The Rising Sun, Publishers advertisement
Reader, I thought good to let thee know, this reverend Author hath published another excellent Treatise of Conscience, worthy thy perusal, and most useful in these times, wherein so many make shipwrack both of Faith and a good Conscience.
Thine SA. GELLIBRAND.
MAL. 4. 2.
But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings, and ye shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall.
THis last Angelical Prophet isMalachi. i. Angelus. purely Evangelicall in his short Prophetick Gospel, describing 1. The Gospel Church in her worship. 2. The head thereof the Messias, and 3. His eminent forerunner John the Baptist.
1. The Gospel Church and her spirituall and holy worship is described, cap. 1. 11. From the rising of the Sun, unto the going down of the same, my Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: and my Name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
2. John Baptist Christ his forerunner is described, 1. Under his two Names and Titles. 2. Under his twofold office in relation to those Titles. 1. He is called a Messenger, Mal. 3. 1. Ma…. 1. 2.(Ecce mittam Angelum meum) and his office or errand in that respect, was to make way for Christ as his Herald or Harbinger.
2. He is in a figure called Elias, and so in the Gospel he is call'd: and his office wasMal. 4. 5. Matth. 11. 14. Luke 116, 17. in that respect, to make ready a People for the Lord, by Turning father and child, as Elias had brought back a halting people from Baal to God.
3. Here is a description of Christ
1. In his Person.
2. His coming.
1. His Person, under sundry denominations. 1. The Lord whom ye seek, shall come foreign Adonai is given to God 134 times in the old Testament, signifies that God is he who as a Pillar sustains all. So Christ. Heb. 1. 3.suddenly to his Temple. Adon, one of the Titles of God, shewing his equality with the father, cap. 3. 1.
2. The Angel or messenger of the covenant;] he the Mediator herein distinct from, and inferior to the Father; The Father sending, The Son sent.
3. The Angel in whom ye delight.] Christ is 1. The delight of the father, Isa. 42. 1. 2. The delight and desire of the godly, Hag. 2. 7.
4. A Refiner and Purifier of his Church, with his fire, soap, and fanne in his hand, ver. 3. Matth. 3. 11.
5. Here stiled the Sun of Righteousnesse, cap. 4. 2.
2. His coming described, and that 1. In a more Terrible manner, 2. In a more comfortable manner.
1. More Terribly, and that 1. To wicked men, set out in 4. Expressions. 1. His Coming wil to them be a scorching coming, and a scouring coming; as fire to scorch, as soap to scour, as refiners fire, and fullers soap, cap. 3. 2.
2. As a Judge] ver. 5. I wil come neere to you in Iudgment: He will bring their judgment home to them, lay it close, he will not be slack to repay them to their face, Deut. 7. 10. He wil not go behind the door, as we say, to tell them their own, for Conviction and Condemnation.
3. To convince them, he wil be both Judg and Evidence, an eye witnesse, a swift witnesse, h. e. 1. Ready to depose, and make proof of what he chargeth them withall: or 2. Importunately instant and pressing for Judgment. How sad wil it be with wicked men, when Christ shall turn Informer and accuser against them; the Churches Advocate becomes solicitor against them! IntercessorRom. 11. …. turne Plaintiffe, as Elias interceeding against Israel ▪ I will come neer to you in judgment, and wil be a swift witnesse against the sor…erers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppresse the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherlesse, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts, ver. 5.
4. To see execution done. cap. 4. 1. His day of execution shall be as a flaming …urnace, or a fiery oven, which shall burn the wicked as stubble. In all which respects, it may well be said, who may abide the day of his coming, and who may stand when he appeareth? cap. 3. 1.
2. To his own people, his first coming is a hot, smart coming, he shall be as fire, and soap in his Temple, even to the Sons of Levi, he shall try, then refine, and scour, and purge them as the fullers cloth, after much washing and beating, or the Gold after much burning.
2. The benefit redounding to them, 1. They shall officiate and minister better; they shall offer an offering to the Lord in Righteousnesse ver. 3. 2. They shal be better accepted of God, ver. 4.
2. In a more comfortable manner, To be a Sun of Righteousnesse.] where we have a description, 1. of Christ. 2. Of his people.
1. Of Christ, what he is at
least, and to all his Church▪
best, and to his chosen ones.
1. At least and to all his Church, he is a Sun.
2. At best to his chosen; where three things Promised. 1. He wil be to them as a Rising Sun, after their long sitting in obscurity, waiting for a joyful morning: and never be to them a departing, declining, or setting Sun when once risen, but as the morning light, shining more and more to perfect day, Prov 4. 18.
2. Above the ordinary Sun, he will be a Sun of Righteousnesse, imparting not light, but life, John 1. 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Sun in heaven gives only light, the Sun of Righteousnesse gives life.
3. He wil be a healing Sun to such as are sick, infirme, and sad; amplifyed by the place and part where this healing virtue resides; not in his Vesture, Touch, Lips, Spitle, all which were healing, but in his wings. For a double Reason. 1. To denote his swiftness, he hath wings; …e that came to be a swift witnesse against the wicked, cap. 3. 5. is as swift a Savior, he comes suddenly and unexpectedly into his Temple. cap. 3. 1. 2. Under his wings, to denote the warmer, closer embraces which his servants shal be cheared and healed withall, as tender chickins under the Hen. And this answereth to that cap. 3. 5. As he there came neere in Judgment to wicked ones, so he comes neer in mercy (with healing mercy) to his chosen ones.
2. His people described, and that 1. What they are at least, and worst before this Sun rising and healing them, h. e. before any extraordinary and sensible manifestation of Christ to them. They are such as fear his Name, that is all they can say for themselves.
2. What they are at best, when the Sun hath risen and healed them: they shall goe forth with life, strength, and cheerfulnesse, as the fatted calves of the stall. Calves are noted to be lively, lightsome, skipping creatures Psal. 29. 6. Christ is compared to a fatted Calfe, Luke 15. The Calves sacrificed, wereHeb. 9. Hos. 14. 2. Heb. 13. 15. 1. Types of Christ and his blood. 2. Of our selves, and our sacrifice of praises.
The words thus far opened, we come now to the Doctrines therein contained, whereof the first is this, viz.