the Law that which should be abolished but the Gospell glorious and that which remaineth that vnder the law the Iewes did onely see but thorow a vaile but we in our Church vnder the Gospell behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face O vnthankfull Gentiles O ingratefull Christians and O most ingratefull England of all the Christians in the world for howsoeuer that other Nations may pretend some excuse yet surely O England thou is vnexcusable especially these 60. yeares in which this sunne of the glorious Gospell hath continually without ecclipse shined in thy Horizon and still doth runne his circular motion and yet neuerthelesse what is the darknesse in which wee doe not walke Alas I meane what iniquitie doe we not drinke in like water What is the vanity after the which we doe not seeke And what is that grace of GOD which wee turne not into wantonnesse Especially leauing at this time all other things this glorious Gospell this spirituall Manna this heauenly food the plentie whereof produceth nothing but a loathing of the same except it be most rarely cook'd in and garnished with humaine conceites to satisfie your daintie appetites when it is cooked to you after this manner which is a sort of Preaching too much vsed in this Land and deserueth more discommendation yet are yee contrary to all other creatures vnder the sunne that grow the fairer the fatter and the better too the more choise diet they feede on as for example when trees are remoued to a more fertile soyle they will spread further and be more fertile then before when cattell are put into a better pasture they will be of a greater growth and labour better too But it is not so with vs No for after never so learned a sermon there will be both disliking liking of it but this liking tendeth not to retaine the principall parts thereof in our memories and to practise the same in our liues and conuersations No No but onely a liking that the Preacher did well and that he is a good Scholler and this is all and if it bee so it is much too But O Lord I pray thee that giueth both the will and the deed to thy people to bestow vpon them new hearts to renew within their bowels a right spirit that they may apprehend thy bountifulnesse toward them and magnifie thy Name for such plentifulnesse of thy word sowen amongst them in regard whereof many Nations like a Forest stands not put to tillage and for such light in thy glorious Gospell in respect whereof many yea almost all people are but conducted by the Moone which I beseech the O Lord neuer to extinguish neuer O Lord to let the Sunne of thy Gospell in this Land set so long as the Sunne and Moone endure Fifthly the Church is taken among Christians for the whole body and assembly of the Elect and of those that GOD by the way of sanctification hath predestinated to bee the heyres of the Kingdome of glory and this Church is composed of three sorts of The Church of the Elect composed of three sorts of men people first of such as were vpon the earth but now are not because their soules and their bodies are sundred their bodies till the day of judgement are committed to the graue where they must returne vnto the earth out of which they were taken but their soules are conjoyned with CHRIST in heaven which one day shall bee reunited againe to their bodies and magnifie God both in body and soule and this is called The triumphant Church because the members thereof haue ouercome by the good fight of Faith powers principalities and spirituall wickednesse in this life and now in that other life which is much better then this they tryumph and haue receiued albeit not fully the fruits of their labour and GOD hath giuen them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse Secondly this Church of the Elect is composed of men that are vpon earth presently aliue fighting against sinne Sathan the world and their owne corrupt affections making their Election sure vnto themselues by well doing but or it bee long shall be no more and this is the Militant Church the members whereof are visible as men but not as members of this Church and elect men because Election is not discerned by the eye but charitably presumed on by faith and good workes which are inseparable companions as the Sunne and light fire and heate water and aliquiditie so that if a man want good workes wee may boldly say hee hath no faith but wee dare not affirme for all this that hee is not a vessell of Election because Election is a thing which God hath reserved to himselfe yea it is altogether vnknowne to a man himselfe it runneth so secretly vntill the time that by his internall vocation God make it manifest and knowne to him so that when I see a prophane man a persecuter an vnfruitfull tree I may say and that with reason that such a one hath no faith and as yet is not internally called but that God hath not elected him and will not call him it is a damnable presumption and to diue in the bottomlesse gulfe of GODS vnrevealed will and to fall within the compasse of that which our Saviour expresly dischargeth Math. 7.1 Iudge not that yee bee not iudged for with what iudgement yee iudge yee shall be iudged Thirdly this Church of the Elect is composed of such as are not but shall bee as are not yet borne but are in the counsell of GOD registrated and inrolled to bee borne to fight