[If we congratulate our friends when they are settled in life with a fair prospect of happiness, shall we not much more congratulate you; you, who by your connexion with Christ are become children of the living Godm? What earthly ad- vancement can be compared with this? Who among the children of men is so wise to discern, so tender to regard, so able to relieve, your every want ? We hope that you know your union with him. It is certainly your privilege to know it, and to rejoice in itn. " Rejoice then in the Lord alway, and again
I say, Rejoice0" But together with your privileges,
remember also the duties which this high relation bringeth with it. Would you be unfaithful to him, or grieve him in anything? God forbid. Remember the fervent attachment15, the humble reverence q, the unreserved submission1", which a dutiful wife feels towards her husband : and let these feelings be transferred in the highest possible degree to your august "Heads," and be exercised towards him without any inter- mission or alloy l. ]
2. Those who have no evidence that such an union has been formed —
[They who have felt no need of an union with Christ, will be ready to say, like Ezekiel's hearers, " Ah ! Lord God, doth he not speak parables u?" But indeed "we speak forth the words of truth and soberness*." You hope to bring forth fruit to God in some other way than by an union with Christ : but you may as well expect a branch to be fruitful, when sepa- rated from the viney. The image in the text is applied by St. Paul in reference to this very thing : he tells us, that " we must be married unto Christ, that we may bring forth fruit unto Godz." Moreover, if you be not united to Christ in this world, you will in vain hope for an union with him in the world to come. This is the time wherein you are to be betrothed to him. Seek then to know him : seek to become an object of his regard : seek to be united to him as intimately as he is to his Heavenly Father3. Be not contented with seeking, but strive ; strive to obtain an interest in his favour ; nor cease from your labour till you can say, " My beloved is mine, and
m John i. 12. n John xiv. 20. ° Phil. iv. 4.
p Tit. ii. 4. i Eph. v. 33.
r Eph. v. 22, 24. 1 Pet. hi. 1, 5, 6. s Eph. v. 23. 1 Cor. xi. 3.
I If this were preached on the occasion of a Marriage, it would be proper to shew to the parties present, that their cheerful perform- ance of their relative duties is indispensable, as an evidence of their union to Christ.
II Ezek. xx. 49. x Acts xxvi. 25. y John xv. 4, 5. z Rom. vii. 4. a John xvii. 21. and vi. 56, 57.