2. The second and chief Fulfilment here spoken of, of that Promise of the Church's being married, is in her being married to Christ; And as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. Not that we are to understand that the Church has many Husbands or that Christ is one Husband, and Ministers are other Husbands that she hath: For tho' Ministers are here spoken of as being married to the Church, yet 'tis not as being his Fellows or Competitors, or as Husbands of the Church standing in a conjugal Relation to his Bride in any wise parallel with his: For the Church has but one Husband; she is not an Adulteress, but a Virgin, that is devoted wholly to the Lamb, and follows him whithersoever he goes▪ But Ministers espouse the Church entirely as Christ's Ambassadors, as representing him and standing in his Stead, being sent forth by Him to be married to her in his Name, that by this Means she may be married to him. As when a Prince marries a foreign Lady by Proxy, the Prince's Ambassador marries her, but not in his own Name, but in the Name of his Master, that he may be the Instrument of bringing her into a true conjugal Relation to him. This is agreeable to what the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 11. 2. I am jealous over you with a godly Jealousy; for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. Here the Apostle represents himself as being, as it were, the Husband of the Church of Corinth; for 'tis the Husband that is jealous when the Wife commits Adultery; and yet he speaks of himself as having espoused them, not in his own Name, but in the Name of Christ, and for him, and him only, and as his Ambassador, sent forth to bring them Home a chaste Virgin to him. Ministers are in the Text represented as married to the Church in the same Sense that elsewhere they are represented as Fathers of the Church: The Church has but one Father even God, and Ministers are Fathers as his Ambassadors; so the Church ⟨p. 10⟩has but one Shepherd, Joh. 10. 16. There shall be one Fold and one Shepherd; but yet Ministers, as Christ's Ambassadors, are often called the Church's Shepherds or Pastors. The Church has but one Saviour; but yet Ministers, as his Ambassadors and Instruments, are called her Saviours; 1 Tim. 4. 16. In doing this thou shalt b•th save thy self and them that •ear thee. Obad. 21.
2. The second and chief Fulfilment here spoken of, of that Promise of the Church's being married, is in her being married to Christ; And as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. Not that we are to understand that the Church has many Husbands or that Christ is one Husband, and Ministers are other Husbands that she hath: For tho' Ministers are here spoken of as being married to the Church, yet 'tis not as being his Fellows or Competitors, or as Husbands of the Church standing in a conjugal Relation to his Bride in any wise parallel with his: For the Church has but one Husband; she is not an Adulteress, but a Virgin, that is devoted wholly to the Lamb, and follows him whithersoever he goes▪ But Ministers espouse the Church intirely as Christ's Ambassadors, as representing him and standing in his Stead, being sent forth by Him to be married to her in his Name, that by this Means she may be married to him. As when a Prince marries a foreign Lady by Proxy, the Prince's Ambassador marries her, but not in his own Name, but in the Name of his Master, that he may be the Instrument of bringing her into a true conjugal Relation to him. This is agreable to what the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 11. 2. I am jealous over you with a godly Jealousy; for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. Here the Apostle represents himself as being, as it were, the Husband of the Church of Corinth; for 'tis the Husband that is jealous when the Wife commits Adultery; and yet he speaks of himself as having espoused them, not in his own Name, but in the Name of Christ, and for him, and him only, and as his Ambassador, sent forth to bring them Home a chaste Virgin to him. Ministers are in the Text represented as married to the Church in the same Sense that elsewhere they are represented as Fathers of the Church: The Church has but one Father even God, and Ministers are Fathers as his Ambassadors; so the Church ⟨p. 10⟩has but one Shepherd, Joh. 10. 16. There shall be one Fold and one Shepherd; but yet Ministers, as Christ's Ambassadors, are often call'd the Church's Shepherds or Pastors. The Church has but one Saviour; but yet Ministers, as his Ambassadors and Instruments, are called her Saviours; 1 Tim. 4. 16. In doing this thou shalt b•th save thy self and them that •ear thee.