in his warre in future time and ordained to obtaine victorie This Church of the elect Foure names giuen to the Church of the elect hath many names in Scripture especially foure First in the 1. of Pet. the 2. chapter and 9. verse It is called a Chosen generation and herein is distinguished from all other Churches Distinguished from all other Churches First from the Church of the Heathen and Infidels which is generatio malignantium a Wicked generation Secondly from the Church of the Papists which is generatio Antichristianorum an Antichristian generation Revel 17. a great Whore arrayed in purple and scarlet gilded with gold precious stones and pearles sitting vpon many waters people multitudes Nations tongues and seaven Mountaines which raigneth over the Kings of the earth giving heed vnto Spirits of errour teaching Doctrines of Devils forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee received with giving thankes drunken with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of IESVS I meane with the blood of many good Christians as Lyons in France called Waldenses from IOHN WALDVS as they call vs Calvinists from CALVIN whom their King to his immortall infamie and dishonour excited by the Papacie did most cruelly butcher with the blood
and rescinde the sentence of LIGARIVS after that hee was condemned But when a Minister of Gods word a faithfull Pastor must discharge his commission vnto his Flocke what Rhetorick shall make them beleeue that life flowed from the Crosse of CHRIST that deaths Empire by death was subdued that the eternall word covered with flesh beaten with fists nailed to the Crosse did beare our sinnes die rise againe that we by this benefit shall triumph ouer death and by marriage be vnited vnto him Here all humaine reason and adminicles of art though thundered out by a Pericles must be abstained from Here all pompe in preaching and sophistick ostentation must giue place to the efficatious Pastor whose sermon is replenished with substance matter and the riches of the Spirit which by Saint PAVL is called 2. Tim. 1.13 Verae doctrinae hypotyposis The true patterne of wholsome words Secondly good reader albeit it be barren of humaine eloquence yet feare not to read it for it may be plentifull in substance and if thou thinkest that J haue stayed too much vpon the two first similitudes J thinke so with thee myselfe Et habes confitentem reum yee I pray thee to pardon mee seeing it is for thy instruction and discouering of much obstruce and excellent Theologie by which I hope and J wish it from my heart that thou shalt be bettered and so expecting thy friendly censure J take my leaue Farewell Thine in Christ to bee commanded James Baillie SPIRITVALL MARRIAGE OR THE VNION BEtweene CHRIST and his CHVRCH HOSEA 2.19 J will marrie thee to me for euer yea I will marrie thee to me PLATO Philosophizing vpon the grace of GOD Because he was an heathen Philosopher according as hee was able gaue thankes vnto him for three thinges First that GOD had created him a Man and not a Beast secondly that hee was borne a Grecian and not a Barbarian Thirdly that not only so but a Philosopher also But wee that are instructed at a better schoole doe otherwayes destribute our thanksgiving and praise him for three things also First that amongst all his creatures hee hath made vs men created in a most glorious manner Omnino ad imaginem suam altogether after his owne Image Secondly that from among all sorts of men he hath made vs Christians Thirdly that amongst those that beare the name of Christians hee hath made vs onely faithfull ones elected and adopted vs in his owne Sonne before the foundation of the world 2. Tim. 1.9 and made vs like a few well sighted among a throng of blind men like the portion of IACOB in Aegipt Exod. 10.22 onelie enlightened in the middest of that darkenesse which couered all the Countrie Iudg. 6.38 like the fleece of Gideon onelie watered with the dewe of his grace whilest all the rest of the earth is drie and destitute of his fauour When I call to memory the vnspeakeable loue of GOD and his fatherly care in the conduct and conseruation of his Church it is a whole web of wonders Gen 4.11 How he hath reuenged the blood of ABELL how he hath serued for a pilot and steersman to his Church inclosed within the arke Gen. 7. how for the loue of ABRAHAM and ISAACK he hath striken and curbed Kings Gen. 12.17 how he hath prepared lodging for his people in Aegipt Gen. 48.11 how he hath drawne them from thence with a mighty hand and outstretched arme hauing caried his people out of captiuitie as vpon Eagles winges Exod 14.28 how he hath giuen them his law Exod. 20. fed them with bread from heauen Exod. 16.15 couered them in the day time giuen them light in the night and driuen out Nations before them how he hath chastized them to keepe them vnder subjection in prosperitie and how his chastisements haue euer beene interlaced with deliuerances least they should haue beene ouerwhelmed with too great adversitie The historie of the Iudges of DAVID and his successors the deliuerance from Babilon and the re-establishment of Ierusalem Is not this a whole chaine of GODS mercies and loue towards his Church linked together already and yet to make it not onely more weightie but weight it selfe hee joyneth this linke vnto it I will marrie thee to me