even whereby he cometh and preacheth to men, even to them that were asar off from Christ, is said to come and preach peace; by which also (saith the Apostle) that is, by the Spirit, he went and preached to the Spirits in prison, that now are in prison, but not when he sent to preach to them; the Spirit of Christ in the Word which Noah preached to them (who was a Preacher of righteousness) the Lord Jesus went and preached to them: I say, these are the wings of our Sun of righteousness; and so they are called haply for divers reasons.

First, that these proceeding from him, even as the rays of the Sun, which are his wings, proceed from the Sun, as the Sun sends forth his beams and influences in a powerful manner; so Christ sends forth his light and his truth, the Spirit as a person in the Trinity proceedeth from him as from the Father, but as to his office, to be an enlightening Spirit, a quickening Spirit, a comforting Spirit; so he proceedeth from Christ; I will send you the Comforter from the Father; he poured out of his Spirit on his Apostles and many others, who were to go forth in his name, and preach the Gospel to the Nations; and the Word he sends it forth, out of his mouth proceedeth a two-edged sword, which is his Word.

Secondly, as the beams supply the absence of the Sun, so doth the Spirit of Christ supply his absence; therefore while he was yet present, the Spirit was not yet given, not poured out in that fullness; but when he was to go, he comforts his Disciples with this, that if he went, he would send them the Comforter, another Comforter; himself was one, and he would send them another, and that was his Spirit, and he should lead them into all truth, bring all things to their remembrance, and be their Comforter, and help their infirmities, and so supply the absence of Christ. Yea better then if he himself were with them; as we use to say, the Sun is come into such an house, when the beams thereof are come in, which do supply the absence of the Sun, and better it is for us to have the beams, then the Sun in our houses.

Thirdly, because of the swiftness of the opening of the glory of Christ to the last ages of the world. O! how swift are the beams of the Sun in a moment darted from heaven to earth, and over-spread the whole Horizon? So the Lord, his Word being quickened by the Spirit, doth run very swiftly (as the Psalmist hath it) in how short a time (as the age of the Apostles) did it overspread the Horizon, gotten as far as Rome, and how mightily did it prevail, though the Jews did contradict, and blaspheme, and endeavor to take off the wheels of his Chariots, yet it went on never the slower for that, it grew and multiplied; Converts unto the face of the Church were as thick as the morning dew on the face of the earth, which is generated by the Sun.

Fourthly, as the beams of the Sun carry light, and heat, and refreshing along with them to the poor languishing earth, and other creatures, so doth the Spirit and the Word, and the Spirit in the Word carries light with it; thy Word is a light to my feet; and indeed it is not Christ considered alone, but as he is held out in the Gospel that is here resembled to the Sun of righteousness, as I told you before; their sound is gone forth into all the earth; that is, of them that preached the Gospel of peace and reconciliation through Christ. And for heat; O! how doth many a poor creature come under an Ordinance with an heartless mind, cold and dead, and his heart doth burn within him, while the Lord by his Spirit hath communion with him in those Ordinances? and what refreshings do arise to a poor weary soul, when the Lord createth the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, certain undoubted peace, he doubleth it for emphasis: that peace which passeth understanding: and it shall surely be so, and suddenly too, not long, he delights not to hold poor souls in anxiety & trouble, only what he seeth needful for their humiliation, fetching them off themselves and sin, and making Christ sweet to them indeed, that he may be precious to them. Other reasons might haply be given, why the Spirit, and Word, and Ordinances are compared to the Sun, which are the wings thereof, but this shall suffice.

