The Rising Sun, Title page – To the reader
THE RISING SUN: OR THE SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESSE, Shining upon the SONS of UNRIGHTEOUSNESSE. A Theological Sun-Dyal, Wherein Is to be seen, the Rising, Motion, Influence, and manifold Operations of Christ upon the Soul, under that clear & glorious resemblance of the Sun. As also, The Description of the true Believer, in whom are to be found but the least measures and sparks of Grace, which are here discovered and cherished. As also the highest degrees and full growth in Grace are here delineated and furthered.
By JOHN SHEFFEILD, Preacher of the Gospel at Swithins, London.
Jerem, 33. 15, 16.
In those days wil I cause the branch of Righteousness to grow unto David, and he shall execute Judgment and Righteousness in the Land; in his dayes Judah shall bee saved, and Jerusalem shal dwel safely; and this is the name wherewith she shal be called, The Lord our Righteousness.
Isai. 60. 19.
The Sun shal be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shal the Moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shal be to thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
London, Printed by Th. Maxey for SA. GELLIBRAND, at the Golden Ball in Pauls Church-yard, 1654.
Superiori, sed Propiori Soli, Soli Justitiae Soli, Mundi conditori, Eccleclesiae Redemptori foreign Theophilo, & foreign Philemoni.
foreign
COeli enarrant Domine Iesu, Coeli Coelorum enarrant Gloriam tuam, omnis que eorum exercitus foreign illa celeberrima Corona, et foreign Tot veluti Aquilae Solem spectan…es, tot Parelii Solem circumstantes, tot denique foreign, Vultu solem versus …ixo, …emplū & foreign, à tergo relin…uentes, Lunā, Solem que ipsū, & foreign sub pe…ibus conculcantes, te Solem Iustitiae indesi…enter …anunt, spectant, circumstant, adorant. Inter h…s …im quasi in Sancto Sanctorum, foreign, non antea inspiciendam jam resera…am, & spectandam posuisti.
Visibiles, insuper & Inferiores hi Coeli, …lendidumque illud expansum opera manuum …arum indicant, Praecipue verò inter ignes ille minores, Sol Coelorum decus, terrarum gloria, Pecorumque hominumque Lux, Vita, Deliciae, imo Luminis, Numinisque tui speciosissima Umbella. Hunc enim tibi pro vehiculo deligisti, quoniam in ipso posuisti Tabernaculum tuum.
Sanctissima vero tam Prophetarum, quam Apostolorum cohors, eorumque foreign Scripta te solum spirant, te Solem praedicant, & sicut stella olim illa foreign Visa Orientis Filios (Gentium Primitias) animi dubios, via nescios ad tua rect â anteambulans deduxit Limina, ibique quasi ad Solis Domicilium (verum Bethshemesh) Viatoribus perductis (ut Arcae foederis à Philistaeis Plaustro Imposit… divinitus antea evenerat) constitit; ita h… turbam credentium (te quaerentem) quas… manu prehensa perducunt. In hisce enim posuisti lucernam tuam pedes viatorum in via pacis dirigentem.
Quinetiam celeberrimus ille omnium Theologorum chorus, & Pastorum Grex, tot in mundo Lumina, in dextra tua stellae lumen suum à tuo solius Lumine acceptum referentes t… solum foreign suspiciunt. Hisce etiam Arcam foederis Gestandam, manibus aliis non contrectandam, foreign concredidisti.
Innumera deni que per orbis totius fines credentium sparsa multitudo, tam Naturae, qua… Scripturae lumine adducti; Prophetarum, Apostolorum que defunctorum, nec non pastorum praesentium testimonio inducti, tantâ que insuper Testium nube conducti, te solum insequuntur, quemadmodum sequacior ille populus praecedentem olim ignis columnam; incessus, accessus, discessus, recessus, gressusque tuos omnes observant, tecum aut moventes, aut manentes. Te solum exoptant, te anhelant, in te etiamsi nondum conspectum, fama notum fide certâ nituntur, credentes diligunt, dilectum cordibus excipiunt, excipientes vero gaudent foreign, & suos quisque Thesauros aperientes pro sua cujus que facultate munera ferentes adorant, tuam tantummodo foreign ad ipsorum beatitudinem omnibus numeris consummandam praestolantur. Inter hos etiam ignis, nubis que columnam praesentiae tuae symbolum constituisti.
In horum ego consortio unus, minimus; inter peccatores (eheu!) primus; inter foreign imus (foreign) inter foreign, inter Verè Sanctos nisi Gratia illa gratis data, gratumque faciens satis superque abundasset, prorsus foreign. Gratiâ tamen tuâ sum id quod sum; meque tibi, tuaeque gratiae, quae prius electum, dein dilectum facit totum debere agnosco. Inter amicos tamen sponsi siquos habet (habet enim fidissimos, atat paucissimos) unum me asserere ausim, etiamsi inter pronubos, filiosve Thalami haud sim dignus numerari.
De te, Pulcherrime hominum, de te quem unicè diligit anima mea, narratura est meditatio & scriptio nostra. Te solum scire, & qui te misit Patrem, haec est vita illa aeterna. Te autem notum facere (te inquam crucifixum) hic vitae praesentis scopus, hoc Ministerii opus.
