get victory over thy sins nor healing of thy diseases without him yea he therefore called thee and in his call gives himself for thee that on thy coming to him and yeelding up thy self to him and so becoming his he might then wash thee with the washing of water by the word Eph. 5. 25 26. with Ezek. 16. 3-9 Yea he will then thorowly wash away thy bloud forgiving all thy sins and healing all thy diseases and make thee meet for the perfecting the marriage and perfect it in due time take heed of complementing thy self out of this marriage nor let farms nor oxen no nor any earthly marriage or the love of father mother wife or children be preferred before this or be an hindrance to thy coming to the wedding-feast to which thou art called that thou mayst be joyned to the Lord if thou now when called lovest any thing more then him thou art not worthy of him not meet for him and it will be shameful iniquity for anything whatsoever now to neglect or defer seeing thy need of him is such that thou canst not be well nor happie here or hereafter without him Seek the Lord therefore while he may be found and call upon him while he is neer And for further encouragement see what follows 2. As a man that behaves himself comely or honourably in things pertaining to the earthly marriage doth not when he hath wooed and perswaded the woman to consent and that her affections are drawn to him and set upon him he doth not then nor will by any means cast her off not for any infirmities then perceived or meanness poverty and wants then appearing to him but proceeds to betrothing and marrying in righteousness and then seeks to cover and heal her infirmities and supply her wants as his own in the body so and much more the Lord Jesus Christ will not cast away any that come to him in his gracious drawings and wooings Whosoever cometh saith he I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. yea though some men in such cases may he will not for his work is always and in all things honourable and glorious his righteousness remaineth for ever nor will he upbraid them with former unkindnesses and repulses given him no though uncleannesses have been found with them in the time of love as in that type Hos 3. 1. nor with present unprofitableness and infirmities but receive them to the glory of God in union and fellowship with himself he will betroth them to him in righteousness and in faithfulness and will engage all his interest in heaven and earth for them that they may be washed and healed See Hos 2. 18 19 20. with Chap. 3. Rom. 15. 1 7. Jam. 1. 5. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it even perform his begun good work unto the day of Christ 1 Thess 5. 24. with Phil. 1. 6. So that no unfaithfulness or want on his part can hinder the proceeding and carrying on of the work unto the finishing of it in the perfect day All which powerfully engageth us to abide and be for him though he make us wait many days as in that type Hos 3. 3. 3. In the comely and honourable demeanour of married persons one to another to which marriage obligeth which is in the husbands love and faithfulness to his wife and the wives subjection chastity and faithfulness to her husband we are minded as by way of resemblance of the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ to his Church which is infinite and without any fayler or imperfection and of the obligation upon the Church to subjection and chastity to him 1. His 〈◊〉 and faithfulness to the Church and to every member in particular and his peculiar care for them is such as that for their sakes he sanctifies himself devotes or gives up himself to minde their good and their things with peculiar design as the first and chief thing directly aimed at in all his works in and government of the world and that unto which all other things must stoopâ— that they also may be sanctified made clean holy and chaste to him through his truth they are set as a seal upon his heart and ingraven upon the palms of his hand that he cannot open his hand to do any thing in the world but they are in his view their safety preservation and defence from evil and making meet for the inheritance is continually before him and in order to that and so as may conduce to that end he will give men for them and people for their lives Joh. 17. 17 19. Isai 49. 15 16. 43. 1 4. Cant. 8. 6. This also in included in his giving himself for his Church Eph. 5. 25 26. Namely his sanctifying or separating himself in and above all things to minde their good with peculiar design as is said That he may wash and cleanse them with the washing of water by the word and this also for the good of others even that by them the world may know that the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world and that he hath loved these with the same manner of love with which he loveth his Son for he hath chosen and ordained them that they should bring forth much fruit and that their fruit should remain More particularly according to the resemblance 1. Such his holiness and devotedness to them that he will not add another wife to her to vex her in her life-time and that is for ever for because he lives they shall live also the seed of his Servants shall continue for ever So then he will never own nor accept any other woman or Church nor any that are not by that one Spirit baptized into that one body and made to drink into that one Spirit into that nigh relation with him to be heirs together with them of this grace nor put any such burden upon them to own or acknowledge any other 〈◊〉 have their birth to the hope of inheritance from 〈◊〉 â—rinciples as competitors or co-partners with them 〈◊〉 â—his inheritance of the Saints For what saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman Gal. 4. 30. And this that the promise may be sure and upon certain and undoubted terms to all of this body to all the children of promise and that they may have strong consolation and be incouraged and ingaged to abide with him in the faith and hope of the Gospel For if they that are of the law be heirs faith is made void and the promise of none effect Rom. 4. 14-16 Let them know therefore for their incouragement and let all know for their admonition and warning in time That the Lord hath set apart separated from all others to and for himself the man that is godly Psal 4. 3. that is the true worshipper of God that worships the Father in spirit and truth giving honour to the
