SPIRITVAL MARRIAGE: OR, THE UNION between CHRIST and his CHURCH.  
As it was delivered in a Sermon at WESTMINSTER, the first of januarie. ANNO DOM. 1626.  
By JAMES bailie, Master of Arts.  
LONDON. Printed by B.A. and T. FAUCET, for ROBERT ALLOT, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the black Bear in Paul's Churchyard. 1627.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, 

JAMES, Marquis of HAMILTON.  
WILLIAM, Earl of MORTON.  
WILLIAM, Earl of LAUTHIAN.  
THOMAS, Earl of KELLIE.  
JAMES, Earl of carlil.  
RICHARD, Earl of DESMONT.  
JOHN, Earl of ANNANDAILL.  
WILLIAM, Vice count of AIR.  
GEORGE, Lord BRUCE.   And to the Right Worshipful, 

Sr. JAMES FULLERTON, Groom of his Mayest. Stool.  
Sr. ROBERT CAR, Gentleman of his Mayest. Bedchamber, and Keeper of the Privie-purse.  
Mr. JAMES MAXWELL,  
Mr. KIRKE,  
Mr. WILLIAM MURRAY,  
Mr. JAMES LEVINGSTON,   and Mr. PIT CARNE, Grooms of his Majesty's Bedchamber. And to all other Hon: and Wor: Scotsmen remaining at the Court of England, that profess the true Ancient, Catholic, and Apostolic faith, all blessed Happiness in this life, and Eternal bliss in the life to come. Right HONOURABLE, and WORSHIPFUL.  
SOme perhaps may think that I have done an absurd thing in prefixing so many illustrious Peers, prudent Nobles, and Gentlemen of his Majesty's Bedchamber, of high and great desert, to so little and so slender a work: But from the learned I hope for a less critic censure, and from the wise for a more judicious sentence: first, because I know that this weak treatise hath need not only of one strong pillar, but of many to uphold it against the ruin, which both by Papists; and false Brethren, will maliciously be threatened against it: and against their subterranian plots, by which at every corner they will intent to undermine it. Nevertheless, I will never deny but any one of your Hon: or Wor: is a prop more than sufficient enough to sustain a more decaying edifice, if any such can be apprehended: and a book of greater worth should have but too much honour to have any one of your names in its frontispiece. Secondly, because I would encourage you, and rouse up your spirits to a lively confidence, that by adoption you are the sons of Gods right hand, members of his body, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, a part of that chosen generation, The Church of the elect and spouse of Christ, by marriage united unto him, and freed from that Antichristian slavery and Babylonian bondage, with the wine of whose fornication a great part of the world these many ages past have been made drunk, and therefore God hath made you strong, strong for himself in this time of trial when the sons of Anti-christ breathes nothing but blood against the Church of Christ; and against her in many places of Germany have prevailed, casten out Christ, and in his place set up that abominable Idol, their Mass, and now threaneth our Church, the Church within this Island with the like, to extinguish the lamp of the glorious Gospel, which God hath lighted amongst us, to remove our candlestick, and in lieu thereof to light false lights, to set up rusty & dark candlesticks, Their service in an unknown tongue, their Idols in stead of instructions, and their Apostles bones, and clothes in place of the writings of Christ's Apostles. But God hath made you strong for himself, to fight in his war, to hold the wild Boars out of his vineyard, and in his cause neither to spare your bodies nor goods; even in his cause, which your Fathers as his instruments did re-establish in the Monarchy of Scotland, expelling the children of Dagon, 
2. Thes 2.  which had come in by the effectual working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all deceivableness of unrighteousness: and you honouring the Lord after this manner, he will multiply honours upon you, keep you as a signet upon his hand, 
Ezech 34.  and upon you, and every one of you, there shall be rain of blessings, the eye of the Lord shall watch over you for good, his mighty hand and out stretched arm shall be ready to protect you in every danger, and to appoint most glorious victories for you: for Babylon is now toward the falling, her sins are come up to heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities, she must drink in that cup, that she hath filled to others, and as she hath shed our blood, so now must she be repaid and drink a double draught.  
Thirdly I have presumed to dedicate this Treatise unto your Hon: and Wor: not only for the excellency of the subject, The union between Christ and his Church: of which you are a part: But likewise because I am a Scotsman that have the honour to belong to every one of you, either by blood or affinity, and to many of you by both (whereof I hope you shall never be ashamed) and therefore I thought it not amiss to let this Sermon go under the shadow of your Honourable protections, that now remain at the Court of England, as an argument of my love toward my Country, and as a pledge of my service toward you all in general, & every one of you in particular. In the mean season continuing my prayers that such a virtuous emulation, may always remain among you, as is to day; that is, first of all, to advance God's glory, secondly, to be loyal to your King, that by innumerable predecessors hath swayed your Sceptre; and lastly, some of you with Pompey to study to preserve your Dignity, others with Crassus to augment it, and the third sort with Caesar to acquire Dignity, not by usurpation, as he did, But in your Sovereign's service, under the banner of CHRIST. Farewell.  
Your Honours, and Worships, most humble Servant JAMES bailie.   

To the Christian Reader.  
CHristian Reader, I have not used (as many do) in this Sermon, the neat Tenor of ISOCRATES, the ample Sublimity of DEMOSTHENES, the Majesty of THUCYCIDES, the Dignity of PLATO, nor that most full and copious style of declamation which TULLY used before the Senate, yea I have shunned them, as by a good Master SCYLLA and CARYBDIS will be eschewed; because I know that such garulitie, such fallible enticements of words, and such vain ostentation in Preaching, savoureth the flesh, and hath no power, no virtue nor efficacy to wound a proud mind and to cast it down, nor to be a balm for the curing and raising up of the same again to a lively confidence in CHRIST: It only tendeth to tickle the auditor's ears for the present, to enter at the one, and go forth at the other, but never to descend into the heart for its circumcision and molification in time to come. A simple style without superfluity in words, fertile in sentences, which doth not so much smell of humane prudency, as savour the virtue of the holy Spirit, is the only eloquence that penetrates the souls of Christian men, and searcheth, to the inward marrow of the same. It is truth that an Orator once persuaded CAESAR to retreit and rescind the sentence of LIGARIUS after that he was condemned, But when a Minister of God's word, a faithful Pastor must discharge his commission unto his Flock, what Rhetoric shall make them believe that life flowed from the Cross of CHRIST: that death's Empire by death was subdued, that the eternal word covered with flesh, beaten with fists, nailed to the Cross, did bear our sins, die, rise again, that we by this benefit shall triumph over death, and by marriage be united unto him. Here all humane reason, and adminicles of art, though thundered out by a Pericles, must be abstained from. Here all pomp in preaching and sophistick ostentation must give place to the efficatious Pastor, whose sermon is replenished with substance, matter, and the riches of the Spirit, which by Saint PAUL is called, 2. Tim. 1.13. Verae doctrinae hypotyposis, The true pattern of wholesome words.  
Secondly good reader, albeit, it be barren of humane eloquence, yet fear not to read it, for it may be plentiful in substance, and if thou thinkest that I have stayed too much upon the two first similitudes, I think so with thee myself, Et habes confitentem reum, ye I pray thee to pardon me, seeing it is for thy instruction, and discovering of much obstruce and excellent Theology, by which I hope (and I wish it from my heart) that thou shalt be bettered, and so expecting thy friendly censure, I take my leave. Farewell.  
Thine, in Christ to be commanded, James bailie.   

SPIRITVALL MARRIAGE; OR, THE UNION Between CHRIST and his CHURCH.  HOSEA. 2.19. 
I will marry thee to me for ever, yea I will marry thee to me.  
PLATO Philosophising upon the grace of GOD 
Because he was an heathen Philosopher.  according as he was able, gave thankes unto him for three things; First, that GOD had created him a Man and not a Beast; secondly, that he was borne a Grecian and not a Barbarian. Thirdly, that not only so but a Philosopher also. But we that are instructed at a better school, do otherways destribute our thanksgiving, and praise him for three things also. First, that amongst all his creatures he hath made us men, created in a most glorious manner, Omnino ad imaginem suam, altogether after his own Image. Secondly that from among all sorts of men, he hath made us Christians. Thirdly, that amongst those, that bear the name of Christians, he hath made us only faithful ones; elected and adopted us in his own Son before the foundation of the world, 
2. Tim. 1.9.  and made us like a few well sighted among a throng of blind men, like the portion of JACOB in Egypt, 
Exod. 10.22.  only enlightened in the midst of that darkness which covered all the Country, 
judg. 6.38.  like the fleece of Gideon, only watered with the dew of his grace, whilst all the rest of the earth is dry and destitute of his favour.  
When I call to memory the unspeakable love of GOD, and his fatherly care in the conduct and conservation of his Church, it is a whole web of wonders. 
