Of domesticall duties eight treatises. I. An exposition of that part of Scripture out…

Behold another evidence of Christs admirable love to the ¹Church, and of the near union betwixt Christ and her. The ²former was that she was his body. This, that she is his wife: well might the Church say as Abigail did, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my ³Lord: and as the prodigal child, Make me as one of thine hired ⁴servants: or as the Baptist, I am not worthy to stoop down to ⁵unloose thy shoe-latchets. What a favour then is it to be made his spouse, his wife, his Queen. Great was the favour which Ahash-verosh showed to Esther, when he made her his wife: he was a great Monarch, reigning from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces: but Esther was a poor orphan and captive: yet was not this favour comparable to Christs: for there was no such disparity and inequality betwixt Ahash-verosh and Esther, as betwixt Christ and the Church: neither is Esthers advancement to be compared with the Churches: and yet there was some cause in Esther to move Ahash-verosh to do what he did, for she was very beautiful, and lovely, and worthy to be loved: but ^*in the Church when Christ first cast his love on her, there was no such thing. No pattern of love can be given any way comparable to this.

Behold another euidence of Christs admirable loue to the ¹Church, and of the neere vnion betwixt Christ and her. The ²former was that she was his body. This, that she is his wife: well might the Church say as Abigaile did, Behold, let thine handmaid be a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my ³