Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 85 – Section 89
§. 85. Of the matrimoniall coniunction of Chriſt and the Church.
The forenamed ancient mariage law is here applied myſtically Quod per hiſtoriam impletum eſt in Adam, per prophetiam ſignificat Chriſtum qui reliquit patrem, &c. Aug. de Gen. lib. 2. c. 24.to Chriſt and the Church, as is euident by the next verſe, where the Apoſtle hauing reference to this verſe ſaith, This is a great myſterie. There is then a myſterie contained in it. But of what, or of whom is that myſterie? The Apoſtle himſelfe maketh anſwer, in theſe words: I ſpeake concerning Chriſt and the Church.
The myſterie in generall is this,
Chriſt and the Church are to one another as husband and wife.
The particulars of this myſterie are theſe.
| The matrimoniall coniunction betwixt Chriſt & the Church is a moſt | Preheminent | coniunction. |
| Firme | ||
| Neere |
Firſt of the generall.
The many eſpouſall, and matrimoniall titles, which in Scripture are giuen to Chriſt and the Church in mutuall relation of one to another, euidently ſhew that they are ioyned together by the honourable, inſeparable and inuiolable bond of mariage: He is ſtiled a aIoh. 3. 29.Bridegroome, ſhe a Bride: he cCant. 1. 13, 15.Welbeloued, ſhe LoueLove: he an d2 Cor. 11. 2.Husband, ſhe a Wife: he an eEph. 5. 23.Head, ſhe the Body: both f& verſ. 31.one fleſh.
2. All things requiſite to ioyne man and wife together, doe fitly concurre betwixt Chriſt and the Church.
1. They are perſons fit to be ioyned. Though Chriſt be the things which make Chriſt and the Church fit to be husband and wife.God, yet for gIoh. 17. 19.this end he became man: and though the Church were impure, yet for this end is ſhe cleanſed and ſanctified.
2. They hauehave their parents conſent: for God is the hIoh. 20. 17.common father of both. And God hath giuen iRom. 8. 32.Chriſt to the Church, and the kIoh. 6. 39.Church to Chriſt.
3. They hauehave giuen their lCant. 2. 16.mutuall conſent each to other.
4. He mEph. 5. 23, 24.beareth an husband like affection to her, and ſhe is willing to yeeld a wife-like ſubiection to him.
5. He hath nEph. 4 8.giuen her many fauours and gifts as pledges of his louelove: and ſhe in teſtimony of her faithfulneſſe was vnderunder the Law circumciſed, and is vnderunder the Goſpell baptized: and doth binde her ſelfe with all the ſacred bonds and couenants which God to that purpoſe hath ſanctified.
6. He hath prepared oIoh. 14. 3.places of habitation for them both together, and pReu. 22. 17, 20.ſhe earneſtly deſireth to be with him.
Behold another euidence of Chriſts admirable louelove to the 1. Vſe.Church, and of the neere vnion betwixt Chriſt and her. The An high fauour to be the ſpouſe to Chriſt.former was that ſhe was his body. This, that ſhe is his wife: well might the Church ſay as Abigaile did, Behold, let thine handmaid be a ſeruant to waſh the feet of the ſeruants of my 1 Sam. 25. 41.Lord: and as the prodigall child, Make me as one of thine hired Luk. 15. 19.ſeruants: or as the Baptiſt, I am not worthy to ſtoope downe to Mar. 1. 7.vnlooſe thy ſhoe-latchets. What a fauour then is it to be made his ſpouſe, his wife, his Queene. Great was the fauour which Ahaſh-veroſh ſhewed to Eſther, when he made her his wife: he was a great Monarch, reigning from India to Ethiopia ouer 127 prouinces: but Eſther was a poore orphane and captiue: yet was not this fauour comparable to Chriſts: for there was no ſuch diſparity and inequality betwixt Ahaſh-veroſh and Eſther, as betwixt Chriſt and the Church: neither is Eſthers aduancement to be compared with the Churches: and yet there was ſome cauſe in Eſther to moue Ahaſh-veroſh to doe what he did, for ſhe was very beautifull, and louely, and worthy to be loued: but *§. 33, 34.in the Church when Chriſt firſt caſt his louelove on her, there was no ſuch thing. No patterne of louelove can be giuen any way comparable to this.