for euer yea I will marrie thee vnto me And this last linke is that which I intend to bestow vpon you this morning for a New yeeres gift Mos vetus est Iani dare mutua dona calendis Annus vt auspicio prosperiore fluat It is an ancient custome among friends vpon New yeeres day mutually to giue and to receiue gifts as fortunate pledges of a hopefull yeere saith a Poet Buchan which commonly are of siluer gold and of precious stones But as Saint Peter Acts. 3.6 said of old to the Creeple that lay at the gate of the Temple called beautifull siluer and gold haue I none to giue vnto you Act. â— 6 so say I now vnto you for I will bestow no such ware vpon you those are but drosse and earth and of a rusty and an earthly worth but such as I haue I will bestow vpon you a Spirituall gift most liberally And if you shall but gratefully receiue it and lay it vp close in the most inward cabine of your hearts I dare bee bold to promise that one day it shall be helpfull vnto you minister vnto you more joy and comfort then all the siluer gold and precious stones which are brought from the Orient And so I come to the bestowing of it I meane to the handling of my text I will marrie thee to mee for euer yea I will marrie thee vnto me This text is a promise of comfort in which you shall take notice of these foure First of the subiect CHRIST lurking vnder his word I secondly of the object the Church sheltred vnder this word thee Thirdly of the thing promised Marriage I will marrie thee Fourthly of the qualities of this marriage which are two First the certaintie implyed in the gemination and doubling of the promise I will marrie thee yea I will marrie thee Lastly the perpetuitie of this marriage for ever I will marrie thee vnto mee for ever This Proposition is first propounded I will marrie thee and hereafter explained by a twofold distinction first not to a base not to a dishonorable match but to my selfe that am Gnamith IEHOVAH Esay 9. equall to IEHOVAH * the Father of Eternitie who made the earth and spred the heavens like a curtaine Psal 104. the eternall Wisedome the essentiall Word the second person of the holy Trinitie GOD euerlastingly blessed Secondly not for a day a moneth or a yeere but perpetually for euer and so haue you the parts and circumstances of this Proposition neither minde I to handle them seuerally and alone but joyntly and together because in them joyntly is onely contayned that most admirable conjunction and most strait vnion betweene CHRIST and his
garment may be called a winters garment quia tegit because it covers vs. The second may be called a summers garment quia ornat because it adorneth vs and maketh vs fine The third may bee called a stand of armour quia protegit because it protecteth vs. And the fourth may bee called our Wedding garment because wee must not put it on till our Marriage day with the Lambe The first three garments may bee called our work a day suites because euery good Christian must put them on euery day so long as hee remaineth in this valley of teares here belowe But the fourth must bee called our holidayes suite because wee must not put it on till the weeke of our Pilgrimage in baca bee ended and the day of our appearance before GOD in Sion in that new Ierusalem in which no arrow can bee shot begin I returne to the first garment the garment of CHRISTS imputed Righteousnesse The first Garment Christs righteousnesse and our Saviour himselfe speaketh of it Revel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of mee white rayment that thou mayest bee cloathed and that thine filthy nakednesse doe not appeare The Prophet Esay speaketh of this garment too but more plainly GOD hath cloathed mee with the garments of Salvation and covered me with the robes of Righteousnesse Esay 61.10 But what righteousnesse is this What righteousnesse this is Is it not the righteousnesse of his Diuine nature No for that is not communicable but the glory which hee will not giue vnto another What then Is it not the righteousnesse of his Humaine nature consisting in a perfect obedience of the morall Law No not that alone neyther for that alone were perbrene too short non vult tegere it will not cover vs from the frostie blasts of Gods wrath and from the fearefull winter tempests of his infinite Iustice What righteousnesse then I pray you A righteousnesse neuer imposed to Man nor Angell euen that righteousnesse which hee as our Mediator by fulfilling the singular law of a Redeemer hath purchased and acquired to the end that hee might communicate it and giue it freely vnto his Church for her justification by which shee is absolued from death whereunto by reason of sinne both originall and actuall she was subject and is adjudged vnto life And this is CHRISTS imputed righteousnesse wherewith hee first couers those that puts him on How it couers vs. euen our winters garment which is so perfect and so compleat that it covereth all our nakednesse from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote both of body and soule for in both our Mediator suffered his blessed Head was crowned with thornes to satisfie for the proud Imaginations of our stout braines his sacred hands and feete which neuer offended were pierced with nailes of Iron to satisfie for the wicked deeds which wee haue done with our hands and runne to with our feet and alas