must needs be covered with darkness. As in their horizon. Christ came of the Jews, we find it in the next verse to the text: and came first to them. The Redeemer Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross shall come to Zion, says our prophet, in the I darkness the people; but the Lord shall former chapter, but miserable Jerusalem arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen knew not the day of her visitation, nor the upon thee. things that concerned her peace, and therefore are they now hid from her eyes. She delighted to deceive herself with fancies of (I know not what) imaginary grandeur and outward glory, to which the promised Messiah should exalt her, and did, in that kind, particularly abuse this very prophecy; so doting upon a sense grossly literal, she forfeited the enjoyment of those spiritual blessings that are here decribed. But undoubtedly, that people of the Jews shall once more be commanded to arise and shine, and their return shall be the riches of the Gentiles; and that shall be a more glorious time than ever the church of God did yet behold. Nor is there any inconvenience, if we think that The prophet, elevated by the Spirit of God to a view of after ages, as clear as if present, seems here to find his people sitting under the dark mantle of a sad and tedious night, and having long expected the sun's return in vain, before its time, they give over expectation when it is near them, and desperately sell themselves to lie perpetually in the dark. Now, the prophet, as it were, standing awake upon some mountain, perceives the day approaching, and the golden chariots of the morning of deliverance hasting forward, and seems to come speedily with these glad news to a captive people, and sounds this trumpet in their ears, Arise, shine; for thy light is come, &c. The very manner of expression the high expressions of this prophecy have is sudden and rousing, without a copulative, some spiritual reference to that time, since not, arise and shine; but, arise, shine, &c. the great doctor of the Gentiles applies some The words have in them a clear stamp of words of the former chapter to that purpose. relation to a low posture and obscure condi- Rom. xi. 29. They forget a main point of tion; they suppose a people lying or sitting the church's glory, that pray not daily for without light. Deep distress is that dark the Jews' conversion. foil that best sets off the lustre of marvellous But to pass that, and insist on the spirideliverances; and among many other reasons tual sense of these words, as directed to the of the church's vicissitudes, why may not this whole church of Christ. They contain a be one? The Lord is more illustrious in powerful incitement to a twofold act enforced the world by that deep wisdom and great (as I conceive) by one reason, under a twopower that shines when he raises and restores | fold expression, neither of them superfluous, her from desperate afflictions, than if he had but each giving light to the other, and suitstill preserved her in constant ease. He seems ing very aptly with the two words of command: sometimes careless of her condition, and re- " Arise, for the glory of the Lord is risen; gardless of her groans; but even then is he and shine, for thy light is come." waiting the most fit time to be gracious, as I will not now subdivide these parts again, our prophet speaks. And when it is time, and cut them smaller, but will rather unite out of the basest estate he brings her forth them again into this one proposition: the commore fresh, strong, and beautiful than before. ing and presence of Christ engages all to whom Though you have lien among the pots, ye he comes, to arise and shine. In this proshall be as the wings of a dove covered with position may be considered the nature of the silver, and her feathers with yellow gold, duties, the universality of the subject, and Psalm lxviii. 13. Do with the church what the force of the reason. First, the nature you will, she shall come through, and that of the duties, what it is to arise and shine. with advantage; mergas profundo, pulchrior Arising hath either reference to a fall, or exilet, as one says of Rome. Keep the church to some contrary posture of sitting or lying; seventy years captive, yet after that, she shall or to one of these two conditions, that are so arise and shine more glorious than ever. like one another, sleep or death; and to all But surely the strain of this evangelic pro- these spiritually understood, may it here be rephecy rises higher than any temporal deliver-ferred. This is the voice of the gospel to the ance. Therefore we must rise to some more sons of Adam, Arise, for in him they all fell. spiritual sense of it, not excluding the former; The first sin of that first man was the great and that which some call divers senses of the fall of mankind; it could not but undo us, same scripture, are, indeed, but divers parts it was from so high a station. Our daily of one full sense. This prophecy is, out of sins are our falls, and they are the fruits of question, a most rich description of the king- that great one. "Thou hast fallen by thine dom of Christ under the gospel; and in this iniquity," said the Lord to his people, Hos. sense, this invitation to arise and shine is xiv. 1. As for those postures of sitting and mainly addressed to mystical Jerusalem, yet lying, the Scriptures make use of them both not without some privilege to literal Jerusalem beyond other people. They are first invited to arise and shine, because this sun arose first to signify the state of sin. Says not St. John, "The world lies in wickedness?" 