Let the Church therefore, and all that profeſſe themſelues 2. Vſe.to be of the Church, take ſuch notice hereof, as they may endeuour Direction. How Chriſts ſpouſe muſt cary her ſelfe.to carry themſelues worthy of this honour and aduancement: not to wax proud and inſolent thereupon, but to deſpiſe all vaine and worldly toies: to anſwer louelove with louelove, as the Church is ſet forth in Salomons ſong; to be ſubiect to her husband, to reuerence and obey him, and to performe all duties appertaining to ſuch a wife: ſeeking by all good meanes to maintaine the honour of her place. The Church is made a patterne of dutie to all wiues: if ſhe ſhould faile, greater inconuenience would follow from thence, then from Vaſhties Eſt. 1. 16. &c.diſobedience.
This is the rather to be regarded becauſe it is not only a 3. Vſe.matter of inſtruction but of triall alſo, ſhewing both what they Triall. Who are Chriſts ſpouſe.which are of the Church ought to doe, and alſo *§. 24.what indeed they will doe. Wherefore no prophane perſon that lightly eſteemeth the Lord Ieſus, no Idolater that caſteth his louelove on other husbands, no ſwearer or blaſphemer that diſhonoreth the great Name of Ieſus, none that any way are rebellious againſt him, none that hate, ſcorne, ſcoffe, or hurt any of his members, can hauehave any comfort in this aduancement of the Church, becauſe they hauehave no part therein, nor right thereunto.
But great is that comfort which the true Saints may receiue 4. Vſe.therein. For by vertue of this matrimoniall bond,Conſolation. The priuiledges of Chriſts ſpouſe.
1. Chriſt is made a yoakefellow with his Church, and her companion. VnderUnder all the burdens which are laid vponupon her, he putteth his ſhoulder to make it the more eaſie: yea, the great burdens of Gods wrath, the curſe of the law, and ſinne the cauſe thereof, hath he ſo taken on him, as he hath cleane freed his Church from them, becauſe they would elſe hauehave cruſhed her downe to hell.
2. Chriſt is as her champion to anſwer all challenges ſent vntounto her, as her aduocate to plead and anſwer all the complaints that ſhall be made againſt her, as her ſuretie to diſcharge all her debts: the Church being couert-baron vnderunder Chriſt, he is as her ſelfe, all in all for her, and to her.
3. All his honours, goods, priuiledges are hers: ſhe hath Eccleſia omnem ſponſi poteſtatem tenet. Aug. contr. Don. l. 4. c. 1.a right to them, and her part in them, ſhe is a coheire with him (Rom. 8. 17.) a Queene becauſe he a King (Pſal. 45. 9.) and all glorious, as was noted, verſ. 27.
4. He will aſſuredly performe all the offices of an husband, as to louelove her, beare with her, prouide for her, with the like. Able he is to doe all, for he is omnipotent: willing alſo he muſt needs be, becauſe willingly he hath taken vponupon him this place: he hath made himſelfe a patterne to other huſbands: will he not then doe that himſelfe which herequireth of others?
If euer any wife might receiue comfort in a match, the Church may receiue comfort in this match.
The benefit of this match will yet more liuely appeare by a particular conſideration of the three forenamed properties of this matrimoniall bond, the preheminencie, firmneſſe, and neereneſſe thereof.
§. 86. Of Chriſts leauing his Father and mother for his ſpouſe.
I. The preheminencie of the matrimoniall bond betwixt Chriſt and the Church herein appeareth, that
Chriſt left his Father and his mother for his ſpouſe the Church. As Chriſt is God, God is his Father; as man, the Virgin Marie was his mother. Now the leauing of his Father muſt be taken only by way of reſemblance, in that he came from the place of his Fathers habitation, to the place where his Spouſe was. The Scripture ſaith, that he was in the boſome of his Father: Ioh. 1. 18.by him, as one brought vp with him, his daily delight, reioycing alway Prou. 8. 30.before him: yet deſcended he into the loweſt parts of the earth Epheſ. 4. 9.where his ſpouſe was. He came out from the Father, and came into Ioh. 16. 28.the world.
But truly and properly did he preferre his Spouſe before his mother. For when he was inſtructing his Spouſe, and his mother came to interrupt him, he ſaid to his mother, who is my Mark. 3. 33, 34.mother? and to his Spouſe, behold my mother.