The fifth thing, what is meant by healing, and indeed this is large, and as large as our spiritual maladies are: some say, there is nothing more wholesome then the Sun; where it cometh with its beams, how doth it purge the air wherein we breath, consuming the noisesome vapors that arise, and would infect it quickly, purging the earth from its dregs, or else we should quickly find the offensiveness of it? So the Lord Jesus by the breaking forth of his Spirit in the Word of Truth, doth heal the air, consume and scatter the venomous errors of men, wherewith we should quickly be all poisoned, were it not for this, that be makes manifest their folly to all men, and they proceed no further. He heals the waters, the waters of the Sanctuary: how often have they been polluted, yea poisoned by some, and the Lord hath healed them again by his Spirit. Again, he heals the earth of its barrenness; in Winter the earth seemeth to be languishing, and all things withered and dead, when the Sun returneth how doth it heal it? To its here (Beloved) it is the Word and Spirit that opens the earth, moistens the earth, sweetly refresheth it, calls forth the fruits thereof: The fruits of the Spirit they are called, as the fruits of the earth are called, the precious fruits, put forth by the Sun and by the Moon (which shines by a derived influence from the Sun:) how precious are the fruits of the Spirit, (Brethren) love, meekness, joy in the Holy-Ghost, humility, self-denial, these are the precious fruits put forth by the Sun, the Lord Jesus, by his Word and Spirit beating upon our barren hearts; indeed he maketh the barren Wilderness to become a garden of God. Again, he healeth, he reviveth the spirits which languish and are ready to go out, as the poor Birds that in the Winter are hard put to it, and some lie you hardly know where, as if they were dead or dying: when the Sun returneth, how doth it refresh and revive their little spirits that were left before? The night brings a heaviness and burden along with it to the body, but the morning, when the Sun ariseth, how doth it enliven and lighten? Oh! so its in this case, many a poor soul can say by experience, that when darkness hath been long on them, they have no light, no comfort, no refreshing, no breathing of the Spirit to their apprehensions in his Ordinances on their hearts. O▪ how have hands hanged down, and their knees feeble, and knock one against another for feebleness, and that which was within them was ready to die: But now, no sooner hath the Lord Jesus, the Sun of righteousness looked on them, but they have had their ankle-bones strengthened, the joy of the Lord is their strength, as Neh. 8. but I intend not here much to expatiate, only these two or three things.

First then, the first thing in this healing which is brought under the wings of the Sun of righteousness, is pardon for our sins; who forgiveth all-thy iniquities, and healeth all-thy diseases: these are exegetical one of another, or may so be looked on. Sin (Brethren) cuts off a creature from God, and so maketh a wound, which now is healed and made up when they are pardoned; Make the heart of this people fat, and let their ears be heavy; their eyes closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, or hear with their ears, or understand with their hearts, lest they should be converted, and I should heal them: which Mark reads thus, lest they should be converted, and their sins be forgiven them. So then forgiveness and healing are all one; and its one thing surely included, in that of the Prophet Hosea, I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely; the justification freely by his grace, (as the Apostle calls it.) Poor sinner, thou that ever knewest what sin was, what a wound it was to thy soul; knewest that thy pardon is a healing to thee. So then this arising with healing in his wings, is by his Spirit in his Word; he conveyeth the blood of Jesus Christ, the merit thereof, maketh it over to the poor soul that believeth, to the doing away of all the guilt. So as a Sun of righteousness, properly he healeth: and this is the first.

Secondly, He taketh away also the anguish and trouble that did arise from sin to the soul; as when a wound is healed, you know the anguish and smart is taken away, though while it is healing, (it may be) when searched and tented, there will be smart and sore, yet afterward its taken away by degrees: I know some of you have felt, and haply some at present may feel the grief of your wounds. O! how they will throb, and beat, and burn, and smart sometimes: broken bones are nothing to a broken heart, nor the broken flesh anything to a broken bone: the Lord heals the broken in heart, he bindeth up their wounds; I have seen his ways, and will heal him, saith the Lord; he speaks to the condition of a poor disconsolate soul under the wrath of God: He was wrath and smote him, yea he hid him and was wrath: O how this troubles a poor soul! he cannot but have his heart full of darkness, and terror, and trouble, that hath the face of God hidden from him; well, saith the Lord, though he did walk frowardly before me, gave me not my ends in smiting him, yet I will heal him: and wherein doth this healing consist? Alas▪ in restoring joy and comfort to him; the poor soul now was over-whelmed with sorrow, his heart now was ready to sink and fail within him, and lest it should so do, he will heal him; and how is this but by his Word and Spirit therein, which is the comforting Spitit, he will create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him. Here is a healing indeed, the healing of broken hearts, and broken bones; its the work that the Father sent the Lord Jesus for into the world, in an especial manner, that he anointed him for, poured out the Spirit upon him, anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows, that he might speak in due season, that he might bind up the broken spirits: Now the Lord Jesus, Brethren, our dear Savior, he delighteth to do this will and work of his Father. O! he loveth to be doing with broken hearts: And O that we had some work for the Lord Jesus this day, he is among us now, to see if there be any heart in this condition, that he may heal us; its his delight to do it. Well, this is a second, he hath his cordials, as well as his purgatives, his lenitives as well as his corrosives.