Gen 4.11.  How he hath revenged the blood of ABEL, how he hath served for a pilot and steersman to his Church enclosed within the ark; 
Gen. 7.  how for the love of ABRAHAM and ISAAC he hath stricken and kerbed Kings, 
Gen. 12.17.  how he hath prepared lodging for his people in Egypt, 
Gen. 48.11.  how he hath drawn them from thence with a mighty hand and outstretched arm having carried his people out of captivity as upon eagle's wings, 
Exod 14.28.  how he hath given them his law, 
Exod. 20.  fed them with bread from heaven, 
Exod. 16.15.  covered them in the day time, given them light in the night, and driven out Nations before them, how he hath chastised them, to keep them under subjection in prosperity, and how his chastisements have ever been interlaced with deliverances, lest they should have been overwhelmed with too great adversity: The history of the judges, of DAVID and his successors, the deliverance from Babylon, and the re-establishment of jerusalem. Is not this a whole chain of GOD'S mercies, and love towards his Church linked together already: and yet to make it not only more weighty, but weight itself, he joineth this link unto it, I will marry thee to me for ever, yea, I will marry thee unto me. And this last link is that which I intent to bestow upon you this morning for a New years gift.  
Mos vetus est jani dare mutua dona calendis,  
Annus ut auspicio prosperiore fluat.  
It is an ancient custom among friends upon New years day mutually to give and to receive gifts as fortunate pledges of a hopeful year, saith a Poet: 
Buchan▪  which commonly are of silver, gold, and of precious stones.  
But as Saint Peter, Acts. 3.6. said of old to the Cripple, that lay at the gate of the Temple called beautiful, silver and gold have I none to give unto you; 
Act. ●. 6.  so say I now unto you, for I will bestow no such ware upon you, those are but dross and earth, and of a rusty and an earthly worth, but such as I have I will bestow upon you, a Spiritual gift, most liberally. And if you shall but gratefully receive it, and lay it up close in the most inward cabin of your hearts, I dare be bold to promise that one day it shall be helpful unto you, minister unto you more joy and comfort, than all the silver, gold, and precious stones which are brought from the Orient. And so I come to the bestowing of it, I mean to the handling of my text, I will marry thee to me for ever, yea, I will marry thee unto me.  
This text is a promise of comfort, in which you shall take notice of these four; First, of the subject, CHRIST; lurking under his word, I; secondly, of the object, the Church, sheltered under this word, thee. Thirdly, of the thing promised, Marriage; I will marry thee. Fourthly, of the qualities of this marriage, which are two. First, the certainty employed in the gemination and doubling of the promise, I will marry thee; yea, I will marry thee. Lastly, the perpetuity of this marriage, for ever; I will marry thee unto me for ever. This Proposition is first propounded, I will marry thee, and hereafter explained by a twofold distinction; first, not to a base, not to a dishonourable match, but to myself, that am Gnamith JEHOVAH, 
Esay. 9  equal to JEHOVAH * the Father of Eternity, who made the earth and spread the heavens like a curtain, 
Psal. 104.  the eternal Wisdom, the essential Word, the second person of the holy Trinity, GOD everlastingly blessed. Secondly, not for a day, a month, or a year, but perpetually, for ever: and so have you the parts and circumstances of this Proposition: neither mind I to handle them severally and alone but jointly and together, because in them jointly is only contained that most admirable conjunction, and most straight union between CHRIST and his Church, which no power in hell nor earth is able to sunder and infringe: neither is there any way in nature by which two things can be made one, but from it the Spirit of GOD borroweth similitudes to express our conjunction with CHRIST: we are one with him, as EVAH was with ADAM, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, we are one with him, as the house and the foundation whereupon it is built; But this union is most lively set forth in these three similitudes. First, as is the straight conjunction between the graft and the stock, so is the union between CHRIST and his Church. Secondly, as is the nearness of the garment to the body, so is ours with CHRIST. Thirdly, as the straightness of the bond is between the wife and the husband, such is the straightness of our union with CHRIST.  
But before I explain the similitudes, it is necessary to understand what is signified by this word, * Church, in my text, 
The Church hath diverse significations.  to the end that you may know to which Church this promise is made, seeing it is diversely taken, and hath sundry significations in the old and new Testament: for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church, is a Greek word and properly signifieth an Assembly, which belongeth as well to the Heathen, and to Infidels, as to Christians and the children of GOD, verified by DAVID, Psal. 26.6. 
Psal. 26.6.  Odini Ecclesiam malignantium, I have hated the assembly; or, the Church of the wicked: and by the Apostle, Act. 19 
Act. 19  That calleth that multitude, which cried, Great is the DIANA of the Ephesians, Ecclesiam the assembly, or, the Church. But hereafter use obtained that Christians called their assembly Ecclesiam, the Church, to 
Why Christians called there Assemblies the Church.  distinguish it from the Synagogue of the jews, albeit that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth one thing, an Assembly, or a Congregation, a meeting or a gathering together. This word then Ecclesia the Church, being usurped by Christians is taken by them in the new Testament 
The Church hath five significations among Christians.  five manner of ways. First, for the Pastors of the Church, the people being excluded, and so it is taken St Math. 18.17. where our Saviour commands, That if a debate between neighbours cannot be quietly pacified, to tell the Church; that is the Bishops, Prelates, and other Pastors of inferior titles that have superiority and jurisdiction in the Church. Now it sometime belongs to this Church arguere & increpare, 2. Tim. 4. to improve and rebuke, sometimes, amputare, to cut off, sometimes, lapsos relevare, to raise up again such as have slipped or fallen, sometimes, to confirm and corroberate those that stand. In a word, In this Church as in the Ark there must be both manna and virga, bread for refection, and a rod for correction, osculum and fraenum, a kiss for friends and a bridle for refractory and stubborn persons. And as in a Vineyard there must be both planting and pruning, so in this Church must there be both Doctrine & Discipline. Doctrine, to inctruct in the points of Faith, to conserve, nourish and augment charity, flowing from the sincerity of the mind, integrity of the conscience, and from a faith void of dissimulation and hypocrisy. Discipline, to correct and reform vices and abuses. Secondly, this word Church is taken for the People, the Pastors being excluded, and so it is taken, Act. 20.28. Where Pastors are exhorted to feed the Church which CHRIST hath purchased with his own blood. Thirdly, it is taken for a particular Church in which both people and pastors are comprehended, such of old was the Church at Ephesus, at Corinth, at Rome, and such were those seven Churches whereof we read in the 2. and 3. Chapters of the Revelation, But now many of these Churches have much fallen from that purity wherein the Apostles and their Disciples did institute them, and some of them altogether made so great a defection and apostasy from the faith, as therein a man explicitly resting on their whole Doctrine cannot be saved, such to day is the Church at Rome, and such a one hath she been these many ages past, for in her, Idolatry is maintained, and the whole Doctrine of the benefit of CHRIST altogether corrupted, if then a man would be saved, he must use our Saviour's counsel, Revel. 18.4. 
Reuel. 18.4.  Go out of Babylon my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Fourthly, this word Church is taken for the whole assembly of those that here below upon the earth are called Christians: and this is the universal visible Church, composed of diverse particular Churches, called by the Apostle in the 1. of Tim. 3.15. 
1. Tim. 3.15.  The pillar and ground of truth, because it is the duty thereof to underprop and defend the truth against all those that seek by schisms, heresies, and erroneous Doctrines to suppress and overthrew the same. Now this universal Church subsisteth by a perpetual generation one succeeding to another, and consisteth of all the converted jews & Gentiles that are upon the face of this earth. It is truth that this Church was once, and before CHRIST came in the flesh only among the jews glorious, and the Gentiles than were but dogs or whelps; In the 15. of Math. 26. 
Math. 15.26.  It is not good to take the children's bread and to cast it to whelps. But now God persuaded JAPHET to dwell in SHEMS tent; Now God is the God of the Gentiles also. Rom. 3.29. Yea which is more, obstinacy is come to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Rom. 11.25. And amongst us God hath a more 
The Church is more glorious among the Christians than it was among the jews.  glorious Church then ever he had amongst the jews: for this cause ABRAHAM desired to see our days; for this cause St PAUL called God's old ordinances, beggarly rudiments. Gal. 4.9. and reputed of Genealogies as of fables, for this cause the Patriarches without us are not said to be perfect, 
Heb. 11.2.  Heb. 11.40. And this made SIMEON for a time to desire, that he might not see death. The jewish Church had but shadows and circumstances, but we have the body and the substance, 
joh. 1.2.  The word was made flesh; he walked among his brethren, they saw him, handled him, heard him, beheld his wounders and miracles, 
Math. 27.24.35. Math. 26.6.  saw him condemned, crucified, raised, and carried into heaven in a cloud. It was this that made EZECHIELL the Prophet say, our Temple should be bigger, then in the days of MOSES, 
Math. 11.11.  that made JOHN the Baptist be called the greatest of all the Prophets, and yet the least in our Church greater than he: that made St. PAUL. 2. Cor. 3. 
