1 . His union with us —
[By the constitution of marriage, as formed by God him- self in Paradise, the husband and wife were declared to " be one fleshq." So, by virtue of this relation, as subsisting between Christ and his Church, we are not only one flesh with him, (for " we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones1,") but we are one spirit with him; as it is written, " He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit s." Now this is an union far closer than any other that can subsist on earth. Indeed it most resembles that which subsists in heaven between the different persons of the Godhead: as our Lord Jesus Christ has said; " I pray for them, that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" .... " that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made per- fect in one'." There is between him and them a mutual indwelling, such as no language can describe, and no finite imagination can conceive11.]
2. His interest in us —
[Persons united in the marriage-bond have a mutual property in each other, and a mutual interest in every thing belonging to them. And thus it is between Christ and his believing people. The believer is Christ'sx: and every thing which he possesses is Christ's. " In no respect whatever is he his owny:" from the moment of his union with Christ by faith, he was altogether " in spirit, soul, and body, sanctified unto the Lord2." The Lord Jesus Christ, also, has given himself over to the believing soul. The very weakest believer is autho- rized to say, " My Beloved is mine, and I am hisa." Yes, verily, so it is ; for " God is not ashamed to be called our Godb." In truth, all that the Lord Jesus Christ is, and all that he has, becomes the property of the believing soul, and is all employed for his benefit. The wisdom, the power, the grace of the Lord Jesus are exerted in regulating the whole universe for his people's good0. Yea, " the very glory which his Father gave to him, he gives to themd : " his throne is their throne, his crown their crown, his kingdom their king- dom6: they are in every thing " heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ'."]
3. His feelings towards us —
i Gen. ii. 24. r Eph, v. 30. s 1 Cor. vi. 17.
t Johnxvii. 21, 22. u John vi. 56. x 1 Cor. hi. 23.
>' 1 Cor. vi. 19. z 1 Thess. v. 23. a Cant. ii. 16.
b Heb. xi. 16. ° Eph. ii. 22. d John xvii. 22.
e llev. hi. 21. f Horn. viii. 17.