1. The certainty of Christ's coming. We heard before of a great expectation, of his tarrying, of the cry raised, now of his coming, he really came at last ; but of that point before.
2. Of the suddenness of his coming, by way of surprise on the carnal world. When the careless were little ready for him, he came ; when they went to buy; but of that in verse the 13th.
3. I shall choose to speak now of the quality in which he cometh ; he cometh as a bridegroom.
Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ shall come to his people as a bridegroom at his second coming.
Rev. xix. 7, 9, ' Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready : and he saith unto me, write, Blessed are they that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb.'
To evidence this unto you. consider these propositions : —
1. That between Christ and believers there is a mutual tie, consent, and obligation each to other, which may be notably represented by the marriage covenant, Ps. xlv., Isa. xlv. 5, and elsewhere. There is a living relation between Christ and them, beyond what is between him and others ; a relation not only notional and imaginary, but is really transacted between them, as between two parties in the marriage covenant. So Cant. ii. 16, ' My beloved is mine, and I am his.' Both the parties are mutually, explicitly, and formally engaged and con- tracted to one another ; Christ to us as head, we to him as members of his mystical body. As it is real, so it is near ; they twain shall be one flesh, we one spirit : 1 Cor. vi. 17, ' He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.' Whole Christ is ours, we are or should be altogether his, as full of kindness and love, Eph. v. 25-27 ; Zeph. iii. 17. And it is indissoluble ; the marriage-knot remaineth inviolable for ever : ' I will betroth thee to me for ever,' Hosea ii. 19.
2. This marriage may be considered in four respects : — (1.) With respect to the ground and foundation of it ; (2.) With respect to our
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 393
first entrance into this relation ; (3.) With respect to the state of it in this world ; (4.) With respect to its perfect consummation.
[1.] With respect to the ground and foundation that was laid for it in Christ's incarnation, or at his first coming. Marriage is between parties of the same kind, as, in the first marriage, Adam called Eve bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, Gen. ii. 20. So Christ came to fit himself for that relation of husband to his church, by taking our nature upon him ; and therefore the apostle, when he speaketh of the marriage between Christ and his church, useth the same name which Adam had used : Eph. v. 30, ' For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bone.' When Christ was in the world, he made a way for the marriage : he parted from us it is true, but there was an interchange of tokens ; he took our flesh, and left with us his Spirit.
[2.] With respect to our first entrance into this relation, when first converted to God, or upon our thankful, broken-hearted, willing acceptance of Christ for Lord and husband. All marriage is entered into by a consent : Christ giveth his consent in the promises, and we by faith, which is' a broken-hearted, willing, and thankful acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ to the ends for which God offereth him. Where note, that faith is an acceptance of Christ : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him.' Next, for the mode and manner of this ac- ceptance, it is broken-hearted, because we are undeserving and ill-de- serving creatures, altogether unworthy to be taken into such a near relation to Christ ; as Abigail, when David sent to her to make her his wife, debased herself : 1 Sam. xxv. 40, 41, ' Let thine handmaid wash the feet of thy servants.' Alas ! who are we ? A poor trembling soul is afraid of being too bold, but God's offer encourageth it. And as it is a broken-hearted, so it is a willing acceptance of Christ ; for Christ will not draw us into this relation by force, or bestow the privileges of it without or against our consent : Rev. xxii. 17, ' Who- soever will, let him take of the water of life freely.' If the will be to Christ, the great difficulty is over. Christianity is but a hearty consent to accept of Christ and his benefits ; but the creature's will is not soon gained : Mat. xxiii. 37, ' I would, but ye would not ;' he inviteth and clucketh by the renewed messages of his grace, but we will not be gathered : Isa. lxv. 2, ' I have spread out my hands all the day long to a rebellious people.' The ungodly careless world knoweth not the worth of God's greatest mercies, and therefore despise them, yea, take them for intolerable injuries and troubles, because they are against their fleshly appetites ; but when the will is once thoroughly gained to God, the great work of conversion is drawing to a happy period ; the consent of the will is the closing act, when we yield ourselves to the Lord, resolving to become his, and to be disposed, ordered, and governed by him at his own pleasure : ' I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine,' Ezek. xvi. 8. And as it is a willing- acceptance, so it is a thankful acceptance of Christ ; because it is a great favour and honour done to us, considering the infinite distance between the parties to be joined in the marriage-covenant, God over all blessed for ever, and we poor wretched creatures. There may be among us great distance between the persons that enter into the marriage-covenant, but all that distance is but finite, for it is but such