“ Thy Maker is thy Husband!"
2. This marriage is very difficult and hard. It
is true, there it nothing too hard for Omnipotency;
yet the human nature of Christ had much to do with
it: though he was supported by the divine nature,
yet he behoved to swim through the river of his own
blood before he could get his bride. He satisfied
the justice of God, and established a new covenant.
All this was to be done, in order to his marriage.
3 This marriage is an indissolvable marriage.
Death dissolves other relations, but it increases this
intimate union. ”

“ Having him
for an husband, they come to be related to all Christ’s
relations; God is their Father, because he is his
Father; angels are their servants, because they are
his servants; saints are their fellow-brethren, be-
cause they are his members; heaven is their inhe-
ritance, because it is the kingdom of their husband.
In a word, whatever is his, is theirs; “And all
things are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is
God’s,” 2 Cor. iii. 22, 23.
(2.) For lamentation. Is it so, that there is
a marriage-relation betwixt Christ and believers? ”

“ I. If this marriage be made up betwixt Christ
and thee, theo then hast put away all lovers besides
Christ; the right hand will be cutoff, the right eye
put out; you will be divorced from all other hus-
bands, particularly from the law. Ye must be dead
to the law, that ye may be married to another hus-
band, even to Christ. But you will say, What is it
to be dead to the law? I answer, It is not to lay it
aside as the rule of obedience, life, and conversation;
I but to be dead to the law, is to be senfible that the
law cannot save us as a covenant of works. ”

“ That when the time comes, then
there is a sweet conjunction of all circumltances to
conclude the work; all things work pleasantly to-
gether to compleat the match; conscience goes right
to work, the word is made lively, the Spirit acts
powerfully and sweetly in the soul: there is an au-
spicious conjunction of all favourable circumstances,
for determining the bride, and drawing out her
heart. ”

“ The bride, the believer, sees him “As
the apple-tree among the trees of the woodevery
way incomparable; whatever he be compared to, he
excells it. If he be a lilly he is the lilly of the valley;
if he be a rose, he is the rose of Sharon; if he be a
plant, ne is the plant of renown; if he be a phy-
sician, he is the physician of value; if an advocate, he
is an advocate with the Father: he is represented
without any parallel. 3. ”

“ Infinite wisdom could have contrived a thou-
sand worlds, and infinite power could have made
them; but the love of God hath gone to its ut-
most height; it is not possible for Christ to give a
greater demonstration of his love than he hath done,
in giving his life for the bride, and entering into
a marriage relation with her.
4 He does it, that he may furnish work for the
blessed company in the higher house; for, on the
earth the contract is only drawn up; this is only
the day of espousals ”

“ He covers them
with the mantle of his providence, the mantle of his
righteousness. the mantle of his intercession, the
mantle of his Spirit; sure then the bride of Christ:
is in absolute safety. He hath retiring chambers for
her, to hide her in till the day of indignation be
overpast.
4 This doctrine lets us see, that believers are
no such mean and despicable persons as the world
generally takes them to be; they are Christ's bride,
and he is their husband: and, O what an honour is
it to be married to the Son of God! ”

“ Christ comes under a marriage-relation to believers.
I answer, 1. His own sovereign will is the hest
reason why he comes under a marriage relation in
this cafe: "Even so Father, for so it seems good
in thy fight,” Matth. xi. 26. His actions are not
to be examined at the bar of our reason: “ He hath
mercy, because he will have mercy.”
2. His love to them makes him come under such
a relation to them; I have loved thee with an
everlasting love; therefore with everlasting kindness
have I drawn thee ” Love is the motive that en-
gages him; love brought him out of heaven for them ”

“ This doctrine may afford us matter of lamen-
tation also. That believers who are espoused to
him, should walk so unworthily of such a husband.
You know, a wise should demean herself conform
to the character of her husband; and where her
carriage is base and mean, it reflects a dishonour
on him. O how unsuitable is it to see st's bride
blackened with the filth of hell! to see those who
have stricken hands with Christ, in a marriage-
covenant, joining hands with lust and idols, and
defiling themselves with them! ”

“ Let angels in heaven unite their topics of perfuasion,
they could not prevail with one soul, if a converting
day were not come: but they must always speak fair
to her. How rhetorical was Abrabam’s servant for
his master? “He hath but one child, and that child
hath great riches.” ”

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

“ He gave the Father his hand, and engaged to
him in the covenant of redemption, from eternity,
that he would do all things necessary for accomplish
ing the marriage.
2. Because there must be an union of natures
betwixt the Bridegroom and the bride; (it was not
possible that we could be matched with the divine
nature;) therefore he becomes a man, and takes
on our nature, that there might be an union of
natures.
3. Because the bride is a slave, he pays her ran-
som, substitutes himself in her room, takes on her
debt, and pays all that she owed to justice and then
takes on with her. ”

“ Ordi-
nances will be sweet, being the galleries wherein
the King is held.
Lastly, and to conclude, Try by the qualities of
the bride, that are also consequents of the marriage.
1. If you be Christ's bride, then you will love
the bridegroom. Love is what every wife owes to
her husband; much more doth the believer owe it
to Christ, who hath expressed far more love to his
bride than ever a husband did to a wife ”