Sermons of Christ, Sermon 3
Chriſt the Starre.
REV. 22.16.
And the bright and morning Star.
I Come now to theſe words. Chriſt tells you here that he is a bright and a morning Star— in Scripture he is called a Light, Joh. 1.5. a great Light, Iſa. 9.2. The light of the Gentiles, Iſa. 42.6. A Star, Numb. 24.17.— A Day Star, 2 Pet. 1.19. and here, A bright and a morning Star —
The Spirit of God delights in this Metaphor, in ſetting out Chriſt by a Light, and by a Star —
Some here by this bright and morning Star do underſtand the Divine Nature of Chriſt, his Dei…, which is bright, glorious, and ſhining, and ſo in Heb. 1.3. that Nature is ſaid to be the brightneſs of his Fathers glory, but the Scripture ſeems rather to point at his Human Nature, than the Divine Nature, for it is ſaid, Numb. 24.17. A Star ſhall come forth of Jacob, noting his Deſcent from Jacob the Patriarch, and ſo his Human Nature; and in Mat. 2.2, 9. a Star appeared at the Incarnation and birth of Chriſt, which Star did not out, that this was the Star that came out of Jacob; Chriſt now born, the Star did inſinuate unto us that Chriſt which was now born was the Star — But wee may take in both Natures, his Divine and Human, and ſo here Chriſt himſelf doth, I am the root of David, as he was God; and the Off-ſpring of David, as he was Man; And I am the bright and morning Star, the bright Star as God, the morning Star as Man, riſen from Man.
I ſhall ſhew you here, Firſt, In what reſpect Chriſt is ſaid to be the bright and morning Star, the reſemblances that lye upon that account—I ſhall anſwer an Objection, and a Queſtion, and make Application.
For the Firſt, The reſemblance between Chriſt and the morning Star.That Chriſt is compared to a bright and a morning Star.
Firſt, becauſe the Stars they are without darkneſs; Chriſt is never compared to the Moon, becauſe the Moon hath ſpots; but he is compared to the Stars that have no darkneſs, nor dimneſs in them; and Chriſt he had no darkneſs, no ſin in him, 1 Joh. 1.5. In him was light, and there was no darkneſs; there was no ſin in Chriſt, no poſſibility of ſinning in Chriſt; Adam in his Innocency had a power to ſin, and he did ſin, but Chriſt had a power not to ſin, and he cannot ſin; the Stars have a power to fall, but Chriſt hath no power to fall, Chriſt he is without ſin, without guile, the Devil himſelf could not finde the leaſt ſin in him, any thing of his in him; now upon this account Chriſt is a bright and a morning Star, without darkneſs, without ſin.
Secondly, The Stars do ſparkle and caſt forth their beams, if you look wiſtly upon them you may ſee how they ſparkle, and ſend out their beams, whereby they do diſpel darkneſs; ſo Chriſt having hid in him all the treaſures of Wiſdom, and Knowledge, he doth ſparkle and ſend out his beams of Light, whereby he doth diſpel darkneſs, and herein he is like to the Stars; now Chriſt he ſparkles and expels darkneſs by his Doctrin — by his Miracles — and by his Converſation.
