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SERMON XIX.

RISING OF THE SUN OF RIGIITEOUSNESS.

MALACHI iv. 2.

But, unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up, as calves of the stall.

THE church of God, from the day of the first promise to our fallen parents, has ever had but one object, to which, supremely, to direct the eye of faith and hope ;-the coming of God her Saviour: first, as he was to appear among us in great humility, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; and now, as he is to come again in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, appearing" unto them that look for him, the second time, without sin unto salvation." (Heb. ix. 28.) To both these the church directs the special attention of her believing children, at this interesting season of the christian year:

(Advent:) and to both these are we also directed in the words before us.

The promise of my text had, then, a signal fulfilment, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Then, "through the tender mercy of our God, the day-spring from on high visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke i. 78, 79.) And this promise shall, presently, have a yet more signal, and perfect accomplishment, when Jesus shall be manifested, to his waiting people, in all the brightness of his glory, the pomp of his power, the excellent majesty of his kingdom, bursting forth, like the sun, in cloudless lustre, to recompense vengeance to his enemies, and to comfort and bless his people.

On the time, and details, of this great event, I confess myself unable to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. The subject is every way beset with immense difficulties. If we might suppose a premillennial advent of Christ, that should be distinguishable from the coming, apparently, at the consummation of all things, mentioned in 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12, it might go far toward clearing up the subject. Certainly, some such manifestation of Christ I cannot but expect, introductory to his millennial reign; and, in this case, the two together must be included in that

"blessed hope" which the scriptures everywhere describe believers as looking for. So St. Paul speaks, (1 Cor. i. 7,) " Ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the revelation (áæокáλv‡iv) of our Lord Jesus Christ." So he calls believers "them that love his appearing." He represents this hope as intimately connected with all holiness of living. "That we should live righteously, soberly, and godly, in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the appearing of the glory (Epávav The dóns) of Jesus Christ, the great God, and our Saviour." (Tit. ii. 12, 13. Comp. 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12.) And the closing words of inspiration are between Jesus and his church, on this same sweet topic. Surely," saith he, "I come quickly. Amen! Even so!" is her reply: "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Now, I fear, Christians in general have given too much occasion for the reproach which has been cast upon them of late, that they have well nigh forgotten this glorious coming of their Lord, and looked elsewhere, for matter of support and joy. Other considerations have seemed more nearly, and immediately, to affect us, and this has been, comparatively, lost sight of. We have not sufficiently had recourse to it, to cheer ourselves by it, in a season of sorrow, or to elevate our hopes, and disengage our affections from an entangling world.

Narrowness of views and feelings may be assigned as one cause of this. Christians have thought too much of their individual safety, and felicity, at their departure out of life, and too little of the misery and curse which sin is daily working in the earth, and which nothing but the rising of the Sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings, will ever remove. Sin will be triumphant, Satan must tyrannize, till Jesus reveal himself in this disordered world, and the kingdoms of it become his.

Exaggerated notions of the glory of the intermediate state may be given as another reason, for this apathy respecting the coming of the Lord. Christians have imagined such a heaven for themselves, the instant after death, as has, really, left them nothing further to desire. Now the scriptures speak of believers, who fall asleep in Jesus, as "blessed, for they rest from their labours." They are in paradise, where Jesus was, when his body was in the grave. (Luke xxiii. 43.) They are present with the Lord:" Cor. v. 8.) "with Christ, which is far better than anything they enjoy below. (Phil. i. 23.) Sin is over. Suffering and sorrow are over. Danger is over. Conflict is over. O well may the Spirit set his seal to that testimony, and say, Yea, they are blessed dead, who die in the Lord!" But, withal, they are, as Jesus was, for

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the time," not glorified." They are, as Jesus was, "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." Was it no joy, to him, to leave Paradise, and enter into his glory? to ascend up, "far above all heavens, that he might fill all things?" O yes, and it is joy which the spirits of the just are sweetly anticipating, while Jesus tarries. Their crown is "laid up for them," against "that day;" (2 Tim. iv. 8;) the day of Christ. It is "when the chief Shepherd shall appear," that the pastors of his flock, under him, “ shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away." (1 Pet. v. 4.) Now these, while they are comfortable views of death, are, yet, views which keep the believer in his only proper posture, looking for that blessed hope," the return of Jesus, his God and Saviour."

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Again, my brethren, love to Jesus, and delight in the glory of Jesus, would lead us to eager anticipations of his appearing. It is the day that he receives his bride, and presents her to himself, in glory. He comes "to be glorified in his saints." He comes to vindicate his righteous cause in the earth, which sinners have so long trampled on with impunity to destroy the great destroyer to give his saints the dominion, and establish his reign of "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," in every pro