2. Cor. 3.  Call the Law, the ministry of condemnation, but the Gospel, the ministration of righteousness, the Law that which should be abolished, but the Gospel glorious, and that which remaineth: that under the law the jews did only see but thorough a veil, but we in our Church under the Gospel, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face. O unthankful Gentiles! O ingrateful Christians, and O most ingrateful England of all the Christians in the world, for howsoever that other Nations may pretend some excuse, yet surely, O England, thou is unexcusable, especially these 60. years, in which this sun of the glorious Gospel hath continually without eclipse shined in thy Horizon, and still doth run his circular motion, and yet nevertheless what is the darkness in which we do not walk? Alas, I mean, what iniquity do we not drink in like water? What is the vanity after the which we do not seek? And what is that grace of GOD, which we turn not into wantonness? Especially (leaving at this time all other things) this glorious Gospel, this spiritual Manna, this heavenly food, the plenty whereof produceth nothing but a loathing of the same, except it be most rarely cooked in, and garnished with humane conceits to satisfy your dainty appetites, & when it is cooked to you after this manner, which is a sort of Preaching too much used in this Land, and deserveth more discommendation, yet are ye contrary to all other creatures under the sun, that grow the fairer, the fatter, and the better too the more choice diet they feed on; as for example, when trees are removed to a more fertile soil, they will spread further, and be more fertile than before, when cattles are put into a better pasture, they will be of a greater growth and labour better too: But it is not so with us; No, for after never so learned a sermon, there will be both disliking & liking of it, but this liking tendeth not to retain the principal parts thereof in our memories and to practise the same in our lives and conversations. No, No, but only a liking that the Preacher did well and that he is a good Scholar, and this is all, and, if it be so, it is much too. But O Lord I pray thee, that giveth both the will and the deed to thy people, to bestow upon them new hearts, to renew within their bowels a right spirit, that they may apprehend thy bountifulness toward them, and magnify thy Name for such plentifulness of thy word sown amongst them, in regard whereof many Nations, like a Forest, stands not put to tillage, and for such light in thy glorious Gospel, in respect whereof, many, yea almost all people are but conducted by the Moon, which I beseech the O Lord never to extinguish, never, O Lord to let the Sun of thy Gospel in this Land set, so long as the Sun and Moon endure. Fifthly the Church is taken among Christians for the whole body and assembly of the Elect, and of those that GOD by the way of sanctification hath predestinated to be the heirs of the Kingdom of glory: and this Church is composed of three sorts of 
The Church of the Elect composed of three sorts of men.  people; first, of such as were upon the earth; but now are not, because their souls and their bodies are sundered; their bodies till the day of judgement are committed to the grave, where they must return unto the earth out of which they were taken, but their souls are conjoined with CHRIST in heaven, which one day shall be reunited again to their bodies, and magnify God both in body and soul, and this is called The triumphant Church, because the members thereof have overcome by the good fight of Faith, powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness in this life, and now in that other life, which is much better than this, they triumph, and have received, albeit not fully, the fruits of their labour, and GOD hath given them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness. Secondly, this Church of the Elect is composed of men that are upon earth presently alive, fight against sin, Satan, the world and their own corrupt affections, making their Election sure unto themselves by well doing, but or it be long shall be no more, and this is the Militant Church, the members whereof are visible as men, but not as members of this Church, and elect men, because Election is not discerned by the eye but charitably presumed on by faith and good works which are inseparable companions; as the Sun and light, fire and heat, water and aliquiditie: so that if a man want good works, we may boldly say he hath no faith, but we dare not affirm for all this, that he is not a vessel of Election, because Election is a thing which God hath reserved to himself, yea, it is altogether unknown to a man himself, it runneth so secretly, until the time that by his internal vocation God make it manifest and known to him, so that when I see a profane man, a persecuter, an unfruitful tree; I may say, and that with reason, that such a one hath no faith, and as yet is not internally called, but that God hath not elected him, and will not call him, it is a damnable presumption, and to dive in the bottomless gulf of GOD'S unrevealed will, and to fall within the compass of that which our Saviour expressly dischargeth, Math. 7.1. judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged. Thirdly, this Church of the Elect is composed of such as are not, but shall be, as are not yet borne; but are in the counsel of GOD registrated and enrolled to be borne, to fight in his war in future time; and ordained to obtain victory.  
This Church of the elect 
Four names given to the Church of the elect.  hath many names in Scripture, especially four; First, in the 1. of Pet. the 2. chapter and 9 verse. It is called a Chosen generation, and herein is distinguished from all other Churches. 
Distinguished from all other Churches.  First, from the Church of the Heathen and Infidels, which is, generatio malignantium, a Wicked generation.  
Secondly, from the Church of the Papists, which is, generatio Antichristianorum, an Antichristian generation, 
Revel. 17.  a great Whore arrayed in purple and scarlet, gilded with gold, precious stones, and pearls: sitting upon many waters, people, multitudes, Nations, tongues, and seven Mountains, which reigneth over the Kings of the earth, giving heed unto Spirits of error, teaching Doctrines of Devils, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with giving thankes: drunken with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of JESUS, I mean with the blood of many good Christians as Lions in France, called Waldenses from JOHN WALDUS, as they call us Calvinists from CALVIN, whom their King to his immortal infamy and dishonour excited by the Papacy did most cruelly butcher: with the blood of many good Christians massacred upon St. Baltholmewes' day at Paris, whose wounds are yet fresh bleeding in the memories of men that live and saw them, at Tollouse, Orleans, Boitiers, and many more places in France: with the blood of many a hundred thousand butchered most beastly in west Flanders by the Duke of Alphe, because they would not receive the mark of the Beast in their foreheads; what shall I say of our Martyrs under Q MARY'S reign, or of that Beasts cruelty and insatiable desire of blood that lately here most furiously in King JAMES his time, intended to have blown up our Parliament house? I can say nothing, but believe that that which St JOHN many years agone foretold, is fulfilled, that is, 
Revel. 18.4.  that Babylon even that great City upon the seven Mountains is become the habitation of Devils, the hold of all foul spirits, a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  
Thirdly, this Church of the elect, this Chosen generation, is distinguished from the Church of all other Heretics and Schismatics, which is, generatio reproborium, a reprobated generation, of this order are Manicheans, Arrians, Brownists, Familists, and such like, which esteem none to be members of the mystical Body of CHRIST, except those, that be of their most wicked and execrable opinions: Puritan I will not deal so rigorously with you, howsoever you are but tares among the wheat, and albeit you hold none to be professors of the Gospel, but your seditious and Schismatic society, and therefore calls and terms yourselves Professors per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, notwithstanding that your profession is nothing but lip-labour, renting in the mean season the coat of CHRIST whereupon the barbarous Soldiers did cast lots, and spared the same, breaking down the walls of jerusalem which * TITUS, 
joseph:  a heathen Emperor would have suffered to stand; drowning that Ark, which the general Deluge would not drown, when it drowned all the world, burning that bush, whereupon the cruel raging fire had pity and compassion, and In a word you endeavour by your ignorant and malicious Schisms, to demolish that house which is built upon a rock against which the gates of hell shall not prevail; for when any of the faithful servants of God takes pains for the home bringing of a lost Papist to the true sheepfold and Church of CHRIST, It is the first thing which he objecteth against us, ye are divided amongst yourselves, I cannot tell whether I shall embrace the opinion of your Church, or of your Puritan; and for is the conversion of sinners stayed by your woeful generation, the kingdom of Satan propagated, the kingdom of CHRIST diminished, and Christian religion exposed both to ludibrie and opprobry both to mockery and to shame: and yet you have eyes and ears, but will neither see it nor hear it: I think the curse of the Gospel is upon you, and cursed be those that prefer not jerusalem to their chief joy: never may they prosper that love not, that wish not peace within her sacred walls.  
Fourthly and lastly, this chosen generation is distinguished from the whole visible universal Church here below, which is generatio miscellaneorum a mixed generation, and may be compared to a net which gathereth both fish and scorpions, to a field in which groweth both wheat and tares, to a garden in which are both weeds and flowers, because in the universal visible Church et sanctis Ecclesiae locis are both Christ and Antichrist, Pastors and Wolves, truth and lies; Sheep and goats, good Christians and dissembling hypocrites, vessels of election and Children of wrath: and often greater store of the worst then of the best.  
Secondly again this Church of the elect, Heb. 12.32. 
Heb. 12.32.  is called the Congregation of the first borne, whose names are written in heaven, because the names of the elect are written in the book of life.  
Thirdly Ephes. the first and last, 
Ephes. 1.  it is called the body of Christ and by consequence false, hypocritical and profane Christians are not members thereof, because such are but dead members which can be no part of the lively body of JESUS CHRIST.  
Fourthly Reuel. 21.9. 
Revel. 21.9.  It is called the Bride and the Lamb's wife, because Christ hath married her unto himself in judgement, in righteousness, in wisdom, in mercy, and in compassion. Hos. 2. 
Hos. 2.  And it is to this Church of the elect this chosen generation, this assembly, this congregation of the first borne, this body of Christ and to this Bride the Lamb's wife, to which this promise of comfort is made. 
Cant. 4.  I will marry thee unto me for ever. This Church is hortus conclusus an enclosed piece of ground as the garden of Eden, and lieth within a hedge or fence. This Church and none other, is the spouse of JESUS CHRIST, to which he hath joined himself in marriage, and which he will make unto himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, holy and unreprovable; and out of this Church their can be no salvation, in which regard saith St. AUSTEN, Qui Ecclesiam non habuit pro matre nunquam Deum habebit pro patre, who had not the Church to his mother shall never have God to be his father, to which I will add, nec Christum pro capite & marito, not Christ to be his head and husband; and this made the good Emperor THEODOSIUS to conclude. Malo esse membrum Ecclesiae quam caput Imperque. I had rather be a member of the Church than head of the whole Empire. And thus much for this word Church in my text, the significations and names thereof, and to which Church this promise is made I will marry thee unto me for ever, to the Church of the 〈◊〉, and so I come to the explanation of the three similitudes by which our union with Christ is most richly expressed, the first whereof is the similitude of the root and the grafts.  
Can there be a more strait union apprehended? can there be a more near conjunction imagined then this between the stock and the branches, between the root and the grafts? 
