Use ult. Use 3. 1Here is comfort to them who are by faith married to Christ; this is their glorious privilege, Christs beauty and loveliness shall be put upon them; They shall shine by his beams; This is (as learned Davenant saith) caput honoris, the apex and crown of honour; the Saints shall not only behold Christs glory, but be transformed into it, 1 John 3.2. We shall be like him; that is, irradiated and enamelled with his glory. Christ is compared to the beautiful Lily*, Cant. 1.2. His Lily-whiteness shall be put upon his Saints. A glorified soul shall be a perfect mirror, or crystal, where the beauty of Christ shall be transparent. Moses married a blackamore, but he could not make her fair; ⟨p. 402⟩but whomsoever Christ marries, he alters their complexion, he makes them altogether lovely. Other beauty causeth pride, —Fastus inest pulchris— but no such worm breeds in heaven. The Saints in glory shall admire their own beauty, *but not grow proud of it. Other beauty is soon lost. The eye weeps to see its furrowed brows, the cheeks blush at their own palenesse.
Nec semper violae, nec semper lilia florent,
Et riget amissis spina relicta rosis*.
But this is a never-fading beauty; age cannot wither it; it retains its glossiness, the white and vermilion mixed together to all eternity. Think of this, O ye Saints, who mourn now for your sins, and bewail your spiritual deformities (you are comely, yet black) remember, by virtue of your union with Christ you shall be glorious creatures; then shall your clothing be of wrought ⟨p. 403⟩gold, then shall you be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework, 5and you shall hear Christ pronounce that blessed word, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my love, and there is no spot in thee.
Use ult. Use 3. 1Here is comfort to them who are by faith married to Christ; this is their glorious priviledge, Christs beauty and lovelinesse shall be put upon them; They shall shine by his beames; This is (as learned Davenant saith) caput honoris, the apex and crown of honour; the Saints shall not only behold Christs glory, but be transform'd into it, 1 John 3.2. We shall be like him; that is, irradiated and enameld with his glory. Christ is compar'd to the beautiful Lily*, Cant. 1.2. His Lily-whitenesse shall be put upon his Saints. A glorified soul shall be a perfect mirrour, or chrystal, where the beauty of Christ shall be transparent. Moses married a blackamore, but he could not make her faire; ⟨p. 402⟩but whomsoever Christ marries, he alters their complexion, he makes them altogether lovely. Other beauty causeth pride, —Fastus inest pulchris— but no such worm breeds in heaven. The Saints in glory shal admire their own beauty, *but not grow proud of it. Other beauty is soon lost. The eye weeps to see its surrowed browes, the cheeks blush at their own palenesse.
Nec semper violae, nec semper lilia florent,
Et riget amissis spina relicta rosis*.
But this is a never-fading beauty; age cannot wither it; it retaines its glossinesse, the white and vermilion mixed together to all eternity. Think of this, O ye Saints, who mourn now for your sinnes, and bewaile your spiritual deformities (you are comely, yet black) remember, by vertue of your union with Christ you shall be glorious creatures; then shall your cloathing be of wrought ⟨p. 403⟩gold, then shall you be brought unto the King in rayment of needlework, 5and you shall hear Christ pronounce that blessed word, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all faire my love, and there is no spot in thee.
- 1Consolat.
- *Lilium flos emnium gratissimucob ui•• veum candorem. Guadal• pens•s.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Gr. Nazian.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Gr. Nazian.
- *Ovid.
- 5Psal. 45.