Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A64978
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Christ the best husband: or An invitation of young women unto Christ Delivered in a sermon to young women. By Thomas Vincent, minister sometime of Maudlins Milkstreet, London.
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Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing V428; ESTC R219230
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16,515
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32
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great without any measure his love is constant without any change and his love is everlasting without any end It was the Love of Christ which brought him down from Heaven which vail'd his Divinity in a Humane Soul and Body which put upon him the form of a servant which expos'd him to contempt reproach and many indignities It was love which made him subject to hunger and thirst and sorrow and many humane infirmities which humbled him unto death even the painful and ignominious death of the Cross and when out of love he had finished the work of Redemption on earth as to what was needful by way of satisfaction it was his love which carried him back to heaven where he was before that he might make application of what he had purchased that there he might make Intercession for those whom he had redeemed and prepare a place for them even glorious mansions with himself in the house not made with hands which is eternal in the Heavens It is out of Love that he sendeth such tokens to his people from Heaven to Earth which he conveyeth through his Ordinances by his Spirit unto them and his love-tokens are infinitely beyond all other love-tokens in worth and excellency surely then none is so desirable as the Lord Jesus Christ for you to espouse your selves unto If you be espoused to Christ he is yours all that he is all that he hath you shall have his heart and share in the choicest expressions of his dearest Love And now put all together The Lord Jesus Christ being incomparable in dignity in riches in wisdome in power in goodness in loveliness and in love methinks you should need no other motive to perswade you unto willingness to espouse your selves unto him 2. Consider that you are invited unto this relation of a Spouse unto Christ Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear c. In those words the Lord Jesus doth woo you to be his Spouse we Ministers have a commission from our Lord to invite you in his name unto this thing and Christs invitations are 1. Real 2. General 3. Frequent 4. Earnest 5. Free 1. Christs invitations of you to be his Spouse are Real the thing is real that there ir an espousal between Christ and his people It is no fancy which hath no ground or foundation but in the fond mind and imagination of some fancy full men as some may deem it to be for there is a clear foundation for it in the Scriptures 2 Cor. 11. 1. I have espoused you unto one Husband that I may present you as a chaste Virgin unto Christ. 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit And as the thing is real so you are really invited unto it the Lord doth not mock and dissemble with you as some pretending Lovers who dissemble love unto Virgins until they have gained their affections and then falsly and basely relinquith them never really intending either to espouse or marry them But the Lord doth really intend the thing in his invitations of you He is repulsed by many unto whom he maketh suit for their affections but he never did cast off any whose consent and affections he had gained 2. Christs invitations of you to be his Spouse are General All of you are invited and none of you excepted none are excluded but such of you as exclude your selves all sorts of persons are invited not only such who are of the highest quality of whom very few do hearken but also those who are of the meanest degree in the world the poor and the blind and the lame and the most despicable in the eyes of men as they are invited unto the marriage Supper Luk. 14. 21. so upon their coming they are received into the marriage relation unto Christ. All sorts of sinners are invited not only those who have kept their garments from grosser spots and escaped the greater pollutions which are in the world through Lust but also the most vile and abominable sinners such who have run with others unto the same excess of riot and wallowed like swine in the deepest mire of sin the most notorious transgressours are invited to be Christs Spouse and shall be as welcome as any unto the embracements of his Love 3. Christ's invitations of you to be his Spouse are Frequent Some will ask you once and twice but if they be denied they will ask no more especially if they be of superiour quality and it would be for your advancement to hearken and consent but the Lord Jesus Christ doth invite not once or twice but very frequently he stretcheth forth his hand all the day long and though you have been a gain-saying people he doth still invite you He hath been a Suiter unto some of you for many years together and he is still a suiter and though he be so much your superiour and you will be infinitely beholding to him to take you into this relation notwithstanding all repulses and unkindnesses he doth invite you again by me this day to be his Spouse 4. Christs invitations of you to be his Spouse are Earnest He is very importunate with you He doth not tacitly signifie his mind and willingness to accept of you which would have been an infinite condescention and sufficient encouragement for you to apply your selves unto him but he doth call upon you and not only call but he doth call carnestly yea he useth many arguments to perswade you and he addeth entreaties to his invitations He giveth us Ministers a commission to beseech you that you would be espoused unto him He is very loth to take any denial he is very unwilling to be put off He knocks and knocks hard at the door of your hearts for enrertainment and as earnestness and importunity in Prayer doth prevail with the Lord for audience and an answer so the Lords earnestness and importunity should prevail with you for acceptance of him in this desirable relation 5. Christs invitations of you to be his Spouse are Free He doth not expect a portion and dowry with you as many yea most great persons do in their applications to any upon this account they expect something answerable to their degree and estate but none have any thing answerable unto Christs degree neither doth he expect any thing he hath enough for you and him too and you must have nothing if you would be espoused unto him you must be poor and naked and empty and he will enrich and clotha and fill and supply you out of his treasury with all things needful to qualifie you and make you meet for himself 3. Consider if you be once espoused unto Christ you shall never be divorced if once joyned in this relation unto him you shall never be separated from him neither Men nor Devils shall be able to disjoyn you and when Death doth break all other conjugal bonds it shall not break the conjugal bonds between you and Christ but bring you