Scire meum nihil est, nisi te cognoscere Christe,
Te mihi scire parū, nisi quem scio te sciat alter.
Oh Utinam alias mihi concederetur lingua eruditorum, lingua instar Calami scribae peritioris, ubi gregem tuum instruxero▪ at jam calamus in linguam converteretur, linguam scribae cujusdam paratioris ad Regnum Coelorum, qui ex suo omne genus Doctrinae Coelestis refertissimo promptuario, …am recentiora, quam vetustiora profert.
Quod potui feci non quod debui, non quod par est; unguentum quod habui pretiosissimum in caput multo preciosius impendi. Sit nomen tuum sicut unguentum diffusum, & ubicun que terrarum sese S…l longe, lateque visendum exhibuerit,
Nomen ibi, regnum que tuum tollantur in astra.
Ad me quod attinet, cum Propheta cogor▪ exclamare, Hei mihi homuncioni labiis polluto, qui nec sapientiam didici, nec scientiam Sanctorum degustavi. Valde mihi vereor ne ex turbine mihi respondeas, Quis est iste qui obtenebrat consilium sermonibus inscit is? & in me just â excandescas iracundiâ, quòd non de te rectè uti aequum est locutus sum.
Ex fulgore dedi fumum, ex fumo dato lucem.
Quis adeo coecus (gemens, tremensque loquor) ut servus tuus? surdus ut nuntius iste tuus? Te tamen memini Thesaurum tuum testaceis istiusmodi Vasculis imposuisse, qu… supereminentia omnis potentiae omnisque efficaci… ex Deo prorsus, ex nobis nequaquam provenisse dignoscatur. Adest itaque mihi gloriatio si quidem in infirmitatibus gloriari concessum; Quoniam in infirmitate humana perfecta est gratia divina.
Quod superest, te Patremque tuum, Patrem illum luminum flexis genibus exoratum velim: lucem, ve…itatemque tuam undiquaque splendentem, undique triumphantem caelitus emittas, adeo ut hostibus omnibus debellatis, haeresibus extinctis, schismatibus aut resartis, aut rescissis, dissidiis sopitis, tenebris discussis, Pax, Lux & summa concordia Christianae Reipublicae restituantur. Ecclesia tua non amplius ut vidua marito orbata, hostium vulneribus saucia, natorum jurgiis exacerbata, Lachrymis propriis & cruore emacerata, maesta vultu, maesta veste incedat, sed tandem (ut sponsum decet Altissimi) tuo lumine quasi nuptiali veste induta, in sponsum dilectissimum familiariter reclinans, ex eremo egressura cernatur, Pulchra ut Aurora speciosa ut Luna, clara ut Sol, terribilis ut exercitus cum vexillis. Pro Diademate Coronam duodecem stellarum Doctrinam duodecem Apostolorum sem: per gerens▪
Ministros tuos dextra tua teneas, sinu foveas, Ecclesiam sanguine tuo redemptam Spiritu & Verbo tuo Regas, Veritatem sartam tectam tueare, Universis dona distribuas, Pusillum tuum Gregem protegas; tuum sit dilatatum. Regnum â solis ortu ad occasum usque, ut projectus ille (quondam) lapis in montem tandem excresens mundum universumimpleat. Tuam tibi Domine foreign assumas, ut tibi Reges, Regnaque omnia inserviant, fortem illum foreign Principem, omni sua à tot retro saeculis usurpata tyrannide exuas, ipsumque catena ligatum in Abyssum detrudas, Antichristum illius foreign illustri tuo adventu perdas, tua omnia promissa adimpleas, tuam que cum Myriadibus Sanctorum ad finem impietati imponendum reditum acceleres. Interea vero sis nobis in Eremo columna ignis, noctu foreign, animo lassis, in tenebris incedentibus foreign, in fine▪ sine fine, foreign.
Sic seipsum, libellumque istum, reliquosque assiduos in nomine tuo susceptos quales, quales conatus tibi tuaeque gratiae, benedictione inde Spirituali locupletandos dedicans, & devovens humillimis ardentissimis que contendit precibus.
Servus omnium inutilissimus, qui sua omnia foreign projiciens, hoc solo nomine gloriatur, Iehovah Tzidkenu.
To the Right Worshipful and other his beloved Friends▪ Inhabitants of SWITHINS LONDON.
I Read of a rich silver Globe presented by Ferdinand to Solyman the Magnificent of admirable Workmanship, expressing, besides the passing of each hour, the motions of the Sun, changes of the Moon, &c. and giving a resemblance of the whole frame of the Celestial Orbs, made with much Art by the direction of the most famous Astronomers then in the world.
I have nothing of that Art and Rarity to present you with, but a plain Theological (not Astrological) Sun-Dyal, representing not the lower Heavens and their Motion, but the Empyrean and its Rest; and the Essence, Attributes, Properties, Effects, Motion, Influence of the Higher Sun, the Sun of Righteousnesse.
