The mystical match between Christ and his churchThe mysticall match between Christ and his church

First, he looks upon his husband, and he sees ¹he must live in a poor and mean condition, he ²must take up his Cross, and be despised, and contemned, and trampled upon, and when he begins to think of this, he is unwilling to match: for saith he, I am not willing to live after this fashion.

First, he lookes upon his husband, and he sees ¹he must live in a poore and meane condition, he ²must take up his Crosse, and be despised, and contemned, and trampled upon, and when he begins to thinke of this, he is unwilling to match: for saith he, I am not willing to live after this fashion.

1. 1Object.
2. 23 Impediment, the crosses that follow.

To this I may answer in a word; for the Lord ¹himself gives a very direct and quick answer to this; saith he, I will deceive none of you, I will ²deal plainly with you, if you match with me, I say, your condition will be very base, and mean, and Blessed is he that is not offended with that mean condition. I confess, if you match with me, you must take up your cross, you must be persecuted, and despised, and hated of all men; therefore saith he, choose you, I leave it to you to make your own choice; if you will not match, you may choose. But says he, he that is not willing to loose his life, and part with father and mother, and let lands, and credit, and liberty, and all go, he is not worthy of me. Wherein he implies, that the Lord is worthy to be matched with, notwithstanding all this base condition, and that thou art unworthy of him, that stickest at it. And if thou