er, in care and providence with the dirt and
mire of the streets, with the beasts of the field, and yet that is no
stain upon his honour or credit, as men would suppose it to be, no more
than it is a dishonour to the sun to shine on the dunghill. In a word,
there is no mixture of ignorance, darkness, impunity, or iniquity in him
not the least shadow of change or turning not the least seed of
imperfection. In regard of him, the moon is not clean, and the sun is
spotted. In respect of his holiness, angels may be charged with folly.

Then add unto this to make up the resemblance fuller, the bounty and
benignity of his influence upon the world, the flowings forth of his
infinite goodness, that enrich the whole earth. Look as the sun is the
greatest and most universal benefactor--his influence and heat is the very
renovation of the world of the world. It makes all new, and green and
flourishing, it puts a youth upon the world, and so is the very spring and
fountain of life to all sublunary things. How much is that true of the
true light, of the substantial, of whom this sun is but a shadow? He is
the life of the world, and the light of men. Every good gift, and every
perfect donation descends from him, James i. 17. His influence is more
universal to the being, to the moving, to the living of all things. And
then Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness, is carried about in the orb
of the gospel, and in his beams there is a healing virtue. These are the
refreshments of poor wearied souls, that are scorched with the anger of
God. There is an admirable heat and warmness of love and affection that
this glorious light carries embosomed in it, and that is it that pierces
into souls, and warms hearts, and quickens dead spirits, and puts a new
face upon all again. This is the spring of all the life that is truly
spiritual, and it hath as sweet and comfortable effects upon the souls of
men who receive the truth in love, the light in love, that is, the light
with heat, as ever the sun approaching near the earth hath had upon plants
and living creatures.

And to complete the resemblance more, there may be something of the
infallibility and incomprehensibility of the divine Majesty here
represented. For though nothing be clearer than the light yet there is
nothing in its own nature darker than light that which is so manifest to
the eyes, how obscure is it to the understanding! Many debates and
inquiries have been about it, but yet