Of the Vſe.ſame minde muſt the Church, and all that are of the Church be vntounto Chriſt: ſhe muſt forget her owne people, and fathers Imitation. All to be forſaken for Chriſt. Pſal. 45. 10.houſe. Seeing Chriſt hath gone before vsus, and giuen vsus ſo good an example, what an high point of ingratitude would it be for vsus, to preferre father, mother, or any other before Chriſt our husband? Note what he ſaith in this caſe, He that loueth Matth. 10. 37.father or mother more then me, is not worthie of me. And againe, If any come vntounto me, and hate not his father and mother, he cannot Luke 14. 26. expounded. How parents to be hated for Chriſt.be mine. To hate here, is to be ſo farre from preferring father & mother before Chriſt, as rather then not to louelove Chriſt, to hate father and mother. Or, ſo intirely to louelove Chriſt aboue all, as our louelove of parents in compariſon thereof to be an hatted. Thus Leui ſaid vntounto his father and mother, I hauehave not ſeene him: Deut. 33. 9.for they obſerued the word, and kept the couenant of Chriſt.
This then is our dutie, that we ſuffer not any naturall affection and dotage on our parents to ſwallow vp that louelove we owe to Chriſt, as Pharaohs ill-fauourèd and leane-fleſhed kine eat Gen. 41. 4.vp the ſeuen well-fauoured and fat kine. How much leſſe ſhould any louelove of this world, of the profits, promotions, or pleaſures of this world, draw away our hearts from Chriſt; ſhould we not rather ſay and doe as the Apoſtles did, Behold, we hauehave for ſaken Matth. 19. 27.all and followed Chriſt?
§. 87. Of the indiſſoluble vnion betwixt Chriſt and the Church.
II. The firmneſſe of that bond whereby Chriſt and the Church are ſaid to be glued together, is greater and more inuiolable then that whereby man and wife are ioyned together: Death parteth man and wife: but death cannot make a diremption betwixt Chriſt and the Church: ſo as we may well from this metaphor inferre, that Chriſt and the Church are inſeparably Hoſea 2. 19.knit together. I will betroth thee vntounto me for euer, ſaith Chriſt vntounto the Church. The couenant which Chriſt maketh with his Church, is an euerlaſting couenant. The mountaines ſhall depart, Isa. 61. 8. & 54. 10.and the hils be remoued, before his kindneſſe ſhall depart from the Church.
The ſtedfaſtneſſe and vnchangeableneſſe of his will, is the Reaſon.only cauſe thereof. Whom he loueth, he loueth vntounto the end. Ioh. 13. 1.His gifts and calling are without repentance. He is not like the Rom. 11. 29.hard hearted Iewes, who vponupon euerie ſleight occaſion would put away their wiues. The Lord hateth putting away. Though Mal. 2. 16.therefore the Church, through her weakneſſe, doe depart from him, and play the harlot, yet returne againe to me, ſaith the Ier. 3. 1.Lord.
Learne we by this patterne to cleaue cloſe vntounto the Lord, Vſe. Cleaue to Chriſt.which is a dutie moſt due to Chriſt who cleaueth ſo cloſe to vsus, and therefore oft dDeut. 10. 20. & 13. 4. Acts 11. 23.expreſſed in the Scripture.
Three vertues there are which are of ſpeciall vſe to this purpoſe, Faith, Hope, LoueLove.
Faith is the hand whereby we lay faſt hold on Chriſt, and as it were knit him to our ſelues, as he by his Spirit knitteth vsus to himſelfe. This maketh vsus reſt and repoſe our ſelues on him for all needfull things: and not to leaue him for any thing.
Hope is the anchor, which holdeth vsus faſt againſt all the ſtormes of Satan, ſo as they can neuer driue vsus out of our harbour, which is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
LoueLove is the glue and ſoader which maketh vsus one with Chriſt: for it is the propertie of louelove to vnite thoſe that louelove one another in one. Ionathans ſoule was knit with the ſoule of 1 Sam. 18. 1.Dauid. For why? Ionathan loued him as his owne ſoule. He that loueth is well pleaſed with him whom he loueth, and ſeeketh alſo to pleaſe him, that they may mutually delight one in another. Were theſe three vertues well rooted in vsus, we would ſay, who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Chriſt? ſhall tribulation, Rom. 8. 35. &c.or diſtreſſe, &c.