The similitude between the graft and the root.  it is not possible, and yet such a one is our union with Christ; In the 15. of St. joh. the fifth verse, 
john 15.5.  I am the vine ye are the branches. This is a metaphor a borrowed speech from planting, 
Three things observable.  in which ye shall take notice of these three. First of the root or stock, Secondly of the grafts or branches, and Thirdly of the manner of engrafting. As to the first, the root or stock wherein this engrafting is made, is CHRIST, called by himself the true vine, by the Apostles the true olive tree, 
Rom. 11.17.  and by the Prophets the root of jesse. 
Isa. 11.10.  This true vine, this true olive and this root of jesse JESUS CHRIST, hath that great husbandman the eternal God dressed and prepared; in which he hath engrafted so many of Adam's lost posterity, as he according to his purpose and pleasure of his will hath decreed to make partakers of the kingdom of glory according to the election of grace before the foundation of the world, and therefore in the fullness of time sent him into the world, and as it were planted him in the grave, who by and by, 
Math. 28.  within the space of three days like a lively root sprang up, and rested not till his top mounted up to heaven, and till his branches were spread to the utmost ends of the earth till the Gospel was preached to the most remote regions under the Sun, even to the Scythians, Sauromatans', Aethiophians, Persians and Indians, and within a short space after CHRIST'S ascension, which may seem wonderful, not only the Roman * Empire, 
Tertull. adversus judaeos. cap. 7. 8.  Sed Brittanorum loca Romanis in accessa Euangelio Christi subdita sunt, but even those places of Britain, speaking of Scotland, which the Imperial sword was never able to vanquish or subdue, are now vanquished & become subject unto the Gospel of CHRIST, but this shall yet seem more wonderful if we shall but consider those that have vanquished both the Roman Empire and those, whom the Roman Empire could not conquer, and what sort of men they were, SOPHRONIUS Patriarch of jerusalem tells us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our fishers saith he, our Publicans, and that tent maker (speaking of St PAUL) hath constrained all nations, all people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to embrace the Laws of CHRIST crucified; and yet the manner how this was done, how this conquest was made, is most wonderful of all: for it was done non pugnando, not by fight, sed patiendo, but by suffering, suffering of tortures, of chains, of imprisonings and of death itself, and the more their sufferings was, the greater their persecution was, the larger was their victories, for their blood was the seed of the Church and the more abundantly that it was sown, the Lord did reap the greater harvest of true believers to be engraft in him, that is their everlasting stock, and root which never shall be consumed by time.  

Two feets of grafts.  The branches or grafts are twofold; external and internal, as to the first, all the members of the visible Church entered into a profession of Christ externally, baptised with water, but not with the holy Ghost, may be called external members or grafts; But this kind of graft will suffer an amputation or cutting off, and will come within the presinke of that, Rom. 11.22. If thou remain not in his bountifulness thou shall also be cut off, for they have not the sop of grace ministered unto them from the stock of life, but are as dead-trees having leaves without fruit, 2. Tim. 3.5. I mean good fruit; they have fruit indeed, but it is labrusca non vua some sour or hedge grape not good to eat, but no sweet grape. Like that which grew in Baal-hamon, 8. Cant. 11. Howsoever it hath a fair show like gaudy flowers among the corn, yet fitly it may be compared to Sodoms' apples, outwardly fair, but rotten inwardly, to that which glisters like gold but when it is touched is found to be but copper; but most properly to ESAV who did lie in the belly with JACOB, borne and brought up in IZACKS' house, which for the time was the Church of God & marked with the same Sacrament of circumcision too, but, because he proudly despised grace, was rejected, so shall it stand with all those that shall be baptised in the true Church, and remain not in God's bountifulness: neither shall it avail them any thing that by an external form of engrafting they have been joined to the society of the visible Church. But by the contrary it shall stand as an evidence in that black roll and register of a bad conscience against them, and most justly shall it make them to be punished with double stripes because they knew their masters will and did it not.  
The internal grafts are of those that beside their external engrafting and entering in the visible Church by the Sacrament of Baptism, are also internally engrafted by the holy spirit, and the baptism with fire in this root JESUS in such a firm manner and condition that Christ is in them and they in Christ, they are engrafted by God's right hand, grounded in faith, rooted in charity, watered by the word of God's ministry, digged and manured by the discipline of Magistrates, and in every manner of good work brings forth a plentiful vintage of good and sweet grapes, which are pressed in a contrite heart, raised up to a lively and confident thankfulness. And as wine is commonly known by the taste and colour so is this too. For its taste is a good conscience within, & its colour is a holy conversation without. These grafts may say with the Apostle, Now we live, yet not we any more, 
Gal. 2.20.  but Christ liveth in us. They have in them the same mind that was in JESUS, and this is a faithful witness, an unfallible argument unto them of their union with Christ, and that they are engrafted in him, and by the contrary, seeing contraries must bring forth contrary sequels, those that are not ruled & quickened by the spirit of Christ are not engraft in this root, neither have they as yet any union or conjunction with him, and so the Apostle Rom. 8.9. 
Rom. 8.9.  tells us, If any man have not the spirit of Christ, the same is not his: Not assuredly, for those that are not ruled by this spirit, they cannot choose but wander and go astraying, walking after the flesh, by which they cannot be absolved from judgement, from Tophet, and adjudged unto everlasting life, and thus much for the stock and grafts.  
And now I come to the manner of engrafting, which is twofold, 
A twofold engrafting.  secret and manifest, secret in Gods eternal counsel; for before the foundation of the world was laid and long before that man was created God knew his own children, and by inserting their names in the book of life did eternally and before all time engraft them in this stock and root CHRIST JESUS their redeemer. Secondly it is manifest, and done in time, but spiritually wrought by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our hearts makes us to go out of ourselves, transire in Christum transport ourselves into Christ, and so to rely upon him that by his spirit we are quickened, by his light we are illuminated, and by the continual furniture of his grace we persevere and increase in spiritual strength and courage, and so life's in him that we die in ourselves, 
Zach. 4.  and to the world. In the 4. of Zachar. As every lamp of the golden Candlestick hath its own pipe thorough which these two Olives which stand with the ruler of the whole world, 
Simile.  empty themselves in the gold: so every member of the Church of CHRIST receiveth grace from that fullness of grace which is in him thorough the secret conduits of the spirit, 
How, and when this engrafting is manifest.  by which he causeth us to grow and preserveth our souls in life. Now albeit this engrafting be manifest, and done in time, yet it is not manifest to every one, but only to the graft and branch himself, for to him the spirit of God beareth witness with his spirit that he is the child of GOD, Rom. 8.16. 
Rom. 8.16.  But to none other, howsoever that his faith, fructifying in charity, in love, and in every manner of good work, may make others presume that he is engraft in this root by the holy Spirit, after which he is, and therefore savoureth the things of the Spirit, Rom. 8.5. 
Rom. 8.5.  And I say, it is done in time, not that all Christians are engraft, that is, that there engrafting is made manifest unto them at one certain time, or in one special year of there time: No such matter, but at such time when it pleaseth that great husbandman the Eternal GOD, and in what age or year of their life unto him it seemeth most fit: but sure in what time soever it be, it is ever in due season and in good time, albeit it were not till the very last article of aspiration, as it fell out to one of the evil doers, that was crucified with our Saviour, in the 23. of St Luke, verse 42. 
Luk. 23.42.  But sometimes he will engraft and sanctify his Children from their mother's belly as he did SAMUEL, JOHN the Baptist, and others: and sometimes he will let them alone till their middle age come, and after this manner he dealt with St. PAUL, in the 9 of the Act. 
Act 9  Obscuring from him his engrafting and Election, till his Almond tree began to flourish, and at such a time as when he was even breathing out Persecutions against some of those whose engrafting was already made known unto them, even the Christian Church in her infancy.  
O the riches of the wonderful and incomprehensible mercy of GOD declared unto Mankind, who hath for our salvation, that before were castaways and the Children of wrath, 
Ephes. 2.  engrafted us in his own Son, by which he hath put us in a better estate than we were created in: for albeit that he made us before in a most glorious manner altogether according to his own Image, illuminated our will with Knowledge, and adorned our souls with Holiness and justice, yet he gave us Naturam flexibilem, a mutable and changeable Nature, creating us In potestate standi, seu posse cadendi, in power standing or possibility of falling, and therefore as we had a possibility of falling, so we fell indeed, and by an apostate Angel was drawn to apostasy. But it is fare otherways with us now, by this our engrafting in this stock, and union with CHRIST, for as the grafts bear not the stock and root, but are borne by the same, and by consequence our salvation dependeth not upon ourselves, as adam's did, but upon CHRIST, which is the stock in which we are engraft, who one day shall make us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua nobis ab illo tribuetur, unchangeable, fare above that estate, in which the Angels themselves were created, by reason of that immutable grace which shall be given unto us by him: and in this life itself, he will never suffer us finally and totally to be cut off from him by sin, (nothing else can do it) albeit we fall in sin, yet God will lift us up again, and raise up our souls to a lively confidence in our all-sufficient Redeemer. In the 37. Psal. 24. 
Psal. 37.24.  verse, Though the Just man falleth, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. And whereas other branches may be cut off and pulled away from their stock, either by the violence of boisterous and tempestuous winds, or by the force of men, or at least consumed by time, yet it shall not be so with us that are engraft in CHRIST, because we do not keep him, but are kept by him, and so long as he is unchanged, saith Malac. 3.6. 