Thirdly, he cometh with healing under his wings, as to take away the anguish, so also to purge away the filth of it, to heal the running putrifying sore, that it may not run, and defile, and pollute all that a man taketh in hand: How much more (saith the Apostle) shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead works, that we may serve the living God. With corrosives he eats down the proud flesh and the dead flesh; he drieth up the bloody issues: then the person was healed when she touched Christ, but the hem of his garment. This is that which troubles many a heart more then the guilt of their sins; and indeed the returning and recoiling of sin on them again and again, occasioneth the questioning of their peace and comfort that they have had. O, how one crieth out of this sin, and another of that sin, and walks heavily and sadly! Well, the Lord Jesus he will arise with healing under his wings for all these distempers.

Fourthly and lastly, another healing is the taking away his anger manifested in outward calamities or diseases in a people or person, I will heal their backslidings and love them freely, for mine anger is turned away: either to turn away the affliction, or at least the anger, which is the sting; the inflamation of any affliction whatsoever, if it be but an itch, a scab, if it be fired with the anger of God, it shall be enough to consume and destroy: the Lord challengeth it as a privilege, See now, that I, even I am he, and there is no God with me, I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, I wound their comforts, wound their peace, lay them a gasping, a dying; art thou not he that kelled'st Rah. and wounded the Dragon? So Job, he maketh sore, and bindeth up, he woundeth and his hands make whole. Come say they, let us return to the Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal us, he hath smitten and he will bind us up, after two days will he revive us, and the third day we shall live in his sight; Healing upon the returning of poor sinners is a choice mercy indeed, and all from him, their returning in order to healing, and the healing unto returning. Behold I will bring it health and cure, I will cure them, and return to them abundance of peace, after be had threatened to destroy them in his anger by the Chaldeans; So then it may be (Beloved) that the trouble of spirit thou hast had for sin, God hath laid his hand on thy family, on thy person, and all little enough to bring down the pride of thy heart, and to take away the iniquity of thy covetousness, and wean thee from the creature. Well, he will return if thou return to him, he will return, he will heal thee; or at least take away the anger that inflameth the Visitation (which is a kind of healing; Brethren) though we are kept under it. But thus much for these particulars touching healing.

You see then, what it is that is held forth in this Doctrine, That Jesus Christ will arise unto them that fear his name, with healing under his wings: that is to say, by his Word, and Spirit, and other Ordinances, convey to them pardon, and cleansing, and peace, and comfort, and freedom from calamities, or the evil of them; and I hope it is sufficiently proved by the several particulars; there have been many Scriptures produced to prove it in each particular; therefore we will not any longer insist on that part, but come to the Application, which will be divers.

