“And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah.”―Gen. 24:53.
Part 4.―The Bride’s “Raiment.”
WE have looked at the “jewels of silver” and “jewels of gold”; now, I would desire to direct your attention to the bride’s “raiment.” But let me first say it is of no use hearing the Gospel unless it produces an effect upon you, unless it shows you what you are, and what God is, and what He has done for you. Unless it turns you to the Lord for salvation, the effect of your hearing the Gospel is but to add the weight of deepened responsibility to your already sin-burdened soul.
God is calling you in this hour of His grace to association with Christ in glory; He is offering you a place with Christ. Christ could not have a place down here because of the sin, and wickedness of man, so God offers us a place with Christ in glory. He offers you a part or portion with Christ. Abraham’s servant traveled from Canaan to Padan-Aram to obtain a bride for Isaac; Christ is in glory, and the Holy Ghost came down from heaven at Pentecost, and, from that time till now, His constant effort has been, and is, to lead souls to yield themselves to Christ. There have ever been, and will be, hindrances and difficulties in the way; for Satan is ever busy in trying to keep you out of the blessings God has for you―the great blessing of being “one with Christ.” But what breaks down all the opposition of Satan, and the human heart, is the discovery that God wants to bless you. Do you believe that God really wants, and is waiting to bless you?
Reader, do you possess that which fits you, and gives you a true title to be in the presence of God? Have you the bright hope before you of this glory with Christ? Before you can stand in His presence you must have on suited raiment: the courtly Robe of Heaven must be yours―and that is Christ. God has provided it for you, and I, as the ambassador of God, now offer you in His Name CHRIST, THE RAIMENT.
Oh, sinners, and all ye workers for salvation, better far cast away your own self-made clothing, which is useless before God, and accept that which He, in His grace, and mercy, has provided for you; provided for you without money, and without price. Your own raiment―in the way, I mean, of good works, almsgiving, religiousness, or morality―may do well enough to clothe you in the sight of your fellow-sinners; but they are no covering in the sight of a God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and, sinner, you must be clad suitably for God, or be eternally lost.
There is a great difference between working for salvation, and working from salvation. The first is your own futile attempt to clothe yourself: the latter is a labor of love, because God has already clothed you, and made you fit for His presence, and service.
The first covering, or raiment, we read of in Scripture, is the fig-leaf “aprons” of Adam and Eve; and what avail were they when the guilty ones heard the voice of God, saying, “Where art thou?” They knew they were naked, and they tried to hide themselves from God. The miserable knowledge obtained by their sin had but taught them they were now unfit for the presence of God. You, whose life has been one long pathway of sin―sins of so deep a dye that you blush at their remembrance―mark, it was one sin only that made Adam unfit to stand before God. One sin drove the guilty ones from the Garden of Eden; one sin brought death into the world: what then about your numberless sins?
Can you brave the presence of a sin-hating God in nothing but your nakedness, and burden of guilt? Adam and Eve hid themselves, for they could not stand in His presence in their nakedness. But oh, the love of God’s heart! No sooner was clothing needed, than He, in mercy, and love, provided it. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). How different is their clothing now! Instead of an “apron” in which God has not put one stitch―the whole thing being paltry human effort―each is arrayed in a “coat” in which man has not nut one stitch for the Lord God made and conferred the suited garment. What grace! and what a lesson to workers for salvation now! And sinner, Adam’s need was not greater then, than yours is at this present moment; and God is as willing now to clothe you as He was to clothe Adam and Eve.
But do you know your need? Oh, what can cover the nakedness of your guilty sin-stained soul? I do not address you as a poor sinner, but as a guilty sinner, in need of clothing, in order to fit you to stand before a sin-hating God. Doing your best will not do it: it but discloses the sense of your guilt, and need, by arraying yourself in what you think will suit God; but it will not do. Your own clothing is filthy rags in the sight of God: you are but trying to hide behind your works, as Adam tried to hide himself from God behind the trees of the garden. But you, like he, will yet be drawn from your hiding-place, and obliged to own yourself to be naked, and undone before God; obliged to confess your own clothing to be valueless.
The apostle Paul’s striking comment on this is found in 2 Corinthians 5:1-3: “For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked).”
This last clause is very solemn. The apostle had fears that some in Corinth might be found like Adam―naked―when they were clothed, i.e., when in resurrection. Though resurrection should bring soul and body together again, so that he called the person clothed, nevertheless he fears they may be found naked―in other words, Christless―not having that covering for the whole man which fits it for the presence of God. How awful to be a mere professor of Christ here―to have on a lovely garb of morality, so-called good works, and religiousness, so as to pass current as one of Christ’s people; to die, that is, to be unclothed; to rise again, alas, not in the first, but the second resurrection, that is, to be clothed, and then find yourself in the holy blaze of the great white throne a naked sinner, never having been washed from your sins in the blood of Christ, nor having had Him as your clothing before God!
Reader, are you clothed? have you Christ as your raiment? or do you think you will be accepted as you are?
