Clarke - BV4500_C46_1659_v1

310 II. Iv. V. VI. Oleftlons,aiidCafts ofConftience Chap. 3 reafon, if he had palled by us as he hash many others. Secondly, Divine pacification : By this marriage all hoftility, and enmity is removedbetwixt God and theChurch For Ephef. 2. 14, 15. He is our peace, Col. 2.14. Hereby we have dailyentrance, and accefsuntoGod,not as ftrangers, or ordinary friends : but asfriends, yea as children inprayers, pfarfes,&c. Ephef. z. 58, to. Thirdly, Graciousaffimulation, and fitnefs between theBrìdegrom, and Bride : For whereas I. She was ofbateParentage , a daughter of the Earth, her Father an Am"orite, c c.Ezek.i 6.3. now the is made a chofengeneration , the daughterof a Prince,of near alliance to God. z. She was poor and needy,had no worth, no dowry toprefer her : nowby this contra6t, fhe bath an cftate madeher fitfor a Prince : that as her Husband is heir of all things , his love is Co liberal that he hath made her a co-heir ofhis ownhea. vcnly inheritance, Rom.8.17. 3. She wasdeformed,without beauty, or comelineffe, the bath now attained perfe& beautyin righteoufnefs, and the beautyof herhusband makes her beauty perfedt, Ezek 16.14. withòut wrinkleor fpot, Ephef. 5.27. 4. She was naked, covered with nothingbut fliame, excepting a fewrags, and fig-leaves now her cloathing is ofwrought gold, Pfal. 45.13.garments offalva- tion, Ifa.61.10. Fourthly,Free and liberal donation, as y dung men give Jewels and Love-to- kens. For r. What he Covenants, and promifes , he alfo pledgeth with many graces, fhining as fo many Jewels , thereby teElifying his bounty towards her. 2. He bellows his perfon on her, andby becoming hers, fhe becomes his , and foof twain, they become one fleth. 3. With hisperfonhe bellows his goods upon her, i. e. all his merits, and obe- dience, all his fuffcrings, all hisglory, all hispra yers. 4. He invefis her, not only into hisgoods, but into his inheritance,and indue time confummatesthe marriage , bringing his Spoufe home into his houle of glory, a manfion prepared for her : putting her intopofièffron ofall the wealth of Heaven, where the enjoyeshis immediate prefence. Fifrhrhly, high and honourable exaltation, and advancement : as Ahafhuerets madeEft her, a poor captive maid, a fharer in all the honour of his Kingdom by marrying her. Yea, the Churches honour exceeds that of the greatefl Queens: For a. They are matched with, and laid in the bofoms of men,but the isadmitted into the bed with him that is God and Man, Cant.i.15, 2. They are married to Kings, but fuch as are mortal, who often leave them miferable Widows : But fhe to the King of glory , who only bath immorta- lity. 3. They aremarried to confort in foreone kingdom, and part of.the Earth : But the to a King that rules from feato fea, to whom all Kings are fubje& , and by whom they rule. To a Kingdom unfhaken, that fades net away, trc. r Pet. i. 4. Sixthly,Strong andeternal confolation,in that by reafonof this marriage a firm and confiant happindlè is allured, which all the contras inearth cannot per- form. Quell. Howmay the true Church beknown? enfw, Pirft, By her face now the face of a true vifible Church, is dif- cerned,by r. By the fincerepreachìng,and profefüngofthe Word of God. 2. The

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