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Images Of Divine Things
635. Lancing Wounds. Bad
wounds must be searched to the bottom, and oftentimes, when they are
very deep, they must be lanced and the core laid open, though it be very
painful to endure, before they can have a good cure. The surgeon may
skin them over, so that it may look like a cure without this, without
much hurting the patient, but it will not do the patient much good. He
does but deceive him for the present, but it will be not lasting benefit
to him: the sore will break out again. This figures forth to us the case
of our spiritual wound: the plague of our hearts which is great and deep
and must be searched, and must be lanced by painful conviction. The core
must be laid open. We must be made to see that fountain of sin and
corruption there is, and what a dreadful state we are in by nature, in
order to a thorough and saving cure. Jer. 8:11, speaking of the teachers
of Israel, their prophets and priests: “They have healed the hurt of the
daughter of my people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace, when there is no
peace.’”
638. Vanishing of Shades.
There is a harmony between the methods of God’s providence in the
natural and religious world, in this as well as many other things: that
as when day succeeds the night, and the one comes on and the other
gradually ceases, those lesser lights that serve to give light in the
absence of the sun gradually vanish as the sun approaches. One star
vanishes after another as daylight increases: the lesser stars first and
the greater ones afterwards. The same star gradually vanishes till at
length it wholly disappears and all these lesser lights are extinguished
and the sun appears in his full glory above the horizon. So when the day
of the gospel dawned, the ceremonies of the Old Testament and ordinances
of the law of Moses that were only appointed to give light in the
absence of the sun of righteousness (or until Christ should appear), and
shone only with a borrowed and reflected light (like the planets), were
gradually abolished one after another, and the same ordinance gradually
ceased, and those ordinances that were principal (one of which was the
Jewish sabbath) continued longest. There were a multitude of those
ceremonies, which was a sign of their imperfection, but they altogether
did but imperfectly supply the place of the sun of righteousness. But
when the sun of righteousness is come, there is no need of them. When
the true sacrifice is come, there is no need of any of the legal
sacrifices. When Christ is come and gives and introduces the gospel,
that is the ministration of the Spirit, there is no more need of
ceremonies in worship. But the time is now come that men must worship
God in spirit and truth. So there is a multitude of stars that shine in
the night, but they altogether do but very imperfectly supply the
absence of the sun. But when the sun rises, they all vanish, and we find
no want of them.
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