Firſt in his Doctrin, the Lord Chriſt had the Spirit above meaſure, and was full of Wiſdom, full of Grace, full of Knowledge, and hee gives out Divine truths, ſparkling truths, truths that are very glorious, he gave out the Goſpel, 2 Cor. 4.4. Leſt, ſaith he, the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, the Goſpel is glorious, and full of light, and it ſhines, why it is the Goſpel of Chriſt, and in 1 Joh. 2.8. The darkneſs is paſt, and the true Light now ſhines. Chriſt is the true Light, and he gave out the true Light, the Goſpel; and ſaith he, the darkneſs is paſt; that is, diſpelled and driven away, and the true Light ſhines. Chriſt is a Star now upon this account, that he ſparkles in his Doctrin, and diſpels darkneſs — Chriſt doth diſpel the darkneſs of ignorance, Matth. 4.16. The people which ſate in darkneſs ſaw a great light; when Chriſt came they ſaw …en the darkneſs of ignorance, and now this Star ſcattered the darkneſs, and they ſaw a great light — Hee ſcatters the darkneſs of wickedneſs, of malice, of corruption, and ſin in the hearts of men and women, and in their lives, Epheſ. 5.11. And have no fellowſhip with the unfruitful works of darkneſs, but rather reprove them. Here is light now brought to ſcatter the darkneſs of wickedneſs, and of ſin — He ſcatters the darkneſs of death, Luk. 2.29. Lord now letteſt thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word, for mine eyes have ſeen thy Salvation, ſaith old Simeon. Now I fear no death, nor the darkneſs of death, Mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation. Chriſt he came, and he being the Salvation, and the Conſolation of Iſrael, the darkneſs of death was no darkneſs unto Simeon — He ſcatters the darkneſs of Afflictions, 2 Cor. 4. For our light afflictions which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things that are not ſeen; when we look at Chriſt, and the glory of Chriſt, afflictions are no afflictions unto us; ſo in 1 Cor. 5. for as the Sufferings of Chriſt abound in us, ſo our Conſolation abounds by Chriſt, afflictions are no afflictions where this Light comes, where this Star ſhineth; ſo that Chriſt he gives in his Doctrin, and expels darkneſs; Chriſts Doctrin is a convincing Doctrin, He ſhall convince men of ſin, of righteouſneſs, and of judgement — ſo in Mat. 22. there he convinc'd them, & ſtop'd their mouthes, Give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, and unto God the things that are Gods; and they were all amazed at his Doctrin, and Wiſdom — Chriſts light it was a diſtinguiſhing light, Joh. 3. Verily, verily I ſay unto you, except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven; ſo in Joh. 8. If Abraham were your Father, you would do the works of Abraham, but you are of your Father the Devil, and his luſts you will do. It is diſtinguiſhing Light — His Doctrin is quickning and converting, Joh. 6. The words that I ſpeak are ſpirit, and life — His Doctrin is a comforting Doctrin, full of comfort and conſolation; why, this Star doth ſparkle in the Goſpel, and there is abundance of glory and light therein; ſo that Chriſt he is a Star upon that account.
So Secondly in his Miracles, how did this Star ſparkle there, and fill the world with glory and light there? Matth. 4.23. Jeſus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of ſickneſs, and all manner of diſeaſe among the people, and his ſame went throughout all Syria, and they brought unto him all ſick people, &c. His fame went throughout all Galilee, and Syria, and all the Countries round about. And in Matth. 15. the Woman of Canaan comes to him, and he healed her daughter, and verſ. 30, 31. Great multitudes came unto him, having with them thoſe that were Iame, blinde, dumb, maimed, and many others, and caſt them down at Jeſus feet, and he healed them, inſomuch that the multitude wondred when they ſaw the dumb to ſpeak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk and the blinde to ſee, and they glorified the God of Iſrael. Here is the Lord Chriſt now ſparkling in his power and Miracles, and ſhewed himſelf to be a bright morning Star, to be God indeed.
Thirdly, Chriſt ſparkles in his Converſation; O how did this morning Star ſparkle there!
1 In his Humility; how did hee ſhine there? in the thirteenth of John, Chriſt waſhes his Diſciples feet, and wipes them, when hee had done, Go (ſaith he) and do as I have done, I that am your Lord and Maſter, I have humbled my ſelf to ſet you down, and to waſh your feet, and to wipe them with a towel, here is an example of Humility for you, go and do as I have done.
2 In his Meekneſs, and Patience; O how patient was Chriſt when they wronged him, and abuſed him every way? He was dumb as a ſheep before the Shearer, and opened not his mouth, Matth. 11.29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly.
3 He ſparkled in his Self-denial; when they came to make him a King, he would be no King, he refuſed Honour, and Greatneſs, and Glory; when they would have trumpeted his Fame, hee forbad them, and commanded them ſilence, and to ſay nothing; when they would have him to have divided the Inheritance among the Brethren, he would not, but denies himſelf, yea he denied his own greatneſs in heaven.
4 So likewiſe in his Obedience; There he was a ſparkling Star indeed, never ſuch obedience as the obedience of Chriſt, Phil. 3. Hee humbled himſelf to the death of the Croſs, hee bare our infirmities, he bare our ſins, he bare the wrath of God, he was made an open ſhame and ſcorn; O never ſuch Humility as was in Chriſt, he humbled himſelf to obey things contrary to fleſh and bloud; who would have obeyed as Chriſt obeyed? when he had power in his hand, and could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels, yet he obeys unto death?