1 John v. 19. Are not the people said to sit in darkness, mentioned Matt. iv. 16, which carnal man may shew his teeth at this, but is directly opposite to arise and shine? In who is he that can, by any solid reason, the darkness of Egypt, it is said, the people charge absurdity upon this way of dispensing sat still; none arose from their places. In outward and inward vocation? I will not the gross mist of corrupt nature, man cannot here mention their idle cavils; the Scripture bestir himself to any spiritual action, but is undeniably clear in this, that man is nawhen this light is come, then he may, and turally dead in sin. The gospel bids him should arise. arise, and it is Christ that is his life, and that Now for sleep and death, sin is most fre- raises him. Thus we see, in some measure, quently represented in holy writ under their what it is for men to arise. Now being risen black vizors. To forbear places where they they must shine, and that two ways, jointly are severally so used, we shall find them and publicly, as they make up visible jointly in one: Eph. v. 14, "Arise, thou churches; and likewise personally, in their that sleepest, and stand up from the dead;" particular conversation. First then, What which place seems to have special allusion to is the shining of the true church? Don this very text. not a church then shine, when church ser The impenitent sinner is as one buried in vice is raised from a decent and primitive sleep; his soul is in darkness, fit for sleep, simplicity, and decorated with pompous cereand loves to be so. That he may sleep the monies, with rich furniture, and gaudy vestsounder, he shuts all the passages of light, ments? Is not the church then beautiful? as enemies to his rest; and so, by close win- Yes, indeed; but all the question is, whether dows and curtains, makes an artificial night this be the proper, genuine beauty or no; to himself within: not a beam appears there, whether this be not strange fire, as the fire though without the clear day of the gospel that Aaron's sons used, which became vain, shines round about him. The senses of his and was taken as strange fire? Methinks it soul, as we may call them, are all bound up cannot be better decided, than to refer it to and are not exercised to discern good and evil, St. John in his book of the Revelations. We as the apostle speaks, Heb. v. 14. And his find there the description of two several leading faculty, his understanding, is sur- women, the one riding in state, arrayed in charged with sleepy vapours, that arise inces-purple, decked with gold, and precious santly from the inferior part of his soul, his stones, and pearls, Rev. xvii. 3, 4; the perverse affections. Nor hath his mind any other in rich attire too, but of another other exercise, in this sleepy condition, but kind, (chapter xii. 1,) clothed with the sun, the vain business of dreaming. His most and a crown of twelve stars on her head. The refined and wisest thoughts are but mere ex- other's decoration was all earthly; this wotravagancies from man's due end, and his man's is all celestial. What need she borrow greatest contentments nothing but golden light and beauty from precious stones, that dreams: yet he is serious in them, and no is clothed with the sun, and crowned with wonder, for who can discern the folly of his stars? She wears no sublunary ornaments; own dream till he is awake? He that dreams but, which is more noble, she treads upon he eateth, when he awakes, finds his soul them-the moon is under her feet. Now if empty, and not till then. Isa. xxix. 8. you know (as you do all without doubt) which Now while he thus sleeps, his great business of these two is the spouse of Christ, you can lies by, yet spends he his hand-breadth of easily resolve the question. The truth is, time as fast, while he is fast asleep, as if those things seem to deck religion, but they he were in continual employment; judge, undo it. Observe where they are most used, then, if it be not needful to bid this man and we shall find little or no substance of arise. devotion under them; as we see in that aposLastly, This voice may import, that man tate church at Rome. This painting is disis spiritually dead. God is the life of the soul honourable for Christ's spouse, and besides, as he is of the body; while he dwells there, it spoils her natural complexion. The superit is both comely and active, but once destitute of his presence, becomes a carcase, where, besides privation of life and motion, there is a positive filthiness, a putrefaction in the soul, unspeakably worse than that of dead bodies: corruptio optimi pessima. And as What is meant then, when the church is dead bodies are reinoved from the sight of commanded to shine or be enlightened? men, dead souls are cast out from the favour- These two readings give the entire sense of able sight of God, till Christ's saying Arise, the word; for, first, having no light of herrevive them. The ministers of the word are self, she must receive light, and then shew appointed to cry, Arise, indifferently to all it; be enlightened, and then shine. She is that hear them; and Christ hath reserved enlightened by Christ the Sun of Righteousthis privilege and liberty, to join his effectiveness, shining in the sphere of the gospel. voice, when and to whom he pleases. A" This is that light that comes to her, and stitious use of torches and lights in the church by day, is a kind