chap. 1. 3-7 John 17. 8. As a little further to explain even as the man and wife in marriage are become one in the flâ—sh and in things pertaining to the flesh and outward man So Christ and the soul in this marriage is become one in the Spirit and in things pertaining to the spirit and inward man even in all things pertaining to life and godliness His sufferings his resurrection and glory his Father Spirit Angels children servants all become theirs by Faith not onely prepared given and treasured up in him as in a surety and treasury for them so they were before and are for others that are not joyned to the Lord for by the grace of God he tasted death for every man and gave himself a ransome for all yea he dyed for their sins and rose for their justification according to the Scriptures and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and by means thereof hath received gifts in the man for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them God hath prepared eternal life in Christ for all and with him in giving him a testimony to men gives eternal life in the gratious discoveries and tenders of it to them in due time but onely he that hath the Son hath life and he hath it in having him with whom God gives all things pertaining to life and godliness and they are received in receiving him even now spiritually and by Faith as he is received They are by the same spirit of Faith by which they are baptized into Christ baptized into his death even into union and fellowship with him in his personal sufferings and resurrection so that by Faith they dyed and were buried with him and are risen with him through the same faith of the operation of God who bath raised him from the dead and are therein taught and strengthned to reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin to its charges and condemning power by the Law in that he dyed to sin once and alive unto God made capable of receiving mercy from him and of being admitted into fellowship with him through the Mediator by his resurrection from the dead by which they are quickned to a lively hope and have consolation and rejoycing in his sufferings and glory as their own it being theirs by Faith And so his Father Spirit promises all theirs by Faith in him yea his Angels servants creatures even Paul Apollo Cephas the world life and death saith the Apostle all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 John 5. 11 12. Rom. 6. 3-9 c. Col. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 21-23 And on the other hand their weaknesses pollutions wants and imperfections are become his in some answerable sence as the wives are the husbands not now to bear in his own personal body as once he did the imputation of our sins the sence and feeling of all our sicknesses and infirmities so knows how to succour us in ours that still remain upon us But he being raised from the dead dyeth no more nor hath death any more dominion over him nor is sin any more imputed to him But he makes intercession for transgressors and hath compassion even on the ignorant and them that are out of the way and so he is the Saviour of all men the upholder of all that fall that they might know him and believe in him but especially the Saviour of them that believe they being joyned to the Lord their weaknesses and wants are his to heal cleanse and make up for he gave himself for his Church that he might wash and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word and sanctifie it to and for himself and so their works that are theirs as his Spouse are his to perfect what concerns them their sufferings for him his by interpretation and he ingaged on their side as the Apostle and high priest of their profession their special surety or advocate for good to manage their matters for them in heaven and earth to work their works in them and for them to plead their cause and fight their battels and they are taught and strengthned by faith to cast their care on him and wait through the spirit for the hope of his righteousness by faith in perfecting what concerns them Psal 103. 119. 121 122. 138. 8. 145. 18 19. Gal. 5. 5. Heb. 3. 1. 10. 19-23 3. As in the earthly marriage or in the union of it there is but one man and one woman as before is shewed and the woman is originally of the nam yet so as both of God and the man the head of the woman So here 1. The Spouse and Church of Christ is but one the onely one of her mother Cant. 6. 9. Begotten and made by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with or through the word of truth the Gospel of Christ Jam. 1. 18. And so Jerusalem that is above whence that glorious Gospel is come forth unto us is said to be the mother of all the members here on earth speaking of those under the plain Revelation of the mystery and now since God hath spoken to us in these last days by his Son they all as Isaac are the children of promise and such onely are counted for the Seed even they that are of faith in all ages the children of the Bondwoman have no part here See Gal. 3. with chap. 4. 21-31 Rom. 4. 9. 8. They are such as are made out of Christ's personal body spiritually and so of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5. 30. as was resembled by the woman's being made at first of the man in which she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Now the Apostle saith not that we are flesh of his flesh c. But with allusion to that resemblance we are of his flesh and of his bones or members of his body even of his personal body that is to say what we are spiritually as the Spouse and Church of Christ and members thereof in particular we are of and by the vertues of his personal body that was broken for us and in which being raised from the dead he liveth and continueth ever and through the discoveries thereof and therein of the pretiousness of his blood unto us and likewise we are therein united to and made members of that his body as the woman in marriage is of her husband so that his things become ours and our weaknesses and wants his to supply and what concerns us his to perfect as before is shewed They are all by one Spirit baptized into one body c. 1 Cor. 12. 13. And what forms of godliness soever any have if they be not born of that Spirit that testifies of Jesus and commends God's love in him they are not of the beloved not of the chosen Generation There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines many daughters of the Whore or Synagogue of Satan yea
