Preface.

4. Yet even though in this contrast, the Dawn, Sun, Moon, etc. are outwardly obscured by clouds or other things, they cannot in themselves be deprived of their light; for with that light, they finally overcome and drive away the darkness, breaking through it.

Here then, through these qualities, is shown the character and appearance of the Church of Christ here on earth, concerning among other things: 1. Her Beauty. 2. The changes to which she is subject. 3. Her Struggle. 4. Her invincibility and endurance.

I. One sees that the Beauty of the Church is depicted with this presentation, generally through these four things together, but especially through the Moon, as it is said, Fair as the Moon. And just as beauty is a property of these things—and especially of the Moon—so also is Beauty a property of the Church, in the same way that it belongs to these things and especially the Moon, so it also belongs to the Church. And therefore, she is properly adorned with this title of honor and greeted by Christ, her Bridegroom The "Bridegroom" is a traditional Christian metaphor for Jesus Christ, based on various biblical passages., in Song of Solomon 1:15 and 6:4: See, my love, you are beautiful, beautiful you are, etc. Likewise, in Song of Solomon 1:8 and 6:1, she is called the Fairest among women original: "Schoonste onder de wijven", which is to say, surpassing in beauty all the gatherings of the Godless, the worldly, and the unbelieving. This is also testified to by the Prophet David in Psalm 45:14: The King's Daughter is all glorious within. And Psalm 84:1 The original text cites Psalm 83:1, but the verse "How lovely are your dwellings" is found in Psalm 84 in most English Bibles.: How lovely and how beautiful are your dwellings, Lord of Hosts. In these places, the Church is understood under the names "King's Daughter" and "Dwelling of the Lord."

Yet just as neither the Dawn, nor the Sun, nor the Moon possess their radiance, light, and shining—in which their beauty especially consists—of themselves, nor even the Battle Arrays, as has been said; so likewise the Church does not have her beauty of herself. Indeed, just as the place where the Dawn appears is dark before the lighting of the Sun, and just as the Moon is a dark or at least a faintly glowing creature—indeed, even the Sun itself, if it were not enriched with the light of God—so would the Church have absolutely no beauty or elegance of herself. On the contrary, she was highly disfigured, stained, filthy, and abominable, just as the state and appearance of the Church is shown to have been of herself in Ezekiel 16:3, 4, and 5. There, she is addressed thus: Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanites; your Father was an Amorite, and your Mother a...