Page:Best-match, or, The incomparable marriage between the Creator & the creature.pdf/22

( 22 ) with him ? Are you of one faith with him, of one way with him, endeavouring to walk as he walked? “He that is joined to the Lord is one ſpirit,” I Cor. iv. 17.

3. Can you ſay, that, upon the marriage day you got a marriage gift from the Bridegroom? Among the Jews, the bridegroom gave a marriage gift to his bride: Now, what gift got you on this marriage day? Can you ſay, indeed I got the wedding gar- ment; he clothed me with his righteoufneſs, which he ſpan out of his own bowels, weaved with his own hand, and dyed with his own blood; and thus all my guilt is covered, the curſe is done away? This is indeed what few get; yet ſome have been, and are able to ſay, I am delivered from the wrath to come; and there is no condemnation to me; and on ſuch a time I got alſo an ornament of the grace? of the Spirit, which I wear as jewels, viſt faith, love, obedience, patience, humility; and I got the promiſe of an hundred ſold here, and I am expecting more gifts yet, before the marriage be conſummate; I am expecting the aſſurance, I live in the hope of glory, I expect a ſcaled pardon of all my ſins, and I look to get the earneſt of the Spirit and more every day

4. Another constituent of the marriage-contract is, the bride, on that day, put off one vail, and puts on another. This was the Jews cuſtom, the brides pur off the vail of baſhfulneſs and put cn the vail of ſubjection. Chriſt’s bride, before the marriage, cannot look the Bridegroom in the face, is aſhamed to look upon him; but ſhe is made to put off this vail in the preſence of her former lovers, and to take Chriſt by the hand, and then ſhe puts on the vail of ſubjection whereby the promiſes in his ſtrength, to ſubject herſelf to her Huſband’s will. Have we thus promiſed to be obedient to his commands, in his own ſtrength whatever he injoins us to door ſuffer.

3dly. Try by the conſequents of this marriage. Would you know if there has been a contract be-