hath been spoken on Chap. III. 1 That which is added in this verse concerns the time of his coming viz. that he should be sent before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. That day is the same which is spoken of chap. III. 2 called there the day of his coming and his appearing and vers 17. the day which the Lord shall make or according to our Translation the day wherein he shall make up his jewels and in this Chapter ver I. the day which shall come burning as an oven and shall burn up the wicked as stubble but wherein to those that fear the name of the Lord the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and again ver III. the day which the Lord should make or wherein he should do what he had spoken so signal a day as that it may above others be called the day of the Lord as shewing more of his power and presence then ordinary daies though all his And that day we look upon as we have before shewed to be that day or time which should end in the dreadful destruction of Jerusalem so comprehending under it as we have said on ch III. 2 all the time from Christs first beginning to preach to the Jews to that destruction of them and their City And all this may be called the day of his first coming to distinguish it from that which is usually called his second coming viz. his coming at the last day to judge all the World Otherwise if we will more nicely distinguish and confine the day of his first coming to his birth and the second to his coming at the day of doom to judge the World this will be to be accounted a middle day or coming between those two as the learned D r Hammond calls it on Mat. XXIV ver 3. and Luke IX 31 for vengeance on his enemies and deliverance of his Servants But it may seem convenient to comprehend as we said all that time from his first manifestation till his executing that fearfull National Judgement on the Jews under one notion of his first coming For though that which makes these titles of great and dreadfull is most signally appliable to that day of vengeance yet all along in his preaching and foretelling and threatning them with that doom as certain to come if they continued obstinate and would not repent as if it were already present is that which may deservedly denominate this whole time a great and dreadful day to them John the Baptists words wherein he describes it and forewarns of it found no less as Mat. III. 2 where he begins his preaching with Repent ye for the Kingdom of God is at hand and ver 7. O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come and ver 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire and ver 12. where he tells them of Christs coming with his fan in hand The day or time thus described is a day of terror and that so described is the day of Christs first coming then already begun Our Saviours own preaching and behaviour while he was on Earth was likewise very troublesome to the unbelieving Priests Scribes and Pharisees their quiet by both he disturbes by continual minding them of and sharply reproving them for their sins and hypocrisy and denouncing to them many sad woes for them with severest threats ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Matt. XXIII 33 and telling them Behold your house is left unto you desolate ver 38. i. e. the desolation of your Temple City and Nation is irreversibly at hand as certainly shall it be as if it were already done Againe when of that stately admired frame of their Temple w ch his Disciples shewed him as a thing to be wondred at he saith Verily I say unto you there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down Matt. XXIV 2 and likewise that the daies should come upon Jerusalem that her enemies should cast a trench about her and compass her round and keep her in on every side and should lay her even with the ground and her children within her and should not leave in heâ— one stone upon another because she knew not the day of her visitation i. e. because she would not repent upon all his calls Luke XIX 43 44. and that generation he saith should not pass till all these things were fulfilled Mat. XXIV 34 and Luke XXI 32 within the the life time of some that there were then alive all that he said should be certainly fulfilled That time in which these and like dreadfull things were spoken by him who spake as one having authority as the People acknowledged Mat. VII 29 the Lord himself then on Earth whose words were as things done may well be called a great and dreadfull day of the Lord at least an awfull day or day to be feared as some would have it rather rendred how much more when we shall look on it as concluded before that generation was passed away within a matter of 40. years with the fearfull and total destruction of Jerusalem so that comprehending all that time both of Christs being on Earth come in the flesh wherein he threatned such destruction to the Jews and of his coming in that short space after his leaving the Earth to execute what he had threatned under the name of his first coming we say that by the day here called the great and dreadfull day of the Lord that is meant If any shall so distinguish the parts of this time as to call the time of his being on Earth the day of his first coming and the destruction of Jerusalem a distinct coming from it that which we say is that by the great and dreadfull day here meant seems chiefly to be understood that of Jerusalems destruction though we think it better to joyn both these together under the notion of one day as we have said and that which we would evince is that it is not literally and primarily meant of the day of the last Judgement as divers would have it especially they who will have by Elias to be meant Elias in person the one opinion depends much on the other A chief argument of such of them as are Christians seems that taken from the Epithet it self given to this day because it is called a dreadfull day which they say is proper to the day of the last Judgement whereas the day of his first coming is not so called but an acceptable time and day of Salvation But sure by what hath been already said it appears that the day of his first coming taken as reaching to the destruction of Jerusalem as we do take it may well so be called and was indeed so To the same purpose
