received from God. The stars are all the varieties of knowledge, relating to heavenly and eternal matters. Every distinct perception of truth gives a knowledge of something divine and eternal, and is as a star to guide us to Jesus, the bright and morning star of the soul. Now love, faith, and knowledge, represented by the sun, moon, and stars, are all in man, and form the bright expanse of his heaven within. Love, by celestial affection, can and does praise the Lord; faith praises by its firm confidence in God; and every degree of knowledge, however minute, sends forth its twinkling ray of joy and hope. How full, then, of meaning are the words, "Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him all ye stars of light!" Are love, faith, and knowledge alive in us? if so, our sun has risen, the moon gives her light, and the stars shine for ever and ever. On the contrary, has our love grown cold, our faith become dim, and our precepts of truth vanished, so that all knowledge has decayed? then, indeed, sad is our condition; all is dreary, "for the sun is darkened, the moon gives no light, and the stars have fallen from heaven." (Matt. xxiv. 29.) All is the blackness of darkness when the sun goes down over the prophets. (Micah iii. 6.) O my soul! rise from this dark night, and let thy sun, moon, and stars, praise Jehovah.
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