A55748:239
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.
what careth the husband-man for leaves or barren trees? not only the thorns, are cast into fire, but barren trees. Therefore look to your fruits, and deceive not your selves. It is a common error for men to think their estates good, when in the mean time they walk after the stubbornness of their hearts: they that do the will of the Lord 1shall be saved. What is the end of every grace, but to mollify the heart, and make it pliable to some commandment or other? Look how many commandments, so many graces there are in virtue and efficacy, although not so many several names are given them. The end of every such grace is to make us obedient, as the end of temperance is chastity; to bow the heart to those commands, be ye sober, &c. not in chambering and wantonness, &c. When the Lord commandeth us not to be angry with our brother, the end of meekness, and why the Lord infuseth it: is to keep us from unadvised, rash anger, so faith the end of it, is to take Christ Jesus, to make us obedient ⟨p. 103⟩to the command of the Gospel, which commands us to believe in him; so as all graces do join together, but to frame and fashion the soul to obedience. Then so much obedience as is in your lives, so much grace in your hearts, and 2no more: therefore ask your hearts, how subject you are to the Lord in your lives; it was the counsel that Francis Spira gave to them about him, 3saith he, Learn all of me, to take heed of severing faith and obedience; I taught justification by faith, but neglected obedience, and therefore is this befallen me. I have known some godly men whose comfort on their death beds, hath been not from the inward acts of their mind, which 4apart considered, might be subject to misapprehensions, but from the course of obedience in their lives issuing thence. Let Christians look to it, that in all their conversation, as they stand in every relation, as Scholars, trades-men, husbands, wives, look to this, that when they come to dye, they have been subject in all things: this will afford solid comfort. What will you say, when Satan chargeth you with this? it is true you have large promises, and he that believeth shall be saved, but then you must have been obedient and bring forth fruits; and when you look upon your lives, and find not these fruits, where are you?