Malac. 3.6.  We cannot be consumed; but the older we be in him, the more we flourish, for those that are planted in the courts of the Lord flourish in their old age and bring forth fruit, saith DAVID, Psal. 92.13.14. 
Psal. 92.13.14  But as to those that are not engraft in Christ, how great, how tall soever they be, yea, albeit they were like the sons of ANAK in stature, or in height like the Oaks of Basan, or like NABUCHADNEZZAR, that grew up like a great tree so high that the fowls of the heaven made their nests under him, yet they shall be pulled away from their stock, they shall not remain in honour, they shall be brought to the grave like abominable branches. In the 40. Chapter of Esay, the 24. verse, 
Esay 40.24.  The Princes of the earth their breath shall decay, they shall return to their earth, and their thoughts shall perish, the judges thereof shall be made a vanity as though they were not planted or sown, or as if their stock took no root in the earth, the Lord shall blow upon them and they shall whither, the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. O pitiful glory of worldlings! which often dyeth unto them before they die themselves, at least continually with themselves, their beauty consumeth in going from the house to the grave; neither doth their pomp descend after them. Only happy is the estate of those that are engrafted in CHRIST, 
Rom. 8.  Neither life nor death, principalities nor powers, things present nor things to come shall be able to separate them from the love of God in CHRIST JESUS their stock and root. And thus much for the first similitude of the root and the grafts, by which the union between CHRIST and his Church is expressed.  
As to the second, it is the similitude of Garments; 
The second similitude of Garments.  and look what straightness, what nearness, and how great a conjunction is between our bodies and our garments, which is exceeding near, yet such is the union between Christ and us, and more straight too, which when the Apostle in the 13. to the Rom. 24. verse, desired most richly to express, and most lively to show forth, he exhorteth us to put on the Lord jesus, to put him on as a vesture and garment, to be so united to him, as we possess him, and have him in us, and we in him. Now those that put on JESUS CHRIST are clothed with a fourfold garment; 
Those that put in Christ are clothed with a fourfold garment.  first, with a garment of CHRIST'S imputed Righteousness. Secondly, with a garment of Sanctification. Thirdly, with a garment of Protection; and fourthly, 
Three names given unto every one of the four garments.  with a garment of Glory. The first garment may be called a winter's garment, quia tegit because it covers us. The second may be called a summer's garment, quia ornat, because it adorneth us and maketh us fine. The third may be called a stand of armour, quia protegit, because it protecteth us. And the fourth may be called our Wedding garment, because we must not put it on till our Marriage day with the Lamb. The first three garments may be called our work a day suits, because every good Christian must put them on every day so long as he remaineth in this valley of tears here below. But the fourth must be called our holidays suit, because we must not put it on till the week of our Pilgrimage in baca, be ended, and the day of our appearance (before GOD in Zion, in that new jerusalem, in which no arrow can be shot) begin.  
I return to the first garment, the garment of CHRIST'S imputed Righteousness, 
The first Garment, Christ's righteousness.  and our Saviour himself speaketh of it, Revel. 3.18. I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that thine filthy nakedness do not appear. The Prophet Esay speaketh of this garment too, but more plainly. GOD hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation and covered me with the robes of Righteousness. Esay, 61.10. But what righteousness is this? 
What righteousness this is.  Is it not the righteousness of his Divine nature? No, for that is not communicable, but the glory which he will not give unto another. What then? Is it not the righteousness of his Human nature consisting in a perfect obedience of the moral Law? No, not that alone neither; for that alone were perbrene, too short, non vult tegere, it will not cover us from the frosty blasts of God's wrath, and from the fearful winter tempests of his infinite justice. What righteousness then I pray you? A righteousness never imposed to Man nor Angel, even that righteousness which he as our Mediator by fulfilling the singular law of a Redeemer hath purchased and acquired, to the end that he might communicate it, and give it freely unto his Church for her justification, by which she is absolved from death, whereunto by reason of sin both original and actual, she was subject, and is adjudged unto life. And this is CHRIST'S imputed righteousness, wherewith he first covers those that puts him on, 
How it covers us.  even our winter's garment, which is so perfect and so complete that it covereth all our nakedness from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, both of body and soul; for in both our Mediator suffered; his blessed Head was crowned with thorns, to satisfy for the proud Imaginations of our stout brains; his sacred hands and feet which never offended, were pierced with nails of Iron, to satisfy for the wicked deeds which we have done with our hands, and run to with our feet, and alas! daily by our sins we draw him again to the same torture, and crucify again to ourselves the Son of God, and make a mockery of him. Heb. 6.6. He suffered the wrath of GOD in his soul so heavily, as that both heaven and earth did stand amazed to behold it; The Heavens did draw their curtain, and darkness was upon the face of the earth, that they should see their maker in such pain, the Sun for shame would not look upon the Son of GOD in such a case, the veil of the Temple rend itself in two for grief, to see its Lord so dishonoured, the Stones in the street did cleave a sunder for woe, to see that Stone refused of the builders, which is the head of the corner. And finally, the Bodies of the dead rose out of their graves, astonished to behold the Lord of life so troubled in soul, that their souls might in joy perpetual peace with GOD, and be clothed with the garments of his imputed righteousness.  
The second garment, is a garment of Sanctification. 
The second garment, Sanctification.  Now we are clothed with this garment, when like the Elect we put on tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and long suffering, Col. 3.12. But specially when we put on love, 
When it is put on.  1. Thes. 5.8. Or to say with St PETER, When we deck the hidden man of our heart with a quiet and meek spirit, 1. Pet. 3.4. This is our summer's garment which adorneth us, and maketh us fine, this is that pure, fine and shining linen, which is the righteousness of the Saints. A garment not party coloured, as JOSEPHS' was, but made of many virtues and graces of JESUS CHRIST. These are the badges and cognisances by which we are known to be his servants, and the putting on thereof, is the putting on of jesus Christ. These are the graces by which the Holy Ghost translateth us out of nature, transformeth us into the Image of the Son of GOD, and maketh us become one with our Redeemer. 
When it is given us.  This garment and the former are both given us at one time. The former garment of CHRIST'S imputed Righteousness defendeth us from the fiery flames of God's burning wrath. This garment of Sanctification, reformeth our corrupted nature & reneweth the same; These 2. 
What it worketh.  garments both cures and covers our filthy nakedness, they turn our sickness into health, and our darkness into light, for whosoever putteth on JESUS CHRIST for righteousness to justification, puts him likewise on for holiness to Sanctification. So full of grace and virtue is the Lord, that he, not only by the merit of his sufferings pacifieth the wrath of God toward all those, in whom he is, but likewise by this virtue sanctifieth them, and by creating a new heart within their breast, and a right spirit within their bowels, maketh them new creatures, changing them from one thing to another both in body and soul, 
Act. 26.  from sin to sanctification, from darkness to light, from death to life, and finally, from the power of Satan to the power of God. That is, to Righteousness, justice, and soberly to walk in this life, in which, except our sanctified carriage, (neither is that complete, for man here is but only in a part sanctified, otherwise he were more than a man, but is perfectly justified, or else were he no more than a sinner) all things are not only transitory and vain; But vanity itself.  

The 3. Garment and its 3. names  The third garment, wherewith CHRIST clotheth his Church and those that put him on, is a suit of complete armour; hoc protegit, this protecteth the Christian man against all the assaults of Satan, and maketh him stand out against all the invasions of his Spiritual enemies. Satan envying this union between CHRIST and his Church, endeavoureth incessantly to defile the members of the same, to rend them a sunder, and tear them in pieces; sometime assaulting their Patience, 
job. 1. Gen. 9.21. Gen. 19.33. 2. Sam. 11.4.  as he did JOBS; sometime their Temperancie, as he did to NOAH and LOT; sometime their Continency, as he did to DAVID; sometime their Humility, as he did to HEZIKIAH, 2. King. 20. And made him in the pride of his heart, which of all vices is the first, to show the treasure of his house to the Ambassadors of BERODACH BALADAN King of Babel, which thereafter produced a strange effect, even that not only his treasure, but the fruits of his loins in the reign of JEHOIACHIN, the people and all the strongest men of war were carried unto Babel and Captivity, 2. King. 24. Sometime again Satan assaults us in our religion and former zeal: and it is wonderful how almost he ever prevails once against God's children, howsoever it be true that in the end he is evermore repulsed and driven back again. And in this manner he besieged SALOMON, the ornament of the world both for knowledge and godliness, prevailed against him, caused him commit Idolatry, and his Idolatrous wives to turn his heart after other Gods, ASHTAROTH the god of the Zidonians, and MILCOM the abomination of the Ammonites, 1. King. 11. 
