This indeed is the only Marriage that cannot be dissolved. As for all Earthly Relations, Death dissolves them. Rom. 7.2. If the Husband is dead the Wife is loosed from the Law of her Husband. But the Relation between Christ and his Church has no end. Christ says to his Church, Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee to me for ever. This Relation continues to Eternity, as long as the Eternal Son of God and the Immortal Souls of Believers shall live, so long shall this Relation continue. As in Marriages the Relation continues so long as both Parties shall live: so it is here. Christ the Son of God he lives for ever, He is Yesterday, and to day and for ever the same. The Jews said, Joh. 12.34. We have heard out of the Law that Christ ⟨p. 57⟩abides for ever: He does so. Tho' he was once as to his Body subject to death. Rev. 1.18. He said from Heaven, I was dead and I am alive, and behold I live for ever more. Christ lives for ever more. And as for Believers they shall never die, Christ said to Martha, Joh. 11.26. He that believes in me shall never die; and he said, If a man keeps my sayings, he shall never see death, Joh. 8.51. Although' a Natural Death, the Death of the Body is that which they are as subject to as other Men; yet their Souls live and their Bodies too shall awake out of the sleep of death; and after the Resurrection they shall be equal to the Angels, and then they cannot die any more: therefore the Relation between Christ and them will continue to all Eternity: It abides in Heaven, for in Heaven is the Marriage Feast: a Feast is there the like where-unto was never known on Earth, as to the greatness of the Entertainment, the rejoicing and the continuance of it. The King of Persia made a Feast for all his Princes, Esther 1.3. which lasted a hundred and eighty days together; but this Feast lasts infinitely longer than a hundred and eighty Millions of Years. The Scripture sets forth heavenly things by Earthly Similitudes, otherwise we could not conceive of them, no heart can conceive what is to be enjoyed in Heaven. Christ said to the Jews, Joh. 3 9. If I should tell you heavenly things how could you believe? If ⟨p. 58⟩heavenly things should be set before us in their own proper Dialect, we could not comprehend them. Therefore earthly Similitudes are made use of to set forth those things, and especially this of a Marriage Feast, to denote the happiness and joy of Heaven.
This indeed is the only Marriage that cannot be dissolved. As for all Earthly Relations, Death dissolves them. Rom. 7.2. If the Husband is dead the Wife is loosed from the Law of her Husband. But the Relation between Christ and his Church has no end. Christ sayes to his Church, Hos. 2.19. I will betroth thee to me for ever. This Relation continues to Eternity, as long as the Eternal Son of God and the Immortal Souls of Believers shall live, so long shall this Relation continue. As in Marriages the Relation continues so long as both Parties shall live: so it is here. Christ the Son of God he lives for ever, He is Yesterday, and to day and for ever the same. The Jews said, Joh. 12.34. We have heard out of the Law that Christ ⟨p. 57⟩abides for ever: He does so. Tho' he was once as to his Body subject to death. Rev. 1.18. He said from Heaven, I was dead and I am alive, and behold I live for ever more. Christ lives for ever more. And as for Believers they shall never die, Christ said to Martha, Joh. 11.26. He that believes in me shall never die; and he said, If a man keeps my sayings, he shall never see death, Joh. 8.51. Altho' a Natural Death, the Death of the Body is that which they are as subject to as other Men; yet their Souls live and their Bodies too shall awake out of the sleep of death; and after the Resurrection they shall be equal to the Angels, and then they cannot die any more: therefore the Relation between Christ and them will continue to all Eternity: It abides in Heaven, for in Heaven is the Marriage Feast: a Feast is there the like where-unto was never known on Earth, as to the greatness of the Entertainment, the rejoycing and the continuance of it. The King of Persia made a Feast for all his Princes, Esther 1.3. which lasted a hundred and eighty days together; but this Feast lasts infinitely longer than a hundred and eighty Millions of Years. The Scripture sets forth heavenly things by Earthly Similitudes, otherwse we could not conceive of them, no heart can conceive what is to be injoyed in Heaven. Christ said to the Jews, Joh. 3 9. If I should tell you heavenly things how could you believe? If