words of Malachi are plainly referred to the words and the heart of their children to their fathers are not put as they are here read but instead of them and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just which the learned D r Hammond in his Notes on that place shews to be as a Gloss or Paraphrase on the Prophets words to explain his expression both importing that a general reformation should be endeavoured to be wrought by the person sent for that end among the Jews for fitting them to receive the Lord Christ. From the same spirit did both expressions proceed and it will not concern us to be inquisitive why he should change his language or expressions By what he saith by his Angell there in Luke it is evident that what he here spake by his Prophet was spoken of John the Baptist and not of Eliah in his person And with what Elias-like zeal John did set himself to perform the office here designed for him appears by what we read in the Gospell of his Mission and his preaching and the time thereof and the contents and effects of it as Matt. III. Mar. I. Luke III. and Joh. I. He that shall duly consider what is in those places said of John and what he did and compare them with what is said here of the Eliah promised that he should do will easily perceive all that is here prophecied to have been already made good that there will be no ground left to him for expecting a farther completion of it by Eliah in person or any other under that name to be expected before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord here spoken of Here God saith Behold I will send Elijah the Prophet in the Gospell it is said there was a man sent from God whose name was John Joh. I. 6 and that that John was Elias which was for to come Matt. XI 14 Here that he was to be sent before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. There the time of Johns coming is described that it was when the Kingdome of God was at hand Matt. III. 2 when the day of wrath was coming v. 7. when the axe was laid to the root of the trees and every tree that brought not forth good fruit should be hewen down and cast into the fire vers 10. when He was now coming whose fan was in his hand and he would throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn but would burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire ver 12. which expressions as we have before shewed are an evident description of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord here spoken of Here that this Eliah should turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers preach to all sorts young and old conversion and repentance there in the Gospel that John should turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and the hearts of the fathers to the children c. Luke I. 16 17. and that he did preach to all the Baptism of repentance Marc. I. 4 Luke III. 3 and that with such power and good effect that Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region round about Jordan went out to him and were baptized of him confessing their sins Matt. III. 5 6. and Marc. I. 5 i. e. multitudes of all sorts and conditions of People out of those places Luke III. 7 of the common sort of People ver 10. of those that might seem to have least of the fear of God before their eies least regard of or charity for other men Publicans ver 12. Souldiers ver 14. and were at greatest difference in opinion one from another Pharisees and Sadduces To all these did he instill Precepts of Charity Luke III 11. the hearts of all these it is manifest that he did turn one to another in that they agreed and were united in one common Baptism by him What can more punctually agree then the Prophecy here and the matter of fact set down in the Gospels thus paralleled do to shew that the person who is here so characterized in respect to what was to be and there to what was made good in him is one and the same and that no other ought to be expected by vertue of this Prophecy Certainly when we consider how exactly all things do concurre of what is foretold of in the Prophet and reported as done in the Gospell in the one person of John the Baptist and how all things here designed to be done by this person named Eliah were by him in a signal manner performed we shall perceive that there is little grounds for that argument which is by some here taken to prove that Eliah in person is to be expected before the day of the last Judgement because as they say John did not fulfill all that is here required in the conversion of the hearts of the fathers and children one to another or as it is summed up by our Saviour in restoring all things Matt. XVII Not to enquire what other answers may be or are given to that objection abundantly sufficient for confirmation of that Exposition which we have follow'd as to the scope and meaning of them and to shew that they do not afford any good grounds for any such argument will be the consideration of two things which would by those who draw that argument here from them be otherwise I suppose easily granted 1. That words which are put to import that such or such a thing should be effected by any do often signify rather his endeavour and the doing of what would or might be sufficient for the effecting of them then a full accomplishment as to the effect or consequents on his endeavour So that what is said that the person here spoken of should turn the hearts of the fathers to the children c. and Matt. XVII 10 that he should restore all things may well be said to be fulfilled if he did diligently that which tended to the producing and was sufficient to have produced such effects though through default in the subjects on which he was to work the hearts of all were not turned nor all things or men as some think it may though put in the neuter gender be particularly applied to them fully rectified and reduced into right order 2. That the word all is not alwaies to be taken in that extent as to comprehend every particular whether it be applied to persons things times or places but only a great number and to shew the diffusive nature of that which is said should have respect to all to be such as might be extended to more even to all that should come in its way or be offered to it or were rightly qualified to receive its operation or required to make good the truth of what is spoken of To omitt other examples which are frequent one already mentioned and