1. King 11.  And lastly, Satan labours much to steal from God's children their honest name, & this is one of his most subtle assaults, and useth the tongues of his own instruments to effect his purpose, against the enemies of his kingdom,  qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt falsis rumoribus sordidentur, 
Nazian.  that those who through the testimony and light of their innocent consciences shines like the sun in his meridian, may be made black like the night, filthy as a puddle by the false reports of others. Good JOSEPH in the 39 chapter of Gen. was after this manner set upon by one of Satan's own instruments POTIPHARS' wife, for when she could not arrive at the intended end of her naughty thoughts, come and lie with me: she stole from him his good name; this Hebrew servant would have mocked me, and so made him odious and filthy in his master's eyes, and in the sight of his friends: and after this manner are many chosen vessels set upon by the soldiers of Satan so, as it is impossible for us to keep the whole pieces of our body together except we put on the suit of protection, that suit of complete armour in the 〈◊〉 the Ephes. And stand with our loins girded about with verity, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, he must have in the one hand the shield of Faith, and in the other the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; upon our head we must put on the hope of Salvation for an helmet, and the sling of Prayer must be in our mouths, or rather in our hearts with strong cry & inward groan, as MOSES had it at the red Sea, 
Exod. 14.15.  when PHARAOH pursued after him & his people: and to these pieces I could yet add one further, another pair of shoes; the Prophet EZEKIEL speaketh of those shoes in his 16. Chap. and they are made ex pellibus melium of Baggets skins. 
The shoes of the Baggets skin why assigned to the Church.  Elinie in the 38. chap. of his 8. book Records, that melis is a beast not only of great innocence, but of such singular prudency too, quod sufflatae cutis distentione ictus hominum ac canum morsus arcere solet, that by the extension of its skin it can shun both the strokes of men and bites of dogs, and therefore among many more tokens of Gods favour bestowed upon his spouse the Church, for her preservation, he likewise hath assigned unto her the shoes of this beasts skin, to teach her both innocence and prudency, to be innocent like a Dove, but wile like a Serpent for her protection against all her malignant enemies whatsoever. Thus must we walk armed continually, armed so long as we are in this life 2. Tim. 2.3. as the good Soldiers of JESUS CHRIST, 
job. 7.1.  because our life, as saith JOB, is a warfare, 
Ephes. 6.  and we must fight against Principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness, and not only fight but must overcome, anquish, and subdue them; and thus much for the three first suits of apparel, our workadayes suits, which every good Christian must put on every day so long as he is in this life here below.  
But as to the 4. and last, it is a garment of Glory, 
The 4 Garment, and its 3. names.  our wedding garment and our holy day's suit, but when the week of our warfare shall end, and the day of our refreshment, 
Act. 3.20.  the day of our eternal peace appear and begin, which is our everlasting Sabbath, 
Revel. 19.7.  our marriage day with the Lamb, after which shall never come a night, then shall our father cause this suit, our holy day's suit, our best robe to be brought out and cover us with white raiment, 
1. Cor. 15.  then shall this mortal put on immortality, and this corruptible incorruptibility; then shall we be covered with broidered work, and the LORD shall put frontlets upon our faces, ear rings in our ears, 
Esay, 26.  bracelets about our arms, chains about our necks, 
Esay, 61.10.  and crowns upon our heads, yea the Lord himself shall be unto us a crown of Glory and a diadem of beauty. Thus will he deck us as a Bride attired with jewels, 
2. Cor. 11.  as a chaste Spouse to be presented to our immortal husband without spot or wrinkle, in whose face is the fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore, rivers of pleasure in which we shall bathe ourselves for all eternity. And so have you briefly the similitudes of the Garments.  
Now resteth the similitude of Marriage: 
The similitude of Marriage.  and indeed this Spiritual union between CHRIST and his Church, is very often expressed by Marriage in the old and new Testament. In the 45. chapter of Esay. fifth verse, 
Isay. 45.5.  he who made thee, is thy husband, whose name is the Lord of hosts. And in the 9 of Math. 15. Can the children of the marriage chamber mourn so long as the bridegroom is with them. 
Math. 9.15.  And yet more plainly in the 19 of the Revel. 17. 
Revel. 19.17.  The marriage of the 〈◊〉 hath come, and the bride hath made herself ready. And again Reuel. 21.9. 
Revel. 21.9.  I will show thee the bride; the Lamb's wife. And here in my text as plainly, as lively, and more lively then in any other place. 
Hosea, 2.19.  I will marry thee unto me for ever. In all which our most gracious God willing to express, and desirous to show forth both that love which he beareth unto us, and that too, which he looketh for at our hands compares this most straight union, this most near conjunction between CHRIST and his Church unto the sacred bond of Marriage, by which two persons the man and the woman, the husband and wife are so firmly conjoined by God, that none ought to presume to sunder them, so wonderfully coupled together, that of two which they were before, now they become but one.  
It was already a great love of the Lord to have created all things for man, to have made him Lord of them and established him over the works of his hands. DAVID in the 8. Psal. ravished with this contemplation breaketh out in admiration. Alas, what is man that thou are mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him. DAVID admired God's liberality: toward man in the creation, but how much more ought we to admire his liberality, his incomprehensible bountifulness and love toward us in our redemption, wherein he not only giveth us his good things, But bestows his only begotten son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that well-beloved son in marriage on us, and in him giveth unto us himself too? DAVID admireth the contemplation of the heavens? But how much more ought we to admire the possession of the heavens? DAVID glorifies God for the domination which he gives us over the creatures in the earth, But how much more ought we to glorify God for our marriage and union with CHRIST, by which we shall reign continually with the Angels in heaven? A marriage, I say, the bond whereof is the spirit of God, whose trothpligth is performed here in the militant Church, But the nuptial feast shall be hence in the triumphant Church, where our meat shall be the Tree of life, our drink the Water of life, our music the song of the Saints, Halleluiah, halleluiah, honour, praise and dominion be to him that sitteth upon the Throne.  
It is an ancient saying, Omnis comparatio cl●●dicat uno pede, every comparison is lame of some one or other foot. But this comparison of Marriage doth so fully set forth, so richly express our Spiritual marriage, our conjunction with CHRIST, that if any, it goeth upright and strait in all the feet, which you shall quickly perceive by taking notice of these six things which are required in every lawful Marriage. First, that there must be male and female, 
Six Circumstances necessary in every Marriage.  Man and Woman, and this may be called conformity of natures. 2. The Marriage must be propounded. 3. The future Spouse must be courted and wooed. 4. There must be mutual gifts between the two lovers. 5. There must be a Matrinoniall written and sealed. 6. There must be Procreation of children; all which, we shall find in this Spiritual marriage, but in a more excellent manner. As to this word must so often repeated which importeth a necessity, remember that there is a twofold necessity, 
A twofold necessity.  an absolute necessity, and an hypothetike; the absolute, is when a thing is so necessary that it cannot be otherways, 
Which Circumstances are absolutely necessary, and which hypothetikely.  the hyphothetike, when a thing is so necessary that it may be otherways but is only profitable, decent and comely that it should be so: So some of these circumstances are of an absolute necessity, without which a marriage cannot be, as conformity of natures; others again only of an hypothetike necessity, and of a decent expedencie, but not absolutely necessary as giving of mutual gifts, writing and sealing of a matrimonial contract, or the like.  

The Church represented by a Woman two manner of ways  But I return to the purpose, thus being premitted, and finds that in this spiritual Marriage, there are male and female, man and woman, for the Church is very often in Scripture represented by a woman, in the 4. to the Gal. 22. The Apostle though obscurely, represents the true Church under the type of a woman, SARAH; ABRAHAM had two sons, one by a free woman, and was borne by Promise. But St. JOHN, Reu. 12.1. More clearly and in a more glorious manner too; And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon was under her feet, and upon her head had a Crown of twelve stars. Now to make up this perfect conformity of natures, our bridegroom CHRIST JESUS, even as the Sun, went out of the chamber of the highest heavens, from the bosom of the Father, the invisibility of the Divinity, 
The word is made flesh. Gal. 4.4.  descended down to the earth and in the fullness of time taketh our nature upon him, becometh man, and was like unto man in all things sinne only excepted: 
The benefit we have by his conformity of nature.  and so you have Conformity of natures between CHRIST and his Church: and by it we have this benefit, that CHRIST of one which he was before, becomes now unto us three; first our Father in regard of our regeneration which is a new creation, a creation of new hearts within our breasts and of clean spirits within our bowels. Secondly, our Brother in respect of our adoption, 
Ephes. 2.  without which we were but filij Irae, the children of wrath, prodigals banished out of our father's house, but now by our adoption we may eat of the children's bread, and with boldness, cry, Abba father unto God, the father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and acknowledge JESUS CHRIST his son to be our elder brother. Thirdly our husband in respect that he hath married us, in righteousness, in judgement, in wisdom, in mercy, and in compassion. Hos. 2.  
Secondly, 
The 2. Circumstance.  it is a custom that Marriage is propounded, and is it laudable; men ordinarily conform to their quality and order, send their most trusty friends to deal in this business, & Kings their Ambassadors of their greatest, wisest, and fittest of their Nobility to do honour to the action, 
This spiritual Marriage propounded in the most honourable form for four respects.  but never was there any marriage, either by King, or Emperor, propounded so honourably as this Spiritual marriage; and that in four respects. First, in respect of the propounder, God himself. Secondly in regard of the parties or persons between whom it was propounded, which is CHRIST and his Church. Thirdly, in regard of the persons to whom it was propounded, to ADAM and EVAH, the only rulers and swayers of the Sceptre of the whole world's Empire, and whose posterity is now propagated in innumerable honourable Families and Princely diadems, upon the face of the earth. Fourthly, in regard of the place where it was propounded, Paradise; The seed of the woman shall break down the head of the Serpent. Gen. 3.15. reiterated to ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and JACOB, to all the Patriarches, and in all ages by the Prophets, and here in my text by our HOSEA, as plainly, and more plainly, then by any of them; I will marry thee unto me for ever.  

