A55748:158
The mystical match between Christ and his churchThe mysticall match between Christ and his church
The mystical match between Christ and his church by the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston ... The leading sermon to that treatise of his called The churches marriage.The mysticall match between Christ and his church by the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston ... The leading sermon to that treatise of his called The churches marriage.
London: printed for Francis Eaglesfield, 1648
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But take heed, that when thou strikest an hypocrite, a Saint lies not a bleeding; so also when a man lieth under a sharp and powerful Ministry, and thou bearest hatred and dislike of it, thou hatest the Lord himself, whose ordinance it is. This was the case of the Jews, when the Apostles had showed them the Lord Jesus, and they saw all was rejected, what followed? we have no more to say to you, Christ would no longer be a suitor to them. Seeing ye reject us, and will not receive this word of salvation, lo now we turn to the Gentiles, and those that will receive us. And therefore brethren, take heed of disliking the Lord, when he comes a suitor to you, do not lay false aspersions upon him, and his ways, and children, do not believe false aspersions laid upon him by others; as those that were sent to spy Canaan, they brought up evil reports of that Land; what followed? not only they were excluded out of the Land, but also all those that believed them.
But take heede, that when thou strikest an hypocrite, a Saint lyes not a bleeding; so also when a man lyeth under a sharp and powerfull Ministery, and thou bearest hatred and dislike of it, thou hatest the Lord himselfe, whose ordinance it is. This was the case of the Iewes, when the Apostles had shewed them the Lord Iesus, and they saw all was rejected, what followed? we have no more to say to you, Christ would no longer be a suter to them. Seing ye reject us, and will not receive this word of salvation, loe now we turne to the Gentiles, and those that will receive us. And therefore brethren, take heed of disliking the Lord, when he comes a suter to you, doe not lay false aspersions upon him, and his wayes, and children, doe not beleeve false aspersions laid upon him by others; as those that were sent to spye Canaan, they brought up evill reports of that Land; what followed? not onely they were excluded out of the Land, but also all those that beleeved them.
Now thus we have showed you the match, and given you some trials to know, whether you are matched with Christ or no, as also what may ⟨p. 69⟩stir you up to accept this match, if ye find upon examination, that ye are not matched with him, also the impediments that keep men off from the match: that if any of them be your case, ye may remove it. But brethren, all this can do nothing to procure this match; this will not work upon you, except the Lord be his own spokse-man to win your love, he it is that must win you. Men are like dead men when we speak to them; but if Christ speak not by his Spirit, they are dead still; it is he that must show you your debt and your danger, and the beauty and excellency of your husband, and must remove the impediments.