of the world their bread shall be plentious and their waters sure Cloath and adorn them with the robe of his own righteousness in which he will make them acceptable before God and fill them with the fruits of it to manward which shall appear to praise at the day of Christ when he will beautifie the meek with salvation Guide them with his counsels and lead them into all truth and shew them things to come and direct their way and work in truth yea he will dwell in them and walk in them and have such spiritual fellowship with them as shall make them fruitful to the increase of the body and to the edifying it self in love and will own their children as his and be the God of them and their Seed and they shall be his sons and daughters And as a faithful Apostle and High Priest of their profession will manage them in it and be with them where-ever he lead them to uphold and strengthen them deliver them from all evil make all things work together for good to them plead their cause fight their battels perfect what concerns them and make their spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God before whom he will also confess their names and in due time receive them to glory 2. The subjection faithfulness and chastity of the Church to Christ unto which she is infinitely obliged by all this grace holiness and faithfulness of her Lord and husband is such as is resembled by that of the wife to her husband And surely it is such as in which she be holy as he is holy chastly devoted and set apart to him and for him as he for her sake hath sanctified himself that she might be sanctified through his truth and so partaker of his holiness that she be onely for him and for no other thing or person in his place that forgetting her own kindred and Fathers house she reverence and worship him as her onely Lord and husband and be subject to him in all things 1. Owning and acknowledging with thankfulness his name as put upon her and counting it her glory and honour to be known and called by it and bear the reproach of it and therefore confessing and not being ashamed of it before men yea commending it as the onely worthy name and not mentioning her own name or suffering her self to be known or called by that or by the name of any other person ordinance work or thing 2. Sitting down under his shaddow to rest satisfied with his fruit to rejoyce in him rest and stay upon him and that grace in him as a sufficient signe and witness of Gods love ground and foundation of faith and hope in God fountain of wisdom righteousness strength and of all things pertaining to life and goldliness for us and so as a sufficient and good rest and refreshing for us considering and feeding upon his flesh which he gave for the life of the world and drinking down his blood that was shed for the remission of our sins and for obtaining all fulness of Spirit and of grace and truth into him for us that so of his fulness we may receive and in such believing view and mindfulness of him and as his words are found discovering him in these things of him eating them and keeping them in our hearts so staying upon him and seeking rest and refreshing to our souls relinquishing for it all other signes witnesses or ways of seeking rest and so all confidence and rejoycing in the flesh and not following any desire of meat for our lust And so putting on and wearing his garments in seeking so to know him that through the knowledge of him we may be found in him our hearts and mindes stayed there and we cloathed with his righteousness before God to give us boldness and render us acceptable in his presence relinquishing for it that of our own and filled with the fruits of it to manward that may be to his praise and the adorning his Name and Doctrine and putting off for it the fruits and works of our own wisdom and desires the deeds of the old man 3. With purpose of heart cleaving and adhering to him as the onely Father of our spirits Lord and Master of our faith fear and worship towards God chief Bishop and Shepherd of our souls our Judge our Law-giver and our King to save us who onely is able to save and to destroy and having our eyes and hearts to him in his Testimony for all wisdom understanding counsel and strength and for all commandments and directions for walking before him and in his house and resting on his Name and the authority of his Testimonies for all O Lord other lords have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy Name and so being subject to him in all things 4. To acquaint ourselves with him seeking and entertaining fellowship with him by an exercise of faith in his Testimony of what he hath done is doing and will do that thence we may prove the effectual working of it in our own spirits reconciling and conforming to him according to the greatness of his power which worketh in them that believe that therein also it may be fitted to our lips and we constrained and directed by him to such an holding it forth in word and conversation as in which we may have his presence and fellowship of his Spirit making us fruitful even in the bringing forth children by him and for him 5. To give him our loves not onely in the yeelding up souls and bodies by his mercies as a living sacrifice to be employed by him and at his dispose whose we are and not our own being double bought or bought in a double or twofold sense yea twice bought with one price his precious bloud and so the sacrifice of his own body made perfect through it with that in presenting and offering it to God the Father in heaven he redeemed and bought us of him from under the curse of the Law to be at his dispose and so he hath bought even them that deny him having given himself a ransom for all And with the same price in his presenting it spiritually by the Gospel to our hearts he hath redeemed or bought us off ourselves and out of or from this present world and our vain conversation therein unto himself that we should be a peculiar people to him c. Therefore we are not our own but by these mercies infinitely obliged to yeeld up to his use and dispose both souls and bodies which are his And not onely so to give him our loves but in the return of all again to him that we have received from him both in the praise and glory of it Not unto us not unto us but to thy Name and to thy grace in Christ for of thy goodness and bounty and of the sufficiencie of that grace have we all our sufficiencie and also in the improvement of it using it to him employing it