46o CHRIST THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR .Book II. METAPHOR. VIII. Other Garments may be fiained, catch Spots and Dirt, and many ways be defiled. D IS PAR IT Y. VIII. This Robe cannot be defiled, the Gar– ment of SanCl:ification may take Spots; hence we read of fome who had their Garments fpotted with the Flefh; and ofothers, who had not defiled their Garments; but a Chritlian's Wedding-Robe can futlain no Pollution; the Life of ChriO: was without Spot, his Righteoufnefs pure and perfect, which Saints are cloathed with in refpeCl: of J ufrification: Hence Chritl calls his Love, his Dove, his undefiled One. 'lhou art all fair, my Love, and there is no Spot in thee. See Meta– phor, Chrift a Garment for SanCtification. N F E R E N C E S. I. THIS 01ews the miferable State of thofe that are without Chriit, fuch have not on the Wedding-Garment, they want that excellent Robe that renders the godly Perfon amiable in the Bridegroom's Sight; and all that have it not on, fhall be fhut out of the Wedding-Chamber. II. It !hews alfo the happy and bleJTed Condition of all fin cere and godly Ones. See Garment of SanCtification. CHRIST THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR. I am the Root, and Off-JPring of David, and the Bright and, Morning-Star, Rev. xxii. 16. MORNING Star, in the Greek ~w~~'p&, a Star of exceeding Brightnefs, metaphorically fignifies, the jhining Light of the Paths ofthe 'juft, Prov. iv. r8. (where the Hebrew Word is Lucifer, for the Morning Star) fo 'job xi. '7· A fuller Know– ledge of God by inwarfl Illumination, 2 Pet. i. '9· The King of Ajjj>ria, !fa. xiv. 12. The glorious Light of Eternity, Rev. ii. 28. (fee Dan. xii. 3· r Cor. xv. 41, 42.) Laft– ly, ChriO: the Savior of the World, Rev. xxii. r6. for which fee Phi/. Sacra. Chap. viii. of an Anthropopathy, and the following Parallel. METAPHOR. I. THE Morning Star is a very folid Light, without twink– ling, corrufcation or fparkling, as other Stars do. PARALLEL. I. THE Lord Jefus is a very folid Light, whofe · Glory is not like others who have their In– termiffions; but he abides iteady, his Glory and Bright-Ihining is always alike, his whole Courfe of Life was as if it had been but one continued Act of Goodnefs; he is the fame in the Morning, Noon and Night; Yejierday, To– day, and for Ever, Heb. xiii. 8. 11. The Bright and Morning Star is the Harbinger to the greateft of natural Joy,viz. the riling of the Sun, w)lat doth the Earth de– fire more? II. J efus Chrift is the Harbinger of the great Joy to all Nations. How joyful was that Time, when the Day-fpring from on high did firft vifit us? '!'be People that fat in Darknefs, Jaw great Light, and to tbofe that dwell in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, great Light is rifen, &c. His Coming was the fulfilling of God's gracious Promife unto the Fathers, "and as the blcJTed Manifeftation of God's rich Favor and good Will to Man; he is alfo the Forerunner or rhe Harbinaer of that Dominion that the Juft fhall have in the RefurreCl:ion, the Morning of thelonaed-for Day. '!'be Path of the Juft is as a fhining Light, thatjhinetb more and more unto 0 tbe perfeCt Day, Prov. iv. r8. '!'he Uprightjhall have Dominion overthem in tbeMoming, Pfal. xlix. 14. '!'he Night is far fpent,theDay zs at hand,' Rom. xiii. 1 1, 12. '!'his, above all others, is the Day the Lord bath made (for good Men) therein to rejoice and be glad, Pfal. cxviii. 24. Ill. TheMorning Star is a great Ill. Jefus ChriO: is not only an Ornament to Ornament to the Heavens: This is the Chriftian Church and Profeffion, far beyond fo vif1ble, that it needs no Inftanccs what Mofes was to the 'Jews; but even to Hea_ven to prove it. itfelf, and the holy Angels, who d1d not a httle rejoice at his afcending mto Heaven. God ts gone up with a Shout, the Lord with the Sound of a Trumpet; fing Praifes to o11r God, fing 2 IV. Jefus Praifes, Pfal. l'lvii, v.
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