The Rising Sun, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Suns Omnipresence a shadow of Christ.
NExt to Christ his Omniscience, consider his Omnipresence, the ground and cause of that Omniscience. In both which respects God may be said to have set his Tabernacle in the Sun, which shadowes out both: Christsforeign. John 1. 14 Humanity also is called the Tent or Tabernacle of the Divinity. The Sun locally in Heaven, is virtually in earth, his light, heat, influence, every where overspreading the face of the Sea and Land, penetrating the depths of both, to the bottom of the sea, and to those subterraneous minerals in the bosom and secret chambers of the earth. Christ when ascending heaven, left his promise, as Elijah his mantle, with his Disciples, Lo, I Matth. 28. 20. and 18. 20.am with you alway to the end of the world. And where ever two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of them.
This may be a sensible Rebuke to theApplicat. blind Atheists; who are not to be dealt with by Scripture or reason; who having pu… out both their own eyes of reason and conscience, would pull out Gods also of Omniscience and Omnipresence: and having shut out the sense of a Deity out of their own thoughts, would dispute the Essence of God out of the world. If thou art not a man of Conscience, art thou of Reason? If not of Reason, art thou of Sense? Then I shall convince thee. Wilt thou believe thy own senses? Darest thou trust thine own eyes? open them, thou seest the light of the Sun; or shut them, if thou wilt, thou feelest the heat of the Sun, which though in Heaven, is not far from thee, but ever round about thee. Doth its light scatter all clouds, and shall any cloud or darkness cover thee? Doth its influence reach the subterraneous cavernes, and shall any corner hide thee from the presence of God. This great Apostle (as some have called it) hath preached Heathens out of Atheisme, and shall it not Christians? Every beam of the Suns visible eye, writes upon the heart of a rational man, The invisible eye and presence of God is here.
Among all those abominations represented to Ezekiel, the last and most hideous was that posture of faces towards the Sun, and backs towards the Temple, Solem exosculari, Ezek. 8. 12. and 9. 9.Deum exoculare: At the same time to see the Sun seeth us, and to say the Lord seeth us not, but hath forsaken the earth, is such brutish reasoning, as Heathens have no such Logick, Hell hath no such bad Divinity. The Heathen by their Logick could see in lumine Numen, in the Suns light, another InvisibleRom. 1. 20. Sun of greater light. And Hell it self is not so full of darkness, but whatsoever other impieties there remaine, there is no room for Atheism.
Nullus in Inferno est Atheos, ante fuit.
How should this consideration of Christs continual presence, both awe and cheer the gracious soul? provoking it to faith, patience, fortitude, diligence in the work of God. Christ is ever present, 1. As an Observer: He remembred every of the seven Churches of this in those seven Epistles, I know thy works, &c.Rev. chap. 2, 3.
2. As an Assister: Lo, I am with you alwayes to the end of the world.
3. As a strong supporter: Jer. 1. 18. They shall fight against the…, but shall not prevail, for I am with thee.
4. As a bountiful Rewarder: Therefore as all these Epistles begin with novi opera, I know thy works, they end in vincenti dabo, To him that overcometh will I give, &c. to represent to you continually Christ present as an Observer from the first, as a rich rewarder at the last.
Hence let Godly and wicked both learn to reason as godly Jacob and wicked Laban, See, if no man be present, yet God is ever present. Call thy dwelling Mizpah, for wheresoever thou art, God hath his Watch Tower Gen. 31. 49. 50neer thee.