The 3. Circumstance. Christ courteth his love.  Thirdly the King of Kings and Lord of Lords courteth, woo, and in a most loving manner declareth his spiritual affection to his future spouse in his letters and longs more than sweet, penned by the direction of his blessed spirit. In the fourth chap. of the Cantic. the first verse. Behold thee art fair my love, behold thou art fair, thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy talk is comely, and in the seaventh verse, thou art all fair my love, and there is no spot in thee. Again in the ninth verse, my Sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded mine heart, thou hast wounded mine heart with one of thine eyes and with a chain of thine neck; and once again in the tenth verse, my sister, my spouse, how fair is thy love, how much better is thine love then wine, and the savour of thine ointments then all spices; and so forth through the whole book of the Cantic. 
Christ for the love of his spouse fighteth a combat with his rival.  In a most familiar manner, alluring us and persuading us to accept of him for the love that he bears towards us, which was so great, that before his rival, Satan should have snatched us out of his hand he will fight against him, and all his confederates, and therefore he was made flesh, 
john 16.28.  he went from the father and came unto the world, he valiantly pitched a field in the wilderness against that roaring lion, that old Serpent, 
Math. 4.3.  he overcame his chiefest power, he broke his wily head, overthrew him in the desert by a scriptum est. But was this all? No, he fulfilled the Law in every point and title, satisfied God's justice for us, and before he will want us, he will give his life for us, and gave it indeed, offering himself in sacrifice to the Lord of hosts upon the Cross for our sins, by which he vanquished hell and conquered death; and thereafter gloriously rose again, left this world, and went again to his Father. joh. 16.28. and sent unto us the holy Ghost, but before he went to his father's house, he told us, that there was many dwelling places in it, and that he was going to prepare a place for us, joh. 14.3. and therefore exhorteth and admonisheth us not to be troubled, Let not your heart be troubled. 
joh. 14.1.   
O what a love is here, the height, the breadth, the length whereof is incomprehensible. But O what hardness of heart on the contrary is upon our part, more hardness then if the stones which DEUCALION and PYRHA cast over their shoulders after the deluge had been our progenitors and the first authors of our race, yea then the stones themselves, 
Ouid. Metap.  for we read that stones have been broken in pieces at the voice of the Lord at the first, and so were the stones of the altar in bethel at the voice of the Prophet, and the vale of the Temple rend itself in two, when the Lord suffered at Golgotha for our redemption and to make our marriage firm, and if at any time stones have been disobedient, unto GOD'S voice, it is because of man's disobedience and infidility, in whose mouth it was; and in this respect we read that the rock refused to render water to MOSES at the first and second stroke, yet rendered obedience at the third, and rendered water abundantly. But how often is this love propounded, this marriage offered, and the Gospel preached unto us: and which is he amongst us, that mollifieth his heart at the first, at the second, yea, or at the the third stroke: I mean at so many sermons or at a thousand more, loveth the Lord again, and repenteth him of his sins and iniquities; shall not the Altar in bethel, and the vale of the Temple condemn us in the day of the Lord? that at the first gave obedience; and be faithful witness of our Induration against us without example, that refuse most obstinately the love of our husband offered unto us every day at our own doors, but will not leave our father, forsake his house and our own people, will not be divorced from our adulteries, our old sins, that our husband the King may take pleasure in our beauty: The Lioness may teach us wisdom, for she will not company with the Lion after her commixtion with the Leopard till she first wash herself in water, unwilling that her adultery should be manifested by her scent. It is recorded likewise that the Viper is so wise, that before its copulation with the fish Muraena, 
Basil. in his Hexamer●n Hom.  it first vomits and casts out all the pernicious and venomous poison that is within it, or in its teeth; O pitiful blindness of man! that by nature is more adulterous than the Lioness, and goeth a whoring after every sort of vanity, more venomous than the Viper, and is full of hatred, malice, envy, and debate, and will neither see it, nor do it away, but suffers strange Lords to tyrannize over him without repugnancy & opposition, and specially such Lords as are but cowards, which if he but resist, will flee from him, and yet gives way unto him, not fearing that his disloyalty shall be perceived by his righteous master, head and Lord, and that his patience will in the end be turned into a sceptre of Iron to crush him, and to break him in pieces like a potter's vessel. O horrible and thrice cursed nature! why hast thou so armed our carnal corpse with the weapons of unrighteousness to fight against the long suffering of our most gracious God? and so long to abuse the love of our redeemer? But let us fight against nature with the weapons of righteousness, even with repentance, and humiliation, that the Lord may exalt us, give us the oil of joy for mourning, and wash us in that fountain opened to the house of judah: and finally let us say with DAVID, Psal. 73.25. 
Psal. 73.25.  Whom have we in heaven but thee, and we have desired none in earth with thee. And thus let us say in our heart, for it is the heart which the Lord craveth, My son give me thine heart, and let us say it speedily, and in this life; speedily, because time swiftly passeth, Et dies nostri sunt vel●ciores cursore, our days are swifter than a post, saith job. 7.6. and we cannot tell how quickly the race thereof shall be run out, and then it will be out of time: It must be then in this life, which is tempus acceptum, the accepted time, the day of salvation. 2. Cor. 6.2. because this life is the time in which our election must be made sure, and sealed up to our spirits by the infallible testimony of the good spirit of God, this life is the time wherein every man must work out his salvation with a filial fear and trembling: this life is the time wherein we must be admitted into the kingdom of grace, if ever we look to be admitted into the kingdom of glory: In this life we must be matriculated into the mystical body of the Church by obeying the injunctions and will of God, and requiring our suitors love with true affection, if ever we will look to sit at the bridegroom's table, and enter with oil in our lamps into his chamber into the kingdom of heaven: and in a word we must have heaven in inchoation in this life, if we will have it in perfection after this life.  

The 4. Circumstance.  Fourthly, as there are mutual gifts between two persons to be joined in the honourable and undefiled bed of marriage, so is there between Christ and his Church. 
Christ's gifts to the Church twofold.  CHRIST giveth his first, which are twofold, for his Church, and to his Church: for his Church, he sendeth to his father the gifts of his righteousness and meretorious satisfaction for her justification. To his Church he sendeth the gifts of his mercy & compassion, of Election, Predestination, justification, Vocation, Sanctification and hope of Glorification. The Church is not ingrateful, 
The Church's gifts twofold.  but hath her twofold gifts too. Contrition, and Thanksgiving; the first, is a composition: the second a simple without ingredients. The ingredients whereof Contrition is composed, 
The ingredients thereof Contrition is composed 〈◊〉 two.  are our sins and a godly sorrow for the same; for the child of God, a member of this Church, and every member of the same, takes all their sins, at least so many of them as they know, and in a sorrowful heart as in a mortar beateth them, so as they are borne down in some measure, yea in a great measure, & never riseth up so high thereafter: and thereof is Contrition composed & made: which is sent up by devout prayer, and innumerable sighs which cannot be uttered, whereof the Lord most willingly accepteth, for the Sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit, saith DAVID, Psal. 51.17. A contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. The other gift, Thanksgiving, 
Thanksgiving the greatest gift which we can give unto God,  is a simple and hath none ingredients, But is a voluntary, a willing retribution of one good thing for another, a sweet and a godly rejoicing in the undeserved mercies of God, which is one of the greatest gifts which we can, or are able to offer unto God, in which regard the Apostle exhorts us always, in all things to give thankes, 1. Thes. 5.18. 
Prayer and Thanksgiving paralleled.  Prayer & Thanksgiving are two notable parts of divine worship, but of the two, Thanksgiving is the most heavenly and Angelic: for in Prayer we respect ourselves and have regard unto such things as we desire to have; But by Thanksgiving we retribute unto God what is competent unto him, & only regards his Divine essence. Prayer again properly pertains to us whilst we are in baca, this valley of tears, Et est egentium ac miserorum, and belongs to wanting and miserable people: But Thanksgiving shall pertain to us when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, Et est angelorum ac glorificatorum, and belongs unto us when we shall reign like Angels and be joined to the fellowship and society of the glorified Church, the spirits of perfect and blessed men, that sings continually, Praise be unto God, and Glory to the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne for evermore.  
Fiftly, there is a contract, 
The 5. Circumstance.  a matrimonial written and sealed, in which it is contracted, that God shall be out God, and we shall be his people, that whosoever is weary and laden, 
Math. 11.  that in coming to our redeemer he shall be eased, and refreshed, which is, he shall be purged from all his sins in the blood of his Saviour, for in the 3. of St. john 36. The blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin. This contract is written by the Apostles, the penmen of the holy Ghost, that led them in all truth and verity, sealed with the blood of our Saviour, and ratified by the blood of many a Martyr since, both under the first and the second beast, under the cruel Emperors, and raging antichristian Popes.  

The 6. Circumstance.  Sixtly, as the procreation of children is necessary in Earthly marriage, so is it in this spiritual marriage. In earthly marriage this was the blessing of God in the beginning, 
Gen. 2.15.  Increase and multiply. Gen. 2.15. And without this, there is often but little content in marriage, when the Lord had promised to ABRAHAM twice the land of Canaan, to be his buckler and exceeding great reward, all was nothing, there could be no true contentment; because, said he, I go childless. But when IZACK was promised, when the Lord told him that SARAH should bear him a son, than ABRAHAM fell upon his face and laughed. Gen. 17.17. and when he was borne SARA confessed that the Lord had made her to rejoice. 