daily by our sinnes wee draw him againe to the same torture and crucifie againe to our selues the Sonne of God and make a mockerie of him Heb. 6.6 Hee suffered the wrath of GOD in his soule so heauily as that both heauen and earth did stand amazed to behold it The Heauens did draw their curtaine and darknesse was vpon the face of the earth that they should see their maker in such paine the Sunne for shame would not looke vpon the Sonne of GOD in such a case the vayle of the Temple rent it selfe in two for griefe to see its Lord so dishonoured the Stones in the street did cleaue a sunder for woe to see that Stone refused of the builders which is the head of the corner And finally the Bodies of the dead rose out of their graues astonished to behold the Lord of life so troubled in soule that their soules might in joy perpetuall peace with GOD and be cloathed with the garments of his imputed righteousnes The second garment is a garment of Sanctification The second garment Sanctification Now wee are cloathed with this garment when like the Elect wee put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse and long suffering Col. 3.12 But specially when wee put on loue When it is put on 1. Thes 5.8 Or to say with St PETER When wee decke the hidden man of our heart with a quiet and meeke spirit 1. Pet. 3.4 This is our summers garment which adorneth vs and maketh vs fine this is that pure fine and shining linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints A garment not partie coloured as IOSEPHS was but made of many vertues and graces of IESVS CHRIST These are the badges and cognisances by which wee are knowne to bee his seruants and the putting on thereof is the putting on of Iesus Christ These are the graces by which the Holy Ghost translateth vs out of nature transformeth vs into the Image of the Sonne of GOD and maketh vs become one with our Redeemer When it is giuen vs. This garment and the former are both giuen vs at one time The former garment of CHRISTS imputed Righteousnesse defendeth vs from the fierie flames of Gods burning wrath This garment of Sanctification reformeth our corrupted nature renueth the same These 2. What it worketh garments both cures and couers our filthy nakednes they turne our sicknesse into health and our darknesse into light for whosoeuer putteth on IESVS CHRIST for righteousnes to Iustification puts him likewise on for holinesse to Sanctification So full of grace and vertue is the Lord that hee not onely by the merit of his sufferings pacifieth the wrath of God toward all those in whom hee is but likewise by this vertue sanctifieth them and by creating a new heart within their breast and a right spirit within their bowels maketh them new creatures changing them from one thing to another both in body and soule Act. 26. from sinne to sanctification from darknesse to light from death to life and finally from the power of Sathan to the power of God That is to Righteousnes Iustice and soberly to walke in this life in which except our sanctified carriage neyther is that compleat for man heere is but onely in a part sanctified otherwise hee were more then a man but is perfectly justified or else were hee no more then a sinner all things are not onely transitorie and vayne But vanitie it selfe The 3. Garment and its 3. names The third garment wherewith CHRIST cloatheth his Church and those that put him on is a suite of compleat armour hoc protegit this protecteth the Christian man against all the assaults of Sathan and maketh him stand out against all the invasions of his Spirituall enemies Sathan enuying this vnion betweene CHRIST and his Church endeuoreth incessantly to defile the members of the same to rent them a sunder and teare them in peeces sometime assaulting their Patience Iob. 1. Gen. 9.21 Gen. 19.33 2. Sam. 11.4 as he did IOBS sometime their
and wife are so firmly conjoyned by God that none ought to presume to sunder them so wonderfully coupled together that of two which they were before now they become but one It was already a great loue of the Lord to haue created all things for man to haue made him Lord of them and established him over the workes of his hands DAVID in the 8. Psal rauished with this contemplation breaketh out in admiration Alas what is man that thou are mindefull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him DAVID admired Gods liberality toward man in the creation but how much more ought we to admire his liberalitie his incomprehensible bountifulnesse and loue toward vs in our redemption wherein he not onely giueth vs his good things But bestowes his onely begotten sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that welbeloued sonne in marriage on vs and in him giueth vnto vs himselfe too DAVID admireth the contemplation of the heauens But how much more ought we to admire the possession of the heauens DAVID glorifies God for the domination which he giues vs over the creatures in the earth But how much more ought wee to glorifie God for our marriage and vnion with CHRIST by which we shall reigne continually with the Angels in heauen A marriage I say the bond whereof is the spirit of God whose trothpligth is performed heere in the militant Church But the nuptiall feast shal be hence in the tryumphant Church where our meat shall be the Tree of life our drinke the