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A28673 A new constellation discovered in a sermon preached at the visitation held at Leicester the 29th of April, 1674 / by Joshua Bonhome. Bonhome, Joshua. 1675 (1675) Wing B3594; ESTC R24665 12,478 32

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40. their Blessed Master shews what account his makes of them when he telleth them He that receives you receives me Mat. 10.40 and he that receives me receives him that sent me And in the same Chapter of St. Luke vers 16. He that heareth you heareth me Luke 10.16 and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me These be Witnesses enough to vindicate the Excellency of our Holy Function but yet give me leave to add one word more to prove that the Ministers of the Church are called Stars in the same sense the Church is called the Host and the Kingdom of Heaven In the Prophet Daniel chap. 8. vers 10. the prophanation of the Sanctuary of the Lord by Antiochus and his Cruelty to the Church of God and her Priests is set down in these very words And it waxed great that is the little Horn spoken of in the ninth Verse even to the host of heaven Dan. 8.10 and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them In the eighth Chapter and the tenth Verse of this Revelation of St. John Rev. 8.10 When the third Angel sounded there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp where the word Heaven is taken for the Church and by this Star that fell down from it is meant a Doctor or Bishop of great Honour and outward Glory I need not tell you whom it relates to you know it well enough who forsaking the purity of the Gospel and the wholesom and saving Doctrine thereof that is revolting and falling from the true Faith will give heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Devils as St. Paul saith to Timothy 1 Tim. chap. 4. vers 1. And at the twelfth Verse When the fourth Angel sounded the third part of the sun was smitten and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars By the third part of the Sun is represented the Doctrine of the Gospel and the saving knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ by the Moon the true Church and by the Stars the Ministers thereof as most part of Learned Interpreters acknowledge Thus you see that not only in our Text but in many other places of Scripture the Holy Spirit of God is pleased to honour the Ministers and Servants of Christ with this glorious Title intending doubtless by it to curb and restrain the sawciness and malice of this wicked Generation who despising their comfortable Influences and calling their Light Darkness doth look upon them and account of them as of so many Blazing-Stars that portend nothing but Ruine and Destruction Now they are so called because in their Ordination they are created if I may so speak that is set apart and consecrated for the Ministry of the Word in the Church of God which is as a new Heaven or if you will have me to express my self in the words of Christ the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from God for the very same ends and purposes Rev. 3.12 the Stars at first were created and situated in the Firmament Which if we consider a little will make good the second Branch of my first Part Why they are called Stars Which I think to be because of the many Resemblances they have one with another For First The Stars you know are thought to be of the same Substance and Matter the Heavens are but more thick and lightsom So the Ministers of the Church are of the same Nature and Substance all the other Members of the Church are and yet are not to be esteemed the worse for it no more than the Stars for being of the same Substance the Heavens are of Nay I say it is their Glory it is so for by it they better resemble their Lord and Master who being our High-Priest and the Everlasting Son of the Father yet called himself the Son of Man and though he be the true Morning-Star as he saith himself Rev. 2.28 nay the true God Phil. 2.7 yet took upon him the form of a Servant Secondly As the Stars do both lighten and quicken all Inferiour things by their Light and Influences are as the Eyes of the World and more bright and splendid than other parts of the Heavens So the Ministers of the Church are the light of the World and by their Doctrine Life and Example are to shine in the midst of a Crooked generation as Lights in the World as they have a special Command in the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 2. vers 15. Thirdly As the Stars brightness and light shines more gloriously in the night than in the day time and darts out more vigorous Beams in a cold dry frosty Night than when the Air drops the Dew upon the face of the Earth So the Ministers of Christ are bound to cause their Faith and Knowledge of the Truth to shine and sparkle with more lustre and radiancy in the Night of Ignorance and against the darkness and confusions of Hereticks and disturbers of the Peace of the Church than when she enjoyeth the Spiritual Dew of Tranquillity and Peace Fourthly The Stars are the Guide and direction of Travellers and especially of Sea-men The Ministers of Christ likewise by their godly Instructions do guide and direct men in the ways of Truth and Holiness and he that Rules both Sun Moon and Stars is pleased to use their Ministry Psal 107.30 to the bringing of them unto their desired Haven Fifthly Every Star hath its own degree of Virtue and Light for One star differs from another star in glory saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.41 though their Light is derived from the same principle So every Minister of the Gospel hath his own proper Gift and though there are diversities of Gifts yet there is but the same Spirit as the same Apostle witnesseth in chap. 12. vers 4. of the same Epistle Sixthly The Stars have every one their place order and situation Psal 8.3 and keep it inviolably without mixing together confusedly having been ordained of God to keep their several Ranks and Courses So every one that hath the priviledge to be called to the Spiritual Priesthood of the Church of Christ Heb. 5.4 as Aaron was to the Priesthood of the Law must have a special care of the Place and Rank God hath appointed unto him and not meddle with nor trouble the Order and Place of others lest they incurr such a censure as God gave against false Prophets in the Prophet Jeremy's time I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake unto them Jer. chap. 14. vers 14. Seventhly The Stars are not the Light but only burning and glistering Lamps So the Ministers of Christ are only burning Lamps and Witnesses of the Light in the Sanctuary of the Lord and not properly the Light it self as it is said of St. John the Baptist He was not that light