Gen. 21.6.  * RACHEL was more impatient, for in the 30. of Gen. 1. she would either have children or die, but when JOSEPH was borne she was content that God had taken away her rebuke. And in the 1. of Samuel, HANAH one of the wives of ELCANAH did weep because she was barren, but when Samuel was borne she rejoiced, and broke out in this glorious triumph; mine heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord, mine mouth is enlarged over mine Enemies. 1. Sam. 2.1. Just so there could be no peace if in this spiritual marriage the spouse should be barren; and howsoever that in some earthly marriages for other respects there may be peace with barrenness, and love too. Yet in this spiritual marriage the procreation of children is of an absolute necessity, and must not cease, nor leave off till the consummation of the world, neither shall the world subsist any longer, then till the Church be barren, for then, the whole and full number of those whose names are written in the book of life are brought out, and come into the world, and then shall the world end, and not till then. 
Who are our Father and mother in this spiritual Marriage.  Now our Parents in this spiritual marriage is Christ, and jerusalem, the Church militating here below, & the procreation is made at the preaching of the Gospel by the operation of the holy Spirit: and after this manner, at one Sermon made by St. PETER, Act. 2. there was 3. Thousand children procreated unto Christ, three thousand souls turned to the faith of JESUS, and wheresoever this Gospel is preached, or shall be preached, the Church will never be barren, because the Lord addeth daily unto his Church such as should be saved: 
Act. 2.  and in whatsoever place of the world there is any of those, whose names are written in the book of life, for their cause & conversion the Gospel shall be preached in that same place, & that piece that is called their hearts shall be disafforested, put to tillage and turned into a fertile field or a fruitful garden, and if there were but one elected Family in a whole City, the Gospel will come to that City for that one families vocation, 
Luk. 19.1.  as it did * to jerico for the vocation of Zacheus and his family: and wheresoever this Gospel is not preached, it is a sure argument that there is none of God's chosen children in that place, for where there is a harvest, God will send reapers, and labourers where he will plant a vineyard, and when there is but little preaching in a Parish or a City, it is a token that God hath no great harvest in that place, and where the lamp of the Gospel hath been burning once in a glorious manner, and now is extinguished, the candlestick removed, and false lights set up in the place thereof, as in the Church of Rome, it is evident that the Lords harvest is done in that City, place or Parish, because the Lord will never call home the labourers otherwise in the noon time of the day; nor remove his Ministry from his own people's conversion, consolation, and farther corroboration, in which regard the Ministers of God's word in some respect are the parents of all Christians, that is both their father and their mother, justified by St. 
1. Cor. 4.15.  Paul. In Christ jesus, faith he, I have begotten you, through the Gospel. And here it is clear that they are the fathers of Christians, and 
Gal. 4.19.  he makes it plain that they are the mothers of all Christians too. My little children of whom I travel again in birth till Christ be form in you.  

God's Ministers the Parents of Christians.  And this should teach all Christians reverently to speak of their Ministers, to honour them & maintain their reputation as their begetters to be the heirs of the kingdom of heaven; & to supply them in their necessities as their spiritual parents: But the omission of this duty toward the ministry, argues that Christ is not yet form in them, which is the forming of them to Christ's Image and similitude by casting off the old man, which cannot be done without sorrow and pain like a woman in her labour, whereof as yet they have never so much as once felt the least smarting: But before Christ be form in them, they will be sensible of it: for if a woman cannot be delivered of her child which she hath carried but nine months in her womb without dolour and grief? shall we think to be delivered of sin, which is a man, an old man, and a man which we have carried about within our breasts ever since the day of our nativity without spiritual dolour and pain. No? it is not possible, for in a sinner's conversion and forming of him according to the Image of the son of God, there must be the broken heart, the contrite Spirit, the mourning weed, the pale countenance, the melting eye, and the voice of lamentation: and therefore Repentance receives these three names in Scripture, Regeneration, 
Three names given to Repentance.  Circumcision, and Mortification, and as there can be no cutting of the flesh, no death, no birth without pain, so in this spiritual birth, 
Wherein consisteth the pain in the spiritual birth.  in this forming of sinners to the Image and similitude of Christ there is pain; pain for their own sins past, pain for the iniquities of the wicked, because they will not keep God's law, pain for all the abominations in the Land and place wherein they live, pain for to see the Church of God so oppressed in many places of the world, and finally, pain for their absence from their country the kingdom of heaven. Those that are after this manner in labour and pain are the children of Christ begotten in this spiritual marriage, not by the will of flesh and blood, but by the will of God. And thus much for the three similitudes by which our union with Christ is expressed.  
And now I come to the two qualities of this Marriage, 
The two qualities of this marriage.  the certainty and the perpetuity, but because the time is spent, & I fear that I have stayed you too long I will dispatch them in a word. The certainty then of this marriage, as I told you, is employed in the gemination and doubling of this Promise, I will marry thee to me, yea I will marry thee. And this is no tautology or vain repetition, but an infallible truth justified by joseph 
Gen. 41.32.  that tells us, that Pharaohs dream was doubled, because the thing is established by God. It is truth that God's promises are as sufficient when they are but once made as when they are reiterated, as firm when they are spoken, as being sworn & confirmed with an oath: yet for to supply our weakness and defects, our most gracious God is not only willing to promise, but often to double & redouble his promises, as he did to Abraham in the book of Genesis, 
Gen. 12.2. Gen. 13.14.17. Gen. 15.18. Gen. 18.8.  when he promised unto him the land Canaan, not once, twice, or thrice, but five times. And here in my text, not once or twice I will marry, I will marry thee, but the third time; yea I will even marry thee. Not only content to speak, but to swear, as in Psal. 12.11. The Lord hath sworn unto David, and he will not shrink from it, that of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. The Apostle 
Heb. 6.  giveth the reason, and tells us wherefore this is done, that thereby (saith he) he might declare to the heirs of the promise the stability of his counsel. And look how stable and how sure that our Election be, the certainty of this Marriage is as sure, and what arguments and reasons may be, or can be brought to prove the certainty of the one, the same will serve to prove the certainty of the other, but at this time I will neither weary you, nor lose myself in such a wilderness of discourse: for none can be members of this Marriage but the Elect.  
The last quality of this Marriage is perpetuity, for ever. This speech for ever is taken 3. manner of ways 
This speech for ever taken three manner of ways  in Scripture; first, for the time of a man's life only, and so it is taken Psal. 121.8. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from henceforth and for ever; that is, all the days of thy life, & that notwithstanding of the speculative interpretations of many that hath commented this place, that can draw out quidlibet ex quolibet, gold out of dross; or rather turn gold with their metaphysicke contemplations into dross, whose opinions I cannot now stay to refute. Secondly, in the old Testament it is extended, sometimes to the Messiah his coming in the flesh, so is it taken Gen. 17. Where the Sacrament of Circumcision is called a Covenant for ever, 
Circumcision abolished.  & yet you know it was abolished at the institution of Baptism, and S. Paul in derision calls it Concision, and in 2. Gal. 4. a Bondage. Likewise in the 12. Chap. of Exodus, the Passover is called an Ordinance of the Lord to be kept holy for ever. 
The Passover abrogated.  Nevertheless it was abrogated at the institution of the sacrament of the Lords supper; Thirdly, it is taken not only for the whole time of the world's enduring, but likewise for that Eternity which shall be after the consummation of the world, and so it is taken Revel. 11.15. where it is said, That Christ shall reign for ever; and here in my text, I will marry thee unto me for ever. No time here, no time hence, shall repudiate, sunder, and divorce us, but as I have loved my Church before all time, so will I continue my affection towards my well-beloved after all time, and when there shall be no more time.  
But seeing time is spent let us wind up this clew, let us see what we shall render unto the Lord for so great favour bestowed upon us, for so great love showed toward Mankind, above the Angels, in marrying himself unto us; making us sure of this marriage, alluring us to constancy by loving speeches, and by great promises persuading us, yea drawing us to embrace it: and suffering the Angels to lie still under the heavy burden of his wrath, in the most woeful and most miserable estate of Apostasy? What say I, shall we render unto the Lord for so incomprehensible a benefit, and such an infinite weight of love? ten thousand rivers of oil, & all the beasts on thousand mountains, yea in all the forest of Libanon are nothing to the Lord. What then? hear the Apostle? Love the Lord because he hath loved us first, let our hearts melt with kindness toward him, then shall it be unto us a faithful witness that we are a part of his mystical body, a part of the Church of the elect his spouse; and that the Lord loveth us: for this love is the first effect of our faith, the most express trace of God's Image, and the most lively mark of his children; it is the soul of other virtues, the rule of our actions, and the summary of the Law, it is the upholder of Martyrs, the ladder of heaven & the peace of conscience: yea, I dare say, that it is a taste, a beginning here of that infinite love which hence we shall carry toward Christ our husband when we shall be presented unto him without spot or wrinkle, a most chaste spouse, united, and perfectly have this promise of marriage consummated and fulfilled. To this our husband and redeemer, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, three persons, and one Deity, be all honour, praise, and dominion, for now and evermore. AMEN.  
FINIS.