of shining, but surely not commanded here. No; it is an affront done both to the sun in the heaven, and to the Sun of Righteousness in the church. engages to arise and shine, wherein it is supposed that Christ declared in the gospel, is the light which is said here to come, and the glory of the Lord which is said to be risen; so that now it should be more amply clear. ed, how Christ is light, and the glory of the Lord, and what his coming and rising is; but of these afterwards. I shall close now with a word of exhortation. the glory of the Lord that arises upon her. Hence she receives her laws and form of government, and her shining is briefly the pure exercise of those, and conformity to them. And the personal shining of the several members of a church, is a comely congruity with pure worship and discipline, and it is that which now is most needful to be urged. Every Christian soul is personally engaged, first to be enlightened, and then to shine, Arise, then, for the glory of the Lord is and we must draw our light for ourselves from risen. The day of the gospel is too precious that same source that furnishes the church that any of it should be spent in sleep or idlewith her public light. There is a word in ness, or worthless business. Worthless busithe civil law, Uxor fulget radiis maritiness detains many of us; arise, immortal the wife shines by the rays of her husbaud's souls, from moiling in the dust, and working light. Now every faithful soul is espoused in the clay like Egyptian captives. Address to Christ, and therefore may well shine, yourselves to more noble work; there is a sceing the Sun himself is their husband. Redeemer come that will pay your ransom, He adorns them with a double beauty of jus-and rescue you from such vile service, for tification and sanctification. By that, they more excellent employment. It is strange shine more especially to God; by this to men. how the souls of Christians can so much forAnd may not these two be signified by a get their first original from heaven, and their double character given to the spouse in Cant. new hopes of returning thither, and the rich vi. 20: She is fair as the moon, and clear price of their redemption, and forgetting all as the sun? The lesser light is that of these, dwell so low, and dote so much upon sanctification, fair as the moon; that of trifles; how is it that they hear not their justification the greater, by which she is as well- beloved's voice crying, Arise, my love, clear as the sun. The sun is perfectly lu- my fair one, and come away? Though minous, but the moon is but half enlightened: the eyes of true believers are so enlightened, so the believer is perfectly justified, but sanc- that they shall not sleep unto death, yet their tified only in part; his one half, his flesh, is spirits are often seized with a kind of drowdark; and as the partial illumination is the siness and slumber, and sometimes even then, reason of so many changes in the moon, to when they should be of most activity. The which changes the sun is not subject at all, time of Christ's check to his three disciples so the imperfection of a Christian's holiness made it very sharp, though the words are is the cause of so many waxings and wanings, mild: What! Could ye not watch with and great inequality in his performances, me one hour? Shake off, believing souls, whereas in the meanwhile his justification re- that heavy humour. Arise, and satiate the mains constantly like itself: this is imputed, | eye of faith, with the contemplation of Christ's that inherent. The light of sanctification beauty, and follow after him till you attain must begin in the understanding, and from the place of full enjoyment. And you others thence be transfused to the affections, the inferior parts of the soul, and from thence break forth and shine into action. This is then the nature of the duties, Arise and shine. The universality of the subject, which was the second head, is this, that every man that knows Christ, is here engaged to shine too. Neither grandeur exempts from the duty of shining, nor doth meanness exclude from the privilege of shining. Men of low condition in this world need not despair of it, for it is a spiritual act; great men need not despise it, for it is a noble act to shine by Christ's light. In the 3d verse of this chapter it is said to the church, Kings shall come to the brightness of thy rising. To what end, but to partake of her light, and shine with her? And indeed the regal attire of Christ's righteousness, and the white robes of holiness, will exceedingly well become kings and princes. Give the king thy judgments, O Lord, and thy righteousness to the king's son. The third and last thing propounded was, the force of the reaso hat Christ's presence that never yet saw him, arise, and admire his matchless excellency. The things you esteem great, are but so through ignorance of his greatness; his brightness, if you saw it, would obscure to you the greatest splendour of the world, as all those stars that never go down upon us, yet they are swallowed up in the surpassing light of the sun when it arises. "Stand up from the dead, and he shall give you light. Arise, and work while it is day; for the night shall come wherein none can work," says our Saviour himself. Happy are they that arise early in the morning of their youth; for the day of life is very short, and the art of Christianity long and difficult. Is it not a grievous thing, that men never consider why they came into the world, till they be upon