II. Here I would mention three or four things tending to excite us to this fidelity.
First, we ought to consider how much Christ has done to obtain that joy, wherein he rejoices over his church, as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride.
The creation of the world seems to have been especially for this end, that the eternal Son of God might obtain a spouse towards whom he might fully exercise the infinite benevolence of his nature, and to whom he might, as it were, open and pour forth all that immense fountain of condescension, love, and grace that was in his heart, and that in this way God might be glorified. Doubtless the work of creation is subordinate to the work of redemption. The creation of the new heavens and new earth is represented as so much more excellent that the old, that, in comparison, it is not worthy to be mentioned or come into mind.
Christ has done greater things than to create the world in order to obtain his bride and the joy of his espousals with her. For he became man for this end, which was a greater thing than his creating the world. For the Creator to make the creature was a great thing. But for him to become a creature was a greater thing. And he did a much greater thing still to obtain this joy; in that for this he laid down his life, and suffered even the death of the cross. For this he poured out his soul unto death. And he that is the Lord of the universe, God over all, blessed forevermore, offered up himself a sacrifice, in both body and soul, in the flames of divine wrath. Christ obtains his elect spouse by conquest. For she was a captive in the hands of dreadful enemies. And her Redeemer came into the world to conquer these enemies and rescue her out of their hands, that she might be his bride. And he came and encountered these enemies in the greatest battle that ever was beheld by men or angels. He fought with principalities and powers. He fought alone with the powers of darkness and all the armies of hell. Yea, he conflicted with the infinitely more dreadful wrath of God, and overcame in this great battle. And thus he obtained his spouse. Let us consider at how great a price Christ purchased his spouse. He did not redeem her with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with his own precious blood. Yea, he gave himself for her. When he offered up himself to God in those extreme labors and sufferings, this was the joy that was set before him, that made him cheerfully to endure the cross, and despise the pain and shame in comparison of this joy; even that rejoicing over his church, as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride that the Father had promised him, and that he expected when he should present her to himself in perfect beauty and blessedness.
The prospect of this was what supported him in the midst of the dismal prospect of his sufferings, at which his soul was troubled. John 12:27, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” These words show the conflict and distress of Christ’s holy soul in the view of his approaching sufferings. But in the midst of his trouble, he was refreshed with the joyful prospect of the success of those sufferings, in bringing home his elect church to himself, signified by a voice from heaven, and promised by the Father. On which he says, in the language of triumph, verse 31, 32, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”
And ministers of the gospel are appointed to be the instruments of bringing this to pass, the instruments of bringing home his elect spouse to him, and her becoming his bride. And [they are] instruments of her sanctifying and cleansing by the word, that she might be meet to be presented to him on the future glorious wedding day. How great a motive then is here to induce us who are called to be these instruments, to be faithful in our work, and most willingly labor and suffer, that Christ may see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied! Shall Christ do such great things, and go through such great labors and sufferings to obtain this joy, and then honor us sinful worms, so as to employ us as his ministers and instruments to bring this joy to pass. And shall we be loath to labor and backward to deny ourselves for this end?
Second, let us consider how much the manner in which Christ employs us in this great business has to engage us to a faithful performance of it. We are sent forth as his servants. But it is as highly dignified servants, as stewards of his household, as Abraham’s servant, and as his ambassadors, to stand in his stead, and in his name, and represent his person in so great an affair as that of his espousals with the eternally beloved of his soul. Christ employs us not as mere servants, but as friends of the bridegroom; agreeable to the style in which John the Baptist speaks of himself, John 3:29; in which he probably alludes to an ancient custom among the Jews at their nuptial solemnities, at which one of the guests that was most honored and next in dignity to the bridegroom, was styled the friend of the bridegroom.
There is not an angel in heaven, of how high an order soever, but what looks on himself honored by the Son of God and Lord of glory, in being employed by him as his minister in the high affair of his espousals with his blessed bride. But such honor has Christ put upon us, that his spouse should in some sort be ours. That we should marry, as a young man marries a virgin, the same mystical person that he himself will rejoice over as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride. That we should be his ministers to treat and transact for him with his dear spouse, that he might obtain this joy. And, in our treaty with her, to be married to her in his name, and sustain an image of his own endearing relation to her. And that she should receive us, in some sort, as himself, and her heart be united to us in esteem, honor, and affection, as those that represent him. And that Christ’s and the church’s children should be ours, and that the fruit of the travail of Christ’s soul should be also the fruit of the travail of our souls, as the apostle speaks of himself as travailing in birth with his hearers, Gal. 4:19. The reason why Christ puts such honor on faithful ministers, even above the angels themselves, is because they are of his beloved church, they are select members of his dear spouse, and Christ esteems nothing too much, no honor too great, for her. Therefore Jesus Christ, the King of angels and men, does as it were cause it to be proclaimed concerning faithful ministers, as Ahasuerus did concerning him that brought up Esther, his beloved queen; “Thus shall it be done to the man that the king delights to honour.”
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