which is to our present purpose will make it evident It is said Matt. III. 5 that Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan went out to John and were baptized of him It will not by any be thought that every person in those places did thus but a great multitude or store of them and if more had come or his preaching had prevailed on more John was ready to perform his office to them This is thought enough to justify the expression that all the Countrey came unto him and were baptized of him Here is not in our Prophet the word all expressed but indefinitely without any number mentioned said shall turn the heart of the fathers and the heart of the children but because where Christ summs up what is here said or gives the meaning of it he adds it viz. and shall restore all things it is by them looked on as here understood and the exceptions therefore taken that by Elias is not here meant John the Baptist because to restore all things is to convert to the true Faith all Jews and Hereticks c. which John did not effect and therefore Elias in person is yet to come and do it But if we suppose that all is to be here understood surely that by all were to be meant no more then we have said i. e. many of all sorts all that should hearken to his preaching and receive his Doctrine we may learn from the Angels describing of the same office of his that is here described by this that many of the children of Israel he should turn unto the Lord their God going before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children The all and the many do then signify the same thing in this matter And these things being observed surely by what we read of John's performance it is evident that the words here spoken of this Eliah to be sent were in and by him so far even to wonder made good that to expect another to fulfill them in greater measure is not warranted by vertue of this Prophecy He was zealous in the highest degree in performing what he was sent to do and on very many did his endeavours take effect That they did not on more on all among them without exceptions prevail was not through any defect or default in him but because as the Scripture expressly declares concerning many of the Pharisees and Lawyers many of which yet came in unto him they rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luke VII 30 the like effects w ch our Saviour who came to convert them all and to save all complains his own preaching to have had among that same People through their obstinacy saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings und ye would not Matt. XXIII 37 Some are so far from thinking that on these words can be grounded any argument to prove that the Elias here meant was not John Baptist and that it is one yet to come at the end of the World before Christs last coming as that they look on them as an argument to prove the clean contrary because this Elias is to come before the great day of the Lord and to call to conversion and repentance for which was a fit season at Christs first coming but at the last day of his coming the day of Judgement is no farther time for repentance but for reward or execution of Judgement and punishment therefore that day not this must here be meant and this Elias one already come not one then to be expected What we have said will farther be confirmed by consideration of the next words in which is declared why he should be sent to convert them viz. lest saith the Lord I come and smite the Earth with a curse As the former words concerning the Mission the time and the office of the person here named Elijah the Prophet do as we have seen exactly agree to John the Baptist and so as that they cannot so be applied to any other so do these also which declare the end for which he should be sent at that time to perform that office no less agree with those in which in the Gospell we are shewed for what end John did perform his by preaching conversion and repentance viz. That being converted they might flee from the wrath to come Matt. III. 7 and the axe being now laid to the root of the trees they bringing forth good fruit might escape from being cut down and cast into the fire ver 10. that they might be as Wheat and gathered into the Lords Garner and not as Chaffe which he should burn with unquenchable fire ver 12. Add how the Angell explains it Luke I. 17 that he should and as appears c. III. accordingly did endeavour to do turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just For what end to make ready a People prepared for the Lord a People fit to receive him and to find mercy and Salvation from him at his coming Who will not at first hearing or reading perceive that those things said concerning the end of his preaching are the very same with what is said here of this person 's performing the office he is sent for viz. that he should do it to prevent lest the Lord should come and smite the Earth with a curse or utter destruction The same words which are given even by some of the Jews for explication of this expression of the Prophet will as appositely be used for summing up the meaning of those in the Gospell Such is that Exposition of R. Tanchâ—m ` The meaning saith he is He shall fairly perswade them that he may reduce any of them who may possibly be reduced to wit such who have not evil habits so firmly rooted in their minds that they cannot return from them till the punishment which shall seize on all the rebellious transgressors overtake them Surely this which he gives for the meaning of what is here said of this person here denoted by the title of Eliah for shewing for what end he should perform his office is manifestly the meaning of what is in the Gospell said concerning the end for which John was sent to preach repentance and did preach it and baptize unto it Not much different as to the purpose is that meaning which another among them gives of these words viz. Therefore he shall warn them that they may be brought to repentance against that day come that he may not smite the whole Land or the Land with a consumption and it be a curse Thus far well and so as to shew the end which this Eliah was to aim at to be altogether the same that John did aim at and labour to effect
