figure hence he said concerning the Redeemer-"There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel." The prophet Isaiah says concerning him," The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that walk in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Zachariah, the father of the Baptist, when speaking of his son, says, "And thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before. Luke, i, 76-80. The Father himself says, by the prophet, "I will give thee for a light of the Gen tiles ;" and in agreement with this, the Son calls himself "the light of the world," and the bright and morning star."

All created lights, however, form but a very faint emblem of the glory of the Redeemer's person and kingdom; but amongst those, the sun is, undoubtedly, the most striking, because he is the most luminous, and because he pos sesses some excellent properties in himself above any other luminary and yet he is but a dim representation of the superior excellencies and glorious perfections of our illus trious 66 Sun of Righteousness."

3. The sun possesses the property of communicating light to all the other heavenly bodies. The moon and stars, which are, in many respects, so very serviceable to man kind, could be of no use without the light of the sun: they are continually dependent upon him for their light. and, consequently, for their usefulness. This consideration may serve to shew us that all men are indebted to the "light of the world" for every thing that is good.Good men are called lights of the world: they have been instrumental of very much good to their fellow-men:Abraham and the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets, John and the apostles, with all the noble army of mar tyrs and confessors, were as so many moral stars; and ministers and pious men have been, and still are, as so many luminaries that reflect their light in their respective orbits, but this light they receive from the Sun of Righ teousness. But the sun is not only in this indirect man ner serviceable to our earth, but is the grand and direct source of light and heat, without which, notwithstanding the shining of the lesser luminaries, there could be no day nor any vegetation. So it is with the Sun

of Righteousness. He is the great source of light and heat to the soul: he is the true light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world: and although ministers may preach, and good men encourage, yet they can of themselves afford no comfort to a mourning penitent; but when, by Divine grace, he is enabled to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then the true light shineth, the soul is revived, cheered and comforted, and is enabled to grow in grace and holiness. The sun is subject to no eclipse in himself: his light being his own, he may be eclipsed to us by other bodies passing between, but the sun is the same. And though our infirmities and unbelief may hide for a moment our Lord from our eyes," yet it is not he that changeth, but ourselves, or something that interposes between our souls and him. But we just observe here, that there is one essential property in our Sun of Righteousness which the natural sun does not possess. The Lord, by his Spirit, can illuminate both the object and the faculty. This the natural sun cannot effect. He can make dark things clear, but he cannot make a blind man see them; but herein is the excellency of the Sun of Righteousness, that he not only reveals the mysteries of his kingdom, but opens blind eyes to behold them.

4. We may also observe that similar effects are produced in the moral world on the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, as are produced on the face of the earth by the rising of the natural sun. When the sun rises above our horizon, and tinges the face of creation with his splendour, darkness is immediately dispersed, and, as he ascends, all mists and vapour give way before his powerful rays. It is just so when the Sun of Righteousness arises upon any nation or individual. When the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ begins to shine, moral darkness is dissipated; and in proportion as the true light is received, superstition, error, and ignorance die away. When the sun peeps over the eastern hill, he brings to light many things, both terrific and pleasing, which were before concealed by darkness. The nightly traveller hails the approach of the glorious luminary, and, by the light which he affords, looks back upon his path, shudders at the idea of the danger to which he has been exposed, and regrets that he could not before see the scenery which surrounded him. Similar

reflections revolve in the breast of a sinner, when the light of Divine Truth shines into his mind; he trembles when he surveys his past life, and wonders that his sins have not precipitated him into the bottomless pit; and, on the other hand, he is astonished that he could not before see and admire the beauty of religion and revelation.

