A64978:15
Christ the best husband
Christ the best husband: or An invitation of young women unto Christ Delivered in a sermon to young women. By Thomas Vincent, minister sometime of Maudlins Milkstreet, London.
London: printed for George Calvert and Samuel Sprint, 1672
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.
3. In this espousal there is mutual Union; and herein most properly doth the espousal lie; in this union Christ and souls are contracted, and the knot is tied so fast, as no power can untie; which union is by the Spirit, on Christs part, and by Faith on their part; by the Spirit Christ doth lay hold on them, and by Faith they lay hold upon Christ; by the Spirit Christ doth draw them, and knit them to himself, and by Faith they come and join themselves unto him, and so the match is made; Christ becomes theirs, his person, portion, and all his benefits theirs; and they become Christs, their persons, their hearts, and all that they have is resigned up unto him.
3. In this espousal there is mutual Union; and herein most properly doth the espousal lie; in this union Christ and souls are contracted, and the knot is tied so fast, as no power can untie; which union is by the Spirit, on Christs part, and by Faith on their part; by the Spirit Christ doth lay hold on them, and by Faith they lay hold upon Christ; by the Spirit Christ doth draw them, and knit them to himself, and by Faith they come and joyn themselves unto him, and so the match is made; Christ becomes theirs, his person, portion, and all his benefits theirs; and they become Christs, their persons, their hearts, and all that they have is resigned up unto him.
4. In this espousal there is mutual obligation: Christ obligeth himself to them to love them, and never leave them, to protect, to provide for them, to live with them here, and at length to take them to live with him for ever; and they engage themselves unto him, to be loving, loyal, faithful, obedient, and with full purpose of heart to stick close ⟨p. 5⟩to him, as long as they live: this is implied in the espousal it self.