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4. We are given to him as the wife of his bosom. As a father giveth the daughter whom he hath begot to another for a spouse and Wife, so dotli God give his elect to Christ. Indeed, Christ hath bought her at his Father's hands ; other wives bring a dowry, but Christ was to buy his spouse. As Saul gave his daughter to David, but first he was to kill Goliath, and to bring the foreskins of a hundred Philistines, 1 Sam. xvii. 25, and xviii. 25 ; so God gave Christ the church for a spouse, to be redeemed by his blood ; the infernal Goliath was to be slain. Eve was taken from Adam when he lay asleep ; so when Christ was a-dying, the church was, as it were, taken out of his side. He was willing to die that his spouse might live. Christ left his Father at his incarnation, his mother at his passion, to make the church his spouse, as a man leaveth father and mother, and cleaveth to his wife. This honour Christ getteth by the power of his Spirit ; it costs him long wooing. David had bought Michal with the danger of his life, yet he was fain to take her away from Phaltiel, 2 Sam. iii. 13, &c. The devil hath gotten Christ's spouse into his hands ; Christ by his Spirit is to rescue her, and oblige her to loyalty. Hereafter is the great day of espousals, the bride's, and the Lamb's hope. Christ's honour as well as our comfort is but incomplete now: 'Then he shall present the church to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish,' Eph. V. 27. Christ is now decking her against that time. We are to accomplish the months of our purification ; odours and garments are to be brought out of the king's treasury, Esther ii. 12.
5. We are to be members of his body. Next to that of the Son of God, there cannot be a greater title than Head of the church. Poor creatures ! that Christ will take us into his own mystical body, to quicken us, enliven us, and guide us by his grace ! If he were a head to all things, that had been somewhat: Col. ii. 11, ' He is the head of all principality and power.' But he is their head for the church's sake : ' And gave him to be the head over all things to the church,' Eph. i. 22, over them to us ; He counteth himself not perfect without us, ' Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all ; ' that we should be called the fulness of Christ ! He esteemeth himself as maimed and imperfect without us. He treateth his mysti- cal body with the same respect as his natural ; that was raised, ascended, glorified ; so shall we. For the present he is grieved in our miseries, as well as we exalted in his glory, and so he communicates to us and with us.
Use 1. Admire the love of God in this donation.
1. Of God the Father, that he should bestow us upon his own Son. As Christ pleadeth it to the Father, so should we plead it to ourselves : we were God's, and he gave us to Christ. Electing love is the sweet- est ; others were his as well as you : Ps. xxxvi. 7, ' How excellent is thy loving-kindness, 0 God ! ' That God should cast a look on you!
2. Of God the Son, that he should take us as a gift from the Father, and as a reward of all his services. Nothing could be more welcome than the tender of souls. Consider, nothing could be added to the greatness of him who was equal with the Father ; the privileges
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of the incarnation were but as so many milder humiliations ; but his main reason was to gain an interest in souls : nothing else could bring Christ out of heaven into the manger, the wilderness, the cross, the grave. What was his reward for all his expense of blood and sweat ? He came from heaven, took our nature, shed his blood ; Christ is very thirsty of an interest in souls: Isa. liii. 11, ' He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.' This is enough ; I do not begrudge my pains, my temptations, my agonies. A woman safely delivered after sore and sharp labour, forgetteth all her past sorrow for joy of the birth. Christ longed till his incarnation, feasted himself with the thoughts of his free grace ; Pro v. viii. 31, ' Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' After- wards he longed for his passion : Luke xii. 50, ' I have a baptism to be baptized with, and ttw? avvexofJi^ai, how am I straitened till it be accomplished ! ' His delight was with the sons of men.
3. Bless the Spirit for his attesting, witnessing, working the comfort of all this in all our souls. We have the Father in heaven, the Son on the cross, the Spirit in our hearts. We are given to Christ, but Christ is given to us by the Spirit ; our interest is wrought and applied by the Holy Ghost. It is the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is his executor ; he is to see Christ's will accomplished ; he is Christ's vicar in his kingly and prophetical office.