Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

men be but contented that God should use his free will in giving his grace, as well as they contend for their own free will to accept it ;-if the time which is spent in disputing for free will, were spent in begging it; or if when we beg free will of God, that we may accept grace, and not refuse it, we would but allow it consonant to God's power and goodness, to grant us our petition, and to cause us not to refuse it, (and certainly lex supplicandi legem statuit credendi,' as Celestinus speaks, we may believe that God will grant, what we may pray for according to his will) the world would not be so continually troubled with the hot and passionate disputes in these arguments as we find it is. Certainly, every humble and holy man will not only think it his duty to praise God, for that he gave him a power to convert, but that he gave him conversion itself, and the very work of willing and turning unto God.

3. We may here observe the double, most different effect of the gospel of Christ upon proud and impenitent sinners; a savour of death, to one; of life, to the other; (2 Cor. ii. 15, 16) fire, to the one; balsam, to the other: as the same perfume kills the vulture, which revives the dove; the same Red Sea a passage to Israel, a grave to Egypt;, the same pillar, light to one, and darkness to the other; the same sun makes the garden smell sweet, and the dunghill stink.

Great therefore must our care be, what affections we bring to hearing the word. It is given for life; but we may find it unto death, according to the disposition of the heart we bring with us thereunto. An honest and good heart,' a meek and quiet spirit, a melted soul ready to be cast into the mould of the word, is the best preparation to meet with Christ in his gospel.

II. We see here healing, promised to those that fear God's name; and thence we may certainly conclude, that the holiest men do want healing. 1. As we are like unto Christ, 'per primitias spiritus,' by the first fruits of the spirit; so we are unlike unto him per reliquias vetustatis,' by the remainders of corruption. "There is not a just man that liveth, and sinneth not. P" Though the guilt of sin be removed in our justification, and the power subdued in our

[ocr errors]

• Aug. de peccat. Merit. et Remiss. c. 8.

P Eccles. vii. 20. James iii. 2.

-

sanctification; yet the sickness and remainders of it are not abolished till our dissolution. "Ista vitia gratiâ Dei medicante curantur, prius ut reatu non teneant, deinde ut conflictu non vincant, postremo ut omni ex parte sauata, nulla omnino remaneant," as St. Austin speaks: These evils are cured by the grace of God, First, that they may not hold us by their guilt; next, that they may not conquer us in the conflict; and lastly, that being thoroughly healed, none of them may remain. And these remainders of corruption the Lord here leaveth in us to be matter of daily conflict, of deep humbling, of earnest prayer, "ut sit quod petentibus largiter adjiciat, quod confitentibus clementer ignoscat";" that he may bountifully give the things for which we pray, and graciously pardon the sins which we confess. 2. Besides our sins, we are surrounded with enemies, and beset on every side with temptations: and though we have a promise of victory over them, and sufficiency of grace against them, yet we have no promise of absolute immunity, that we shall be invulnerable by them. The experience of our own lapses, and of the holiest and greatest saints, sufficiently evidence unto us what poor and frail creatures we are, when the Lord leaves us, to try us as he did Hezekiah. (2 Chron. xxxii. 31) 3. Sorrow is the natural offspring of sin and temptation. A sick and wounded man cannot but feel the pain of that which weakeneth him. There are not any men, more men of sorrow and acquainted with grief, than they whose eyes are most open to see, whose hearts most tender to feel the weight of, sin, the terrors of God and the assaults of temptation. Being therefore subject to sins, to wounds, to sorrows, no wonder if they stand in need of healing.

And indeed none call out so importunately for healing, either for themselves or for the church of God, as they that fear his name. (Jer. viii. 22. Psal. li. 8, 18. Psal. xxxviii. 3, 9) He that shall read the doleful complaints of Job, of Heman, of Hezekiah, and others mourning under the weight of sin and wrath; of Jeremy, Daniel, and Nehemiah, bewailing the breaches and desolations of Sion; will find it one principal evidence of a godly man, to pour out his com

Aug. contra Jul. Pelag. lib. 5. c. 7.

Aug. de Spir. et lit. cap. ult.

plaint before the Lord when he is overwhelmed. (Psal. cii. 1) No desires so strong in them as to have their eyes opened, their hearts purged, their sin removed, their peace enlarged, the truth of God vindicated, his worship restored, his ordinances preserved, his presence continued in the midst of his people. Promises of healing in God, do awaken prayers for healing in them. (Isa. xix. 22. Jer. xxxi. 8, 9, 10, and xxxiii. 6. Hos. vi. 1. Isa. lvii. 15)

III. The author of this healing is here the Sun of Righteousness, who came purposely, to bind up the broken-hearted', to appoint to them that mourn, beauty for ashes, &c. (Isa. lxi. 1,2,3) Concerning him let us consider, 1. The reason of his appellation. 2. The manner of his healing. For the appellation, he was called by Balaam, a star,' one that was to have dominion; (Num. xxiv. 17, 19) a great light;' (Isa. ix. 2) 'Avaroλ the day-spring,' or sun-rising; (Luke i. 78) a 'bright star of the morning;' (Rev. xxii. 16) an everlasting light that never goes down; (Isa. lx. 20) that takes away all night. (Rev. xxii. 5)

[ocr errors]

The apostle tells us, that by Christ the worlds were made; (Heb. i. 2) the old visible world, wherein is the natural sun; and a new heaven and earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; (2 Pet. iii. 13) unto which belongeth this Sun of righteousness. And therefore the time of the gospel is called 'a day of grace and salvation;' (2 Cor. vi. 2. Rom. xiii. 12, 13) and believers, children of the light, and of the day:' (1 Thess. v. 5) wherein darkness of error and ignorance is dispelled; and glorious things, which had been hidden from ages and generations, manifest unto the world.

