' If the Lord be with us, why are these things befallen us ? ' But then all is open and clear ; when the clouds vanish about Christ's per- son, so about us also. It is called ' the day of the manifestation of the sons of God,' Rom. viii. 19.
4. Then we are brought home to his house, conducted in state to heaven, John xiv. 3. Then the day is come when you shall have all that you have hoped, desired, looked for. Oh ! what a happy day will that be, when the great shepherd of the sheep shall lead his flock into their everlasting fold, and the husband of the church carry her with him into his father's house : John xvii. 24, ' Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me may be where I am, and behold my glory.' And his will and testament is made good. Now we are in the outer court. If one day in the house of God be better than a thousand else- where, oh ! what is it to be brought home to God ! In these blessed mansions there we shall abide for ever, and never to part more.
5. Everlasting cohabitation and living with him : ' We shall be ever with the Lord,' 1 Thes. iv. 17 ; not get a glimpse and away, but for ever to enjoy his presence. Christ's presence for a time upon earth was very sweet to his disciples ; it was bitter to them to think of his going from them, though it were expedient for them ; but now remain in an everlasting state of intimacy and familiarity with him. Now we have a taste of Christ, but then our communion shall be without intermission or interruption ; we shall be out of the crowd and press of troubles and temptations and sins, and study divinity in the Lamb's face, and he will communicate himself to us according to the vastest extent of our capacity.
Use, Oh ! then, be espoused to Christ ; otherwise he will not come as a bridegroom, but as a judge. For motives —
1. Consider your necessity. There is a deep necessity lieth upon you; you are undone for ever if you are not married to Christ. The apostle saith, 1 Cor. vii., if a woman can live without a husband, she doth well if she marrieth not ; but now you are undone for ever if you have him not ; you are liable to the wrath of the eternal God. The apostle saith, Rom. vii. 4, that all those are dead to the law who are married to Christ : that must be done necessarily. First, now, what is it to be dead to the law, but to see ourselves miserable and undone for ever, and impotent, and no way able to help ourselves? The law which is written upon every man's conscience is there represented as a hard and cruel husband, that requireth a hard task to do, but affordeth no strength at all to do it ; therefore it bindeth us over to death and the curse. The sense of the law, being inbred in the conscience and natural to us, cannot be extinguished, but will return with the more violence. Well, then, the law suggesteth what we should do, threat- eneth us if we do it not ; and conscience telling us we have not done it, this is a continual grief and vexation to us, and a man is kept under fear of death and hell all his days.
2. Consider the excellency of Christ, who is altogether lovely as to his person and offices, and every way suited to your necessities. As to his person, he is God-man, able and willing to do you good ; for what cannot God do ? and surely he will not be strange to his own flesh. You are condemned by the law ; he is a priest to make atone-
398 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. VIII.
merit for you. You are ignorant of the way to true happiness ; he is a prophet to teacli and guide you. You have many enemies and dif- ficulties to overcome in that way ; he points it out to you ; and your own flesh is weak, but he is a king to vanquish your enemies, and to assist you with the powerful succours of his Spirit ; he will help you to perform your duty in the midst of all temptations to the contrary ; for we are to serve him iu newness of spirit, Rom. vii. 5, 6.
3. Consider the utility and profit of it: 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23, 'All things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' If you could as heartily devote yourselves to the service of Christ, as Christ as mediator did to the work of redemption, nothing would be wanting to you to promote your present holiness and future happiness.
4. It is no presumption to aspire to this marriage, for God maketh the first motion. God hath made love to you, and wooed you by all manner of engaging expressions, that he may win your hearts, and engage your consent. Oh ! do not refuse the Lord's kindness, or neglect to bestow your hearts upon him, or to give up vourselves to him. Christ hath employed spokesmen, sends his tokens as presents of love : Mat. xxiii. 37, ' I would, but you would not.' All marriages are brought about by earnest suit on the one side, and consent on the other : so it is here. Oh ! therefore consider, and say, as Rebecca, ' I can say no more nor no less ; the thing is the Lord's.'