2. It is matter of joy to Jesus GJwist. Cant. iii. 11, " Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart." This Solomon was a type of Christ ; and the mother of Christ, that brought forth Christ as to his human nature, was the church : and in the espousals of the church to Christ set a crown upon his head; see Ps. xvi. 6, " The lines," saith Christ, in reference to his church, " are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage;" — it is the approbation that Christ gives of his church when he is espoused unto it, in the day of the gladness of his heart.
3. It is matter of joy to believers themselves, 1 Pet. i. 8, " In whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy un- speakable, and full of glory." It is, I say, matter of joy and praise unto them.
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46G THE EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST.
Why are the loves of Christ and his church, or the espousals of Christ and a believing soul, matter of such joy as to be the subject of a song of loves to God himself, to Jesus Christ, and to believers ?
(1.) Because, on the part of God, it is that wherein the glorious design and purpose of his grace is accomplished, and his goodness satisfied. God doth all things for " the praise of the glory of his grace," Eph. i. 6. Wherefore, when this grace of God is accomplished, and his goodness satisfied, it is matter of rejoicing unto God. When he had laid the foundation of the old creation, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, God himself looked upon all, and, "behold, it was very good ;" he approved his whole work: and when he carried on the work of the new creation, whereof this I am speaking of is the greatest instance, even the espousal loves between Christ and a be- lieving soul, having accomplished such a work of grace, and power, and goodness as this is, God himself doth approve of it ; it is matter of joy unto him.
(2.) It is matter of joy to Jesus Christ, because " he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied." This is that he laboured for, Isa. liii. 11, etc. It was matter of joy to Jacob, when he had obtained Rachel to be his wife, that he had got that he laboured for: " He served for a wife," saith the Holy Ghost, Hos. xii. 12. Why, the Lord Jesus Christ, when he hath united his church to himself (and in proportion, any believing soul), he hath that which he hath laboured for, — he sees of the travail of his soul. It cost him prayers and tears, blood and death ; but now he sees what it is come unto : it hath pro- duced this bride for him, or believing souls to be united to him; and he is satisfied. He fulfilled a hard service ; but it was for his bride, in whom his soul delighted, — as he does in every believing soul, when he hath made them comely through his comeliness, or in and through the righteousness he puts upon them.
(3.) It is certainly matter of joy to all believers themselves, because it instates them in those new relations, and in that condition, which they, for their part, never ought to have expected or looked for, as to any thing that was in themselves. And therefore the prophet Isaiah, chap. liv. 5, caUs upon the church to rejoice exceedingly, be- cause " thy Maker is thine husband ; the Lord of hosts is his name ; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel ; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." All grace and privilege, all mercy, pardon, every thing else we enjoy in this world, and hope for in another, depends upon this, of relation unto Jesus Christ; therefore, certainly it is matter of joy and rejoicing to believers.
That which we may learn from hence, by way of use, is, —
1. The infinite wisdom, goodness, and condescension of God, in disposing the way of saving poor sinners so as that it shall be matter
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of joy and rejoicing to him, to Jesus Christ, and to believers them- selves. It was infinite wisdom and grace, that God would dispose any way for the salvation of his creatures. He gave out a way to Adam, whereby (by perfect obedience) he might have attained life, immortality, and glory. That was not a way that did issue in such great joy to God, to Christ, or to ourselves, as this doth, where God is glorified, Christ satisfied, and believers themselves are surprised. We were poor, desolate, forlorn, lost creatures; and that God should bring us iuto a way of saving us, so as that the heart of God and Christ, and our own hearts, should rejoice in it;— this calls for our admiration. I know it is hard for us to believe it; yet I know it is true, that God himself is rejoiced, and Christ rejoices in the taking of any one soul into espousals with himself. And, which may add more, all the angels in heaven rejoice too, Luke xv. 10, " There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth ;" because God is so glorified, and Christ so exalted. God hath put this way of converting and saving sinners into such a channel as will tend to his glory, and the glory of Christ, and so be matter of joy unto them.