the point of going out again, nor think how to live, till they be summoned to die? But most of all unhappy, he that never wakens out of that pleasing dream of false happiness, till he fall into eternal misery: arise then, betimes, and prevent this sad awakening. And being risen, put on your beautiful | every place do not shine clear, and be dark in garments, Isa. lii. 1. Draw towards you, your chamber; they that do thus have their with the hand of faith, the rich mantle of reward. That is a sad word, if rightly underChrist's righteousness. It is time to awake, stood: beware of hypocrisy. Again, shine says the apostle, Rom. xiii. 11, and present-progressively, gaining still more and more ly after, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. victory over darkness, till you attain unmixAnd it is a wonder how a sinner can rest, ed and perfect light. The way of the just, while he is out of this garment; for there is says Solomon, is like the shining light, that no other in heaven nor earth can make him shineth more and more unto the perfect shine to God, and so shelter him from the day, Prov. iv. 18. Lastly, shine humbly to stroke of justice. Put him on then, and so his glory, whose light you borrow; not to shine; being thus clothed, thou shalt shine shew forth your own excellencies, but his in justification, and likewise in sanctity. who hath called you from darkness to his What a privilege is it to be like God! A marvellous light, 1 Peter ii. 9. If we be sanctified conscience, what can be said children of light, our brightness must praise against it? And, first, have an enlightened the Father of lights: Let your light so shine understanding, for that is the proper seat of before men, that they, seeing your good works, light; that ignorant zeal that Rome com-(not yourselves if you can be hid, as the sun mends, exposes religion to scorn and con-affords its light and will scarce suffer us to look tempt: heat without light is the character of upon itself,) may glorify (not you, but) your the fire of hell. I know all are not tied to a heavenly Father, Matt. v. 6. To conclude: like degree of knowledge, but certainly all are The pure light of the church is revived, obliged to have a competency, and diligence and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. for increase. Aspire then to be intelligent and upon this glory there shall be a defence Christians, and to know well what you be- If God be your glory in the midst of you, he lieve; let your minds be filled with know- will be likewise a wall of fire round about ledge, as the apostle speaks. But let it not stop you. All the danger is, if we fall short in the there, it must have influence into the will, duty of shining; but as you desire that this Lux est vehiculum caloris-true light con- glory should abide and dwell amongst you, veys heat. All the knowledge that the na- let all estates of men provoke one another to tural man hath of Christ, not warming his shine bright in holiness. You who, either by affection to Christ, is but ignis fatuus, a vain birth or office, are in eminent station, know light, it shall never lead him to happiness. that you were set there to be eminent and Saving light produces love, and by that acts. exemplary in shining, as stars of more notaFaith works by love, says the apostle. That ble magnitude. You who are ministers of breaks forth and shines in the life, in god- this light, know that you are the light of the liness, righteousness, and sobriety. Shine world; and if the very light become darkthen in all these, first in piety towards ness, how great will that darkness be! You God, for this is the reflection of these rays that are of a lower order, know that you must of light back toward their source, and this shine too; for it is a common duty. There is will command the other two. No man that shines in godliness will wallow in injustice and intemperance. Guile and wrong cannot endure the light; they that are unjust cannot shine. And let them never offer to shine among Christians that are not sober, but stained with riot and uncleanness; these foul enormities lay waste the conscience, and put out the light. How can any seeds of grace subsist undrowned, that are exposed to a daily Now to the end we may each one shine in deluge of cups? How can that pure Spirit, our measure, we must learn to turn ourselves that chose the likeness of a chaste dove, dwell often towards him from whom our light is and give light in that soul that is a nest of derived. Conversing with him will make us impure and filthy lusts? No; there can be more and more like him. There is a secret, no fellowship betwixt this celestial light, unknown virtue for this purpose in secret whereby we should shine, and those infernal prayer and meditation; were we more in the works of darkness. Let profane men hold it mount with God, our faces would shine more a chief strain of wit to scoff at purity, but with men. Let as then rescue from the world you that pretend heavenward in good earnest, all the time we can, to resort frequently and mean to shine in glory, shine here in thither, till such time as the soul, which holiness; for without holiness no man shall is now often pulled down again by the see God. And do it with these qualifica- flesh, shall let that mantle fail, and come tions : Constantly in every estate; let not down no more, but shine there without spot, this divine light go out, neither by day in and be for ever satisfied with her Maker's prosperity, nor by night in adversity. In image. a certain company of small stars in the firmament, which, though they cannot be each one severally seen, yet being many, their united light makes a conspicuous brightness in the heaven, which is called the milky way: so, though the shining of every private Christian is not so much severally remarkable, yet the concourse and meeting of their light together, will make a bright path of holiness shine in the church. SERMON V. PREFACE. Eccl. xi. 7: but the interchange of night with day adds to its beauty, and the longest night makes day the welcomest; as that people well know, whose situation in the world gives them a five or six months' night all of ART imitates nature, and the nearer it one piece. It is reported of some of them, comes to nature in its effects, it is the more that when they conceive their night draws toexcellent. Grace is the new nature of a wards an end, they put on their richest apChristian, and hypocrisy that art that coun-parel, and climb up to the highest mountains, terfeits it; and the more exquisite it is in with emulation, who shall first discover the imitation, it is the more plausible to men, but returning light; which, as soon as it appears, the more abominable to God. It may frame they salute with acclamations of joy, and wela spiritual man in image so to the life, that come it with solemn feasting, and all other not only others, but even the hypocrite him-testimonies of exceeding gladness. But such self, may admire it, and favouring his own is the lethargy of sinful man, that he stirs artifice, may be deceived so far as to say and not to meet his spiritual light; and, which is to think it lives, and fall in love with it; worse, when it comes upon him, it finds him Instead of his shouts but he is no less abhorred by the Searcher of in love with darkness. hearts, than pleasing to himself. Surely this of joy for this light, many a cry must be mischief of hypocrisy can never be enough sounded in his ears, to awaken him; and it inveighed against. When religion is in re- is well too, if at length he hear and obey this quest, it is the chief malady of the church, voice-Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and numbers die of it; though, because it is &c. It is clear that the words contain a a subtile and inward evil, it be little perceiv-command, and the reason of it; the command ed. It is to be feared there are many sick of to a twofold act; the reason under two exGood it, that look well and comely in God's out-pressions, proportionately different. ward worship, and they may pass well in good reason the church should arise, when the weather, in times of peace; but days of ad- Lord's glory is risen upon her; and it is versity are days of trial. The prosperous very congruous, she should be enlightened state of the church makes hypocrites, and her and shine when her light is come. distress discovers them; but if they escape two acts or duties, somewhat was formerly such trial, there is one inevitable day coming, spoken; and the reason likewise was made wherein all secret things shall be made mani- use of so far as relative to those duties, and fest. Men shall be turned inside out; and tending to their enforcement. But the meanamongst all sinners that shall then be brought ing of the phrases, in which the reason is exbefore that judgment-seat, the most deformed pressed, was rather, at that time, supposed, sight shall be an unmasked hypocrite, and than either duly proved or illustrated; so the heaviest sentence shall be his portion. will be now expedient to consider, simply in themselves, these latter words, Thy light is come, &c. Oh! that the consideration of this would scare us out of that false disguise in time, and set us all upon the study of sincerity. Precious is that grace in God's esteem; a little of it will weigh down mountains of formal religion, in the balance of the sanctuary. Which of us have not brought hypocrisy, more or less, into this house of God? Oh! that it were not with intention to nourish it, but with desire to be here cured of it; for he alone that hates it so much, can cure it; he alone can confer upon us that sincerity wherein he mainly delights. If we have a mind, indeed, to be endued with it, it is no where else to be had, we must intreat it of God by humble prayer, in the name of his well-beloved Son, by the assistance of his Holy Spirit. SECOND SERMON. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the that Of those So far as this prophecy hath respect to the reduction of the Jews from the Babylo nish Captivity, that temporal deliverance, and ensuing peace and prosperity, was their light, and that divine power by which it was effected, was this glory of the Lord. And indeed, both these expressions are frequently used in such a sense in holy writ: When I waited for light, there came darkness, says Job, in chap. xxx. 26, (so Isaiah Iviii. 8, and many other places); and the glory of the Lord, for a singular effect of his power, John xi. 40, Isa. 1x. 18, and elsewhere. But this literal sense is but a step to elevate the prophet to a sight of Christ's spiritual kingdom, which is usual with him; as our Saviour himself testifies of another of his prophecies, These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him, John xii. 41. It was a sight of that same glory that makes him say, That light was true, &c. In these words, there are three things, concerning Christ, represented to the church's view. First, his beauty and excellency, in that he is called light, and the glory of the |