When the enlivening sun ascends above the tops of the mountains, and begins to shine in his strength, creation feels his animating rays; all coldness and deadness is removed; and vegetation begins to bloom, and to send forth its odorous perfumes. Corresponding effects are produced on the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. When he begins to shine, and to revive his work, all formality and supineness give way, the church begins to bud and blossom like the rose of Sharon, thanksgiving and the voice of melody ascend from the hill of Sion; frozen, unfeeling souls are melted into love, many are brought to the knowledge and love of the truth, believers are established, and all grow in grace, in knowledge and in love; but

II. When may this Sun of Righteousness be said to "arise?"

1. When the prophet says that the Sun" shall arise," we are not to infer that he had never arisen before, but that a more abundant outbeaming of his light should be reflected upon the faithful. He had before arisen, and had illuminated the minds of those that feared him in past ages; and it was by his light that the prophet was enabled to see things that should come after. His first dawning on this world was in Eden, when his genial rays comforted the disconsolate minds of Adam and Eve. When the Lord God made man, he created him after his own image, in his own moral likeness: consequently, he was all glorious within; there was no dark spot, defect, nor blemish about him; his whole body and soul were full of light, and the glory of the Lord shone in him and around him: but when he transgressed the law, he plunged himself into the vortex of depravity and pollution, the light that was in him became darkness, the glory departed, and his soul—that soul which was once the transcript of the Divine nature-became the image of the devil, and was filled with guilt, misery and woe. This was a darkness that could be felt; it pervaded every part of the soul; it cast its sable cloud

over the entrance into eternity, and was rendered still more horrible by the remembrance of better days. Such was the dreary and comfortless situation in which our first parents found themselves, when they were first visited by the animating rays of the Sun of Righteousness, who shone upon them by promise: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head :" this cheered their spirits; this afforded them encouragement; this inspired them with hope, and this was the support of their future days. During the patriarchal age, these divine rays grew stronger and stronger; and in after times, the light which enlightened the Jewish people, and inspired their prophets, was like the sun tinging the tops of the mountains with his golden beams, and disseminating light, cheerfulness, and animation, all around.

2. But, in the fulness of time, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman-made under the law-that he might redeem them that were under the law." And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; suffered in the flesh, and in the flesh tasted death for every man, that through him all flesh might be saved. Then it was that he arose in his full splendour; then it was that he brought to light the hidden things of darkness, exposed the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, penetrated the inmost recesses of the darkest hearts, enlightened the world by his powerful sermons, invited dead souls to come under his renovating influence, and made even the cold earth to tremble, when at the last he exclaimed, "It is finished!" and gave up the ghost.

3. He arose from the dead: he dispelled the darkness and coldness of the grave, and lighted the way through the cheerless valley of the shadow of death!

4. He may be said to arise when he visits any place by his Gospel. What has been the states of the most refined nations without revelation? The best of them have been enveloped in error, superstition, and idolatry; and some have been, and many are at this day, sunk in the lowest state of misery, the most abject degradation, and the most abominable immorality. But " righteousness exalteth a nation." When the light of the glorious Gospel visits such places, it may properly be compared to the sun rising in his glory.

5. He may be said to arise when he visits the souls of the children of men by his Spirit. The human soul is naturally full of darkness, confusion, deadness, and sterility; but what a change takes place when Christ is revealed in it! But this leads us to consider,

III. The manner in which he is said to arise upon those who "fear the Lord," viz. " with healing in his wings." 1. It must be observed that it is only upon those who fear the Lord that he will "arise with healing in his wings." Although the natural sun diffuses his rays over all the earth, yet the barren and uncultivated places do not flourish, because they are not prepared to receive the solar fire. And although "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, has appeared unto all men, teaching them that denying," &c., (Titus, ii, 2,) yet the impenitent and incorrigible sinner is not saved, because he will not repent and turn to God; but times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord shall be experienced by those that fear him, viz. by penitents, and by his own children.

2. Penitents fear God, and seek his face; and if they continue, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise upon them with healing in his wings, and they shall be made whole, be saved from the guilt and power of sin, and be made the children of God by faith.

3. The Lord's children serve him with reverence and godly fear; and if they come by faith to the Throne of Grace, the glory of the Lord will rise upon them, and they shall be saved from the pollution and indwelling of sin, shall be entirely cleansed, the Lord will walk in them and dwell in them, "" they shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty!"

JUDGMENT.

REVELATION xx, 11.

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,”

THAT there will be a future general and final judgment, which will determine the eternal destinies of men, is demonstrable from several considerations.

The justice of God requires it. It is evident that this