And the Angels may very well be called Stars, or Morning Stars, by a Metaphor, because of their spiritual beauty and excellency, in which they out-shine all the Morning S•ars, yea that special Morning Star, commonly known by the Name of Lucifer, or Light-bringer. Though the Angels have not a visible bodily beauty, yet they have a better beauty than any body. 'Tis said of Stephen (Acts 6.15.) when he stood before the Council, They beheld his face as it had been the face of an Angel. Angels (being Spirits) have no visible faces; but because Angels are, in their nature and qualities, beautiful creatures, therefore Stephen having an extraordinary beauty stamped upon him, is said to have the face of an Angel. And as beautiful persons may be said to look like, or resemble Angels; so Angels may be said to ⟨p. 82⟩look like, or resemble Stars. The Church for the lustre of her graces, is said, to look forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun (Cant. 6.10.) and so may the Angels as the Stars. The Apostle saith of those false Apostles (who would needs be accounted Stars (faithful Ministers of Christ) in the Firmament of the Church) they are transformed into Angels of light (2 Cor. 11.14.) that is, they would appear like Angels of light. The holy Angels are Angels of light. The seven Stars are the seven Angels, saith Christ, expounding the Vision to John (Revel. 1.20.) This shows that Angels and Stars have a ve y great similitude; so that, as there in one sense, so here in another, the Stars may signify the Angels. And the Angels may very well be called Morning Stars, because they were the first of living Creatures, their Creation being supposed to be (though Moses expresseth nothing of it) comprehended within that of the Heavens: In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, the Heaven and the heavenly Inhabitants, the Angels. The evil Angel, the Devil, that fallen Angel, is also called, a Morning Star. That Title Lucifer, Son of the Morning, which the Prophet bestows on the Assyrian (Isa. 14.12.) for his pomp and pride, properly belongs to the Devil, the Arch-Devil, a fallen Angel, or the Premier of the fallen Angels: yea, Jesus Christ himself is called the Day-Star (2 Pet. 1.19.) and under another far different expression) the Morning Star (Rev. 2.28.1) and he saith of himself (Rev. 22.16.) I am the bright and Morning Star.
And the Angels may very well be called Stars, or Morning Stars, by a Metaphor, because of their spiritual beauty and excellency, in which they out-shine all the Morning S•ars, yea that special Morning Star, commonly known by the Name of Lucifer, or Light-bringer. Though the Angels have not a visible bodily beauty, yet they have a better beauty than any body. 'Tis said of Stephen (Acts 6.15.) when he stood before the Council, They beheld his face as it had been the face of an Angel. Angels (being Spirits) have no visible faces; but because Angels are, in their nature and qualities, beautiful creatures, therefore Stephen having an extraordinary beauty stampt upon him, is said to have the face of an Angel. And as beautiful persons may be said to look like, or resemble Angels; so Angels may be said to ⟨p. 82⟩look like, or resemble Stars. The Church for the lustre of her graces, is said, to look forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun (Cant. 6.10.) and so may the Angels as the Stars. The Apostle saith of those false Apostles (who would needs be accounted Stars (faithful Ministers of Christ) in the Firmament of the Church) they are transformed into Angels of light (2 Cor. 11.14.) that is, they would appear like Angels of light. The holy Angels are Angels of light. The seven Stars are the seven Angels, saith Christ, expounding the Vision to John (Revel. 1.20.) This shews that Angels and Stars have a ve y great similitude; so that, as there in one sense, so here in another, the Stars may signifie the Angels. And the Angels may very well be called Morning Stars, because they were the first of living Cre•tures, their Creation being supposed to be (though Moses expresseth nothing of it) comprehended within that of the Heavens: In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, the Heaven and the heavenly Inhabitants, the Angels. The evil Angel, the Devil, that fallen Angel, is also called, a Morning Star. That Title Lucifer, Son of the Morning, which the Prophet bestows on the Assyrian (Isa. 14.12.) for his pomp and pride, properly belongs to the Devil, the Arch-Devil, a fallen Angel, or the Primier of the fallen Angels: yea, Jesus Christ himself is called the Day-Star (
- 1[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