First, we may take notice (Brethren) hence, what a comprehensive evil sin is, for if we speak of healing (which is the main thing in this Doctrine) it must needs lead us, being a relative to some distemper or other, that is, to be healed, whether it be a disease, or whether it be a wound, or both, for diseases many times are caused by wounds; that its a disease, a wound might easily be proved in the first place, as by that of the Prophet, The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, from the Crown of the head, to the sole of the foot, nothing but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores. O! how loathsome are these sores! do we not read of the plague of the heart, a hard heart, the stone in the heart; in that place of Ezekiel, where he speaks of his people under the notion of a flock to be fed and guided? the diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was brokon, diseased and sick. I might here by an enumeration of particulars, show that every sin almost, according to Scripture analogy, is a disease; To begin with the head, Brethren, is not blindness a disease? and is not ignorance a blindness of the mind, whereby we are alienated from the life of God? (Dear friends) consider it, how many among us, poor creatures, are groping at noon-day? the light that is in them is darkness, and O how great is that darkness! and is there not also a self-conceit and pride, whereby we think of ourselves above what we ought, and from hence it is that we grow more in the head than in other parts, a dangerous disease; there is much knowledge among many of us, but little heat, little warmth on the heart, little holy walking according unto it: Obstructions between the head and the heart, is none of the least diseases among us. Is there not corruption of Judgment? and is it not a dangerous disease? if we had never thought so before, our times would have taught us this, the leprosy in the head, a man of unsound principles is leprous, and one of the worst kinds also. O, what a vertigo hath taken many! they run round, until they be giddy, and fall, and break themselves. Beloved, there are strong carnal reasonings in our heads, whereby almost, we will make anything good that we would have forward; we shall make it seem reasonable, that we may, cum rations insanire. Go from the head to the heart, and see, is there not a stone there? and that is none of the least diseases: is there not a plague there? O what hardness of heart▪ and what stubbornness, and what frowardness of heart there is? we might instance in many: (Brethren) are there not eyes full of adultery, like fleams grown over them, which do blind? are there not pearls in the eyes, when the world is dear to us? what is our covetousness else? and what is envy but a blood-shotten eye, which proceedeth from a heart full of vexing? and is not lust a feavour, yea an ulcer on the liver, or a dart thrust through it? and what is rotten communication, which men make no more of, and vain and foolish discoursing, but the rottenness of a grave, but the rottenness of lungs breathing forth continually? O, how some men's tongues are set on fire of hell! can utter nothing but blasphemies and oaths at every word. But we might be endless if we should go to particulars. How many of us have a dead palsy, past feeling, commit all uncleanness with greediness? (saith the Apostle). Sinners, you little think what you are doing, while you are going on in a way of sin: as alas, are not many of you this day in this condition! you are either contracting or strengthening the diseases of your souls, making fresh wounds in your consciences. Ah! how lamentable were his condition that were wounded head and heart, full of sores putrifying, that the very sight of him, and savor of his wounds were enough to make all others ubhor him! yea, he is so far from seeking remedy, he wounds himself more and more, maketh them deeper and deeper, increaseth his diseases, he careth not how much he inflameth them; this is the condition of every poor sinner you see: O! what sad creatures are we, that have so many sicknesses on us, and each of them deadly; and how much more many then together? and if we feel nothing at all: he that is in the most deadly palsy or lethargy feels nothing at all, would be let alone, cannot endure to be stirred, because that maketh him sensible of his condition; O! such a man's condition is very dangerous: and is not this the case of our souls Brethren? O! what malignity is in sin? the poison, and filthiness, and hurt of all diseases and wounds are little enough to set it forth by: and how sensible are we of a wound, of a disease of the body? & how insensible of the diseases of the soul? Well, in order to a healing, the Lord give us a feeling. But this is but the first.

But a little further to open the nature of sin on this occasion, which our Doctrine administers to us; that which is to be healed, you have heard is sin, and that which needeth healing is either a disease or wound (they are correlatives) that you have heard already; it is therefore compared to many sorts of diseases, wounds, and putrifying sores, and bruises: But now I will speak a little (Brethren) to the ill qualities and consequences of sin, considered as such; which may tend to turn our hearts against it for the time to come.