5 So Chriſt, he ſparkles in his love to Mankind; was there ever ſuch love as Chriſt ſhews to the World? Gods Love is ſet out with a So he loved the world, and ſo hath Chriſt loved the world, ſo as to dye for it, Rev. 1.5. He hath loved us, and waſhed us in his own bloud; Did ever any Mother love the Childe ſo, as to waſh it in her own bloud? Did there ever any Prince love his People ſo, as to waſh them in his own bloud? But Chriſt hath ſo loved us, as to ſhed his bloud, and to waſh us in his own bloud; he hath ſo loved us as he hath laid down his life for us, and thought nothing too dear to part with, nothing too hard to ſuffer on our account.
6 Chriſt likewiſe ſparkled in his pity and compaſſion towards the people, when they came to hear him; Chriſt was full of compaſſion, and would not let them go away hungry leſt they ſhould faint by the way. Chriſt in the nineteenth of Luke weeps over Jeruſalem, Chriſt wept over ſinners that would not weep for themſelves: Chriſt ſparkled in all theſe, and in many other paſſages of his life; and ſo you ſee that he is a Star indeed, in ſparkling and letting out his beams, and diſpelling darkneſs.
Thirdly, The morning Star is the moſt eminent Star (one of them) in all the Heavens, a chief Star; ſo Chriſt is the chiefeſt Star, the Star of the firſt Magnitude; there is not a more glorious Star in the Heavens than the morning Star, and not a more glorious one than Chriſt. In 2 Sam. 16.17. Princes and great ones are called eminent Stars, or Lights, Thou ſhalt go no more out with us to Battel, that thou quench not the light of Iſrael; why David was a Star of the greateſt magnitude in all Iſrael— and ſo Senacharib, or Nebuchadnezzar, or both of them, they are ſaid to be Lucifer, the Son of the morning, Iſa. 14.12. that is, a chief Star, yet a falling ſtar; but now Chriſt is a Star which is moſt eminent, there is no ſtar among the Sons of Men, no Man, no Angel that is equal to Chriſt, but he is above them, he is of a higher magnitude, Pſal. 45.2. He is fairer than the Children of men; he hath more beauty, more glory, more Majeſty, more greatneſs than any of the Children of men, Rev. 1.5. Hee is Prince of the Kings of the earth; take the Kings of the Earth that are ſtars, and great ſtars, yet Chriſt is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, ſo that upon this account he is a bright and a morning Star, he goes beyond all the ſtars, and all the lights in the World, and all the Lights in Heaven.
Fourthly, Stars you know have their influences, and let down their influences here upon the Creatures; In Job there is mention made of Pleiades, the ſeven ſtars, and Oryon, and the reſt that ſend down their influences, and the morning ſtar hath its influences as well as other ſtars; ſo the Lord Chriſt, he is not wanting this way, but lets out his influences; Chriſt is ſaid to have the ſeven Spirits, the ſeven Stars, and lets out all the Graces and vertues of his Spirit, Of his fulneſs we receive grace for grace; and he ſends the Comforter, he is the head, and hath influence into the whole body. This Star lets out vertue into all the inferiour Bodies that are belonging unto him, ſo that the Lord Chriſt he is a bright morning Star upon this account.
