Page:Best-match, or, The incomparable marriage between the Creator & the creature.pdf/20

( 20 ) court thee ſo as thou waſt ſurroundad with fear and trouble?

2. Did he court thee as by the auſterity of the law; ſo by the ſweetneſs of the goſpel, when he ſaw thee caſt down, when he ſaw thee, a poor heavy laden ſinner, like to be cruſhed under thy weights? Did he then court you with ſuch a word as that, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt?” Mat. xi. 28. Or, with ſuch a word as that, "Ho, every one that thirſteth, come to the waters; he that hath no money come, buy wine and milk without money and with- out price? Iſa. IV 1 —Flee to your ſtrong holds, ye priſoners of hope.” Did he thus court you with the goſpel offer?

3. Did he court you by his love-letters? This is another antecedent of the contract. Got you ever a love-letter ſent from Chriſt out of heaven? But you will ay, What is the love-letter? Even the Bible, "Search the Scriptures, theſe are they chat teſtify of me” John v. 39. Here are the declarations of the love of Chriſt to thy ſoul: here are love promiſe's in theſe letters. Have you read and pondered them? And can you ſay that Chriſt ſpoke them into your heart? If it be a text that was preached upon, or if it be a ſingle word, O Chriſt dropt that into my heart! and I think it will go with me to my death- bed, it came to me with ſuch life and power. In a word, Got you any gifts before the marriage-con tract, ſuch as the gift of true conviction ſuch as the gift of heart contrition. the gift of real humiliation, the gift of ſelf denial, the gift of faith? Theſe are given, ſome before, ſome at the contract.

2dly, Try by the conſtituents of the marriage. I. If this marriage be made up betwixt Chriſt and thee, theo then haſt put away all lovers besides Chriſt; the right hand will be cutoff, the right eye put out; you will be divorced from all other huſ-