The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

To open this by a plain Similitude of marriage. Such a person first offers himself to a Virgin, seeks her good will and consent to take him for her Husband; the person ⟨p. 183⟩being not well known to her, she tells him, Sir, you are but a stranger to me, though I have heard of your name, yet I have no such knowledge of you as to give answer to so weighty a question; give me time to enquire after you, that I may know whom I marry, if I should give consent: This is but reasonable, saith he, and bids her do so, She sets her wisest and most faithful friends on work to enquire after him, for his estate, temper, conversation, &c. The business is, what good she is like to have in taking him: if those whom she entrusted, being wise and faithful, bring in full and clear testimony, that the man is, for person, temper, education, estate and conversation, such a one as she may be happy in; now she hath knowledge of him, now she assents to the truth of what her friends report to her, being wise and faithful, and assured that he is true and real in his offer, he doth not mock her; her judgment approves of him, as one fit to make a good Husband: Then her will consents and takes him. When the public Minister (as it ought to be and was in Commonwealths well governed, and Churches) comes to marry them, his question is, Wilt thou have this man, &c. She answers, I will: Then he ties the marriage knot. Here is union, they twain now are become one flesh; he hath taken her, and she hath taken him into marriage covenant and union. She now being united to him, rests upon him, trusts to him, goes to his purse for whatever she wants, she lives upon him, this is communion in his goods.

To open this by a plain Similitude of marriage. Such a person first offers himself to a Virgin, seeks her good will and consent to take him for her Husband; the person ⟨p. 183⟩being not well known to her, she tells him, Sir, you are but a stranger to me, though I have heard of your name, yet I have no such knowledge of you as to give answer to so weighty a question; give me time to enquire after you, that I may know whom I marry, if I should give consent: This is but reasonable, saith he, and bids her do so, She sets her wisest and most faithful friends on work to enquire after him, for his estate, temper, conversation, &c. The business is, what good she is like to have in taking him: if those whom she intrusted, being wise and faithful, bring in full and clear testimony, that the man is, for person, temper, education, estate and conversation, such a one as she may be happy in; now she hath knowledge of him, now she assents to the truth of what her friends report to her, being wise and faithful, and assured that he is true and real in his offer, he doth not mock her; her judgment approves of him, as one fit to make a good Husband: Then her will consents and takes him. When the publick Minister (as it ought to be and was in Commonwealths well governed, and Churches) comes to marry them, his question is, Wilt thou have this man, &c. She answers, I will: Then he ties the marriage knot. Here is union, they twain now are become one flesh; he hath taken her, and she hath taken him into marriage covenant and union. She now being united to him, rests upon him, trusts to him, goes to his purse for whatever she wants, she lives upon him, this is communion in his goods.