Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 7 · Part 12
The Church compared to a Wife.
Iſa. 54.5. Thy Maker is thy Husband.
Rev. 21.9. I will ſhew thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife.
BY the Metaphor, Eſpouſals, which is the moſt pleaſant Metaphor of all, the ſpiritual Union between Chriſt and the Church is expreſſed, Hoſ. 2.19, 20. From the Names of Husband and Wife, Metaphors alſo are taken, Iſa. 54.5. where God calls himſelf foreign, the Huſband of the Church, and hence Zion is ſaid to be foreign, Beulah, that is, married. Iſa. 62.4, 5.
Note, The Church of Christ is the Wife of Chriſt.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Wife is one who hath made a ſolemn Contract with, and is married to an Huſband. | SO the Church, and every true Chriſtian,Rom. 7.15. hath made a ſolemn Contract or Covenant with, and is married to the Lord Jeſus. |
| II. A Woman that entreth into a Marriage-Relation with an Huſband, gives her ſelf wholly to him. The Huſband gives himſelf to her, and ſhe by way of Return gives her ſelf unto him; they conſent to take each other. | II. So a gracious Soul in this ſpiritual Marriage gives it ſelf to Chriſt, and Chriſt gives himſelf to the Soul. I will be thine, ſaith Chriſt, to love thee, thine to ſave thee, thine to crown thee, and make thee happy; I, with all my Riches, and rich Treaſure of Grace and Glory, will be fully thine, and for ever thine. And on the other hand, the Soul by way of Return gives it ſelf unto Chriſt: I will be thine, ſaith every ſincere Convert, I will be for thee, and not for another. Hence 'tis ſaid, They gave themſelves to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. Bleſſed Jeſus, ſaith the Soul, ſuch as I am and have, I give to thee; I am a poor ſorry Piece, infinitely unworthy to waſh the Feet of the Servants of my Lord, O how undeſerving then of thy Acceptation! my beſt is too bad, my all is too little for thee: But ſince it is thy Pleaſure to accept of ſuch a Gift, I do with my whole Soul give my Self, my Strength, my Time, my Talents, and all I have, am, or can do, for the Glory of thy holy Name. |
| III. A faithful Wife, in marrying her ſelf to one Huſband, renounceth all other Men, and keeps her ſelf chaſt and faithful to him. | III. So all true Chriſtians renounce Sin, Self, and the Law in point of Juſtification, and all Lovers whatſoever, and keep themſelves chaſt and faithful to Chriſt. Wherefore, Brethren, Rom. 7.15 ye alſo are become dead to the Law by the Body of Chriſt, that ye ſhould be married to another, even to him who is riſen from the Dead, that we ſhould bring forth Fruit unto God. |
| IV. The Wife obeyeth and reverenceth her Huſband; as Sarah, who called her Huſband Lord. | IV. So the Church obeys and reverences the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and owns him to be her Lord. |
| V. A faithful Wife ſtrives to pleaſe her Huſband.1 Cor. 7.34 But ſhe that is married, careth how ſhe may pleaſe her Husband. | V. So the Church, and each true Chriſtian, ſtrives to pleaſe the Lord Jeſus. That ye may walk worthy of the Lord in all well-pleaſing, Col 1.10. being fruitful in every good Work, &c. |
| VI. A Wife by marrying an Huſband is intereſted into his Eſtate, and hath a legal Right to what is his. | VI. So the Soul, by marrying of Chriſt, is intereſted into all Chriſt's Riches; he hath a ſure, a new Covenant-Right to whatſoever Chriſt hath; the Riches both of Grace and Glory are become his hereby. |
| VII. A Wife, by marrying an Huſband, is brought into a near Union and Communion with him: They are no more twain, Mat. 19 6. but one Fleſh. | VII. So the Church, and each true Chriſtian, by entring into a Marriage Relation with the Lord J…ſus, is brought into a very near Union and Conjunction with him. For this cauſe ſhall a Man leave Father and Mother, 1 Cor. 6.17 Eph. 5.31. and ſhall join unto his Wife, and they two ſhall be one Fleſh. This is a great Myſtery, but I ſpeak concerning Chriſt and the Church. Hence the Apoſtle ſaith, He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit. This is a moſt bleſſed Union, a full Union, a laſting Union; (1.) a full Union. The whole Perſon of Chriſt is joined to the whole Perſon of a Believer, and the whole Perſon of a Believer is joined to the whole Perſon of Chriſt. Not only Chriſt's Human Nature is joined to a Believer, but his Divine Nature alſo; and ſo not only the Body of a Believer is joined to Chriſt, but his Soul is joined alſo. This may adminiſter much Conſolation to dying Saints: The Body, as well as the Soul, is the Lord's, and therefore ſhall not be loſt, he will raiſe it up at the laſt Day.Joh. 6.39. From hence Chriſt ſympathizeth with his People, he feels and is ſenſible of all their Sorrows, he looks upon their Sufferings as his Sufferings. I was hungry, and ye gave me no Meat; Mat. 25.35 36. Iſa. 63.9. I was thirſty, and ye gave me no Drink; naked, and ye cloathed me not; ſick, and in Priſon, and ye viſited me not. In all their Afflictions he was afflicted. |
