The Sun hath large arms, or rather long wings. Some hawks are called long winged: The same we may say of the Sun, that hath long wings indeed, reaching to the utmost stretch, ends or wings of the earth. The prophet Malachi comforts those that fear the Name of the Lord, with this promise, The Sun of Righteousness shall arise (to them) with healing in his wings. The Sun-beams, or the light that is conveyed in those beams, are compared to wings, and they are spread to the very wings of the earth, and extend themselves over the whole Hemisphere. The morning light like lightning, is diffused from East to West in a moment. When it is day with one half of the world, 'tis night with the other; but where the Sun comes, it gives light all over that half-face of the earth. The Sun is an universal benefit, and therefore the most excellent outward benefit. We say of every good thing, by how much 'tis the more common, communicative and extensive, by so much the better it is. As evil, by how much it spreads it self the further, by so much the worse it is; so good, by how much the more it spreads it self, it is the better. As the natural light of the day, so the spiritual light of the Gospel, is very diffusive. When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles of Christ (the day-spring from on high then visiting the world) O how speedily did that take hold of the ends of the earth! David (Psal. 22.27.) speaking of the Prophetical Office of Christ, in sending forth the light of his truth, saith, All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to God. What caused the ends of the earth to remember? and what did they remember? Surely it was the light of the Gospel, taking hold of the ends of the earth, which caused the ends of the earth to remember God and themselves; they saw their danger and their duty, and so turned to God. By the ends of the earth in that place of the Psalm, we are to understand the inhabitants of the utmost parts of the earth; who had never remembered themselves, never considered themselves, never awakened out of sin, never turned to God, if the light of the Gospel had not shined to them. The natural light is not only very extensive, but powerful; and so is the light of the Gospel, it goes to the ends of the earth with wonderful ⟨p. 131⟩effects.
The Sun hath large arms, or rather long wings. Some hawks are called long winged: The same we may say of the Sun, that hath long wings indeed, reaching to the utmost stretch, ends or wings of the earth. The prophet Malachi comforts those that fear the Name of the Lord, with this promise, The Sun of Righteousness shall arise (to them) with healing in his wings. The Sun-beams, or the light that is conveyed in those beams, are compared to wings, and they are spread to the very wings of the earth, and extend themselves over the whole Hemisphere. The morning light like lightning, is diffused from East to West in a moment. When it is day with one half of the world, 'tis night with the other; but where the Sun comes, it gives light all over that half-face of the earth. The Sun is an universal benefit, and therefore the most excellent outward benefit. We say of every good thing, by how much 'tis the more common, communicative and extensive, by so much the better it is. As evil, by how much it sp•eads it self the further, by so much the worse it is; so good, by how much the more it spreads it self, it is the better. As the natural light of the day, so the spiritual light of the Gospel, is very diffusive. When the Gospel was first preacht by the Apostles of Christ (the day-spring from on high then visiting the world) O how speedily did that take hold of the ends of the earth! David (Psal. 22.27.) speaking of the Prophetical Office of Christ, in sending forth the light of his truth, saith, All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to God. What caused the ends of the earth to remember? and what did they remember? Surely it was the light of the Gospel, taking hold of the ends of the earth, which caused the ends of the earth to remember God and themselves; they saw their danger and their duty, and so turned to God. By the ends of the earth in that place of the Psalm, we are to understand the inhabitants of the utmost parts of the earth; who had never remembred themselves, never considered themselves, never awakened out of sin, never turned to God, if the light of the Gospel had not shined to them. The natural light is not onely very extensive, but powerful; and so is the light of the Gospel, it goes to the ends of the earth with wonderful ⟨p. 131⟩effects.