must thus be supplied except you so do viz. repent and make supplications to him but shall continue to do as you do will the Lord accept your persons To the same purpose do others both Jews and Christians expound the words as to denote that if they did sincerely repent and seek by prayer for mercy from God he would yet have mercy on them but if not they ought not to think that he who is no accepter of persons would accept any of them or spare to reprove them for their doings Or as some of them that they should thus earnestly pray to see whether God though much displeased would yet accept them and be gracious to Israel which is agreeable with the old Latin Translation Others prefer to look on these words as Ironically spoken to this purpose Now therefore behaving your selves thus wickedly in Gods service do what is farther your duty ye Priests to whom that office belongs beseech the Lord that he will be gracious unto us for the evil is come upon us by your means and now see whether ye being such as ye are can prevail for your sakes to have it removed God hath constituted you Intercessors for the People and promised to accept of your intercession while you behave your selves in your office as you ought but will he now accept of your persons and hear you for them or for your selves surely ye will find your selves much deceived if you think he will your office so ill performed will not make you acceptable That he will be gracious unto us Here is observed that the Prophet though not guilty of those sins which he reproves yet saith not unto you or unto the People but unto us as joining himself in the number either out of modesty or humility or sympathizing with them in the evil which should come upon them So Moses Exodus XXXIV 9 praying for the People that had sinned saith Pardon our iniquity and our sin though he had no part therein which way of speaking he learnt from God himself who finding fault with the People joins with them Moses who was not guilty of that fault How long do ye refuse to keep my Commandments Exodus XVI 28 10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought I have no plesure in you saith the Lord of hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought c. or that doth shut c. Having shewed the great fault of the Priests in their negligence in his service and not taking care for the right ordering of things in it according to the Law he here seems to aggravate it in that they receive abundant wages for what they should do and are well paid for it even for their least services they do as the very shutting of the doors of the Temple and kindling fire on his Altar Did he require their Service for nought as justly he might then they might have some pretence for their negligence but now being so plentifully rewarded by the portions in performing their several offices allowed them sure if they would not out of love do it yet in justice they ought to be carefull in performing what was required of them according as the Law required it to be performed and seeing they are not he is justly displeased at them and hath no pleasure in them neither will accept an offering at their hand This seems to be the connexion and the meaning of the words according to the rendring which our Translators give But I have heard exceptions taken against our Translators for it but those that blame them for it should consider that they go not alone in it but have the consent both of other approved translations and learned Expositors who seem to embrace it out of choice and deliberation not because they saw no other or were not aware that the words were by some or might be otherwise expounded For to the same sense the ancient Latine renders them and so Junius and Tremellius among the modern whom together with ours they must tax as likewise those Expositors which go the same way which are many and learned Yet if any like not this nor be moved with those autorities another Exposition by many likewise both Jews and Christians given is this Who is there also among you i. e. I would there were any that would shut the doors against you that you might not bring in such illegal and unacceptable oblations nor kindle fire on mine Altar in vain or to no purpose or profit to you for I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Any offering though it were in it self good you being such as you are much less such illegal offerings these services were even better let alone then be so performed as they are by you This sense being agreeable to the Chalde Paraphrase and given by several Jewish Expositors sure those who as we have seen follow the same way that our Translators do and likewise our Translators themselves so learned attentive and diligent men as they were could not be ignorant of however they chose to follow what they have done The Reader seeing and considering both or if he find any other may take his choice too He may only observe that in ours the word for nought is for making the sense plainer twice repeated whereas it is in the Original only once and that in the last place and it is so likewise repeated in the Translation of Junius and Tremellius Some of the Jews though to this purpose which we have said giving their own meaning yet tell us of another Exposition or Gloss given by some of their ancient Doctors as making it to include an argument à minori ad majus to this purpose Two things there are which a man will not refuse to do yet have no reward for them If one man say to another Shut the door after thee or me or light this candle for me he for doing it askes or takes no reward but who among you hath shut my doors for nought neither have ye lighted mine Altar for nought how much less have you done for nought any of those things which use to be done for reward Therefore I have no pleasure in you They give no farther explication of their Doctors meaning it seems to make for the first exposition 11 For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts For from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place
