Bookii. CHRIST THE SAINTS WEDDING-GARMENT. 457 bv his Servants, the Minirlers of the Gofpel; by fuch that found Pretences of Abfenc'e, ,.;aridly-minded Perfons, that prefer their temporal Pleafures before Grace and true Reliaion; by the Invitation of the Guetts, the Calling of the Gentiles, &c, by him that wan;;,d theWedding-Garment, Hypocrites, or fuch as have not put on Chrift fpiritually, (that is, are not clothed with his Righteoufnefs by Faith) whofe Doom is Damnation, Ver, I3- All the be£1: Expofitors agree, by the Wedding-Garment is intended Chriit's -Righteoufnefs, or imputed Righteoufnefs, which is put on the Solj,) hy Faith for JuO:i– fication. For the further DemonO:ration hereof, fee the following Parallel. METAPHOR, I. THEUfeandNeceilltyofGar– menrs came in by the Fall, Adam in Innocency had no need of them. II. Garments are to cover Na– kednef<, that Shame and Defor– mity may not appear to others; for this Reafon did our fir£1: Pa– rents few Fig-leaves together to cover themfelves, and from hence God afterwards made them Coats of Skins, &c. Gen. iii. 2 I. PARALLEL I. THE Necefflty of Chri!t and his Righteoufnefs, came in by original Depravity, Gen. i. 27. Man in Innocency had no need of a Sa– vier, was perfect and wanting nothing, Pfa!. li. 5· Rom. vii. I 7, I 8, IL Chri!t is the Soul's fpiritual Cover. I. He hides all our natural J:iilthinefs. z, He hides and covers all our aCtual Sins and Pol!utions, 3, !--le covers all the Spots of our holy Duties.* The Cherubims under the Law covered the Mercy– Seat, the Mercy-Seat covered the Ark where the two Tables of the Decalogtoe lay, Rom. iii, 25. Exod, xxiii, I7, IS, 20, 21this Mercy-Seat did typify Chrirl, J efus Chritt covers all the Sins which Believers commit again£1: the Law of God. He Jelivers us from the Curfe and ·Accufation thereof, Hence it is faid, God beheld no Iniquity in Jacob: He doth not fee it to impute it, becaufe it is hid under the covering Mercy-Seat, Jefus Chri£1:. Ill. Garments differ much in IlL All our Righteoufneffes areas filthy Rags, lfa.· Worth and Excellency, we read lxiv. 6. And in another Place compared to a men– in Scripture of filthy Garments, ftruous Cloth; our belt Services are grievoufty and likewife of glorious Apparel. defiled and polluted with Sin. But Chri£1: is a . glorious Robe, his Righteou(nefs is of inerlimable Value, glorious Apparel, which by Faith all true Believers are cloathed with. I V. Garments are for Orna. IV. Chrift's Righteoufnefs put on the Soul by ment, they fet off natural ExcelFaith, is the moO: beamiful Ornament, that ever lency, making Men and Women Mortals were adorned with, this makes Men and appear very lovely and amiable in Women amiable and very comely in the Eyes of the Eyes of others. God, and holy Angels, Exod. xvi. 12. Ifa. xlv. V. Garments are of great Uti– lity in refpect of Defence, they fecure us from many Hurts and Dangers, which naked Ones are expofed to ; they are Munimenta Corporis, they are as light Armor to the Body in the Winter, they fave the Body from piercing Cold ; in Summer they preferve and defend from parching Heat: Every Bla£1: would pinch us, were it not for our Garments, every Thorn would fcratch us, every Blow would bruife us. Robinjim. 24- and lxi. I o. V. The Lord Jefus, cloathing us with his Righteoufnefs, defends us; I. From Sin, Sin hath not Power and Dominion over us, it can– noL bear fway nor hurt the Soul, becaufe Chri£1: hath condemned it in the Flefh. It is a van– quiGJed, wounded, and crucified Enemy, Rom. viii. 2. Chri£1: defends us from the fmarting !:'ricks and Checks of Confcience, when for want of Light, a Believer is accufed and condemned, and is driven almo£1: into D efpair. Chri(\'s Righteout: nefs is a glorious Garment to guard and keep off Confcience from mauling, breaking and bruifing of him in pieces; through Chrift Saints obtain Deliverance. Come unto me, all ye that tabor, and are heaV)' laden, and I will give )'Oil Rdf to )'our Souls, Matt. xi. 29. ~ Grace is fuificient for thee. 3· Chri£1: defends us from the fiery Darts and cruel A!faults of Satan, ' This roaring Lion would tear us in pieces, ' if this impenetrable Garment were not between his Teeth and our Souls. His fiery ' Darts would O:ick to the very Heart, did not this Garment blunt and deadm them. • Guild. Mofcs unvailed p. 101. Mr. Robinfi,'s Chrifi All in All, p. 45· 6 A ~ NotwirhO:anding
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