fhould be like

tify and cleanfe it, with the
washing of Water, by the

Word,

Spirit, and cleanfe it with the Washing of Sect. 11.
Water in Baptism, and fo having purged it

from the Guilt and Pollution of Sin, might Eph. V. 26.
form it for himself, and train it up in the
Exercise of every Grace, by the Discipline of
his Word (b) : That being thus purified, 27
educated, and adorned, as a Bride prepared
and adorned for her Husband, (Rev. xxi. 2.)
be might in due Time receive it up to Glory,
and place it in his own immediate Frefence, a
glorious Church, arrayed in perfect Righte-
oufnefs, and free from all Remains of Sin,
not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any Thing of
that Nature (c) which could be called a
Blemish; but that in every Part and Mem-
ber of it it should be holy and without Blame,
and he might thus furvey it compleatly pure,
beautiful, and refplendent, in that great Day,
when the whole Number of his Elect shall
be gathered together, and the Marriage of
the Lamb fhall be celebrated, amidst the
Acclamations of the Heavenly Legions, to
whofe blifsful World his Bride fhall be con-
ducted in Triumph.

But to return to the Subject from which 28
this pleafing Digreffion hath led me; Such
is the Nearness of the Relation I am speak-
ing of, that Husbands ought fo to love their
Wives, as they love their own Bodies: And

when

(b) With the Washing of Water, by the Word.] I apprehend here is an Allufion to the Methods taken in Eastern Countries, to purify the Virgins that were to be prefented to the Royal Embrace: (Compare Efth. ii. 3, 9, 12. and Ezek. xvi. 7,-14.) And no Doubt proper Care was also taken to cultivate their Minds, and form them to fuch Knowledge, as might render them more fit to become the Dignity intended for them; which was the more neceffary, as fome of those who appeared as Candidates on fuch Occafions, were of low Birth and Education.

the

(c) Not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any Thing of that Nature.] How bright an Idea does this give us of the grand Plan and Defign of Christianity, to bring all the Mil-· lions of which the Church confifts to fuch a State of perfect Virtue and Glory, that when penetrating Eye of Chrift, its great and holy Bridegroom, fhall furvey it, there fhall not be one Spot or Wrinkle, or any Thing like it, in the leaft to impair its Beauty, or offend his Sight! Where is fuch a Scheme or Thought to be found in the World, but in the New Tefiament, and those who have been taught by it?

204

Sect. II.

He that loveth his Wife, loveth himself.

when we confider that the Bond of Mar- Bodies: he that loveth his riage makes them both one, and remember Wife loveth himself.

Eph. V. 28. what an infeparable Community of Interefts

it establishes, we may truly fay, that be that loveth bis Wife, loveth himself, and he that permits his Affections to be alienated from her, knows little of his own true Happi29 nefs. And this muft furely have its Weight with every confiderate Perfon; for no Man in his Senfes ever yet hated his own Flesh, whatever its Infirmities or Imperfections were, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, providing not only for the Suftenance of it, but for its comfortable Accommodation; even as the Lord nourisheth and cherisheth the Church, fupplying it with all Things that may conduce to its Welfare and Happiness, with a tender Concern for its Infirmities, 30 looking upon it as one with himself:

For

it is a moft certain, as well as delightful Truth, that he regards it in this View, and that we are esteemed by him as Members of his Body, united to him by one Spirit, and therefore confidered, like Eve when juft taken out of Adam's Side, (Gen. ii. 23.) as making a Part of his Flesh, and of his Bones; whom therefore he would no more permit to be feparated from him, than a Man would be willing to lofe a vital Part of 31 himself. Now anfwerably to this (d) it is undoubtedly fit, that (as Adam was divinely infpired to declare (e) on the first View of that delightful Relation of which I now fpeak,) all other Ties fhould yield to this: So that, according as it follows there, (Gen. ii.

24.)

29 For no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh; but

nourisheth and cherisheth it, even ás the Lord the

Church:

30 For we are Members and of his Bones. of his Body, of his Flesh,

31 For this Caufe fhall a Man

(d) Anfwerably to this.] This is the exact Import of the Phrafe a rule, which might also be rendered [on the other Hand,] that is, taking the Matter in a different but correspondent View.

(e) Adam was divinely infpired to declare.] See Note (d) on Mat. xix. 5. Vol. ii. pag. 225. as to the Reafon there is to conclude, that Adam fpake this in Confequence of fome extraordinary Divine Illumination.

Cf This

The myfterious Union of Chrift with the Church.

Man leave his Father and Mother, and fhall be joined unto his Wife, and they two fhall be one Flesh.

32 This is a great Myftery: but I fpeak concerning

Chrift and the Church.

33 Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular fo felf; and the Wife fee that The reverence her Husband.

love his Wife even as him

205

24.) " A Man fhall leave his Father and Sect. 11.
"Mother, and be infeparably joined to his
Eph. V. 31.

Wife, and they, though originally and na

turally two Perfons, fhall for the future be
"one Flef; fhall be confidered as one Per-
"fon, and, as it were, one Soul in two
"Bodies."

