Chapter IV: Front Matter (4)

And that there may be always such a heart in you, let me exhort all governors of families, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, often to reflect on the inestimable worth of their own souls, and the infinite ransom, even the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, which has been paid down for them. Remember, I beseech you to remember, that you are fallen creatures; that you are by nature lost and estranged from GOD; and that you can never be restored to your primitive happiness, till by being born again of the Holy Ghost, you arrive at your primitive state of purity, have the image of GOD restamped upon your souls, and are thereby made meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light. Do, I say, but seriously and frequently reflect on, and act as persons that believe such important truths, and you will no more neglect your family’s spiritual welfare than your own. No, the love of GOD, which will then be shed abroad in your hearts, will constrain you to do your utmost to preserve them; and the deep sense of GOD’s free grace in CHRIST JESUS, (which you will then have) in calling you, will excite you to do your utmost to save others, especially those of your own houshold. And though, after all your pious endeavours, some may continue unreformed; yet you will have this comfortable reflection to make, that you did what you could to make your families religious: and therefore may rest assured of sitting down in the kingdom of heaven, with _Abraham_, _Joshua_, and _Cornelius_, and all the godly housholders, who in their several generations shone forth as so many lights in their respective housholds upon earth. _Amen._

SERMON V.

CHRIST the best Husband: Or an earnest Invitation
to Young Women to come and see CHRIST.

Preached to a Society of Young Women, in _Fetter-Lane_.

PSALM xlv. 10, 11.

_Hearken, O Daughter, and consider, and incline thine Ear:
Forget also thine own People, and thy Father’s House: So shall
the King greatly desire thy Beauty; for he is thy Lord, and
worship thou him._

THIS psalm is called the song of loves, the most pure and spiritual, the most dear and delightful loves; namely, those which are between CHRIST the beloved, and his church, which is his spouse; wherein is set forth, first, the LORD JESUS CHRIST in regard of his majesty, power, and divinity, his truth, meekness and equity: And then the spouse is set forth, in regard of her ornaments, companions, attendants and posterity; and both in regard of their comeliness and beauty. After the description of CHRIST, an invitation to his espousals, is given the children of men, called by the name of daughter; and therefore, particularly applicable unto you, my dear sisters, as being the daughters of men, yet not so as excluding the sons of men.

I shall now, therefore, consider the words, as spoken to you in particular, and containing this doctrine;

That the LORD JESUS CHRIST doth invite the daughters of men to be his spouse; and is exceeding desirous of their beauty; who, forgetting their people and father’s house, do hearken, consider and incline to his invitation, and join themselves to him in this relation.

I shall shew,

I. How CHRIST doth espouse himself unto the children, but, more especially, unto the daughters of men.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST, doth espouse himself unto the children of men, in this world, but the public solemnization of the marriage, is reserved until the last day; when his spouse shall be brought forth to him, in white robes, and a raiment of perfect righteousness, more rich and curious, my dear sisters, than any of your needle-work; and the marriage feast will be kept in his Father’s house, in heaven, where they shall be received into the nearest and closest embraces of his love. The marriage knot is tied here, in which are included four things:

_First_, Mutual Choice.

_Secondly_, Mutual Affection.

_Thirdly_, Mutual Union.

_Fourthly_, Mutual Obligation.

_First_, My dear sisters, there is a _mutual choice_, which is not only in CHRIST, as Mediator, but also by CHRIST as the eternal Son of GOD, yea, GOD himself; notwithstanding all that the polite _Arians_ and _Socinians_ say to the contrary. The LORD JESUS CHRIST, my dear sisters, doth chuse you merely by his free grace; it is freely of his own mercy, that he brings you into the marriage covenant: You, who have so grievously offended him, yet, the LORD JESUS CHRIST hath chosen you; you did not, you would not have chosen him; but when once, my dear sisters, he hath chosen you, then, and not till then, you make choice of him for your Lord and Husband.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST when he first comes to you, finds you full of sin and pollution; you are deformed, defiled, enslaved, poor, miserable and wretched, very despicable and loathsome, by reason of sin; and he maketh choice of you, not because of your holiness, nor of your beauty, nor of your being qualified for them; no, the LORD JESUS CHRIST puts those qualifications upon you, as may make you meet for his embrace; and you are drawn to make choice of this LORD JESUS CHRIST because he first chose you.

_Secondly_, In this espousal of your’s, my dear sisters, there is a _mutual affection_; this doth accompany the choice. Your hearts are drawn out after CHRIST; your souls pant and long for him; you cannot be at rest until you are engaged to this JESUS: You are ready to cry out continually, none but CHRIST, none but CHRIST: this is the language of your hearts, if you are truly sensible of your need of him. The more acquaintance you have of this LORD JESUS, the more pleased you are with your choice, and the more your affections are drawn towards him. And where can you place your affections better than upon that JESUS who shed his blood for your sakes? Surely he deserves both your loves and affections: Go on, go on, my dear sisters, that your affections may grow stronger and stronger.

_Thirdly_, There is not only mutual choice, and mutual affection, but likewise _mutual Union_: And here doth the marriage lie chiefly, in this union; CHRIST and souls are contracted, and the knot is tied so fast, that neither men on earth, how great soever they be, nor devils in hell, though they should combine all their wrath and rage together, still they cannot dissolve, they cannot untie it; no, my dear sisters, it is indissolvable, for the union is, by the spirit, on CHRIST’s part, and by faith on your’s: By the spirit, CHRIST doth lay hold on you; and by faith, you do lay hold on him; and thus the match is made; CHRIST becomes your’s, his person, portion, and all his benefits are your’s; and you become CHRIST’s, your persons, your hearts, and all that you have is resigned up unto him; and O that they may be so more and more.

_Fourthly_, There is a _mutual Obligation_ between CHRIST and his spouse. CHRIST obliges himself to love you here; he will not, indeed he never will leave you, he will protect you from the malice of the _Pharisees_ of this generation, he will provide for you in all difficulties; he will live with you here, and at last he will take you to himself, to live with him for ever. And you are engaged to him to be loving, loyal, faithful, obedient; and you are to stick close to him as long as you live; and then you will find yourselves to be married to the best advantage, both for soul and body, for time and for eternity.