Look at Matthew 22:11 “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” We have here a warning, as well as the truth of the end of this dispensation, for it is the guests here, not the bride, but the warning is for all who have not on raiment. “How earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” The king gave him an opportunity of telling the reason why he had no wedding garment on, but what is the result? what the consequence of this meeting between the king and his guest? The man was speechless. How camest thou in thus? Was there no provision made for the, guests? Was there no raiment for thee? Yes, there was the robing-chamber, and there were garments provided, as is the custom in the East, but the man neglected the provision made, and the result was the command, “Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness.” Oh, soul, will you be warned ere it be too late? God would fit you for His presence; Christ is the garment, the royal raiment He has provided for you; therefore, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The man here described did not want a robe; he may have been one of the “good” mentioned in verse 10; his life may have been a blameless one; he may have been a dutiful son, or a kind husband and father, a useful member of society, one of whom his country was proud; then what need had he of a robe? The king would surely acknowledge him as he was; his deeds were sufficient to recommend him to his sovereign, and so he passes in; but what is it to find? Ah, what indeed? His unworthiness; and that there is nothing left to be done but to bind him, and cast him forth.
Professor of Christianity, have you been converted? Have you on the garment that fits you to stand before God? If you were to die this night, would you be naked in the presence of God? I beseech you to ask yourself the solemn questions, and not to rest till you have truthfully answered them: Have I been born again? have I fled to Jesus? have I found Him? have I Him as my covering, my raiment? Can you say, Yes? If not, oh, precious soul, beware; be warned thou halt detailed before thee in these verses an event in thine own history, the moment when before God thou must stand, and find the clothing of morality to be of no avail Thou wilt find thou art not in Christ, therefore thou art still in thy sins Thou wilt hear the question asked, “Friend, how earnest thou in hither?” and thou, thou shalt be speechless. Oh, what a moment when thou discoverest the true state of thy precious, but eternally lost soul. No excuse hast thou to offer; thou wilt be speechless No extenuation can be offered by thee It is too late, thou standest before the King, then forced to be a Judge, and the awful silence is broken by the command, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Oh, be warned! What is God’s command now? It is “Clothe him;” clothe him with the raiment I have provided for his need. Now God is doing as we have recorded in Zechariah. “Joshua was clothed with filthy garments... And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying,
Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments” (Zech. 3:3-5). But if you reject His provision, then it will be “Bind him.” What a contrast! Clothe him with Christ, put upon him the “best robe”, and “Bind him” with the cords of his sins and “cast him into outer darkness.”
Oh, ye unsaved souls, wake up to the reality of your perilous position! Why does the Spirit so often warn you! Why does He so often bring your own case, as it were, before you? Why? Is it not because God always warns before He judges? Is it not that He gives the unsaved soul often the opportunity of escape, though, alas, he heeds it not? Yes, He is a God of mercy now, though one day He will be a God of judgment to those who scorn and reject His proffered mercy God warns, but man goes on, and on, and on, and heeds it not. We have but to look around us in order to see the truth of this., What are those agonized accents from yonder bed of death? It is an unsaved soul finding out with his latest breath that he has scorned the offer of salvation, that he has left unheeded all the warnings of a gracious God, till it is too late?
Oh, what must it be to be swept into eternity without one ray of hope? Care ye to die thus?
Come to Jesus. “Come, for all things are now ready.” The silver is for thee, the gold for thee, the raiment for thee. “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Abraham’s servant brought raiment to Rebekah, and she received the gift―I bring you Christ, will you receive Him?
In Luke 15 we again find mention of raiment; “Bring forth the best robe and put it on him.” Had it been left to man to choose the raiment, he might have been content to robe himself with the garments that holy angels wear, but God gives more befitting raiment to the Bride of the spotless Lamb of God. She shall be arrayed in the best―the glorious robe of the “King of kings.”
You know the beautiful story of the prodigal son here given, but have you observed, it was not till “he began to be in want,” that he thought of his father’s home, and the joy and abundance there. Want is the discovery the soul makes, when in the far country, away from the Father’s house. But the last thing man does is to turn to God for help; he will try all other expedients first, ere he goes to the only true Source of help and succor.
The prodigal, like too many in the present day, goes and joins himself to a citizen of that country. And who is that citizen? Satan! And oh, how successful he is in providing for the wants, the lusts, of sinners! He does his utmost to keep you away from the Father’s house of plenty; and how often he is successful, too! He gilds over the husks to make them fair to the eye; but when the sinner eats of them he finds out they are bitter to the taste, they are unsatisfying, they are but husks; and yet such is the morbidness of his appetite, he fain would fill his belly with them.
The prodigal is brought to a sense of his need before he says, “I will arise and go to my father.” Ah, he has found out that he is helpless, and in need of food, and raiment, and he comes just as he is; in his rags and poverty he comes, and is he refused? No! He is first welcomed, and then clad.
Many try to clothe themselves before they go to God; they have found out their need of God, but they think that before going to Him they must better themselves; but man must come just as he is, and be beholden to God for all. Come as you are; it is thus God delights to receive you.