§. 88. Of the equall priuiledge of all the Saints.
III. Concerning the phraſe, whereby the neereneſſe of All the Saints made one Spouſe.man and wife is ſet forth (they two ſhall be one fleſh) it may be demanded how this can be applied to Chriſt and the Saints, who are more then two?
Anſw. Chriſt by one Spirit knitteth vsus all into one bodie, 1 Cor. 12. 13.and ſo maketh all ioyntly conſidered together one Spouſe. The multitude of Saints doth no more imply many wiues, then the multitude of members which the naturall bodie of a wife hath. This point then teacheth vsus, that
In the myſticall mariage betwixt Chriſt and the Church, all and euerie of the Saints hauehave an equall priuiledge. Some are not See §. 22.Concubines, ſome wiues, nor ſome more loued, or preferred to another, but all one wife. All are one in Chriſt Ieſus.Gal. 3. 28.
Neither the Father that gaue them all, nor the Sonne who Reaſon.tooke them all, ſaw any thing in one more then in another; their meere grace moued them to doe what they did. Well may euerie one apply all the forenamed priuiledges vntounto themselues: and not one emulate another.
This affordeth inſtruction to the more eminent in the Vſe.Church, that like proud dames they inſult not ouer others, as if they were their hand-maids: and conſolation to the meaner ſort, that they may vphold themſelues, and poſſeſſe their ſoules with patience, and not enuie, or grieue at the outward proſperitie and priuiledges of others. In the greateſt priuiledge they are equall to the greateſt.
This of the parties coupled to Chriſt. For theſe words (they two) ſhew that all the Saints are but one: Chriſt is the other of the two. The next words (are one fleſh) ſhew how neere thoſe Saints are to Chriſt.
§. 89. Of the neere vnion betwixt Chriſt and the Church.
The maine point here to be noted is, that
Chriſt and the Church are moſt neerely linked together. What Chriſtus nihil aliud deputat corpus ſuum (i.) Eccleſiam, quam ſeipſum, quia de Chriſto & eccleſia verius intelligitur, Erunt duo in carne una. Aug. de pec. mer. lib. 1. cap. 31.can be neerer, then that two ſhould come into one fleſh?
This is ſomewhat more then to be of Chriſts fleſh. That ſhewes we are as it were cut out of Chriſt: this ſhewes that we are againe knit to him. That was a preparation vntounto this: this is as the conſummation and perfection of all. *See §. 70.Many metaphors are vſed to ſet forth the neere vnion betwixt Chriſt and his Church, but this ſurpaſſeth them all. As here we and Chriſt are ſaid to be one fleſh, ſo in another place, one ſpirit. Well therefore might the name and title Chriſt be giuen to this Spouſe of Chriſt.
*§. 84.It was noted on a like ground to this, that of all other perſons 1 Cor. 6. 17. & 12. 12.the tranſgreſſion of a wife againſt an husband is moſt hainous. What then are the tranſgreſſions of the Church againſt Chriſt? As we are much more bound vntounto Chriſt for the priuiledges we receiue from him as an Head and Husband, and ſo our Sauiour hauing made with vsus an euerlaſting couenant of mariage, then for thoſe we receiued from him as our Creator, Lord and Maſter: ſo are the rebellions now committed againſt him more monſtrous. To Adam that broke the firſt couenant whereby like a rebellious childe and ſeruant he ſinned againſt his Father and Maſter, mercy and pardon was giuen: but to ſuch as now breake the bond of this euerlaſting couenant, and make a totall and finall deſertion, vtterly renouncing this Husband, or by their adulterie cauſe him to giuegive them a bill of diuorce, there remaineth no more ſacrifice Heb. 10. 27.for ſinnes; but a certaine fearfull looking for of iudgement, and fierie indignation which ſhall deuoure the aduerſaries. This is to be noted, to make vsus the more circumſpect ouer our waies, reſiſting ſinne in the beginning, and looking diligently leſt any Heb. 12. 15.man fall from the grace of God; and giuing no place at all vntounto Eph. 4. 27.the Deuill. Satan will moſt endeuour to diſſolue the neereſt bonds that God maketh. This then being the neereſt of all, we ought to be the moſt carefull in preſeruing it.