will extend to the remotest corners of the earth : " All kings shall fall down before him ; all nations shall do him service." " All shall know him, from the least unto the greatest;" and " all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our
Lord" " Then shall his Wife have made herself ready,
and the marriage of the Lamb shall come : and blessed indeed will they be who shall then be called to the marriage supper of the Lambm." This is " the increase" which we assuredly look for; and of it there shall be no end11."]
Address —
1. Those who profess to desire an union with
Christ—
[Happy they who feel a desire after him! But
there must be in every one of us a meetness for him, before he will acknowledge us as his. Let not this however be mis- understood. There cannot be in us any thing that can deserve his love, nor any thing that shall induce him to set his love upon us : we have not a good thought or desire which has not been first of all given us by him. But still, if we would be his in deed and in truth, we must have our desires supremely fixed on him, and every adulterous affection mortified. It is not a divided heart that he will accept : we must give ourselves wholly to him ; or he will never admit us into the relation of his Spouse. See what holy jealousy St. Paul manifested on this head ; and with what tender concern he urged the consideration
of this subject on his Corinthian converts0 So, beloved,
we would urge it upon you. Deceive not your own souls. In forming human connexions, we may impose upon one another : but we can never impose on him : and if we would be ac- knowledged by him as his bride, we must present ourselves to him as a chaste virgin, with a determination to be his, even his alone ]
2. Those who profess to be actually united to him —
[It is scarcely needful to say, that you must endeavour to " walk worthy of your high calling." If you profess to stand in such a relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, " what manner of persons ought you to be in all manner of conversation and godliness!" See then that you live in a state of constant com- munion with himp, and of entire dependence on himq ■
Be zealous for his honour, and studious to bring forth the fruits of righteousness to his praise and glory r
m Rev. xix. 7 — 9. and xxi. 9 — 11.
n Isai. ix. 7. Dan. ii. 44. and vii. 27. ° 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3.
v 1 John i. 3. fi 1 Cor. i. ?,0. John i. 16; r Rom. vii. 4. VOL. XIII. T