“I have sinned,” said the prodigal. Have you known the moment when you found that you have sinned, found that you were undone, and lost, and naked; when you have gone down before God with the words, “Father, I have sinned”? I call this the grandest moment of a sinner’s experience on earth, when he gets before God, and finds out that the One whom he has offended and sinned against, and whom he thought was against him, is for him, is waiting in grace to receive him, is on his side.
“I have sinned.” It must be individual confession; it will not do to rest satisfied with, “We have sinned.” No; you must get alone with God, and, forgetting all else in the deep penitence of your soul, own to Him, “I have sinned.” Sooner or later the awakened soul passes through this searching conscience-work, this conviction of sin, ere it is clothed, and is at peace This precedes the clothing in the case of the prodigal before us.
“I have sinned, and am no more worthy to be called thy son” Ah, this is the man God clothes. I urge you to consider your own individual case; it is of paramount importance, this humbling yourself before God. The plowshare of conviction must go deep down in the soil―the deeper the furrow the surer is the seed to be safe, and the brighter the prospect of a harvest of golden grain. What is the result of the prodigal’s confession? It is the command to “bring forth the best robe and put it on him” Oh, what love! “Bring forth the best robe.” Prodigal, will you have Christ? He is the Best Robe. “Put it on him.” He was not even asked to put it on himself, it was put on him; all was done for him, he did nothing but receive his father’s gift of love. And your case is the same: God has done all; He provides the raiment, and, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” The first Adam, who was unfit for the presence of God, has ended his history in the death of Christ, and in the second Adam the believer is gloriously complete.
The claims of God have all been met, and after the darkness of Calvary, the bright rainbow of God’s acceptance shines forth to man; the Corn of Wheat fell into the ground so that in resurrection He might be able to say, “I ascend to my Father, and to your Father.” What blessedness it is to be found in Christ!” “accepted in the Beloved!” Again, I say unto you, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ;” stand in that which God gives you, and have peace; throw away the fig-leaves, and God will clothe you with Christ. Precious raiment! Sinner, come to God as thou art, and hear Him say to thee, “Take away the filthy garments from him... Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment” (Zech. 3:4).
It has been said there are two steps to be taken “Out of self into Christ, and out of Christ into glory;” but it seems to me there is but one step needed. Will you take it? It is, “Out of self into Christ,” to abide there forever, in all the fullness of His perfection.
What a place! To stand before God “accepted in the Beloved,” the One who is the joy of God’s heart! What have you done to merit this? Nothing; but Christ has done all. “That ye have put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts... and that ye have put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24), is the truth of the new position in Christ. “Put off” and “Put on.” It is the blessed substitution of Christ for self, the result of that work when “he who knew no sin was made sin for us.”
If you are wise you will not slight, but gladly receive, the instruction of the Lord Jesus, who says, “I counsel thee to buy of me ... . white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear” (Rev. 3:18)
See how He wants to clothe you with that which alone can make you suitable to God. “White raiment!” How different from the repulsive “filthy rags” of “our righteousnesses.” You would not admit one clothed in “filthy rags” to your house and table, and will God? No Then away with all that springs from, or savors of self, and array yourself in all the perfection of Christ, and His work for sinners.
The Raiment, then, that is offered to you, is Christ, and having Him you have redemption, and righteousness, and peace. Christ is all, and I have that which fits me to be of His Bride, when I possess the jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and the raiment It is Christ, Christ, Christ―all Christ; Christ from first to last, Christ for time, and Christ for eternity; “For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory forever Amen.”
Once again I ask, “Wilt thou go?”―go across the desert to Him? Oh, the joy of knowing that God has forgotten my sins, and given me liberty to forget myself, and let my thoughts be all given to my glorious Bridegroom! “Wilt thou go?” Would that I could hear you say, “I will go.” God can hear you say it wherever you are. Oh, give Him the joy of listening to thy whispered “I will go.”
Decide for Christ; you have heard all about Him who is the silver, and the gold, and the raiment. He has been offered to you freely, and shown to be the only way you can be acceptable to God, and fitted to be the Bride of Jesus. Will you accept His gifts? Will you have Christ?
“Wilt thou go?” is God’s challenge to your heart. Can you refuse? Will you not come to Jesus?
God presents Christ to you now as an object of faith. Rebekah did not see Isaac until the journey across the desert was accomplished, but he came to meet her when the desert sand was left behind; he came to meet her when she had reached the green fields of Canaan.
“I shall see Him in His beauty,
He Himself His Bride will meet,
I shall be with Him forever,
In companionship complete.”
Oh, Christless soul, can you risk spending a joyless, hopeless, loveless eternity, without Jesus? I charge you by the joys of heaven, to which God invites you, and by the horrors of hell, of which He warns you, “Be ye reconciled to God”― “Put on Christ.”
You have but to decide, and honestly say from your heart, “I will go,” and He will receive you and welcome you and fill your heart with joy and love. Oh, come to Jesus! Accept the gifts offered to you in God’s well-beloved Son; accept the silver, the gold, and the raiment, and know that henceforth you are an integral part of the Bride of that Son, “to whom the Father hath given all things.” Let yours be the joyful words: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isa. 61:10)
W. T. P. W.