Water of life our musicke the song of the Saints Halleluiah halleluiah honour praise and dominion bee to him that sitteth vpon the Throne It is an ancient saying Omnis comparatio clâ—â—dicat vno pede euery comparison is lame of some one or other foot But this comparison of Marriage doth so fully set forth so richly expresse our Spirituall marriage our conjunction with CHRIST that if any it goeth vpright and straight in all the feete which you shall quickly perceiue by taking notice of these sixe things which are required in euery lawfull Marriage First that there must be male and female Six Circumstances necessary in euery Marriage Man and Woman and this may bee called conformitie of natures 2. The Marriage must be propounded 3. The future Spouse must be courted and wooed 4. There must be mutuall gifts between the two louers 5. There must bee a Matrinoniall written and sealed 6. There must be Procreation of children all which wee shall finde in this Spirituall marriage but in a more excellent manner As to this word must so often repeated which importeth a necessitie remember that there is a twofold necessitie A twofold necessity an absolute necessitie and an hypothetike the absolute is when a thing is so necessarie that it cannot be otherwayes Which Circumstances are absolutely necessary and which hypothetikely the hyphothetike when a thing is so necessarie that it may bee otherwayes but is onely profitable decent and comely that it should be so So some of these circumstances are of an absolute necessitie without which a marriage cannot be as conformitie of natures others againe only of an hypothetike necessitie and of a decent expedencie but not absolutely necessarie as giuing of mutuall gifts writing and sealing of a matrimoniall contract or the like The Church represented by a Woman two manner of waies But I returne to the purpose thus being premitted and findes that in this spirituall Marriage there are male and female man and woman for the Church is very often in Scripture represented by a woman in the 4. to the Gal. 22. The Apostle though obscurely represents the true Church vnder the type of a woman SARAH ABRAHAM had two sonnes one by a free woman and was borne by Promise But St. IOHN Reu. 12.1 More clearely and in a more glorious manner too And there appeared a great wonder in heauen a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone was vnder her feete and vpon her head had a Crowne of twelue starres Now to make vp this perfect conformitie of natures our bridgroome CHRIST IESVS euen as the Sun went out of the chamber of the highest heavens from the bosom of the Father the invisibilitie of the Divinitie The word is made flesh Gal. 4.4 desended downe to the earth and in the fulnesse of time taketh our nature vpon him becommeth man and was like vnto man in all things sinne onely excepted The benefit wee haue by his conformitie of nature and so you haue Conformitie of natures betweene CHRIST and his Church and by it wee haue this benefit that CHRIST of one which he was before becomes now vnto vs three first our Father in regard of our regeneration which is a new creation a creation of new hearts within our breasts and of cleane spirits within our bowels Secondly our Brother in respect of our adoption Ephes 2. without which we were but filij Irae the children of wrath prodigals banished out of our fathers house but now by our adoption wee may eate of the childrens bread and with boldnes cry Abba father vnto God the father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and acknowledge IESVS CHRIST his sonne to be our elder brother Thirdly our husband in respect that he hath married vs in righteousnesse in iudgement in wisedome in mercy and in compassion Hos 2. Secondly The 2. Circumstance it is a custome that Marriage is propounded and is it laudable men ordinarily conforme to their qualitie and order send their most trusty freinds to deale in this busines Kings their Ambassadors of their greatest wisest and fittest of their Nobilitie to doe honour to the action This spirituall Marriage propounded in the most honourable forme for foure respects but neuer was there any marriage either by King or Emperour propounded so honourably as this Spirituall marriage and that in foure respects First in respect of the propounder God himselfe Secondly in regard of the parties or persons betweene whom it was propounded which is CHRIST and his Church Thirdly in regard of the persons to whom it was propounded to ADAM and EVAH the onely rulers and swayers of the Scepter of the whole worlds Empire and whose posteritie is now propagated in innumerable honorable Families and Princely diadems vpon the face of the earth Fourthly in regard of the place where it was propounded Paradise The seed of the woman shall breake downe the head of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 reiterated to ABRAHAM ISAAC and IACOB to all the Patriarchs and in all ages by the Prophets and here in my text by our HOSEA as plainly and more plainly then by any of them I will marrie thee vnto mee for ever The 3. Circumstance Christ courteth his loue Thirdly the King of Kings and Lord of Lords courteth wooeth and in a most louing manner declareth his spirituall affection to his future spouse in his letters and longs more then sweet penned by the direction of his