·

Christ is the light of the world to come;' (as the evangelical church seemeth to be called, Heb. ii. 5) that light ;' (John i. 8, and iii. 19) a heavenly light.' So evangelical doctrines are called rà iπoupávia, heavenly things.' (John iii. 12, 13. Heb. ix. 23)

'A full light.' (John i. 14) In him, did all fulness dwell. (Col. i. 19) An indeficient light which endures for ever, as a faithful witness in heaven; (Psal. lxxxix. 36. Isa. lx. 19) a primitive independent light, which deriveth not his righ

VOL V.

Luke iv. 18. Acts iv. 30. Isai. xxx. 26.

S

[ocr errors]

teousness from any other fountain; he sanctified himself by his own spirit. (John xvii. 19) A diffusive light; which sheddeth itself on every other vessel of light; "of his fulness we all receive." "He filleth all in all." (John i. 16. Ephes. i. 23) A moving light,' which goes through all the earth to the ends of the world. (Psal. xix. 3, 6) “He came and preached peace to those afar off, and to them that were nigh." (Ephes. ii. 17) An operative, influential, and benign light, which cometh with life, as well as with lustre; and therefore it is called the womb of the morning,' (Psalm cx. 3) reviving, restoring, ripening the fruits of the earth. (Psal. xxxvi. 9)

IV. The means and manner of his healing, is by his arising unto us. There is a sun extant at midnight, as well as at noon; but he comforts not us but by his rising. Now this rising noteth;

1. His incarnation: the word which is translated 'Avaron, Oriens, the day-spring, or sun-rising, (Luke i. 78) is, in the original, or 'a branch.' (Zech. iii. 8) And as here a Sun of righteousness, so elsewhere a Branch of righteousness. (Jer. xxiii. 5, and xxxiii. 15) A Sun of righteousness; so is he the Lord from heaven, the Lord of David: a Branch of righteousness; so is he the son and the offspring of David. This is our comfort, that he is as well Germen,' springing out of the earth,-as Oriens,' looking down from heaven. (Psal. lxxxv. 11)

[ocr errors]

2. His manifestation in spirit and power, by the gospel, to the consciences of his people, by the beauties of his grace and holiness, enlightening the mind, inclining the will, healing the affections, converting the conscience, discovering to the soul the deep things of God, which is called the rising of the day-star in the heart.' (2 Pet. i. 19)

3. His rousing men out of ignorance and security, unto the business of a holy life: for the sun riseth, that men may go forth to their labour. (Psal. civ. 22, 23) The light saith, Awake thou, that sleepest. (Ephes. v. 14. Rom.xiii. 11)

4. His heavenly conduct and direction; shewing us the way wherein we should walk, and leading us therein, discovering enemies and temptations behind us, precipices,

t Psalm cxliii. 8. v. 8. Isai. xxx. 21.

gulfs, snares, and pits before us; (Luke i. 79) whereas he who walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. (John xii. 35)

The Sun of righteousness, thus rising, doth heal us by his light, and by his influence. 1. By the light of his heavenly doctrine, whereby he convinceth of sin "," and so discovereth our disease; and then of righteousness, in him to pardon our sin,—and of judgement, to rescue us out of the dominion and power of Satan. 2. By the influence of his blessed spirit efficaciously enforcing the word, and educing that virtue out of it, by which it restoreth health and beauty to the soul:-this is called the revealing of the arm of the Lord;' (Isa. liii. 1) and the hand of the Lord' being with the word. (Acts xi. 23)

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

But Christ is in heaven, and we in earth: how shall we bring these together, that the medicine may be applied to the disease?" Omne agens agit per contactum;" and this must be either immediatione suppositi,' or 'immediatione virtutis,' as philosophers speak. And we have both here: his person, being divine, is immense and omnipresent. He filleth all in all. His virtue is further conveyed unto us by his wings,' the beams of this Sun of righteousness, most swiftly and suddenly flying with his truth and grace into the soul. And these wings are;

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

1. His word and ordinances, in which Christ is present with his church, (Mat. xviii. 20) and presented to it. (Gal. iii. 1) The holy doctrines of the gospel, and duties of worship, are (if I may so speak) the drugs and materials, the balm of Gilead, whereby spiritual diseases, sin and sorrow, are cured. As we find usually in the gospel, he did but speak the word, and diseases were gone. His cures were commands. His ordinances are the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations. (Rev. xxii. 2)

a

2. Any illustrious providence sent down, as it were, from heaven, when he doth terrible things which we looked not for. Thus he healed the fears of Israel by opening a way in the Red Sea ; and their murmurings in the wilderness, by giving them waters out of the rock. Thus he strengthened

"John xvi. 8, 11. Matth. viii. 8, 9.

* Ephes. i. 23.

a Isai. Ixiv. 3.

Psalm exxxix. 9.

« AnteriorContinuar »