THE cHuRcH COMPARED TO A wIFE. Book IV. . XIII. A Wife brings forth Chil– dren, and is many Tit,nes very fruit– ful to her Hulband; and when lhe hath brought them forrh , takes care of them, feeds and nurfeth them. XIII. So the Church is fruitful to Chrifl:, bring– ing fort h many Sons and Daughters to him, whom lhe takes care of, feeds, and nurfeth, as the Mo– ther does her Children. For thus faith the Lord, Behold, I will extend Peace to her like a Ri·ver, and the Glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Stream. Then Jhall ye fuck, ye Jhall be borne upo11 her Sides, and da11dltd upon her Knees,as one whom his Mother comfot·teth, &c,. See Mother. Ifa.lxvi. 12, 13. XIV. A Wife hath the PriviXIV. So the Secrets of the Lord are witb them l_ege to know her Hulband's Mind; that fear him, mzd he will Jhew thmz his Covenant, fur many Things which are kept Pfal. xxv. 14. E)'e bath not feen , 11or Ear heard, fecret from others, are madeknown nor bath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive, to the Wife. the Things which God bath prepared for them that MET A PH 0 R. A Wife may foon lofe her Huf– . band; Death, we fee, many Times takes him away, and lhe is thereby made a Widow, and her Children fatherlefs. love him: But God bath re·vealed them to us by his Spirit, 1 Cor. ii. 9• 10. D IS PAR IT Y. BUT the Church cannot lofe her Hulband. Chriil: dieth 110 more, Rom. vi. q. He is im– mortal, Rro. i. I 8. and therefore !he can never be a Widow, nor her Children fatherlefs. I wii! not leave you comfortlefs, the Word is, Orpham, John xiv. 18. He is an everlafting Hulband. I N F E R E N C E S. J. STAND and wonder! Doth Chrift efpoufe and take to Wife fuch a poor and con- • temptible Creature as Mankind! What Difproportion is there between a King .. ;md a Beggar, between an Ant and an Angel: A far greater Difproponion there is be– tween Jefus Chrift and Sinners. He is high and great; but we are bafe and vile: He is blelfed and glorious; we are wretched and mifer.able: He is a mighty Kmg, King of Kings; and we poor Slaves and Valfals, yea, the woril: of Slaves, Valfals and Slaves to Sin·and Satan. II. From hence you may perceive the unfpeakable Nearnefs there is between Chrifl: and his People; can there be a fweeter and more glorious Unio'! than this! If we con– fider the Properties of it, it is a fpiritual, a real, an operative, an enriching, an inti– mate, an indilfoluble Union, to be Bone of his Bone, and Flelh of his Flefi1. What can any Soul defire more? What greater Happinefs, what more glorious, faith one of the Ancients, than this Union! Ill. What Doctrine can yield greater Comfort to Believers, who are rhus happily _efpoufed and married to Jefus Chrift! We fay, fuch .and fuch are \fell difpofed of, hap– . pily married; 0 Soul, how well art thou difpofed of! What! married to Chrift, to the Son of God, to the King of Heaven and Earth! IV. This may lhew the·Saints their Duty, and put them in mind of their Covenant. Soul, thou hail: vowed, and canft not go back. · · V. And may be of ufe, efpecially to all that !l:and related as Hulband and Wife in the Church, for Hulbands to make Chrift their Pattern in their Carriage and Deport· ment towards their Wives; and Jikewife Wives to make the Church their Example in their Behavior towards their Hulbands, as the Apoftle giveth direction, Eph. v. 21. ult. VI. Laftly; What Terror cloth this fpeak to the Enemies of the Church! If the Church be the Wife of Clirift, what will they do that fo much abufe her, and conti– ,nually feek her Life? Let them know, he will appear in Wrath and Vengeance to favc and deliver her, and will tear them in pieces in a lhort Time. ,3 THI
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