1. He has communion with us in all our trials —
[One who understands the duties of a husband, and labours faithfully to discharge them, is ever ready to sympa- thize with his partner in her afflictions of whatever kind, and solicitous to the utmost to relieve them. What is done to her, whether it be good or evil, he considers it as done to him- self. Thus it is with our blessed Lord. Are we tempted ?
a consciousness of his relation to us calls forth his sympathy,
and engages his utmost exertions on our behalf1 Are
we persecuted ? He feels in his inmost soul the dagger that
pierces us s Do we labour under distresses of any
kind? " In all our afflictions he is afflicted*;" and every attempt made to mitigate our trouble, he accepts, as if he him- self were personally relieved11 ]
2. We have communion with him in all his bene- fits—
[A woman, from whatever rank she be taken, is no sooner united in the marriage-bond, than she is exalted to a partici- pation of all the honours and possessions of her husband. Thus it is with the Church when united unto Christ. Is he possessed of a perfect righteousness, commensurate with the highest demands of law and justice? They who are joined to him by faith, are partakers of it all, and may boldly call him, " The Lord our Righteousness x." However sinful they may have been in former times, " in him shall they be justified,
and in him may they glory y" Has he within himself
an inexhaustible fountain of grace2 ? They may receive it out of his fulness3 : and having had a measure of it communicated to them, they may go to him for moreb : yea, whatever sup- plies they may need, they shall have sufficient for themc; sufficient to mortify every sind, to fulfil every dutye, to
triumph over every enemyf Is he enthroned on high,
the heir and Lord of all thingsg? Let not his people think that even these things are too great for them : for they shall have a throne like unto his throne h, a kingdom like unto his kingdom1, a glory like unto his glory k ]
Address —
1. Those who have reason to believe that they are " married to Christ1" —
r Heh. ii. 17, 18. and iv. 15. s Zech. ii. 8. Acts ix. 4.
4 Isai. Ixiii. 9. u Matt. xxv. 35 — 40. x Jer. xxiii. 6.
y Isai. xlv. 24, 25. z Col. i. 19. a John i. 16.
b Jam. iv. 6. c 2 Cor. xii. 9. d Rom. vi. 14.
e Phil. iv. 13. f Rom. viii. 37. « Heb. i. 2.
h Rev. iii. 21. ! Luke xxii. 29. k John xvii. 22. 1 Jer. iii. 14. Isai. lxii. 5.