asunder of soul and spirit c. and called a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts which spared no sin or sinner and of the efficacy of his grace and spirit working on the obdurate hearts of men and the like which may be added to what hath been said as the words seem to require it should Otherwise I suppose the way that we have taken to give a fuller and more proper meaning of the words and such as will be of more use in dealing with the Jews to convince them that all here spoken hath been fulfilled all those calamities those pangs of the Messiah which they expected that the coming of Messiah should be accompanied with did accordingly seize on them in that day of his coming including the time as we said from his preaching to the destruction of the Temple brought on them by their obstinacy in refusing to hearken and turn to him and so what is here said to intimate what is more fully declared by Christ in the Gospels concerning that time The other Exposition alone perhaps will not gain much from them As to the expression here used it may be compared with several others in the Scripture So as Aben Ezra and Kimchi will with what is said Zach. XIII 9 where God saith I will bring the third part through the fire and I will refine them as silver is refined c. as likewise Isa. I. 25 I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin and Ezech. XXII 18 19 20 21 22. as they gather silver and dross and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace and blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my anger and melt you c. v. 20. as silver is melted in the midst of the furnace so shall ye be melted c. v. 22. and Luk. XII 49 I am come to send fire on the Earth c. and II Thess. I. 8 where he speaketh of a time when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire c. with other like places Which what judgements they concern will not be to our purpose at present to enquire but only thus much that it is usual to compare Gods severity in proceeding against sin to such purging and refining fire which melts and tries the whole mass but purifies the good and refines it and separates and consumes the dross So those judgements often fall promiscuously on all both good and bad but the end is different and when the wicked are destroyed the godly are only purged and made more precious in the sight of God yet so as that in regard of that severe examination and trial which they shall endure even in respect of them also it may justly be asked who may abide the day of his coming c. According to the same notion he adds in respect of the present trial here spoken of 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver c. R. D. Kimchi as before so here also what ours and others attribute to the person of the Lord takes as spoken of the time called the day of his coming thus giving the meaning of the words As a Judge that sitteth to judge the People and to distinguish the offender from the innocent so shall be that day which shall refine and cleanse the silver and take away from it the dross or refuse and they are the wicked But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifying to sit may seem more to agree to the person then time though it make not much difference in the meaning And it cannot be here strictly taken in the notion of sitting however it be attributed to the person but rather to signify his set purpose and resolution of so doing as one that fits to a work He shall set aside all other works that he may be as a refiner saith R. Salomo scarce warily enough inasmuch as one work hindreth not him from attending to others except we take his meaning to be that he shall so fully do that business as if he attended wholly to it The Chalde renders it He shall be revealed or reveal himself to melt and cleanse as a man that melteth and cleanseth silver He means saith R. Tanchum he shall try and cleanse Israel or the People as silver i. e. as silver is cleansed and purified or he shall sit as one that refineth silver The letter or particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 C which is a note of similitude being in either way omitted because the meaning is clear And he shall purify the Sons of Levi and purge them He shall cleanse them as silver that is tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Psal. XII 6 The Sons of Levi. Of the Priests who were the Sons of Levi we have in the former Chapters heavy complaints that they in nothing performed their duty aright but profaned Gods holy Name his Altar his Offerings and Service and adulterated and violated his Law of them therefore seems here particular mention made and promised or denounced that he would take them who should have directed and been examples of good to others but were wholly corrupt and ill examples to them in the first place into a strict examination and reform what was amiss in his worship and their performance so far that he lothed their offerings that hereafter he might in an acceptable manner be worshipped and have offerings offered to him in righteousness such as should be pleasing to him But who are meant by the Sons of Levi is not well accorded by Expositors Who of old were called by that name is manifest but now the outward part of Gods Service being altered the persons also by whom it is to be performed ought to be so too though under the same name set forth The change of the Law and the change of the Priesthood or Ministers necessarily accompany one the other Heb. VII 12 By the Sons of Levi here therefore some understand in general all Christians who are all in Christ made a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ I Pet. II. 5 all Priests unto God Rev. I. 6 and v. 10. or the whole Church by naming the Levites who were anciently the chief part thereof Others understand the Priests or Ministers under the new Testament who succeed under the Gospell in the place of those under the Law as the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and their Successors Others the Sons of Levi properly so called or the race of Aaron according to the flesh of whom this is verified in regard that many of them by the power of the word
