The rising sun, or, The sun of righteousnesse shining upon the sons of unrighteousnesse a theological sun-dyal wherein is to be seen the rising, motion, influence and manifold operations of Christ upon the soul ... as also the description of the true believer ... as also the highest degrees and full growth and grace are here delineated ... / by John Sheffeild [sic]

CHAP. III. Christ and the Sun alike in their Attri∣butes. Unity the first.

THe Attributes of the Sun and of Christ, wherein they are alike, are either 1 In∣communicable, 2. Communicable.

The first incommunicable Attribute of both is their Unity; Sol quasi solus. Next to the glorious Essence, Unity is the highest perfection of God, and his first Incommuni∣cable Attribute. The Sun among the Crea∣tures is matchlesse in his glory, because of his Unity.

In heaven God hath planted thousands of lesser Lights, whom he cals all by their names; in earth thousands of other creatures, but one Sun for both. In heaven, thousands of fixed Stars, which never fell; in earth, thou∣sands of lesse lights, whom the Father of lights knows, and cals every one by his name: But as the same Sun gives light to the Stars above, and to the creatures below; so one Christ is head to Angels, and Surety for sin∣ners; from him they receive confirming grace, we reconciling. There is one God, & one Sun; one God, and one Mediator; one Blood for Reconciliation, one name for Salvation, one Sacrifice for Universal Redemption, one Righteousnesse for Justification. There was

one Temple, High Priest, Altar of old, one Brazen Serpent, one Rock, one Bread, one Garment of the High Priest, for all his suc∣cessours; now one spotlesse, seamlesse gar∣ment for us all; One must die for all, and he once for all.

Travellers beyond the line, losing their old, find new Stars, no new Sun. They un∣der the Law, had other stars, the Prophets; we on this side the line, other Apostles, Mi∣nisters, and ordinances, the same Sun. The Saints departed, having crossed the line, leave all our Stars, Ministers, private Chri∣stians and Ordinances, but enjoy the same Sun.

Unity is the glory of the visible heavens, one peerlesse Sun, and of the invisible hea∣vens. 1. The Unity of the Divine Essence in three Persons, I and my Father are one, John 10. 30. There are three that beare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are one. 2. So in Christ, vi∣sible for his humanity, invisible for his Divi∣nity; Unity is the perfection of his person. Only in the former, Unity of Essence, there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, alius, not aliud; here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, aliud, not alius, in this uni∣ty of Person. As in the Creature Sun, there is a conjunction and union of two dif∣ferent qualities, light and heat; Light, such as is in heaven among the Stars, none such on earth; Heat, such as is in living creatures on earth, none such in the Stars. So in Christ

there is an union of an heavenly and earth∣ly nature. 1. Of a Deity, which the other persons have without humanity. 2. Of Hu∣manity, which we have without a Deity. In this one High Priest alone, the Thummim and the Urim, the perfections of God, and the light of men conjoyn'd.

1. Then give unto Christ the glory of this Singular attribute of Unity, in a double Uni∣ty. 1. The Unity of faith. 2. Unity of Love.

1. By an Unity of faith, eye Christ on∣ly, eye him with a single eye, look up to no other Mediator; go not to glean in any o∣ther field, as was said to Ruth: one Sun gives light to all the world, there needs no more. He were a mad man should say, set me up another Sun, or light me a Candle at noon day to help out the Sun: He more irrational who saith, give me somewhat besides Christ, another Mediator.

It is looked upon as prodigious in nature to see two or three Suns or Parelii together. There is no such thing, they are but imagina∣ry Suns in a cloud, having a little light, no heat or vigorous Influence. There is but one Sun which gives light to these: so to set up Saints merits, the Virgin Maries Intercession, or our own duties, were prodigious; all have what they have from Christ, and contribute nothing to him. And these Parelii are never seen, but when the Sun is low at morning or evening, never at noone. This flying to the Saints with Papists, or imagined Righte∣ousnesse

with some carnal Protestants, is on∣ly a sign of a dim knowledg, and of a weak faith, never of a sound judgment, and a wel∣informed mind. How unhandsome is a new piece on an old garment, or the garment part wollen, part linnen! Christ will be Solus or nullus. Look to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else, Isa. 45. 22. Each man puts out his candle, and opens his window to let in heaven light when the Sun is up; do so for your souls; tread out your sparks, they may burn thee, they cannot lighten thee. Isa. 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compasse your selves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled: this shall ye have of my hand, ye shall lye down in sorrow.

