The Lambs Spouse, Title page – Dedication 2
THE LAMBES SPOVSE Or The Heauenly Bride.
A theologicall discourse, wherin the contract betwixt Christ and the Church; the preparation against the mariage; and the solemnization it selfe, and the exclusion of hypocrites and temporizers, is plainly and profitably, with the particular vses, set forth.
Wherevnto is annexed an exact preparatiue to the Lords Supper.
By T. D. Minister of the word of God
Imprinted at London by G. Eld, dwelling in Fleete- lane, at the signe of the Printers Presse, 1608.
To the Worshipfull company of Drapers in Couentry, his very good benefactors, peace and prosperitie.
IF wee duly and diligently as we ought (men, brethren & fathers,) consider & obserue, Gods vnspeakeable mercy & goodnesse towards our English nation; not onelyonly in the fruition and continuance of such vncomparable peace and prosperitie aboue other countries and king domes, and in the exquisite and excellent knowledge of liberall Artes and the learned languages: but also (and that most eminently) in the pure and publike preaching of Christ his blessed Gospell, in so many places and parishes. Wee cannot but iudge and acknowledge our selues to be highly beloued, and admirably blessed of Almighty God. But contrariwise, if wee marke and take notice of the merueilous abuses of our peace and prosperitie, the exceeding contempt of Artes and good learning, and (that, which most aggrauateth our iudgement) the generall neglect of piety, and the horrible hypocrisie of many in the profession of sincere religion, and withall call to remembrance the sundrie and fearefull (if not ominous,) warnings and iudgements that God hath inflicted vponupon vsus in these few last yeares, wee then hauehave iust cause to feare, that God hath reserued vsus to some more dangerous plagues, and that hee will by degrees strip and depriue vsus of all his mercies. Wherefore least wee should take ouer-much offence at the prophanesse and hypocrisie of the mvltitude, and hereby faile and shrinke in our holy courses and exercises of godlinesse, or else should deceiue our owne soules, because wee reteine an outward forme and profession of holinesse, and because our outward tranquillitie & happinesse yet continueth: two points and conclusions must heedfully be considered of vsus. First, that the number of sincere Christians and vndissembling Gospellers, is very rare: they are in comparison of them that perish, but a remnant, a gleaning after the haruest or vintage, a small flock, one of a Tribe, and two of a Citie. The truth of this assertion most euidently appeareth in the time of any generall Apostacie and persecution, 1. Reg. 19. 14. Apoc. 12. ver. 5. and 6. and chapt. 13. ver. 7. and 8. and shall be made manifest to all the world, at Christ his second comming, when he shal scarcely finde sauing faith vponupon the earth. Luke. 18. ver. 7. 8. Therfore we may not define and measure the truth of religion by the esteeme and practise of the erring multitude, but wee must make Gods word the onelyonly rule and touchstone of our faith and life. Secondly, for the auoiding and preuenting of hypocrisie, which maketh vsus odious both to God and men, wee must not so much (in a curious humor) desire to know strange mysteries, as to know that which most concerneth vsus, and to make a good vse and apply of our knowledge. Againe, wee must in all our actions and profession of religion, propound to our selues no sinister ends. As for example, wee must not intend gaine but godlinesse, not credit amongst men (onelyonly) but the glorie of God; not policie, but piety, and not the aduancing of our outward state, but the amendment of our liues, and the saluation of our soules; and hereby we shall notably and vnfallibly distinguish our selues from all hypocrites whatsoeuer. Lastly, we must with the woman in the Apocalips, cloath our selues with the sunne of righteousnesse, and tread the Moone, that is, all changeable and transitorie things vnderunder our feete, and wee must with the wise Virgins, whiles it is the time of grace, and the day of saluation, prouide our selues of the oyle of true saith, get the garment of true holinesse and keepe it vndefiled; and in hope and patience waite long, and wish for, the second comming of Christ, when the mariage shall be eternally solemnized betweene the Bridegroome and vsus in the highest heauens. This doing we shall be happy and blessed here in hope and beginning, and after this mortall life ended, in act and perfection. And because, next vntounto the sacred ministery of the word, and the spirituall exercises of Christians, the publishing of sound and elaborate treatises, are a singular helpe and furtherance herevnto, I, (in the mediocritie of my skill) for the direction of those that be well disposed, hauehave compiled and framed this small worke. Moreouer, because the argument of it so fitteth your affections, being (generally) men of religion and conscience, & instrumēts of good, & because your liberal kindnesse & long continued beneficence hath bin so amply extended to me, I doe most humbly and deuoutly dedicate it vntounto you all; most submissiuely, beseeching you courteoussy to accept of it, and to vse it for your edification and comfort. In assured expectation whereof, I here take my leaue.
The GOD of heauen, and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, remember in goodnesse all your kindnesses shewed to his house, and vntounto so many of his seruants, fill you with all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding, make you fruitefull in all good workes, prosper you in this world, and make you euerlastingly blessed in the world to come. Amen.
Couentry. Ianu. 1608. Your worships in all duty to command, Thomas Drâx.
Venerabili & Doctissimo viro Domino Hintono sacrae Theologiae Doctori, Couentriae Archidiacono & Michaelis ecclesiae pastori vigilantissimo, foreign.
CVm totum & beneficentissimū Maecenatum meorum ordinem, iustissimis de causis, compellare & salutare ausus sim; non committendum putaui, vt te (vir verè obseruande) meum …ingularem Patronum & perueterem amicum foreign praeterirem. Malo igitur importunus quàm ingratus videri, & libelluli vestibulo (licet menùs decorè) aliquid adiicere, quaém de officio meo tantillum imminuere. Huc addatur etiam, quòd argumenti vsus & praestantia, tua magna in ecclesia, existimatio & authoritas, & tui iudicii non tam exquisiti quàm candidi expectatio, me (alioqui …b invitum) ad te alloqu…dum, a…iciunt … inu…tant. Quocirca … etiam digni…ti, id que , meritissimo▪ has meas qualescun que comn…e tationes, consecrodedico que . …e ideo subiectissimè & demisissimè …ro, vt eas in optimam partem interpreteris, tuam que erga me beneuolenti…m retineas & confirmes. Sed de tuae propitiae voluntatis propensione nequaquam dubitans & quia molestus esse nolim, h…c sanè dicendi, at te diligendi finem numquam fac…o. Christus opt: Max: pastorum princeps, te quàm diutissimè valentem & vigentem conserue…, … sacrum mi…isterium prosperet, tuam ecclesiasticam praefecturam dirigat, te que tandem summa & sancta senectute confectum, in sempiternae be…titudinis portum & paradisum perducat.
Couentriae, Ian. 1. 1608. Tuae dignitatis studiosissimus Thomas Drâx.
The Lambes Spouse, or the Heauenly Bride.
Math. 25. 10.
And they that were ready went with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut.