The Rising Sun, Chapter 10
CHAP. X Of several Properties of the Sun, whereof first his Greatness.
THE third thing wherein the resemblance holds between these two Suns is their like Properties, whereof there be many; we shall begin with that of Greatness. Who knoweth or will believe the stupendious magnitudePaeraeus in Gen. 1. 16 of the Sun! All the Etherial Bodies far exceed these Earthly in their Greatnesse.The la…e Annotations of the Bible in loc. The Sun especially, which though the ignorant Countrey man believes, as Epicurus taught, that it is but Bipedalis, or of the bignessDu Bartas. Sith the least Star that we perceive to shine Abov… dispers'd in the Arch Chrystalline, (If at the least Star-Clarks be credit worth) Is eighteen times bigger then all the Earth. of a Bushel, the Learned know, that of necessity it must be far bigger then the whole Globe of the Earth and Seas; One hundred and sixty times bigger, the Learned say (although by conjecture rather then certainty, to be exactly so and no more.)
The fixed Stars are said to be of six Magnitudes, the least whereof are held to be eighteen times bigger then the Earth, and those of the first Magnitude an hundred and seven times greater. The Moon, however it seem to us, is the very least of all (but Mercury,) and is Quadragesima pars terrae; the Earth being thirty nine times bigger, and the Sun seven thousand times or thereabout, as is conceived.
Should all the earth and seas be supposed to be where the Sun is, it would be as a Mathematical Point, no bigger then a Diamond or a spark. But who can compute the Greatness of the higher Sun, Christ Iesus? Job 117 8Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is higher then Heaven, what canst thou do? d…eper then Hell, what canst thou know?
The Suns Body can be measured, his Diameter is taken to be so many thousand miles, his motion observed to be so many hundred miles each hour. But Christ his greatness unsearchable; the Sun to him an Atom or spark, the Heavens a span, the earth as the dust of the Ballance, the sea a drop of a bucket, Isaiah 40 15 Revel. 10 5 Isaiah 40 12and all the Iles a little nothing, and man less then nothing. With the sole of his foot he covereth the earth and sea, in the hollow of his hand holds all the deep.
1. What high thoughts should this begetApplicat. Isai. 40 23 25 in us of Christ? To whom will you liken him, or can you equal him? Regum timendorum in proprios greges, Reges in ipsos Imperium Christi. He bringeth Princes to nothing, He can crush them as a moth, and with his looks or frowns can undo them and their projects, yea, command them into Hell. God looked on Pharaoh, and he never looked up after it. His wheels moved no more. Ahasuerus looked displeasedly, Hamans face was covered, and he was presently led to Execution.Esther 7 Fear him, fear him.
2. But let the poor Believers rejoice. We have a great Savionr, whose Grace, Mercy, Wisdom, Merits are infinite. He is many times bigger then the earth. All sins of the world before his Merits no more then a cloud before the Sun. I shall speak two great words. 1. The one this, That if all sins of all Believers were all laid on one person, they were nothing to countervail his Meritorious satisfaction. 2. The other a greater, yet as true, That if all sins of unbelievers since the world was, were upon the account of one man; that if you could suppose one man to be guilty of Cains Murder, Phara…s Obstinacy, Ahabs Impiety, Sauls Rage, Ahitophels Treason, Absoloms Parricide and Incest, and Judas his Christicide and despair too, and Sauls blasphemy withal; yet this man flying to Christ Jesus, should have all these sinnes done away as a cloud, and should be as safe as Abel the Righteous. The latter Act of turning Tamar 2 Sam. 13 16out of doores, was more shameful then the former in deflouring her. To turne Christ out of doors, after all other Contumelies and abuses is the foulest sin. Any were admitted to the Feast but they who slighted the Invitation, and had abused Mercy. He who despised Moses Law, dyed without Mercy; …eb. 10 2…yet there is a sorer punishment for such as trample under foot the bloud of Christ, and despight the Spirit of Grace. Can any thing be sorer then to dye without Mercy you'l say? Yes, this, 1. They dyed without Mercy at mans hands, might find Mercy at Gods: These without Gods Mercy. 2. They dyed Temporally, these Eternally. 3. They, if they went to Hell also, have a more tolerable Hell (there are several Dungeons there, as Mansions in Heaven,) then those who have so much abused Grace.
What weight may a weak man swim with upon his back, who hath bladders under his armes? What sin can sink him that hath Christ in his armes. Thou maist sink with all Duties without Christ; and be safe after all thy sins with Christ. Thy sins are many, great, only less then infinite: Christ is great and infinite, and more then one way infinite; his Person, Blood, Obedience, Intercession, Grace, Power, so many Infinites.
Should I tell an ignorant person, That the Sun is One hundred sixty and six times bigger then the Earth, he would laugh at it, and not believe me; yet so it is, though he believe it not. So should I say, Christ his Grace, Mercy, and Merits, are One hundred sixty and six times more then all our sins put together, to an Unbeliever, he would not assent, yet so it is. The Apostle calls them the unsearchable Riches of Christ.Ephes. 3. …
A little of sins Poison (one drop of Pride) may corrupt all our Righteousness. A spoonful of Poison may infect a whole Vessel of Wine. All Poisons cannot infect the Air, the sea, the Sun much less, which will dissipate and correct all Malignity. A little sin may mar all our Box of Duty, and mar a mans, yea, Angels Righteousness, and make us past recovery by Duties of the Law, o… help of Angels, but not past Christs help.
The Stars of the first Magnitude, are One hundred and seven times bigger then the Earth, yet shew nothing to the Sun. The Angels are one hundred times more pure then we, yet they need Christ, and are nothing to him.
Oh Unbeliever, cast not thy selfe and hope, and safety, wilfully away. The Sun with one look dispels all darkness from the one Hemisphere, and at another the darkness of the other: Two looks enlighten the whole world. What can two drops of the bloud of Christ do, and two of his looks! He looked and prayed for the sins of all those before his coming, they were done away; he looked again up to his Father for all these since his coming, and they are gone. Thus this one Lamb taketh away the sins of the world.
But as it sometime falls out with an over carfulf woman, riding over water, a good horse under her, her Husband before her to hold by, yet betrayed by her causeless fears, she lets all go and casts her self down, and is either drowned or well washed. So do often we when we have Christ to hold by, and are as safe as he himselfe, we cast away our confidence, and disquiet our selves with unnecessary fears, Lord carest tho… not that we perish?
Let the Great ones of the world, who are as the Sun in these lower heavens, many times greater then other men, Resemble this great Pattern, who is not so much greater then the other Stars, as it exceeds them all in Glory, Beauty, Light, Influence, cherishing the inferior Orbs with his beames and presence. It affecteth not the highest Sphere but the most convenient; is well content others should be above it in place, so it may be more for common benefit. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear 2 Sam. 23. 3, 4of God- And he shall be as the light of the morning when the Sun ariseth; even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
It is observed how all Creatures thrive and mend when removed into a better Soyl. Plants or Beasts taken out of a hard soil ever do, man only made worse by such removes. Man cannot abide in Honour▪ Man when exalted, is corrupted. The lowest and darkest Cellars keep our Beer fresh, Wine quick, meat sweet, which would corrupt in upper roomes or in the Sun. Jeroboam in the dust more industrious then any other; in the Throne more impious then any that ever came after, they all might go to him to learn. And he that before had been in the Garden of Eden, and was looked on as a holy Angel, the Annointed Cherub; (toEzek, 28. 13, 14, 15. whom Daniel and all the Men of God were as no body) had the most iniquity found in him, after he was perfect in his wayes, and had by his Policy made all fit to his hand, as he would have it.
Good men when Great, resemble God, with whom Mercy is sweetly matched with Majesty, and Grace with Glory. But the wicked are like Satan, who when ever he gaineth more power, employs it to do more mischief. He riseth up (saith Job) and no man is sure Job 24, 22of his life. No man can say what he hath, and what is his own, speaking of the wicked man armed with Power.
4. How great is the folly of the sons of men, who toil, sweat, fret▪ sue, go to Law, go to War, yea▪ venture to go to Hell to get these earthly things! and when they have done, what have they got but their labour for their pains in this life, and after this worse pains for their labour? Why dost thou set thine eye on that which is not? What areP…ov. 23. 5 these to Heaven? The Sun is nothing in comparison of the Heaven of Heavens; the Earth nothing to the Sun, thy Farme or Lordship nothing to the Earth, thy Cottage or Manner is nothing to England, and England it self an inconsiderable nothing to the Earth. Thy Lordship is not mentioned, nor to bee found in the Map of the Earth; and if by seeking it thou losest heaven too, how miserable art thou? They are beg'd for fooles, who have a fair estate befallen them, and sport themselves with Rattles. How many wise Worldlings may bee beg'd for Fooles! We count it childishnesse to see our boyes to run after painted Butter-flyes, wrangle for a Top, and fight for a Ball: We are the more children who pant (as ifAmo… 3. 7 out of breath) for the dust of the Earth. The Philosopher on this Meditation of the Heavens Magnitude, and Earths meanness, breaks out into a Passion, That men like children strive for an atom: And hereupon Du Bartas excellently.
For though a King by wile or war had won
All the round earth to his subjection.
Lo here the guerdon of his glorious pains;
A needle point, a mote, a mite he gaines,
A nit, a nothing did he all possess,
Or if then nothing, any thing be less.
O Lord, (said Austin) Thou art, andTu eras & aliud nihil, ande fecisti C…lum, & terram; duo quaedam, unum prope te, alterum prope nihil. Unum quo superior tu esses, alterum quo inferius nihil esset Aug. Conf. lib. 12 besides thee nothing, of which nothing thou hast made Heaven and Earth; those two, the one of which is next to thee, the other next to very nothing. The highest heaven yet thou art higher; the Earth so low, as nothing lower. Heaven is great, but Earth little.