Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Book U. CHRIST THE .SAINTS WEDDING-GARMENT. 459 METAPHOR. D IS PAR IT Y. I. A Garment can cover but one at once, It cannot cloath feveral Perfons. I. THIS is a large Garment, the Robe of Chrift's Righteoufnefs can cover many, though they be at never fo great a Difrance. Should I fay, faith Bernard, that Chrift's Righte– oufnefs will not ferve for him and me; Non eft palltum breve quod duos operire non poteft. All the Elect of God though they live in feveral•Nations, though they be a Multitude ·which no Man can number; yet they are cloarhed, and fufficiently, with · this one Garment. I Jaw a Wonder in Heaven, a Woman cloathed with the Sun, Rev. xii. r. This Woman is the Church of God, this Sun is Jefus Chrift, the Sun of Righte– oufnefs, as he is called, Jvfal. iv. 2. All Believers are covered, cloarhed and adorned with one and the fame Garment, and every one hath it as an entire Garment to himfelf. I!. Every material Garment will !I. The fpiritual Garment fits every Parr, not ferve to cover every Part of the Chrifr is a Diadem, or Crown upon the Head, and , Body :.That which is pmper for the Shoes for the Feet. · Chrift's Righteoufnefs is a Head, will not coverrheLoins,and compleat Suit of Apparel from Head to Foot; · that which firs the Body will not fit the Soul that hath this Wedding-Garment on, is the Feet; every part of the Body perfectly and coll)pleatly cloathed. hath a difrinB: Cloarhing which is only proper for itfelf. Ill. There is not one particular ·G arment that ferveth for •11 Ufes for the Body; fame Robes are good for Covering, but are not for.Beau– ty ; other Garments ferve for Or– nament, but they do not ferve for . Defence; fame Garm~nrs are good to wear in cold Winter Weather, bur not good for the Heat in the midfr of Summer. Perfons of Ability have .feveral Garments for ,feveral Ufes, becaufe there is no one Garment good on allOccalions. IV. ·No one Garment will fit all •Bodies; that which fits decently on one Sex, would . be uncomely on another; that whi0h will ·fit a Child .will not fit a Man,' that which is p roper for a Prince will not be- . come nor fuit a Subjetl:. UI. This fpiritual Garment is for all Ufes, and all Seafons, it ·is both for Covering and Omament; it is as proper and nece.lfary in Winter as in ,Summer, and in Summer as in V\Tinrer; it is good for ·the •T raveller, it . is the Laborers Garment, it is the Soldiers Garment, it is.good to fight in; it is the Princes·Garment; yea, and the SubjeCt& Garment, · it is the Chrifhans Garment, it is very light and pleafant to walk in, and yet tl)ick to de– fend from frormy Weather. .Chrlft fu its all Occa– fions, States.and.Conditions of the Souls that have an lnterefr in him. He · is made of God unto us W.ifdom, Righteoufnefs, Santlijication and Redemp– tion, 1 Cor. i. 30. IV. This fpiritual Garment, the Righteoufnefs of Chrifl:, is as fit for one as for another, it is as fit and as proper for the Peafant as for rhe Prince; the fame Garment here that is for the Man, is for the Woman, for the Child as fortheFather. '!'here is neither Barbarian, SC)•thian, Jew nor Gentile, Mal~ nor Female, Bond nor Free, butye are all one in Chrijl, Col. iii. 1 I. The Righteoufnefs of. Chrifr is a fit .. Garment·for the Souls of Men, there is no Soul too big, no Soul too little, none too fmall, none too great-for Chrifr's Righteoafnefs to array and cover. N. Other Garments may be V. But. this.Garment no. Dart nor Spear con ' pierced, a Sword may be thruft pierce or enter into, no Devil can tear or rend it, through them, they may be fpoiled, nor can all the .Powers of Hell, Sin or Darknefs ;burnt or cut to pieces. burn or defl:roy it. VI. All material Garments may ·\TI. Ilm r.his fpiritual Garment is durable and be corrupted, Moths may eat them, lafl:ing, the Moth cannot corrupt nor confume ir, · they may be worn out by uling and it never grows old, nor can it be worn out, it is . turn into Rags, even the ftrongefr as frefh and as beamiful at the !aft as at the firfr •Garments that ever -were made. putting on. VII. Thebeftand richefl:WedVll. The Worth and Price of this Weddingcling-Garment that ever was made, Garment can never be valued, it is worth Milli– ·the Price thereof may foon be ·acons,yea Thoufands of Millions, the·Riches of the ,counted and eafily reckoned up. whole World are ·nothing in comparifon of it. What would a Chrifrlefs Soul give, in the great .Day for this Robe, !lliz. to be cloathed with Chrifl:'s Righteoufnefs? 3

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