out of Josephus's History of the Jewish War in the sixth Book according to the Greek division the seventh according to the Latin and Eusebius lib. 3. c. 5. as to the main and first part concerning the destruction of the City and those multitudes that were then there gathered together and perished and as to the gleanings of that day as we may call the following destructions of the Jews out of such other Historians as relate the great variety of miseries and calamities which one on the back of another befell them by their pride as it is here called and obstinate behaviour towards the Lord pulled on them If any have not opportunity of consulting those Histories he may without farther trouble find enough collected out of them by D r Hammond in his Annotations on the New Testament in which he applies several things which by reason of the dreadfull expressions in which they are set down or denounced are usually by Interpreters applied to the last general Judgement and destruction of the whole World particularly to this day of Jerusalem which we look on as here meant to shew that if what is here said in the highest language that a scene of horror may be represented by be applied to what was then really done there will be found no great hyperbole or figurative exceeding in it but rather a plain draught or description before hand according to which things were afterward acted By what hath been said appears what little reason there was to account the proud happy and those that work wickedness set up and that God delighted in them because at that time they were suffered to prosper but whether there were any profit in serving God and keeping his Ordinances and what should be done for them by which any might discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked that part of the question remains yet unanswered for if they perish with the wicked be involved in one common judgement with them what is their case yet better then theirs To this therefore a full answer follows in the next words 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 But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. In these words is safety and happiness assured to the righteous in the day that the wicked shall be miserably destroyed so that there shall be a manifest discrimination between them What S. Peter saith The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished II Pet. II. 9 which he infers from two examples before given viz. his saving Noah when he brought in the Floud upon the World of the ungodly And his delivering just Lot when he turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes and brought them to utter destruction by fire from Heaven ver 5 6 7. is here manifestly asserted in that the same day which shall come as a burning oven to the proud wicked ones to burn them up and destroy them shall be to those that fear the Name of the Lord as a glorious day wherein the benigne Sun shall arise with his best influences of comfort to them to cherish and refresh their drooping spirits It is well known that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedakah here rendred righteousness is used to signify both justice or righteousness and also benignity or mercy and both significations will to this place well agree for that Salvation and comfort then to be reached forth to the righteous is a demonstration both of justice and mercy by it shall be declared the righteousness of God whose justice those wicked ones questioned saying where is the God of Judgement c. II. 17 in that he now rewardeth them for their obedience when he punisheth those that would not obey and by it also his mercy in sparing them though perhaps having many defects in them in that day of Judgment as a man spareth his own son that serveth him as he promiseth c. III. 17 And this would be a clear sense if we should no farther press the letter of the words then so by way of similitude to denote that the same time which should be to the wicked a day of utter destruction consuming them as fire should be by the justice and mercy of God to the godly as a fair day wherein the Sun doth kindly arise and benignly and largely impart his light as Drusius explains the expression for the comfort of men and other creatures a gracious and comfortable day a day of saving health to them so Kimchi not unaptly notes that the words import that they should be delivered from all evil and rejoyce with a good or glad heart But Interpreters think it not enough to stop here but farther enquire who is meant by this Sun and Christians generally agree that Christ who is Luke I. 78 called the day-spring or rising Sun is by this title meant and this day here spoken of being the day of his coming as it is c. III. 2 called he being entitled a Sun his coming in it may be well called his rising Why Christ may be so called many reasons may be and are brought by Interpreters But among them to our purpose in this place and according to our understanding of the time here spoken of the most agreeable will be because as by the Suns rising those things which before were covered in darkness are discovered and made apparent so by his coming in this manner both Gods justice and his mercy to them that feared his Name which before was not so discernible while he suffered them to be mixed with the wicked yea insulted over by them as if he did not own them more then others nor take any peculiar care of them so that they sate as it were in the shadow of death should now be made conspicuous to all in his freeing them from their oppressions delivering them from those judgements by which the wicked were destroyed and signally rewarding them for their obedience so that they that sate before in darkness now should see a great light and joyfully walk in it Such a difference should be in their condition from what it was before as that it might well be said The Sun of righteousness of justice and mercy was risen to them and that with healing in his wings i. e. his comfortable raies or beams as all agree by wings here to be meant The ordinary Sun kindly arising in the morning may at any time be said to bring healing in his wings to diffuse and communicate health by his raies both to men and other creatures which after his setting and in his absence all the night seem to droop languish to be sick and out of order and those that are so otherwise in that while to be more so Whence the