Laſtly, Chriſt is a bright and morning Star, eſpecially in that the morning Star brings notice of good tidings, that the day is at hand, when the morning Star is up then the day is near; ſo Chriſt, hee hath brought good tidings that the day is at hand, and that the night is paſt, Luk. 2. At the Incarnation of Chriſt the Angel ſaid, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which ſhall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour which is Chriſt the Lord. And what then? Verſ. 14. Glory to God in the higheſt, on earth peace, good will towards men. Now the night of Gods anger was paſt, and the day of Gods favour was coming, he brought back the Sun of Gods favour, and fatherly goodneſs, and love unto us; ſo in Luke 1.76, 77. Thou ſhalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of Salvation to his people by the remiſſion of their ſins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayſpring from on high hath viſited us, to give light unto them which ſit in darkneſs, and in the ſhadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. So that here is good tidings come, now the day is at hand, and Chriſt hath brought immortality and life again into the world, 2 Tim. 1.10. which are now made manifeſt by the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, who hath aboliſhed death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Goſpel—and eſpecially the morning Star in regard of the great day that is a coming, which ſome call the Day of Judgement, and others call the Day of Reſtitution of all things, there is a great Day a coming — Chriſt is the bright morning Star, that doth fore-run the great Day, of which you hear in Zech. 14.9. And the Lord ſhall be King over all the earth, in that day ſhall there be one Lord, and his name one; this bright morning Star is the fore-runner of that day; in that day this bright morning Star ſhall be a Sun, and verſ. 20, 21. In that day ſhall there be upon the bells of the horſes, holineſs to the Lord, and the Pots in the Lords Houſe ſhall be like the Bowls before the Altar, yea every pot in Jeruſalem, and in Judah, ſhall bee holineſs to the Lord of Hoſts, and all they that ſacrifice ſhall come and take of them, and ſeeth therein; and in that day there ſhall be no more the Canaanite in the houſe of the Lord of Hoſts. There is a great day a coming wherein there ſhall be no more the Canaanite in the Houſe of the Lord, and Mal. 4. Behold, the day cometh that ſhall burn as an Oven, &c. but unto you that fear my name ſhall the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſe, with healing in his wings. There is a day a coming, a great day, which this Day-ſtar is the fore-runner of, 2 Pet. 3. Looking for, and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the Heavens beeing on fire ſhall bee diſſolved, and the Element ſhall melt with fervent heat. He is a bright morning Star in regard he goes before that day which ſhall come. Thus you ſee upon what account, and in what ſenſe Chriſt is reſembled to a bright morning Star.
Now an Objection we have to anſwer, which is this:
Obj. Are not Saints Stars, and Angels Stars, and Morning Stars too? Is this any great matter in that Chriſt is called a Star, and a morning Star? In Gen. 37.9. Joſeph in his Dream there ſaith, I beheld the Sun, and the Moon, and the eleaven Stars made obeyſance unto me; that was his Brethren. And in Job 38 7. When the Morning Stars ſang together, and all the Sons of God ſhouted for joy; that is interpreted of the Angels who are called morning Stars, ſo that if Saints be Stars, and Angels morning Stars, is it any ſuch matter that Chriſt is here called a bright and a morning Star? and it is ſaid of John likewiſe, that hee was a burning and a ſhining light.
Anſo. It is granted Saints are Stars, and Angels are Stars, and they may bee morning Stars too, and yet this doth not at all diſadvantage Chriſts being here a bright and morning Star; for,
1 Theſe Stars, their light is Derivative, it is derived from Chriſt, and derived from God, both what Angels have, and what the Saints have it is borrowed; the Angels are the Creatures of God, and of Chriſt, they made the Angels, and ſo they had their light whatſoever it is from them — And the Saints, Epheſ. 5.8. Yee were darkneſs, but now are yee light in the Lord; they have their light from the Lord, from Chriſt, and from God, ſo that this is no diſadvantage unto Chriſt, Chriſts light it is eſſential unto him, it is no derived light.
2 Their light is diminutive, a little light, it is Candle light, they do underſtand little to what Chriſt doth, In him are all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge, in him is all the fulneſs of God; which is not ſo in any of theſe; theſe Stars, the Brethren of Joſeph, had but a little light, and Angels have but little light to God, and Chriſt; What is the light of a Torch to the light of the Sun? ſuch is the light of theſe to the light of God, and Chriſt.
3 The light of theſe is dependent light; If God and Chriſt with-draw their influences a little, how dark are they? Pſal. 103.20. The Angels ſtand hearkening what God will ſay to them, they do not know what to do, but God muſt give them out a word of command, and give them light, and they depend upon him for light; and ſo all the Saints depend upon God and Chriſt for light, and if God do but with-draw his influences, how dark are Saints and Angels; ſo that you ſee the light of theſe is no way derogatory to the light of Chriſt, hee is a bright and a morning Star.
Queſt. But now a Queſtion here; If Chriſt be a bright and a morning Star, why do ſo few follow the light of this Star, and ſo many follow Sathan who is the Prince of darkneſs, and Antichriſt, who is darkneſs it ſelf?