First then, there is pain and anguish in most diseases, and in every wound and bruise, and especially in cankerings, festered sores; this is a proper passion of a disease, to have pain; and truly, Brethren, so hath every sin a pain with it first or last; it is true, the cup of pleasures goeth down merrily with Sinners, but when its down, it is a cup of trembling to them: do but look on Gain, when he had sinned in pouring out his Brothers blood, he quenched his bloody thirst, but kindled a fire in his bowels, which did consume him; Oh everyone that meeteth me, will kill me; fear hath torment, (as John saith) and see how full of fears a poor sinner is! The wicked flee, when none pursueth; the very stones and beasts being at enmity with them, they fear they shall be murdered by each of them. And how did Felix tremble, when Paul disputed of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; as long as they can keep out the sight of God, as they think, they are well: But bring a Sinner, and set him, as it were, in the face of God, let him but look on him as a righteous Judge of all the world, and most mighty to execute his pleasure on Sinners, and then tell me, whether the stoutest hearted-sinner do not quail, as usually at the hour of death? for truly for the most part, men seldom seriously eye their condition before then. How did the Jailor spring in trembling, (in the Acts) Ah the Sinners in Zion are afraid, Fearfulness hath surprised the Hypocrites; who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Alas, the stubble will not endure before the fire! no more can sinners endure to look on God, as a consuming fire, it maketh the very heart ach, except altogether hardened from his fear to behold him; because they know themselves guilty, and liable to those burnings. There is (saith the Apostle) a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. Can a poor condemned Prisoner look on the Judge, think on the Tree on which he must be hanged, on the fire but with fear and trembling? Can Belshazzar read his sentence on the wall, the hand-writing, but with terror, his knees knocking one against another? Ah Brethren, methinks Sinners that are yet in their sins, should not read a leaf in the Bible, (each leaf concerneth him, is 〈◊〉 doom) but he should even smite his thighs together, there is so much terror and fear accompanying sin: Memoria testis, ratio index, timor carnifex, saith Bern. As the Saints have some antipasts of Heaven, a bunch of Grapes before they come to Cannan, an earnest of that joy unspeakable and full of Glory so doubtless Sinners they have some hours of darkness coming on them, some wrings and gripes of a guilty conscience, that sometimes made some of them run to an halter, to a sword for ease; none knoweth the hell of a guilty conscience, but such as have felt it. Oh the wrackings, the distortions of the Soul! The pulling of the very heart in pieces, and the rending of the very Bowels in pieces, with these imprisoned passions in the Soul!

But secondly, Even in sinners that repent (Brethren) though the wound be then healing, there is pain also you know: Now the Lord Jesus cometh in mercy to rouse the soul, to shame it out of its evil courses: and is shame nothing? a man cannot hold up his head, he is confounded: ye are now ashamed, (saith the Apostle) of the things which ye have done before: can you look back on your former vain and filthy conversation, and your hearts not be ashamed, your consciences not be ashamed? there is inward shame and confusion, though it appear not outwardly. So in that place of Ezekiel, Thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, that thou mayst remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth anymore, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee. There will be a godly sorrow which works repentance, and never was there any repentance without sorrow; there's a pricking of the heart, and pricking in the reins, Acts 2. 37. There is no rest in the flesh by reason of the sin and broken bones, That the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice. Is it not sin that turns away the face of God? and what then can arise to the soul but trouble? Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. This is the first thing, there is pain in sin and trouble, it troubles our hearts, and troubles our houses, as it did Cain's; troubles the City and Country, troubleth Israel.

Secondly, In sin (Brethren) or accompanying it, there is weakness and indisposedness, when its but growing on us, it seizeth on the spirits, the vigor first. So how lazy and listless are we for divers days bef •• e it do appear? and much more afterward. Morbus is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . How wonderfully doth sin unbefit us for duty? we even move to it as an arm or foot out of joint; when a man endeavors to bow it one way, it falls quite another way▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Lust; where they are in prevalency, they are like to wens in a man's body, which suck up the strength & nourishment; that which should supply the rest of the members, it turns to its own swelling. So doth pride turn that which should humble us, that which would inflame our hearts, and melt us, to itself, and so weakens us, keepeth our love at an under, that we cannot so livelily & vigorously serve the Lord. We complain of our weak hands and feeble knees, our indisposedness to the service of God: believe it, this is the reason of it, sin unmortified, this makes men reprobate to every good work: men of no judgment, no dexterity at all to it; When we were without strength, Christ died for the ungodly, and while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us; they are convertible terms, a sick man, a lame man, a wounded man, we cannot expect they should walk, or work, or run in a race, it utterly unbefits us for anything that is good; this is a sad evil that is in sin, as a disease or wound.

