The church's marriage to her sons, and to her God

Let me take Occasion, dear Brethren, from what has been said, to exhort you, not forgetting the Respect, Honour and Reverence, that will ever be due from you to your former Pastor, that has served you so long in that Work, but by Reason of Age and growing Infirmities, and the Prospect of his Place being so happily supplied by a Successor, has seen meet to relinquish the Burden of the Pastoral Charge over you; I say, Let me exhort you (not forgetting due Respect to him as a Father) to perform the Duties that belong to you, in your Part of that Relation and Union, now to be established between you and your ⟨p. 42⟩elect Pastor: To receive him as the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts, one that in his Office represents the glorious Bridegroom of the Church, to love and honour him, and willingly submit your selves to him, as a Virgin when married to an Husband. Surely the Feet of that Messenger should be beautiful, that comes to you on such a blessed Errand as that which you have heard, to espouse you to the eternal Son of God, and to fit you for, and lead you to him as your Bridegroom. Your chosen Pastor comes to you on this Errand, and he comes in the Name of the Bridegroom, so empowered by him, and representing him, that in receiving him, you will receive Christ, and in rejecting him, you will reject Christ.

Let me take Occasion, dear Brethren, from what has been said, to exhort you, not forgetting the Respect, Honour and Reverence, that will ever be due from you to your former Pastor, that has served you so long in that Work, but by Reason of Age and growing Infirmities, and the Prospect of his Place being so happily supplied by a Successor, has seen meet to relinquish the Burden of the Pastoral Charge over you; I say, Let me exhort you (not forgetting due Respect to him as a Father) to perform the Duties that belong to you, in your Part of that Relation and Union, now to be established between you and your ⟨p. 42⟩elect Pastor: To receive him as the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts, one that in his Office represents the glorious Bridegroom of the Church, to love and honour him, and willingly submit your selves to him, as a Virgin when married to an Husband. Surely the Feet of that Messenger should be beautiful, that comes to you on such a blessed Errand as that which you have heard, to espouse you to the eternal Son of God, and to fit you for, and lead you to him as your Bridegroom. Your chosen Pastor comes to you on this Errand, and he comes in the Name of the Bridegroom, so impowred by him, and representing him, that in receiving him, you will receive Christ, and in rejecting him, you will reject Christ.