There is an Analogy between the divine Constitution and Disposition of Things in the natural and in the spiritual World. The wise Creator haven't left the natural World without Light; But in this our solar System has set one great Light, immensely exceeding all the Rest, shining perpetually with a transcendent Fullness and Strength, to enlighten the whole; and he hath appointed other lesser, subordinate or dependant Lights, that shine with the Communications and Reflections of something of his Brightness. So it is in the spiritual World; there God hath appointed Jesus Christ as a Sun of Righteousness: The Church of God has not the Sun to be her Light by Day; nor for Brightness, does the Moon give Light to her; but the Lord is her everlasting Light, and her God her Glory. The new Jerusalem has no Need of the Sun, nor the Moon; for the Lamb is the Light thereof. And the Ministers of Christ are as it were the Stars that encompass this glorious Fountain of Light, to receive and reflect his Beams, and give Light to the Souls of Men. As Christ therefore is in Scripture called the Sun, so are his Ministers called Stars. So are the twelve Apostles, the chief Ministers of the Christian Church, called Rev. 12.1. And there appeared a great Wonder in Heaven, a Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her Feet, and upon her Head a Crown of twelve Stars. And so are the ⟨p. 9⟩ordinary Ministers of the Gospel called Rev. 1.16. And he had in his Right Hand seven Stars. And v. 20. The Mystery of the seven Stars, which thou sawest in my Right Hand, and the seven golden Candlesticks; the seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches. Here also Ministers of the Gospel are implicitly compared to those Lamps that enlightened the Temple at Jerusalem, upon the Tops of the golden Candlesticks: and more expressly in Zech. 4.2. I have looked, and behold a Candlestick, all of Gold, with a Bowl upon the Top of it, and his seven Lamps thereon.
There is an Analogy between the divine Constitution and Disposition of Things in the natural and in the spiritual World. The wise Creator han't left the natural World without Light; But in this our solar System has set one great Light, immensly exceeding all the Rest, shining perpetually with a transcendant Fulness and Strength, to enlighten the whole; and he hath appointed other lesser, subordinate or dependant Lights, that shine with the Communications and Reflections of something of his Brightness. So it is in the spiritual World; there God hath appointed Jesus Christ as a Sun of Righteousness: The Church of God has not the Sun to be her Light by Day; nor for Brightness, does the Moon give Light to her; but the Lord is her everlasting Light, and her God her Glory. The new Jerusalem has no Need of the Sun, nor the Moon; for the Lamb is the Light thereof. And the Ministers of Christ are as it were the Stars that encompass this glorious Fountain of Light, to receive and reflect his Beams, and give Light to the Souls of Men. As Christ therefore is in Scripture called the Sun, so are his Ministers called Stars. So are the twelve Apostles, the chief Ministers of the Christian Church, called Rev. 12.1. And there appeared a great Wonder in Heaven, a Woman cloathed with the Sun, and the Moon under her Feet, and upon her Head a Crown of twelve Stars. And so are the ⟨p. 9⟩ordinary Ministers of the Gospel called Rev. 1.16. And he had in his Right Hand seven Stars. And v. 20. The Mystery of the seven Stars, which thou sawest in my Right Hand, and the seven golden Candlesticks; the seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches. Here also Ministers of the Gospel are implicitly compared to those Lamps that enlightned the Temple at Jerusalem, upon the Tops of the golden Candlesticks: and more expresly in Zech. 4.2. I have looked, and behold a Candlestick, all of Gold, with a Bowl upon the Top of it, and his seven Lamps thereon.