| VIII. A Wife, by Marriage-Relation, is taken up with much ſweet Peace, Joy, and Complacency in that Eſtate: her Husband is better to her than ten Sons, as Elkanah ſaid to Hannah. 'Tis a Relation made up of Love and Delight. | VIII. The Church, and every true Believer, by being eſpouſed and married to Chriſt, the Lord Jeſus hath a near, a dear, a ſtrong, and moſt intimate Affection towards him. A Saint is filled with moſt ſweet Peace, Joy, and Delight, and takes moſt precious Complacency in Chriſt; He is more than Father, Mother, Sons, or Daughters.Pſal. 45. Cant. 5.10 Pſal. 73.25 He is fairer than the Sons of Men, the chiefeſt of ten thouſand. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none on Earth that I deſire beſides thee. Thou haſt raviſhed my Heart, (ſaith Chriſt) my Siſter, my Spouſe. How fair and pleaſant art thou, O Love, for Delights! Zeph. 3.17 turn away thine Eyes, for they have overcome me. He ſhall reſt in his Love. And on the other hand, what ſaith the Spouſe, the Wife of Chriſt?Cant. 5. ult. I ſate down under his Shadow with great Delight, and his Fruit was ſweet unto my Taste. He is altogether lovely. Stay me with Flagons, comfort me with Apples; for I am ſick of Love. The Saints (ſaith one) are called Chriſt's Spouſe, becauſe of the unparallel'd Love that is between them; and (ſaith another) Chriſt calls himſelf our Bridegroom, that he might inſinuate the Greatneſs of his Love, which decays not with Time; and he calls us his Spouſe, not his Wife, noting, that our Love to him ſhould be always new, always lively and vigorous. |
| IX. A tender and dear Wife is greatly troubled when her Husband ſeems to be offended and angry with her, and ſtrives to pacify him again, and is never at Reſt or Peace, until ſhe finds his Love towards her as formerly, and all things right between them. | IX. So a gracious Soul, if Chriſt be offended, and withdrawn from him, is greatly caſt down and grieved.Cant. 5.6. Thou hiddest thy Face, and I was troubled; I opened to my Beloved, but my Beloved had withdrawn himſelf, and was gone. My Soul failed when he ſpake; I ſought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no Anſwer. Iſa. 63.15. & 64.9. Where is the ſounding of thy Bowels, and thy Mercy towards me? are they reſtrained? Be not wroth very ſore, O Lord, neither remember our Iniquity for ever; behold, we beſeech thee, we are thy People. |
| X. The Wife, by her Marriage with her Husband, is delivered from Arreſts for Debts; no ſooner is ſhe married, but her Husband is liable to that Danger, it falls upon him, he muſt ſee to ſatisfy and pay what ſhe owed. | X. So in like manner, no ſooner is a Soul eſpouſed or married to Chriſt, but all his Debts to Law and Juſtice fall upon Chriſt, and he pays all; He ſtands between Wrath and us, Juſtice and us; He keeps off all Danger of Arreſts, and Fear of Impriſonment; He hath Riches enough. All is cleared the day the Soul cloſes in with him, tho whole Mountains of Guilt were upon us before. |
| XI. The Wife that is married to a Prince, or mighty Potentate, is thereby greatly exalted, or raiſed to Honour, becomes a Queen the ſame day the Marriage is conſummated, and hath the Attendance of his Servants. | XI. So the Church being married to Chriſt, the Lord Jeſus, the Prince of Heaven and Earth, is raiſed to the greateſt Honour imaginable; ſhe is made hereby a Princeſs, and hence called a Queen: On thy right-hand did ſtand the Queen, Pſal. 45 9. in Gold of Ophir. The Saints alſo have the Attendance of Chriſt's Servants, the holy Angels: They are ſent forth to miniſter to them that are Heirs of eternal Life. Heb. 1.14. |
