An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Thirdly, They may be called Morning Stars, because they (according to their manner) expressed their joy early or betimes in the Morning of the World, or as soon as the Lord had laid the foundations of the Earth. Those things which are done early,¹ are done in the morning; and they who do things in the morning, have the denomination of the morning upon them. The Poet anciently said Aeneas was (Matutinus) A Morning Man, because he was early at his work; so these may be called Morning Stars, because they were early at work, singing the praise of God. Thus the reason why the Wolf hath this Epithet, An Evening Wolf, is because he doth his work, he comes forth for his prey, in the evening (Hab. 1.8. Zeph. 3.3.) In the former Prophet, the Chaldean Horse-men are compared to Evening Wolves, for fierceness; and in the latter, the Judges of Israel are set under the same comparison, for blood-sucking cruelty. And as thus, upon different accounts, some are called Morning Men, others Evening Men; so 'tis upon no good account, that any are called Night-men, though the general reason of it be the same with the former, because they do their bad work, or works of darkness, under the shadow and favour of the Night. The Thief, the Murderer, the Adulterer, are Night-men, all these are wont to do their work in the Night (Job 24, 13, 14, 15, 16.) Thus there are men of the Night, men of the Evening, and men of the Morning, or Morning Men. In this sense the Stars may be called Morning Stars, because they were so early at that best work, the praises of God. When the Morning Stars ⟨p. 78⟩²Sang together.

Thirdly, They may be called Morning Stars, because they (according to their manner) exprest their joy early or betimes in the Morning of the World, or as soon as the Lord had laid the foundations of the Earth. Those things which are done early,¹ are done in the morning; and they who do things in the morning, have the denomination of the morning upon them. The Poet anciently said Aeneas was (Matutinus) A Morning Man, because he was early at his work; so these may be called Morning Stars, because they were early at work, singing the praise of God. Thus the reason why the Wolf hath this Epithite, An Evening Wolf, is because he doth his work, he comes forth for his prey, in the evening (