Book II. c H R I s T A B R I D E G R 0 0 M. r. Did you ever fee the Need of Chrifl:'s Suretifhip? Or do you adventure to come to God for more Goods in your own Name: In this take heed, for your Credit is gone. 2. Hath Chrift taken you (as a Door) off the old Hinges? Have you feen your Want and Beggary, and from hence chofen Chrift for your Surety? It is only the broken Man rhat feeks to his Friend for Security. 3· Is the Law written in your Hearts? Have you that new Spirit put within you? ]er. xxxi. 33· Are you changed Ones? '!will put my Fear in their Hearts, &c. Do you love the Word of God bccaufe of the Purity of it, PJal. cxix. 140, Would you be holy as well as happy ? 4· Do you lay the Strefs of your Salvaticin upon J efus Chrif1:? Is he the Foundation ofyour Faith and Hope! Have you fled to him for Refuge? 5· Is Chrift a Pearl of great Price to you ? 'l"o them that believe he is precious. If Sin be in thy Sight the greatef1: of Evils, and that which thou loatheft above all Thin~s; and Chrif1: the rareft J ewel in thy Efteem, whom thou preferreft before thy chieteft Joy; then Peace be unto thee: Chrif1: is thy Surety. For Caution. 0 let none, from the Confideraton of this glorious Grace ihining forth in this great and wonderful Myftery, take Encouragement to run further into Debt; if any fhould do fo, let them know, that there is nothing can be a greater Evidence againft them, that they have no Part nor Lot in this Matter. CHRIST A B R I D E G R 0 0 M. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet bim, Matt. xxv. 6. He tbat bath the Bride, is the Bridegroom ; but tbe Friend of the Bridegroom, wbich ftandeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly becaufe of the Bidegroom's Voice: '!"his my ]oy therefore is fu!filled, ]ohn iii. 2 9· THIS Metaphor of a Bridegroom, as it is exceeding ufeful, fo it is as comfortable and pleafant a Metaphor as moft we meet with in the holy Scriptures. A Bridegroom prefuppofes two Things : Firft, A Perfon in a fingle Capacity ; and as fo confidered, he is a Suitor. Secondly, A Perfon in a married Eftate 1 and as fo confidered, he is a Heador Hufband. In both thefe RefpeEts Chrill may be confidered, and is held forth in the Word of God. He firft aCts as a Lover or Suitor, to engage the Love and AffeCtions of Sinners to himfelf; and then joins himfelf in a glorious, myftical Marriage-Relation with them, and accordingly aCts towards the Sons ofMen: Of which take this following Parallel. METAPHOR. I. A Man that intends or is dif- . pofed to marry, is not contented (or thinketh it not conve– nient) to abide in a fingle Condi– tion, how happy foever he is other– wife, in the Enjoyment of all out– ward good Things in his Father's Houfe. · I!. An obedient and wife Son takes Advice, and confults with his Father, being fully refolved to change his Condition, and enter into a ContraCt ofLove, and Mar– riage-union ; and then fixes upon a particular ObjeCt. PARALLEL. . I. JESUS Chrift, notwithftanding all the Glory he had with the Father, being the Joy and Delight of his Heart, and cloathed with all his Excellencies and PerfeCtions, dwelling in the Frui– tion of eternal Blifs, yet thought upon a Spoufe, and judged it meet to enter into a Marriage-Re– lation, Prov. viii. 3r. I!. Jefus Chrif1: took counfel with the Father about that glorious Defign of Love and good Will he bore to Mankind; and hence he is faid to be delivered by the determinate Cou1z[el and Fore·know– ledge of God, ./ffis ii. ~3· lt was no lefs than the great Refult of the Blelfed Trinity, that the Lord J efus, the fecond Perfon, ihould efpoufe Sinners to himfelf: I proceeded, faith he, and came from God; neither came I of myfelf, but he jent me, ]oh11 vlii. 42. He fixed not his Choice on the fallen Angels, but on the Offspring of fallen Man, who were given unto him by the Father. III. Jefus
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