Secondly, the Sun serveth most excellently to comfort and revive cold and dead starved bodies; as experience in the spring time teacheth: So Christ Jesus by the work of his spirit conveyeth spiritual life and heat •nto the dead and frozen heart of man: he is of power to comfort them that mourn, to give life to the broken hearted▪ and to revive the spirit of the humble, Isay. 57.15. and for this most excellent work may well be called the Sun of Righteousness. In regard whereof we must labour above all things to be partakers of this life and joy which cometh from Christ. In Winter time men use to stand in the sun to comfort and warm themselves with the heat thereof. Behold Christ Jesus is the sun of righteousness to his church, which giveth heat and life to all the true members thereof. We therefore must seek above all things to have his blessed beams of grace to shine upon our cold and frozen hearts, that by his spiritual heat we may be revived unto everlasting life. In this world nothing is so much regarded, as riches, honours, and pleasures: Who will show us any good, is the worldlings song. But with godly David we must say, Psal. 4.4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, quicken thou us with thy spiritual life▪ and comfort us with the beams of mercy. Quest. How may I get the gracious beams of grace and life, to come from this Sun of righteousness into my heart? Answ. Before a man can live by Christ, he must be killed in himself. Men do not kill those whom they would restore to temporal life, but the Lord taketh that course. Thou therefore must suffer his two edged sword to enter into thee, yea to be thrust up to the hilts into thy heart, that so thy vile sins and corruptions may be ripped up, and the wrath of God deserved thereby made known unto thee, that in thy self thou mayest be out of hope: and then and not before art thou fit to receive comfort and life by Christ; as a man that is cold in body is most fit to receive heat by clothes and other means of warmness. Now being thus humbled in thy self, thou must use the means which God hath ordained, to wit, the hearing, reading, and meditating in his word, with earnest prayer for grace and mercy: and th•• shalt thou perceive the joyful beams of life shining into thy soul.
Secondly, the Sunne serueth most excellently to comfort and reuiue cold and dead starued bodies; as experience in the spring time teacheth: So Christ Iesus by the worke of his spirit conueyeth spirituall life and heat •nto the dead and frozen heart of man: he is of power to comfort them that mourne, to giue life to the broken hearted▪ and to reuiue the spirit of the humble, Isay. 57.15. and for this most excellent worke may well bee called the Sunne of Righteousness•. In regard wherof wee must labour aboue all things to bee partakers of this life and ioy which commeth from Christ. In Winter time men vse to stand in the sunne to comfort and warme themselues with the heat thereof. Behold Christ Iesus is the sunne of righteousnesse to his church, which giueth heat and life to all the true members thereof. Wee therefore must seeke aboue all things to haue his blessed beames of grace to shine vpon our cold and frozen hearts, that by his spirituall heat we may be reuiued vnto euerlasting life. In this world nothing is so much regarded, as riches, honours, and pleasures: Who will shew vs any good, is the worldlings song. But with godly Dauid wee must say, Psal. 4.4. Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs, quicken thou vs with thy spirituall life▪ and comfort vs with the beames of mercy. Quest. How may I get the gracious beames of grace and life, to come from this Sunne of righteousnesse into my heart? Answ. Before a man can liue by Christ, hee must bee killed in himselfe. Men doe not kill those whom they would restore to temporall life, but the Lord taketh that course. Thou therefore must suffer his two edged sword to enter into thee, yea to bee thrust vp to the hilts into thy heart, that so thy vile sinnes and corruptions may be ripped vp, and the wrath of God deserued thereby made knowne vnto thee, that in thy selfe thou mayest bee out of hope: and then and not before art thou fit to receiue comfort and life by Christ; as a man that is cold in bodie is most fit to receiue heat by cloathes and other meanes of warmenesse. Now being thus humbled in thy selfe, thou must vse the meanes which God hath ordained, to wit, the hearing, reading, and meditating in his word, with earnest prayer for grace and mercie: and th•• shalt thou perceiue the ioyfull beames of life shining into thy soule.