Anſ. The only and great Anſwer to this, is, becauſe men are darkneſs themſelves, and love darkneſs, Joh. 3.20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light leſh his deeds ſhould be reproved. And in verſ. 19. Men love darkneſs rather than light, becauſe their deeds are evil; they love darkneſs, they hate light, and love darkneſs, if men hate light they care not for the light of Chriſt, that is, convincing light, reproving light, condemning light; now they hate the light, and they love darkneſs; and if the Devil and Antichriſt turn themſelves into Angels of Light ſometimes, yet that light is but darkneſs, and they love that darkneſs, they love Deluſions, love Errors, love Hereſies, and Lyes, 2 Theſ. 2.10. becauſe men receive not the truth with the love of it, therefore God ſends them ſtrong deluſions, and gives them up to beleeve the lyes of Sathan, and the lyes of Antichriſt, that pretend light, but they are lyes, and they are darkneſs: no marvel then that they follow the Beaſt, and follow Sathan, and follow the World, and run the contrary way. Thus you ſee the Point opened.
1 If Chriſt be a bright and morning Star, Applicationthen ſurely it is evil, and their end will be fearful and dreadful that will not follow after light, but go on in ſin, and works of darkneſs; whereas the very riſing of this Star, and ſhining of this Star, was to diſpel darkneſs, and to ſhew unto men the way they ſhould walk in, Tit. 2.11, 12. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men; this Star is riſen, hath appeared to the whole World, full of grace; And to what end hath it appeared? To bring Salvation, and to teach men to deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world. Now if men will not ſee this light, but will live ungodly, unrighteouſly, unjuſtly, wickedly; If men will follow the courſes of the World, then they refuſe this light, and what will be the iſſue of it? 2 Cor. 4.4. If our Goſpel be hid (ſaith he) it is hid to them that are loſt. If they will not ſee this light now that is ſo bright, the Goſpel is hid, and Chriſt is hid, and the Star is in a Cloud, and the Devil hath caſt a miſt before their eyes, and before their mindes, and they are loſt and undone Creatures; and in Joh. 3.19. This is the Condemnation, this will be the Condemnation, That light is come into the world, the morning Star is up, the glorious Goſpel is gotten out, but men love darkneſs rather than light, they love Sin, they love Antichriſt, they love Sathan, they love their Luſts; and is it not a grievous thing that this Star ſhould ſhine among us which the Jews have not? and we ſhould be worſe than Jews, that Heathens have not & we ſhould be worſe than Heathens for Drunkenneſs, for Swearing, for deceiving, and for defrauding one another, and for all manner of wickedneſs; O this will be the Condemnation, It will be eaſier for Jews and Turks that have not the Goſpel, neither own it, han for Chriſtians that have this light, this bright morning Star ſhining among them, and walk not after it.
2 If Chriſt be a bright and a morning Star, then let us all look unto this Star for light, for direction; It is not good to be in the dark, if you have but a little light in the dark you account it a great matter; this World is full of darkneſs, now let us look to this Star, and the light of this Star — You that are Mariners, when you are at Sea, if you can ſee but a Star, eſpecially the Pole-Star, you think it a great priviledge, and know where you are, and how to ſteer your courſe, and to avoyd Sands, and Rocks, and dangers; this World is a ſea of trouble, a ſea of ſin, and of affliction and wil you not look to this Pole-Star? If you will look to this Star, this bright and morning Star, you will ſayl ſafely, you will avoyd Shipwrack, you will avoyd the loſing of your Souls, which is the greateſt loſs of all. O look to this Star to direct you, and to guide you over the ſea of this World, that you may go ſafely to the Haven of Happineſs, if you ſayl not by this Star you will never get to Heaven; It is not ſayling by your own Luſts, your own Wills, Humours, and fancies, and to live as you pleaſe; If you will not live according to the light that hee hath given you out, you are undone Creatures, look to it; wee are all ſailing either down to Hell, or towards Heaven; well, let us take our directions from this bright and morning Star, and wee ſhall never ſail the wrong way.
3 If Chriſt bee the bright and morning Star, then hee is worthy to bee admired and worthy to bee magnified, who is a Star of the higheſt Magnitude, who is the chiefeſt Star in Heaven; you ſtand looking ſometimes upon a Star, and gazing upon the Sun or Moon, and admire them for their glory, and beauty, and ſparkling, and the like; well, here is a Star for you to look upon and to admire. The Heathens did ſo admire the Stars, that they did worſhip them for Gods, and did ſacrifice unto them; that you are not to do; but here is a ſtar for you to admire, to adore, and to ſacrifice unto; I mean to offer praiſes unto this bright and morning Star, even the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The Lord hath ſet him up that wee ſhould honour him as wee honour the Father, to praiſe and magnifie him for the Light hee hath brought, for the great things hee hath wrought for us; I herefore mind this Star, and admire this Star, hee will come to bee admired in all his Saints hereafter, hee ſhould bee admired now, Pſal. 145. praiſe him all yee Stars of Light, Are you Stars? and are you Stars of Light? are you godly and gracious? praiſe him, even this Star, all you Stars of Light; O bleſſe God for Chriſt, and magnifie Chriſt, and lift up the honour and praiſe of Jeſus Chriſt, for hee is worthy, hee is above all Princes and Potentates, above all Angels, hee is the bright and morning Star.
