Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

He is such an Husband as never was, his conjunction with his Spouse is never dissolved; the earthly marriage may be dissolved by Adultery, but in the spiritual Marriage between Christ and Believers no such thing falls out; truth and faithfulness are found on all hands; he will never forsake them; they will not forsake him; his fear in their heart keeps them from a departure; his love is towards them; their love is towards him; if it cool or slack, his love (which is the fountain and first mover) will come and inflame theirs afresh; nay, there is not only love, or a likeness of temper between them, but they are so joined to him as to be one spirit; two spirits may vary and go different ways, but one spirit must needs keep them together; here is no room for spiritual fornication or departure from Christ. Further, Death parts man and wife, ⟨p. 153⟩but not Christ and Believers; he died, but it was that he might purchase a Church, that a Spouse might come out of his bleeding side; they dye, but their death is a sleep in Jesus, their union to him continues; in Death there is a separation of body and soul; but as in Christ it did not break the hypostatical union, so in Christians it doth not break the mystical one; his body in the grave was not separate from his Divine person; their bodies there are not separate from Christ the Head; his Spirit will not leave them in the dust, but raise them up to a glorious life, as a sure token, that they are in conjunction with him. The perpetuity of this conjunction is excellently set forth by the Prophet; I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord, Hos. 2.19, 20. In this famous Text (which, as I take it, respects the spiritual Marriage between Christ and the Church) two or three things may be noted: Here we have (I will betroth, I will betroth, I will betroth) thrice repeated, to note out the sureness of the Promise; here it is said in express terms, That the espousal is not for ⟨p. 154⟩a time, but for ever; here Christ engages his Righteousness, Truth, Love, Mercy, Faithfulness, to make good the perpetual espousal. In the close it is added, Thou shalt know the Lord; the espoused shall know, that their Lord Christ hath effected this great work.