A64978:70
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.
1. Admire and adore that rich and free grace which hath chosen and brought you into this relation; say, Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise: Say, O wonderful! wonderful! wonderful Love! that we should be made the Spouse of Christ! We that had no Beauty! we that had no Dowry! that we who embraced Dunghills should ⟨p. 29⟩be taken into the embracements of the Lord! O Infinite condescending kindness!
1. Admire and adore that rich and free grace which hath chosen and brought you into this relation; say, Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise: Say, O wonderful! wonderful! wonderful Love! that we should be made the Spouse of Christ! We that had no Beauty! we that had no Dowry! that we who embraced Dunghils should ⟨p. 29⟩be taken into the embracements of the Lord! O Infinite condescending kindness!
2. See that you give reverence unto Christ to whom you are espoused: He is your Lord, and you must reverence, and stand in awe of him; take heed of pride, passion, discontent with your condition, murmurings under affliction, and every other sin which is displeasing to Christ, and unbecoming the reverence which you owe to him.
3. Be loving and faithful unto Christ, receive not any creature in the world into the embracements of that dearest love which doth belong to your espoused Husband; love him supremely, and love him ardently, and labour to increase in love to him daily.