[It was customary for a number of bridemaids to attend upon the bride, in order to welcome her to her destined home ^. Accordingly it is said, " The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought with her to the King's palace." Even here, whenever any are united unto the Lord, many, both of saints and angels, are ready to congratulate them on the blissful occa- sion. And how much more will this be the case, when those who are espoused to him in this world shall be brought to consummate their nuptials in the realms of bliss ! We read of angels waiting upon Lazarus to bear his spirit to Abraham's bosom. So at the departure of every saint we may well con- ceive of multitudes of angels and of their former friends coming forth to welcome their arrival. And O ! what joy will fill every soul ! It is said, " With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought : " and we may see in the book of Revelations the whole ceremony pass, as it were, before our eyes. " I heard the voice of a great multitude, saying, Allelujah ! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him ; for the mar- riage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white : for the white linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith, Blessed are they which are called vmto the marriage-supper of the Lamb^." Yes, blessed are they indeed, whether in the character of the spouse or her attendants : for though on earth they are different, in heaven they are the same ; the one being the collective body of the Church, of which the others are the individual members. This representation, it must be confessed, is figurative : but under the figure there is a reality : for, as the Scripture says, *' These are the true sayings of God'"!"]
Address —
1. Those who have never yet been espoused to Christ —
[Let it not be forgotten, that this is a very common figure in Scripture to represent the surrender of the soul to God. To his Church of old, God said by the prophet Hosea, " Thou shalt abide for me many days ; (referring, like our text, to the purifications preparatory to nuptials ;) thou shalt not play the harlot ; and thou shalt not be for another man : so will I also be for thee"." And again; " I will betroth thee unto me for ever ; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies : I wDl even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know tlie Lord"." In the New Testament also every believer is spoken
^ Matt. XXV. 1. 1 Rev. xix. 6 — 9. ^ Rev. xix. 9.
n Hos. iii. 3. ° Hos. ii. 19, 20.
578.] THE church's beauty AND HAPPINESS. 355
of in this view : " I have espoused you to one Husband," says St. Paul, "that I may present you as a chaste virgin to ChristP." Know ye then, that if you have never solemnly engaged your- selves to Christ, as a virgin does to the object -of her affections, and so pledged yourselves, as not for a moment to admit a rival to your heart, you are not yet Christians indeed : you ma}"^ bear the name ; but you have no just title to the character. I call upon you therefore to do this without delay. And, if you desire to postpone this necessary act, I ask, Whom have you found so worthy of your affections as the Lord Jesus Christ?
Who has done so much for you to deserve them ? and
who will ever make you so rich a return ? Say not,
" What is thy Beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge \is^ :" for there is none to be compared with Him, either in heaven or on earth. " He is fairer than the children of men':" " He is the chiefest among ten thousand:" " He is altogether lovely ^" O, rest not, till with holy con- fidence you can say, " This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem*." And so set yourselves from this moment to prepare yourselves for him, that he may shortly " bring you to his banqueting-house, and his banner over you be love'^."]