4 Is Chriſt the morning Star? then examine whether this day-Star (as Peter calls him) bee riſen in your hearts, the Stars may bee up in the Heavens, but whether is this Star riſen in your hearts? and for diſcovery of that, I ſhall give you a few things whereby you may know whether this bright morning Star bee riſen in your hearts.
1 You know the Light is a pleaſant thing▪ Eccleſ. 11. to if Chriſt bee riſen in your hearts, then the Light of Chriſt will bee a pleaſant thing to your minds, to your ſouls: The Light is a thing that doth greatly pleaſe and rejoyce; what delight then have you in this Star? what delight have you in the Goſpel? Is the Goſpel, and the Light of it welcome to your hearts, pleaſing to your ſouls, glad tydings to you? the Word of God was to Job and to David as meat, and their appointed food, as hony and the hony combe; more than thouſands of gold and ſilver. And the more bright the Light is, the more pleaſing and delightfull; dim Light doth not ſo much pleaſe as a clear Light; the ſhaddows, and types, and ceremonies of the Law, they had ſome Light in them, but it was a dim Light, but now all theſe ſhaddows and darkneſſe hath Chriſt taken away, and the Light now appears clearly, is this welcome now to your hearts? can you ſay as David did, Pſal. 119.140. Thy Word is very pure, therefore thy Servant loves it. O Lord thy Word is clear Light, there is no darkneſſe in it, therefore doth thy Servant love it; do you love the Light? others hate the Light, becauſe their deeds are evill; but do you love the Light? is it welcome to you though it do reprove you, and condemn your Light, and the more it condemns and reproves, the more acceptable it is? O! this is an Argument the day Star is riſen in your hearts.
2 Where this Light is riſen, there it doth work a transformation, it transforms all where this day Star doth riſe, Rom. 12. And bee not conformed to the World, but bee yee transformed by the renowing of your minds; why, what Light is it that doth transform us by the renewing of our minds? it is not the light of Nature doth it, nor the Light of any Creature: but it is the Light of Life doth it; and there is no Light of Life, but this Light that Chriſt brings, Joh. 8.12. Chriſt ſpeaks there that hee is the Light of the World, and it is called, the Light of Life; It is Light that will make you a New-Creature, and this begins in the mind, being transformed by the renewing of your mind, the Mind will be altered, and the Will will bee altered, and the whole Man will bee altered, and there will bee an univerſall change wrought in the Man, 2 Cor. 3. But wee all with open face beholding as in a glaſſe the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame Image, Wee behold in the Goſpel, that is the glaſs, This bright morning Star ariſes in the Goſpel, and wee behold his glory and his Light there; and what then? are changed into the ſame Image, even from glory to glory, ſo that it is a transforming Light, you were darkneſs in your ſelves, but now are you Light in the Lord; the Epheſians that were darkneſſe were changed into Light, into the very Light of the Lord; ſo that there is a transforming of us, and a changing of us into the very Light of Chriſt, ſo that wee become Stars, and have that very Light, as Paul ſaith, we have the minde of Chriſt.
3 Where this bright and morning Star is riſen, there will be love to all thoſe that have the ſame light in them, to all thoſe that are Chriſts, to all beleevers, to all the godly, to all are brethren, there will be love unto them all; ſee a place for this purpoſe, 1. Joh. 2.8, 9, 10, 11. The darkneſs is paſt, and the true light now ſhineth, he that ſaith he is in the light, mark, and hateth his brother, is in darkneſs even untill now. Why, many will ſay they are in the light, and this Day-ſtar is riſen in them, He that ſaith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkneſs, but he that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occaſion of ſtumbling in him; but he that hateth his brother is in darkneſs, and walketh in darkneſs, and knoweth not whither he goeth, becauſe that darkneſs hath blinded his eyes. Is Chriſt the Day-ſtar riſen in that mans heart who hates his Brother? No, he is in darkneſs, and knows not what hee doth, nor whither hee goes. Do you love a godly man, do you love your brother, many cannot indure him that hath light in him, their ways are not as our ways, their lives are not as our lives, O then light will convince, light doth reprove, and light will reprove the unfruitful works of darkneſs; well, if you have light in you, you will love the brethren.
