Ch3p. x.Sett.8 Looking unto :Jefru. Book V. S E cr. 8. of Chrifts fu1'renaering and delivering 11p the Kingdome to 1 qod, evm the Father. &. FOr Chrifis furrendering and delivering up the Kingdomc · to God, even the Father ; no fooner is he in heaven, but thefe things follow.- . . 1077 I . He prefents the EleCt: unto his Father, of this the Apofl:!e· fpeaks, you hath he reconciled in the body of his flefh through death, c·· l . .r. hI d b bl d 1 / · h' r; I .o.I,!I,tt. topre 1 ent you o:; an un !amea e, fln unprovetw etn zs1zg;t; . to this end Chrifi dyed that be might wafh us and cleanfe us by his blood, and then that he might prefent us without fpot unto his rather. We may imagine Chrifr as going to hi; Farber with his bride in his hand, and faying thus, 0 my Father, here is my Church, my Spoufe, my ~en; here are the Sain~s concerning whom I covenanted with thee from eternitie, concerning whom I went down from heaven, and dyed on earth, and afcending up I have interceded thefe many hundred yeares; concerning whom I went down to judge the world, and having fentenced i:hem to life eternal _ I now bring them in my nand to give them the poffeffion of thy felfe. Thefe are they whom thou gavefi me in the beginning of the world, and now I refl:on: them to thy felfe at the end of the world, for they are thine. Thus he prefents them tQ his Father. Indeed we reade that Chrift prefents the Saints to himfelfe, as well as to his Father, Chri/1 !wed the Church, andgave himfelfe for ir,--that he might pre- Eph. r· tr 17; (ent it to himfelfe a glorious Church, not having {p1t or wrinkje; ' but this I take it was done before ; when fidJ: a foul beleeves, it is contraCted to Chrifr, when the foul is fe.ntenced to glory, then is. the folernnitie, and confummacion of the marriage, then doth Chrifr prefent the [.)ul to himfelfe · and I know not but that the MiniftersofChriH may have a parcin this matter, fer I have ejj10u[d y,:t t 8 en. i ml•and (faid Pa;tl to his Corinthians) that 1 (; mtJJ prrfent)' ., ,v; ,., cht~H: Virgin toChrift. And afrer this when~ . or-r 1 ' 2 ' Chr;fr ~ 1kc tn ~ brid~ home, brings her into heaven,· and l~ades h~ bv ' " ~ L.1~ • t.' r ') 1, ; Farh:rs prefcn ·- ~ then is J1i s I all: prefe,..t ,lt •r:, c :: : r. ",nts h.;r f.-,~!r ' ,_ · v.Jo•i 1 IJ .• r /~: e f his .; 1
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