The Subject handled I cannot wish greater or better, there is none before it; the manner of handling I could wish much better, especially for the dignity of the person of whom it treats, as also of your selves, or whoever may peruse it. But as with him where there is a willing mind, there is acceptance of what little we have; so I doubt not but you will hold it your Honor, in all things to be like minded to Jesus Christ.
To many of you I am bound in many bonds of Gratitude, to all in duty; therefore I could not judge any among those whom I am bound to love and honour so fit to have this Discourse inscribed and presented to, as your selves, who are to me above all others whatsoever, nearest in spiritual relations and … in Christian and cordial affecti… ▪ To others I owe much, to you my selfe. Having then dedicated my self, first to him of whom it treats, (w…o…e I am, and whom I serve) your Saviour, my Lord; who can be thought s… f…t to bee joyned with him as your selves, whose things next to his I desire most to take care of? The Ministers duty is to divide himselfe between the Lord and his Church (not the Lord and the world,) for so did Christ divide his love between his Father and his Church; to him he gave himself to expresse the highest love of pure obedience; for the Church he gave himself, to expresse the strongest love of benevolence.
You have had the sum of this Discourse preached among you, and divers of you have it written in your Note Books, and repeated in your Families. But I would desire rather you might have the Doctrinal part of all Sermons written in your Consciences, and the Use ever repeated in your Conversations.
Now that you may, as you have heard of Jesus Christ be taught by him, and as you have received him walk in him, attaining to all the riches of the ful Assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the whole Mystery of Christ, in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledg; and that your conversations may be as becomes the Gospel, that you may be ever found among such as fear his Name, that you may wait for this Sun of Righteousnesse to rise upon your souls, to heal all your infirmities, to cloath you with his Righteousness, that coming behind in no gift, duty diligence, comfort, experience and growth, you may by him bee presented perfect and without spot before God; which as it will be your (that I may not say mine) Joy, Glory, Crown of rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jesus; so it is the prayer of
Your daily Remembrancer, and Servant in the Lord, JOHN SHEFFEILD.
To the READER.
Reader▪
HAving much to say to thee within, I shall not let thee stand at the door, but intreat thee to enter, sit down, and read a while. If thou desirest to know what I have to say, Read on a while and I shall tell thee. If thou must have it in a few words, either turn to the Table in the end, or to the Title in the beginning. And if thou must have it in two words: heark then: Thou hast here a Resemblance of Christ, and of thy Self. Of him a dark and dim one, one every way short, such a one as I could make, not such a one as he is, or ought to have been made of him. But of thy self, it may be not such a one as thou art, but what thou oughtest to be, and if this fall short too, though I shall be the less happy, yet art thou the more happy.
I have set this Image before thee, that by beholding it with open face, thou maist by viewing him, and reflecting on thy selfe be changed into the self same imag… ▪ from Grace to Grace, and so from Glo… to Glory, thou being made more … by Christ, that hee may bee … with thine, (rather his owne) ima… …; and he being more glorious in th… sight, thou maist in due time be satisfied with his Image.Melius est nihil omnino scire, ne quidem unam causam eorum quae facta sun…, cur factum, & credere Deo & perseverare in ejus dilectione, quae hominem vivificat, nec aliud inquirere ad scientiam nisi Iesum Christum Filium Dei qui pro nobis crucifixus est, quam per quaestionum subtilitates, & multiloquium in Impietatem cadere. Irenaeus.
Reader, This is thy great work, to know and study Christ and thy self. All is losse and dung to him, and all knowledge is but foreign, or foreign, a for… of knowledge, or false knowledg to this.
To deal plainly with thee, here is no new light which this curious Age gazeth after, no new earth discovered in the Moon, but a new heaven if thou wilt in the Sun; or another Sun rather besides that ordinary one; yet not a Parelius, but an Hyperelius, a Light exceeding that of the Sun, and yet a Light as old as the Scripture, or the Sun either, his ancienter Light; yea, a Light elder then both, as old as the Father of Lights, the ancient of dayes. His going forth is from theMitah 5. 2 dayes of Eternity, saith the Prophet; and he is the same yesterday, to day and forHebrews 13, 8 ever, saith the Apostle. Who as he is the true Light, God of God, Light of Light, so hath he derived of his own Light into these great Luminaries, the Sun & Scripture; the one being his Chariot, the other his Lanthorn; from both which our Discourse is lighted: and though there can be nothing added to the light of these two yet if I have brought any Oyl to keep the light of the Sanctuary stil burning, as Israel was of old commanded, as I account it the only work of a Minister, so I desire thou maist not shut thy eyes upon it.
But if thou art of that Athenian spirit, that thou hast no leasure to hear of Iesus, and Resurrection, or other matters of Religion, but only to enquire and discourse of What is the News? or worse: if thou shouldest be of that profane spirit as Duke d'Alva, who being told of a great Eclipse of the Sun, and called to see it, Atheistically answered, He had so much to look after on earth, that hee had no leasure to look up to heaven, Then I shall dismisse thee with the words of the Preacher, Walk on in the wayes of thy heart, and in the …ight of thine eyes, but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment.
Thine, if he cannot further, yet to desire thy Salvation, JOHN SHEFFEILD.