I, the Brethren, but who are they? Theſe are Hypocrites, and if they had light, and Chriſt were in them, we ſhould love them.
Well, will you know who is a Brother, turn to Matth. 12. ult. For whoſoever ſhall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the ſame is my brother. Whoſoever will do the Will of God, the ſame is a Brother, a Brother to Chriſt, and to all the Brethren of Chriſt; I go to my Father, and to your Father, and I have called you brethren. That man that endeavours moſt to do the Will of God, that man hath light, and that man hath life; when men ſwear, and lye, and follow their luſts, and courſes of the world, they are darkneſs, and walk in darkneſs, but that man that walks moſt conformable to the rule of Gods Word, he is light, he is a brother, but if you have not love, the Day-ſtar is not riſen in your hearts.
4 Laſtly, If this Day-ſtar be riſen in you, then you will follow the Lord Chriſt, and the Light that he holds out unto you, and others you will not follow; I ſay, you will follow Chriſt, hee is Light, ſaith Paul, Be yee followers of me as I am of Chriſt, and my Sheep know my voyce, and they follow me, but they know not the voyce of ſtrangers, and will not follow them. Chriſts Sheep, thoſe that have light, they will follow the light, they will follow the Day-ſtar; you know that when they were in the Wilderneſs they had a Pillar of Fire went before them in the night, and they followed that; ſo now, Chriſt is the Pillar of Fire, he is the Star that goes before them, and they will follow that Star; the Wiſe men had a Star that went before them, and they followed that Star, and that led them to Chriſt; but now we muſt not follow Stars, nor follow Men, but follow Chriſt the Star; whom do you follow now? your own wiſdom, your own counſel, your own Iuſts, the examples of men, and the like; are theſe your Guides and Leaders? you are undone the…, you have not the Day-ſtar riſen in your hearts, if it were, you would follow this Guide, which is an infallible light, and an infallible Guide, therefore try your ſelves by this.
5 If Chriſt be the bright and morning Star; then let us look, and wait for the Day which this morning Star is a fore-runner of, it will be a glorious and a great Day, be it the Day of Judgement, as ſome do conceive, or the day of Reſtitution of all things, as others conceive, yet that day will come, and it will be a remarkable day, a glorious day, a day of burning, a day of fire, a day to conſume the wicked, a day to advance and raiſe the godly; and Paul doth beſeech them, in 2 Theſſ. (he lays the weight upon that very thing) chap. 2. verſ. 1. Now we beſeech you Brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and by our gathering together unto him. O the coming of Chriſt is a very weighty thing, when he ſhall come in the glory of his Father, and of the Angels, to judge the World, or to deliver the World, it will bee a great day, a ſeparating day; O therefore let us look for that day, and prepare for it; Oh, the Saints at that day will have cauſe to lift up their heads, their Redemption draweth nigh — It will be the day wherein Chriſt, as he ſaith, in Mat. 26.29. I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine, untill the day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom; It will be a day of rejoycing to the Saints, but the wicked ſhall have a Cup of Vinegar to drink, or mingled Cup with Wrath, and they muſt drink it all off to their undoing: well, ſeeing the morning Star hath appeared, and is up, and that day will come, O let us look and prepare for it.
6 Laſtly, If Chriſt bee the bright morning Star; then we ſhould be encouraged here to ſerve the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and not to be weary of his work, of his way; and though wee meet with difficulties and diſcouragements, yet to go on and fight it out, and upon what ground, ſee in Revel. 2.26, 28. He that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the Nations, and I will give him the morning Star. He that goes on in my ſervice, and overcomes World, Devil, Corruption and Sin, ſaith Chriſt, I will give him the morning Star, I will make him glorious, I will fill him with joy and comfort, I will give him my ſelf, for I am the morning Star, hee ſhall have fruition of me, and poſſeſſion of me; ſo that here's incouragement enough for any to go on in godlineſs, in Chriſtianity, in the ways of holineſs, and to oppoſe the enemies of Chriſt, why? he ſhall have Chriſt himſelf the morning Star.