Eobk iV: RESURRECTION-DAY TilE SAINTS MARRIAGE-DAY. 947' TuE RESURRECTION"DAY THE SAINTS MARRIAGE-DAY. 'Ihe Marriage of the L amb is come, alld his Wife bath made herftlf ready, Rev. ix. 7· THE Re(urreB:ion-day is the ·saints Marriage-day ; this is their Efpoufal-day: Fot I have efpouftd yau to one Hufband, that I may prcfent you a ch,afle Virgin to Cbrijl, 2 Cor. xi. 1 z. But that will be the Day of the Solemnization of their Marriage Union with Jefus Chri!l. P A R A L L E L S. I. THERE is, or ought to be, a malt endeared Love in thofe Parties who intend to marry one another. Nay, they, before the Mar<iage-day, mutually give up themfdves one ro the other; fomerimes in a folemn 'MJ.nner, before W irneffes, they are . efpoufed :- So the Soul of a Believer is fprritually nnited to Jcfus Chrilt whi]([ in this World. .A Saint loves Chrifr dearly, and Chrill a Saint. Nay, and in llaptifm, in a i11ofr folemn and lacred Manner, before many Witnelfes, the Sou l is publicly efpoufed to the Lord J.efus; and in the Day of the Refurrecbon lha!l be the Solemnization of ihe facred Marriage. I!. The Marriage-day is much lon;ed for by thofe who in hearty Affection are efpoufed to one another: So tht Godly long for that Day, when the fpiritual Marriage D1all be confummated between Chrifr and them. . II J. The Bride in the Marriage-day is ufually richly adorned ; if a Princefs, or a Perfon of a noble and honorable Defcent, lhe is excellently clad and adorned with rare and co!lly J ewels, that the Bridegroom may rake the more Delight in her: So the Church, and confequently every godly Chrifrian; fh all in the Day of ,he RefnrreB:ion be mofl richly cloathed withXobes of Imry1ortality. 'Ihe Marriage of tbe Lamb is come, and his Wife bath made herfelfready, aild to her was grmlltd, thal jhejhould be arrayed infine Linm, clean and white, &c. Rev. xix. 7, 8. The King's Daughter is allglorious within: /ler Cloatbing is of wrought Gold, jbe jha/1 be brought to the King iil Raiment of Needle-<vork, &c. Pfal. xlv. I 3, ' 4· So:11c by thefe white and gloriou.; Robes underftand the im. pmed Righteotilnefs of Jefus Chrifr : O thers, the Righteoufnefs of SanCI:ification: Some others conclude they are both inteml~d, and nor only fo, but alfo thofe heavenly Hobes, with which the Bodies of the Saints !hall be cloathed in rhe Day of the Refur. reCtion, which none are able to deicribe; however, all conclude the Church in that Day fhall fhine forth fa in Glory and Beauty, that Men and Angels fhall admire her. No Bride ever appeared in fuch Splendor, or fo richly cloathed and adorned, as the 13ride, the Lamb's Wife, !hall when the Marriage of the Lamb is come. IV. In a Marriage-dly the Bride and Bridegoon1 have a fufl and perfe{l: Enjoyment of each ot"her; and there is nothing in the World ,T;herein thae is fa full Communi– cation of one Creature to another, faith Mr. Burroughs, as there is in that Conditiorl of Marriage: So in rhc Day of the Refurreftion, wh~n rhe Church fhall be married to the Lord Jefus, the Godly ·rnall have a full and perfcc'l: Enj•>yment of him, whom they fo dearly love. The Lord Chrifl: in that Day will communicate of himk!f tO his People in fuch a Manner, that it is inconceivable; whadOevcr may delight them, re .. joice the;r Hearts, or add to their perfect Happinels, he will not withhold from them. They have now only the Joy and Comforts of his Spirit; but then they ·rnall hove the Joy and Comforts of his Perfon : Where 1 am, there a!fo jhal/!i;y Servants be. I will tome again and receive you unto myftlf, tbat where I am, thCI·e ye may be alfo, Jobn xiv. 3. V. r\ Marriage-day is a joyful Day: So will the Marriage-day of the Lamb be: .Let us beglad, aiZd rejoice, a'Jld give llo11our tohim; for the Mctrriag~ of the L(unb :s come, Rev. xix. 6, 7· The Bridegroom rejoiceth in the Bride, and the Bride in the Bride– groom : As the Bridegroo:n rejoiceth over the Bride, fo foal/ tLJ God rejoice over the.; . lfa lxii. 5· VI. In a Marriage-day the Bridegroom and the Bride have very great Attendance, and are greatly· honored: So Chrifr and the Church lh•ll have great and gloriqus At– .tendance in the Day of the RefurreB:ion, viz. all the Angels or Heaven. He D1all come in the Glory of the Father with all the holy Angels. The fame Retim1e the one D1all have, the other !hall have likewife. VH. The Bride commonly makes great Preparation for the Marriage·day t0 have all Thin2;s ready: So the Godly make all due Preparation for the Appearance ofJefus Chrifl:
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