Thirdly, There is filthiness and deformity in sin also: O what a sight it were to see a poor creature full of running sores from head to foot, all running and rotting; what filthiness is here, and and deformity? So when a poor soul hath a lust, a sore running, and never ceasing, how sad a condition is this? Brethren, how strangely will a fit of sickness change a person, that the rarest piece of beauty in the world, quickly becometh a gastly sight, every part contracting its deformity from the sickness, all withered and shrivelled, joints loosed, the eye dead and dull, the face thin, the knees feeble, the hand trembling, and what not; Brethren, if the Lord open our eyes to behold in the glass of the word, the deformities of sin and filthiness, as we may see the lothsomness and ugliness of a disease, we should forever be haters of it; but I will say no more to this head, That sin is a disease, a wound.

Use 2. May be then to put us on to be more serious in viewing ourselves in the glass of the Word, the Law of God, that we may see what creatures we are, and loath ourselves; our wounds are so many that we are all one wound, and all one disease, there is no sound part in us; how pale and lean do our souls sometimes look with envy at others? how are we swelled with pride? how great and unwieldy are our bellies with this? O how do some of our bellies cleave to the very dust! we are bowed down, as the woman in the Gospel. O how lamely do we walk in the ways of God, halting between two, have a double object, and one foot in the ways of God, and another in the way of sin; alas, how many wounds have many of us, that we never searched to this day? if we did but know them, it would pluck down our feathers, the proudest of us; and for some of us, we have great need of this admonition, because alas, until we see ourselves wounded, see our deformities, we shall never care for healing, for having his comeliness put upon us; no, nor can the people of God put a rate upon the mercy, nor the rich, exceeding rich Grace of God in Christ, whereby they are healed, except they have before their eyes, the many wounds and running sores they are healed of; When Paul saw that he was the chief of the Sinners, then he advanceth the free Grace of God, that it had abounded, yea superabounded; which a soul cannot admire the Lord for, except he see, and behold how sin hath abounded. O then let us be all persuaded to this duty, to eye ourselves more often, more seriously, in the glass of the Law of liberty, the Law of Christ, and therein see how often, how grievously we offend him; see what deformities are upon us, that it may be admired how the Lord can love such as we are, and Sinners that are yet, in sin, that they may be willing to accept of pardon and deliverance in and through Christ; for truly we are not any of us willing, until we be reduced to extremity; then the Mariner or Merchant will cast out his goods, when there is necessity for it, but not before. Therefore let all of us be persuaded to this duty in the second place.

Thirdly, Let us be instructed in this truth, that healing is not in us. I am the Lord that healeth thee, saith God to Israel, and therefore the Lord promiseth the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, which were needless, if healing were in ourselves; some creatures, if wounded, healing is in themselves, as some fish are said, if wounded, to heal themselves with their own slime; a Dog licks himself with his tongue. Brethren, sins are not such wounds as will heal themselves of their own accord; neither as if a man have a slight cut it may be, he heedeth it not, it heals of itself; believe it, the least sin, the least wound thou makest in thy conscience, in thy soul, it will not heal itself, nor will a lust heal itself, and wear away of its own accord, as some diseases will, though no physic be administered. It is a deadly disease, it seizeth upon the vitals, and then you know it is a matter of great difficulty and skill to cure it; no nor can a man cure himself: if he could, to what end did the Lord Jesus undergo all? why he was smitten for our transgress •• ns, if we could have been healed by any strength of our own? no, we were without strength, when Christ died for us, as the Apostle bath it, and as to other things, so to this great work; did the Lord do anything in vain? much less then would he do the greatest thing that ever be wrought in vain; alas, who can pardon sins but he? who can bind up the broken in spirit, but he who was sent into the world for this very end? who can pour wine and oil into the wounds, but the good Samaritan? who can give rest for the anguish of the wounds but he? we cannot heal ourselves; if the very marrow of our bones were distilled into continual tears, and all our moisture, it would not make a balm to cure a wound of sin, nor a cordial to support in one swooning fit; there are many considerations wherefore we cannot do it; and therefore the Lord in pity and bowels toward us, sent us his Son to be our Physician, because we poor sick creatures need the Physician, which we should not, if we