N04634:13
The church's marriage to her sons, and to her God
The church's marriage to her sons, and to her God: a sermon preached at the instalment of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Buel as Pastor of the church and congregation at East-Hampton on Long-Island, September 19. 1746. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton in New-England.
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, 1746
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
So that the Children of Israel's being wedded to the Land of Canaan, being manifestly not the meaning of those Words in the Text, As a young Man marrieth a Virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee, as some suppose; I choose rather, with others, to understand the Words of the Church's Union with her faithful Pastors, and the great Benefits she should receive from them. God's Ministers, tho' they are set to be the Instructors, Guides and Fathers of God's People, yet are also the Sons of the Church; Amos 2. 11. I raised up of your Sons for Prophets, and of your young Men for Nazarites. Such as these, when faithful, are those precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold spoken of Lam 4. 2. spoken of again Verse 7. Her Nazarites were purer than Snow, they were whiter than Milk. And as he that marries a young Virgin becomes the Guide of her Youth; so these Sons of Zion are represented as taking her by the Hand as her Guides, Isa. 51. 18. There is none to guide her among all the Sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the Hand of all the Sons that she hath brought up. That by these Sons of the Church is meant Ministers of the Gospel, is confirmed by the next Verse to the Text, I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls, O Jerusalem.
So that the Children of Israel's being wedded to the Land of Canaan, being manifestly not the meaning of those Words in the Text, As a young Man marrieth a Virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee, as some suppose; I chuse rather, with others, to understand the Words of the Church's Union with her faithful Pastors, and the great Benefits she should receive from them. God's Ministers, tho' they are set to be the Instructors, Guides and Fathers of God's People, yet are also the Sons of the Church; Amos 2. 11. I raised up of your Sons for Prophets, and of your young Men for Nazarites. Such as these, when faithful, are those precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold spoken of Lam 4. 2. spoken of again Verse 7. Her Nazarites were purer than Snow, they were whiter than Milk. And as he that marries a young Virgin becomes the Guide of her Youth; so these Sons of Zion are represented as taking her by the Hand as her Guides, Isa. 51. 18. There is none to guide her among all the Sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the Hand of all the Sons that she hath brought up. That by these Sons of the Church is meant Ministers of the Gospel, is confirmed by the next Verse to the Text, I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls, O Jerusalem.