event; and now the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ are coupled in the view of every Christian, never again to be severed. The resurrection of our Lord is our proper evidence that his death was not in vain-that his victory over the last enemy" of man, and over sin, hell and Satan, is already won; and that now all who believe in him, as the sacrifice of their sins, may also rely upon him as their living, unchanging, Saviour; "for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."7 Here, indeed, we open another ample page in the history of the love of Christ. Jesus having paid, on the cross, the appointed price for the souls of his people, and having again sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, is described as taking possession of his church, as a bridegroom of his bride; and henceforth, with an ardour and strength beyond all human conception, he loves her as HIS OWN. Submissive love on her part, and protecting love on his, distinguish their blessed relationship. Having imputed to her his own righteousness, and sanctified her by his Spirit, he can now address her in the endearing language Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.... thou hast ravished my heart, my sister my spouse." Well may the church reply "Set me as a seal upon thy heart; as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned! "9 7. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself, For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."1 It is evident that Paul is here dwelling on his favourite figure, of the head and the body; with the obvious understanding, first, that the head is an actual part of the body; and and secondly, that it is its most important part-the source of life and sensation, and the seat of the mind. "Christ," he tells us, "is the head of the body, the church."2 Christians must "grow up into him, in all things, which is the head, from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love.”3 The figure, like other figures in Scripture, is simple and familiar; yet it affords an exact illustration of the 1 Eph. v, 28, 30. 9 Cant. viii, 6, 7. 2 Col. i, 18. 3 Eph. v, 15, 16 love of the risen and glorified Saviour towards his church universal. The head is one with the body: "by joints and bands it is knit "4 to its members, just as they are knit to each other. So Christ is one with the church-himself forming an actual part of that mystical body. Not only does he abide with his disciples in the character of an omnipresent Saviour, cherishing them by his grace, and protecting them by his power; but he brings them individually into connexion and union with himself; he dwells in them, and they dwell in him.5 Nor is their fellowship with the Son alone; through him it is with the Father also-"That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in them, 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 perfect in one."6 Who can doubt that the union thus maintained with his church, by her Lord and Redeemer, is in unutterable love? "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." 7 4 Col. ii, 19. 5 John vi, 56; 1 John iii, 24. 6 John xvii, 21—23. From the head sensation is diffused over the whole body; and the instant that any one of our members is severed from this source of life and feeling, it becomes insensible and dies. Thus the Christian derives all his spiritual life from his union with Christ; and except we "hold the head"8 by faith, there can be no life in us-we are still "dead in trespasses and sin."9 Nor will a mere intellectual belief in Jesus as our Saviour, serve this all-important purpose, any more than juxta-position would give life to a limb which belongs not to the body. There must be that heartfelt reliance on Christ, which animates the affections, and works by love. Then will our Holy Head be a perpetual source to us of vital energy. We shall be alive unto God and holiness in this present world; and, being joined by indissoluble bonds, to the Prince of immortality, we shall live with him for ever. The next point to union and life is fellow feeling. So long as they maintain a healthy connexion with the head, all the members of the body are tenderly alive to each other's feelings. But the centre of this sympathy is in the head itself; and not the smallest muscle, vessel, or nerve, in any one of our limbs, is in any degree affected, but the sensorium there, responds and vibrates to the affection. Thus Christians, while they individually derive their life from Christ, their Head, suffer and rejoice in sympathy Eph. ii, 1. 8 Col. ii, 19. with each other. But Christ himself is the very source of these mutual feelings, and his own sympathy towards us is infinitely more acute, tender, and effective than that of our nearest Christian brethren. Having himself experienced unutterable woe, and passed through the ordeal of manifold temptations, he is always alive to the sorrows and dangers of his people. In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."1 "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”2 Nor is the sympathy of our divine Redeemer with his church, restricted to her sorrows and temptations; he can also rejoice in her joy-" Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. . . . . . The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing." In hours of comparative peace and tranquillity, when Christians are permitted to commune with their Lord, and to delight themselves in his presence, the language of the Bridegroom is intelligibly heard--"Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time away. 1 Heb. i, 18. * Heb. iv, 15. 3 Zeph. iii, 14, 17. |