2. Next look after the other great Unity, The Unity of love, the Unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace. Faith and love are the two great uniting graces, faith to the head, love to the members. As there are two great unions in heaven, the first, of three in one, Trinity in Unity; the other of two in one, two natures in one person; So next to these two most glorious Unions, there are two mysterial Unions in earth, of faith to Christ, where two are one; of love to the Church, where all are one. And as this is Gods perfection, so the Churches, according to Christs last Prayer, John 17. 17. That they may be all one, as Thou Father art in me, and

I in thee,—That they may be made perfect in one. It was the glory and beauty of the Wheels, that they were so Artificially joyn∣ed one within another, that though divers, they seemed one wheel; and they had all one motion; for one Spirit animated them.

All those innumerable fixed Stars, keep their proper and certain station, are there∣fore never eclipsed, nor do they eclipse o∣thers, but move together uniformly; one motion is common to all. The Planets move in several Orbs, no two together, and they are all eclipsed one by another.

Christians should as Stars in the Firma∣ment, not thwart, cloud, censure, slight, eclipse each other, disparaging this mans Ministry, question that mans sincerity. Oh that the Trumpet might not make an uncer∣tain or different sound, but bee all as one, as when the Temple was dedicated, and when Jericho was besieged, all the Priests blew together, all the people gave one shout, thereby should Babylons walls be finally ruin∣ed, and Jerusalems fully repaired. Then would it be said, Who is this that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, terrible as an Army with banners?

This Unity of the Spirit would become the bond and cement of our Peace; our bands and beauty, the staff of the Church in her now old age, and bring in those Pri∣mitive times again, when after stormes

The Churches regained rest, and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord; and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Why should there not bee as one God, one Church; as one Lord, one Baptism; as one Spirit, one Faith; as one Father, one Fa∣mily; as one Christ, one Hope; as one way, one Heart; as one Bread, one Body; as one Cup, one Lip? Cor unum, via una, Domi∣nus unus, Nomen unum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 1 Cor. 12. 12. All should be one.

How delightful is it to see ten thousand beams streaming from the same Center of the Sun in heaven, meet and re-center in the same punctulum on earth! What a resplen∣dent light, and piercing heat do they give? So when all the Graces coming from the same head do unite and con-center together, what beauty, light, and heat is there? The Beams dispersed are weakned, united are more burning, as in a Burning glass, where all the Sun seems contracted in so narrow compass. Where is most of Unity, there is most of Christ. And now thou glorious Sun of Righteousness, and blessed Peace maker, who art all Union, and the Fountain of it, in whose Person the Father and Holy Ghost was from eternity united, in whose Incar∣nation the Humane Nature was united to the Divine; in whose Mediation the Divine was again united to the Humane. In the strength of these two great Unions, produce

a third, that union of our Nature with it self, that there may be no more Schismes in the body. Thou that didst slay the enmi∣ty between Jew and Gentile, slay that be∣tween Christian and Christian: and as thou art the foundation stone of our faith, be also the corner (the coupling) stone of our Love; and the binding stone to hold all the Building together.

Notes

• Ci••••••.
• Eph. 1. 10. Col. 1. 1 Tim. 2. ••. Act. 4, 12. Heb. 10, 14.
• 1 John 5. 7. Unum sunt viz. Essentiâ, non u∣nus, viz. Perso∣nâ.
• Uni•• Persona∣lis, non persona∣rum; natura∣rum, non natu∣rali••. Trel∣••at.
• Ezek. 1. 20.
• 2 Chron. 5. 13 Josh. 6. 20.
• Cant. 6. 10.
• Act. 9. 31.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Act. 4 32.