This is indeed a great Myftery (f), v hich 32
was long unknown, and now it is in fome
Measure difcovered, is a Matter of much
Admiration; but you will eafily perceive,
that in faying this, Ifpeak not of the Union
between a Man and his Wife, but of that
between Chrift and the Church: For that the
Son of GOD fhould unite himself to a So-
ciety of mortal Men, and regard them as
making a Part of himfelf, on Account of the
Intimacy with which they are joined to him
in a Community of Spirit and of Intereft,
can indeed never be fufficiently admired.
Nevertheless you will not, I hope, forget the 33
Occafion which led me to touch upon this
pleafing Subject: I therefore renew the Ex-
hortation, and fay, Let every one of you in
particular fo love his Wife, even as himself,
with fuch a cordial and fincere Affection as he
bears to himself; and let the Wife [fee] that
fhe reverence [her] Hufband, and be fubject
to him, not only as a neceffary Duty, but

as,

(f) This is a great Myftery.] Dr. Whitby thinks this refers to a Tradition among the fews, that the Marriage of Adam with Eve was a Type of the Union between the Meffiah and the Church; and feveral remarkable Paffages of that Kind have been produced.-Bishop Burnet interprets this Expreffion, as if it were defigned to fignify, that this was a myftical Argument of the main Point the Apostle was intent upon proving, that is, the Union of the Jews and Gentiles in one Church, fince otherwife Chrift being efpoufed to each might feem in a State of Polygamy. (See Burnet on the Articles, pag. 264.) But this Conceit is far fetched, and the Interpretation given in the Paraphrafe is fo eafy, that one would wonder fo many Difficulties fhould be raised on fo obvious a Point. The Mystery certainly was, that the eternal Son of GOD, receiving the degenerate Race of Men into an Union with himself, fhould have loved them with an Affection exceeding that, which is to be found among the moft intimate Human Relations. This fublime Doctrine had long been concealed, and cannot now be perfectly comprehended; and therefore may with the greatest Propriety be called a Mystery in every Senfe of the Word.

206

Reflections on the Love of Chrift to the Church,

Sect. 11. as led to it by affectionate Choice, regard

ing him with inward Refpect and Esteem, Eph. V. 33 as well as paying him the Honour of external Obedience.

Ver. 23.

Ver. 25.

Ver. 26.

Ver. 27.

Ver. 29.

Vet. 30.

Ver. 25.

Ver. 33.

Ver. 24.

L'

IMPROVEMENT.

ET the Love of our bleffed Redeemer to his Church be daily celebrated with the moft cordial Gratitude, and that infinite Condefcenfion adored, by which he hath been pleased to unite us to himself in fuch dear and infeparable Bonds. He is the Saviour of the Body; and Oh, in how wonderful a Manner is he become fo! He hath given himself for us, hath bought us from Servitude and Mifery at the Expence of his own Life, and hath washed us from cur Sins in his own Blood, as well as cleanfed' us in the Laver of Baptifmal Water; and intending us for the eternal Difplays of his Love, as well as for the Participation of his Glory, he hath fanctified us by his Spirit, and formed us for it by his Word; and thus is preparing us for that bleffed Day, when the whole Body of his Elect fhall be brought forth, as the Bride the Lamb's Wife, to those publick Efpoufals, which fhall have their Confummation in compleat and everlasting Happiness. Oh what a noble and illuftrious Day! when the Eye of Chrift fhall furvey all the Millions of his People, and placing them in his Prefence as one with himself, fhall look with full Complacency and Delight on all the various Members of that glorious Church, and behold neither Spot nor Wrinkle, nor any fuch Thing, but all comely, fair, and lovely, all anfwering that perfect Idea which he had formed, and that Scheme which he had laid for raifing them by perfect Holiness to perfect Felicity. In the mean Time, let us think with Delight on the Proofs that he gives of his conftant Love. He nourishes and cherishes his Church; and with the most affectionate Regard is tender of it, as we are of the Member of our own Body, of our Flesh, and of our Bones. Oh that we may have a more fenfible Communion with him as our great Head, and may derive more continual Influences from him!

For his Sake, let us love one another: And let thofe who are joined in the Conjugal Relation, often confider it in the View in which it is here reprefented. Let Hufbands fee to it, that their Love to their Wives bear fome Refemblance to that which Chrift avows to the Church: Let Wives pay a Reverence to their Hufbands, like that which the Church is to pay to Chrift: And let both take Care to

and on the Relative Duties of Husbands and Wives.

Ver. 31.

207 maintain that Wisdom and Sanctity in the whole of their Behaviour, Sect, II. which may fuit the Relation which they bear to each other in their common Head, as well as render their intimate Alliance happy, which it can never be but by an Union of Hearts, as well as of Hands.-Vain will it be to think of dividing their Interefts, when their Persons are thus joined in fuch a Manner as to become one Flesh. And can there be a stronger Argument to the most tender Love? He that loveth his Wife, loveth himself: She that loveth her Ver. 28. Husband, and from Love obeys him, loveth herself too: And every Inftance of Unkindness on the one Hand, or the other, is but arming the Members with Weapons against the Head, or employing the Head in Contrivances against the Members.

The Apostle urges the mutual Duties of Children and Parents, and of Servants and Mafters, enforcing each of them with proper Arguments. Eph. VI. 1,---9.

EP H. VI. I.

Children, obey your Pa

rents in the Lord: for

this is right.

HA

EPH. VI. I.

AVING spoken of the Relative Du- Sec. 12. ties of Hufbands and Wives, I now proceed to mention other Relations arising Eph. VI. 1. from them, and particularly that between Parents and Children. And here I would exhort you that are Children, that with becoming Duty and Refpect ye obey your Parents, attending to the Inftructions of your Father, and not forfaking the Law of your Mother, (Prov. i. 8.) out of Regard to the Subjection that you owe them in the Lord, and in Compliance with the Authority of Chrift: For this is right and reasonable in itfelf, as a juft Debt to those who are the Inftruments of your Being, and to whose Care and Kindness you are fo much obliged; and will be alfo beneficial in its Confe

quences, as it is certain that Parents in ge

6

neral