| XII. The Wife that is married to a rich and godly Huſband, is thereby freed from much Care and Trouble; for he provideth for her, and manageth all her Concerns. It is true, altho every Huſband is bound by the Law of that Relation to provide for his Wife; and free her from Care as much as he can; yet ſome are poor, and unable to do it, and hence the Wife is involved in as much Care and Trouble as he. | XII. Chriſt frees his People from all inordinate and unneceſſary Care:1 Pet. 5.7. Caſt all your Care upon him, for he careth for you. He manageth all our Concerns in Heaven, always appearing before God for us:1 Joh. 2.1. We have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the Righteous. And he manageth all our Affairs on Earth, in a way of Grace, and Divine Providence;Iſa. 27 12. works all our Works in us, and for us: He gives and loves, ſaves and feeds us, and will never leave us, till he hath brought us to Heaven. He became poor, 2 Cor. 8.9 but we were no Loſers thereby, for by his Poverty we are made rich. |
| XIII. A Wife brings forth Children, and is many times very fruitful to her Huſband; and when ſhe hath brought them forth, takes care of them, feeds and nurſeth them. | XIII. So the Church is fruitful to Chriſt, bringing forth many Sons and Daughters to him, whom ſhe takes care of, feeds, and nurſeth, as the Mother does her Children. For thus ſaith the Lord, Behold, Iſa. 66.12, 13. I will extend Peace to her like a River, and the Glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Stream. Then ſhall ye ſuck, ye ſhall be born upon her ſides, and dandled upon her Knees, as one whom his Mother comforteth, &c. [See Mother.] |
| XIV. A Wife hath the Privilege to know her Huſbands Mind; for many things which are kept ſecret from others, are made known to the Wife. | XIV.Pſal. 25.14 So the Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him, and he will ſhew them his Covenant. Eye hath not ſeen, 1 Cor. 2.9, 10. nor Ear heard, nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him: But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit. |
| Metaphor. | Diſparity. |
| A Wife may ſoon loſe her Huſband; Death (we ſee) many times takes him away, and ſhe is thereby made a Widow, and her Children fatherleſs. | BUt the Church cannot loſe her Huſband. Chriſt dieth no more, Rev. 1.18. he is immortal; and therefore ſhe can never be a Widow, nor her Children fatherleſs. I will not leave you comfortleſs, Joh. 14.18. (the word is, Orphans.) He is an everlaſting Husband. |
Inferences.
STand and wonder! Doth Chriſt eſpouſe and take to Wife ſuch a poor and contemptible Creature as Mankind! What diſproportion is there between a King and a Beggar, between an Ant and an Angel? a far greater diſproportion there is between Jeſus Chriſt and Sinners. He is high and great; but we are baſe and vile: He is bleſſed and glorious; we are wretched and miſerable: He is a mighty King, King of Kings; and we poor Slaves and Vaſſals, yea, the worſt of Slaves, Vaſſals and Slaves to Sin and Satan.
2. From hence you may perceive the unſpeakable Nearneſs there is between Chriſt and his People; can there be a ſweeter and more glorious Union than this! If we conſider the Properties of it, it is a ſpiritual, a real, an operative, an enriching, an intimate, an indiſſoluble Union, to be Bone of his Bone, and Fleſh of his Fleſh. What can any Soul deſire more? What greater Happineſs, what more glorious, (ſaith one of the Ancients) than this Union!
3. What Doctrine can yield greater Comfort to Believers, who are thus happily eſpouſed and married to Jeſus Chriſt! We ſay, ſuch and ſuch are well diſpoſed of, happily married; O Soul, how well art thou diſpoſed of! What! married to Chriſt, to the Son of God, to the King of Heaven and Earth!
4. This may ſhew the Saints their Duty, and put them in mind of their Covenant. Soul, thou haſt vowed, and canſt not go back.
5. And may he of uſe, eſpecially to all that ſtand related as Husband and Wife in the Church, for Husbands to make Chriſt their Pattern in their Carriage and Deportment towards their Wives; and likewiſe Wives to make the Church their Example in their Behaviour towards their Husbands, as the Apoſtle giveth direction.Eph. 5.21. —ult.
6. Laſtly; What Terror doth this ſpeak to the Enemies of the Church! If the Church be the Wife of Chriſt, what will they do that ſo much abuſe her, and continually ſeek her Life? Let them know, He will appear in Wrath and Vengeance to ſave and deliver her, and will tear them in pieces in a ſhort time.