for your affections and perswade you to give them unto Christ May I be instrumental to joyn you and Christ together this day Be not coy as some of you possibly are in other Loves Modesty and the Virgin blush may very well become you when motions of another kind are made unto you but here coyness is folly and backwardness to accept of this motion is a shame and you have ten thousand times more reason to blush at the refusal of Christ for your beloved than at the acceptance when otherwise the Devil and Sin would ravish your Virgin affections Never had you a better motion made to you never was such a match proffered to you as this of being matched and espoused unto Jesus Christ. 1. Consider whó the Lord Jesus is whom you are invited to espouse your selves unto He is the best Husband none comparable to Jesus Christ. 1. Do you desire one that is great He is of the highest dignity none ever did or could climb into so high a seat or attain such excellent Majesty as that which Christ is exalted unto he is exalted above all the Kings of the Earth Rev. 19. 16. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a Name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS Yea he is exalted above the Angels in Heaven and none have such authority 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into Heaven Angels and Authority and Powers being made subject unto him He is the first-born of every creature by whom and for whom all things were created He is before all things and by him all things do consist He is the Head of the Church the beginning the first born from the dead and as over all persons so in all things he hath the preheminence Col. 1. 15 16 17 18. He is the brightness of his Fathers glory the express image of his person Heb. 1. 3. He is the glory of Heaven the darking of eternity admired by Angels dreaded by Devils adored by Saints If the meanest Beggar should be matched unto the greatest earthly Prince that ever lived it would not be such an advancement unto her as for you to be espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ the King of glory whose honour and dignity you will partake of in and by this relation 2. Do you desire one that is rich None is comparable unto Christ who is the heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. in whom all fulness doth dwell Col. 1. 19. Not only the fulness of the earth doth belong to him Psal. 24. 1. but also the fulness of Heaven is at his dispose all things being given and delivered unto him by the Father Ioh. 3. 35. Matth. 11. 26. the riches of grace are at his dispose and the riches of glory in him are hid all treasures Col. 2. 3. and the Apostle speaketh of the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8. The riches of Christ are unsearchable in regard of the worth of them they are inestimable the value of them is past finding out and they are unsearchable in regard of the abundance of them they are inexhanstible none can draw dry Christs Fountain none can search and find out the bottom of Christs treasury If you be espoused unto Christ you shall share in his unsearchable riches you shall receive of his fulness grace for grace here and glory for glory hereafter and he will make all needful provisions for your outward man whilst your abode is here in this world 3. Do you desire one that is wise There is none comparable unto Christ for wisdome His knowledge is infinite and his wisdome is correspondent Solomon exceeded all that went before him or that followed after him in wisdome but he did not so far exceed a man of the meanest wit and shallowest capacity as he was exceeded by Jesus Christ Christ is not only wise but wisdom Matth. 11. 19. the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. Christ is infinitely wise in himself and he is the spring of all the true spiritual and heavenly wisdome which is derived unto any of the children of men Col. 2. 3. In him are hid all treasures of wisdome and knowledge If you be espoused unto Christ he will guide and counsel you and make you wise unto salvation 4. Do you desire one that is potent who may defend you against your enemies and any kind of injuries and abuses There is none that can equal Christ in power others have some power but Christ hath all power Matth. 28. 18. Others may be potent but Christ is omnipotent others have power Christ is power the power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. And if you be espoused unto Christ his infinite power is engaged in your desence against your enemies He will subdue your iniquities Mic. 7. 19. By that power whereby he is able to subdue all things Philip. 3. 21. He will bruise Sathan under your feet Rom. 16 20. He will keep you from the evil of the world Ioh. 17 15 He will make you more than conquerours over all your spiritual enemies who without his help would not only abuse and injure you but also ruine and destroy you Rom. 8. 37. 5. Do you desire one that is good There is none like unto Christ in this regard others may have some goodness but it is imperfect Christs goodness is compleat and perfect He is full of goodness and in him dwelleth no evil He is good and he doth good and if you are espoused unto Christ however bad you are by nature he will make you in some measure good like himself 6. Do you desire one that is beautiful Christ is fairer than the children of men Psal 43. 2. He is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely v. 16. His eyes are most sparkling his looks and glances of love are most ravishing his smiles are most delightful and refreshing unto the Soul Christ is the most lovely and amiable person of all others in the world none so accomplished in all regard as he is accomplished and therefore he is most desirable in this relation and however unlovely you are in your selves however deformed and defiled by sin yet if you be espoused unto Christ he will put his comeliness upon you he will wash you in a bath made of his own bloud from your defilements and beautifie you with his own image and so you shall become exceeding fair and as you may have leave to delight your selves in Christs beauty so he will greatly desire and delight in yours as in the Text Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine ear c. so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty 7. Do you desire one that can love you None can love you like unto Christ His love is incomparable and his love is incomprehensible his love passeth all others love and it passeth knowledge too Eph. 3. 19. His love is first without any beginning his love is free without any motive his love is