Ver. i o. xxvth Chapter of St. MATTHEW. 5 9 not Vxor : here by the offers of the Gofpel, we arc Efpoul"ed, and by Faith en- gaged to him : 'Tis called a betrothing to him, Hofea 2. 19, 20. I will betroth thee to me for ever : Tea, I will betroth thee to me in Righteorafnefs, and in fudgment, and in Loving- kindnefs, and Mercy : I will betroth thee to me in Faithfdlnefs : The word is nor taken generally for Marriäge, but ftrialy, and bath a Special Emphalis in that place ; and fo noteth either the goodnefs of God, he would not receive Ifrael as an unchaft Proftitute, that had broken Covenant with him, but' as a Virgin, as if never any brea.chof Contract before ; or rather noteth the prefent Rate of the Church; flte is betrothed to Chrift, but the Marriage is not confummate. The day of Efpoufàls and publick Solemnities are deferred till the RefurreEtion, when Chrift will come as a Bridegroom, to conduEt his Spoufe into his Fathers Houfe, for ever to remain with him. Fourthly, With relpea to its Confemmation ; 'tis perfected at his fecond coming : and 'tis properly called a Marriage, 'twas but a wooing or betrothing before then, when the Queen is brought to the King, and abides with him for ever : Plat. 45. t 5 With toy and Gladnefr fhallthe be brought, they Pall enter into the Ijngs Palace. Now there are many Reafons why this fecond coming of Chrift is called a Con fummation of the Marriage ; and Chrift may then be laid to come as a Bridegroom. 1. Becauíè there is a Perfonal Meeting and interview between his Spoufe and himfelf : Now he employeth Spokes-men ; 2 Cor. 5.1 g, 20. Now we are Ambaffadors for Chrifl, as though God did bet ech you by us : We prayyou in Chrills stead to be recon- tiled to God As Eliezer Abraham's Servant went to get a match for Isis Matters Son, fo the Minifters of the Gofpel : z Cor. 11. a. I have efpoufed yon to one Husband , that I may prefent you a chajle Virgin to Chrift. He fends Tokens , and Spiritual Refrefhings ; f ohn 14. 2x. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them , he it is that loveth me ; and Pall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and mznifr fl my Pelf to him. Then he cometh himfelf , we meet him in Perlon : here we meet him in Ordinances, Ifa. 64. 5. Perlent in Spirit, z Cor. 5. At Death our Souls meet him : Ecclef. 12. 7. But then our whole man fhall meet him, fob. 14.26. with thefe Arms embrace him : We are indeed brought near to him by Faith , and have thine fellowfhip and Communion with him ; but we do not fee him as he is, nor fee him face to face , as afterwards. 2. For the Publick Solemnization of the Marriage, the Bridegroom and the Bride do both deck and adorn themfelves : The Bridegroom cometi in the glory of his Father with great abundance of the Holy Angels ; Revel. t9. 7. Let us be glad, andgive Ho none to him ; for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her felf ready. Common.Garments are not for that Wedding : we mutt be naive in the Purifying our {elves, but the Grace is given by God, Verf 8. And to her was granted, that fie might be cloathied in white linnen ; the fee linen is the Righteonfnefs of the Saints. As Eflbee was fupplyed out of the Kings Wardrobe, thefè Ornaments, and Garments of Salvation, are purchaled and bellowed freely upon us ; by Jefits Chrift all is given : we are here but renewed in part, and cicanfed in part ; all our filthy Garments are not yet put off: but then we Shall not have the lean Remainder of Sin and 'vinery ;. if we should meet Chrift with our Deformities, we fhould meet him with fhame, and Difcomfort ; it would be a Difhonour to our Bridegroom, to come into his pre - fence with our filthy Rags : therefore we come to prefent his Bride with Glory. 3. Then there is an open Manifeffation ofhis Deareft Love; before the laft day the Match is concluded between the Parties, there is love expreffed, but 'his fecret and hidden ; Our Life is hid with Chrift in God : But then he will own Believers man by man, Luk. 12: 8. invite them into his bofom in the fight of the World, Mat. 25. 34: pronounce their Pardon on the Throne, Acts 3. 1q. fet them at his Right -hand, as Judging the World together with himfelf: z Cor. 6. 2. Alas! now all is under a Vail, the World fees us not : 1 john 3, r. Now we our felves queftion whetter he loves us or no ; queftion it often : If the Lord be with us, why are thefè things befallen as ? But then, all is open and clear, when the Clouds vaniflt about Chrifts Perlon fo about us allo : 'Tis called, the day of the manifejtation of the Sons of God, Rom. 8. r9. 4. Then we are brought home to his Houle, conduacd in State to Heaven Sohn 14, collie 3. Then the day is when you fhall have all that you have hoped, defired, look- ed for ; Olt what an happy day will that be ! When the great Shepherd of the Sheep (hall lead his Flock into their everlafting Fold, iend the Husband of the Church carry her with him into his Fathers Houfe : f ohe 17. 24. Father, I mill that thole reborn thon I 2 haft
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