IT must be obvious to anyone but moderately versed in prophecy, that the right position of the Church, whilst here upon earth, is that of waiting for the Son of God from heaven. (1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10).) Still, though abundantly proved by Scripture, any help, however humble and unpretending, that will act as an inducement to prosecute inquiries, cannot under God fail to be useful; and the more so, as the mass of conflicting opinions of good and learned men is apt to blind the eye to the sureness of the Divine Word,. if we be not watchful.
The better our knowledge is of the nature and constitution of the Church, as given in Scripture, the better (all other things being equal) will be our knowledge of its right position, whether as to its corporate capacity, or as to each member's individual responsibility.
'What a change in actual condition from Acts 2 to Revelation 2 and 3! from the time when they continued steadfastly in the. apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, when all that believed were together, the Lord adding daily to the Church such as should be saved, until the Church in Ephesus is threatened with having its candlestick removed, and that in Laodicea with being spewed out as a thing nauseous to the Lord's mouth! And yet how instructive to see that no divisions foreseen, no decline lamented, no corruption denounced in the professing body, leads the Spirit to deny what the Church was to the Lord's heart. It is in the very last chapter of the Revelation that we read, "the Spirit and the Bride say, Come." Yes, fail she might, failed she was, but was she not, is she not still, THE BRIDE Observe, too, it is the Church, not in heaven, but on earth. When she is with the Lord, she will not say, Come; she will not, when in heaven, be inviting sinners on earth to take the water of life freely.. It is the beautiful position of the Church while she is still here below. Have we not much need to take care that, in our present isolated circumstances, we lose not sight of the wideness of affection, as well as joyous hopes of the Bride? We may groan to see God's children trammeled by earthly priesthood, with its human succession, its worldly sanctuary and its fleshly rites, in whatever quarter, form, or degree they may be sanctioned or allowed. And it is well we should thus groan. But are we saying, “Come"? Are we saying, as the Bride, Come, Lord Jesus? Are we seeking to stir up the affections of all our brethren to this their hope, as well as ours, whether they know it or not? Are we asking perseveringly of the Lord that He would draw out their hearts to long for His coming?—Not that this should weaken our earnestness for the conversion of sinners. The more we taste and enjoy the sweetness of the treasure we have found in the Lord, the more shall we turn round and beseech men to be reconciled to God. The more we realize what it is to be ourselves the Bride, the more shall we feel what the world is in all its terribleness. Nothing can be more opposed to Scripture, to the nature of things, or to experience, than the notion that the knowledge of our blessedness as the Bride of Christ and our longing desires for His return, make us insensible to the misery of the unbelieving, or indifferent about their welfare. Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17) connects the two things together, instead of setting them the one against the other.
Such is the right position of the Church. It is not right to give that which is holy unto dogs, nor to cast our pearls before swine. The world, the wretched faithless world, is not the Bride of Christ. It is not humility to deny our own blessings, nor is it charity to call and treat the world as if it were what it really is not. The Church is the Bride, the whole Church, and nothing but the Church.
On the other hand, we call the thirsty soul, not to ourselves, but to Christ, for it is He, and not the Church, who can give a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 'We have drank at that heavenly spring: we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world, and hence can we invite the poorest Samaritan around to come and take of the water of life freely.
Believers, are you entering into your own proper joy as the Bride? If some of you are not, you are so far, at least, out of communion with the Holy Ghost, for the Spirit without doubt says, “Come," if some of you do not. The Spirit longs for the fullest joy and glory of the Lord Jesus. Is it not so with you? with you who are to share that joy and glory as His Bride? If you are saying, “Come," be not weary. He will soon descend from heaven. Shortly shall we be summoned to meet Him in the air, and to be ever with the Lord. Be patient, therefore, brethren, even though you do suffer affliction. It is a little while. But while we wait, let us not forget how many lips are parched around us, and we alone know the stream which can refresh them. Shall we then be silent? Shall we not lift our voice as a trumpet, to proclaim the worth and the grace of Jesus? Is it thus we are found, habitually found? Or, are we often resting when we should be toiling, just as if we had done some great thing in separating from this or that evil to which our consciences at one time were dull? Is that the spirit of a Bride?
In proportion as we appropriate the Bride's place, we shall find ourselves in the experience of the Bridegroom, and we shall feel the force of that Scripture: " If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." But the hope, the certain, confident expectation, of God's ultimate purpose towards us, will cheer and fortify us.
We are taught in Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29), that it is God's purpose that we should be conformed to the imago of His Son. This will take place at His manifestation to us, (1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2),) for we shall see Him as He is. Such is the destiny of the Church of God. The Lord Jesus shall present the Church to Himself, glorious, and spotless, holy, and without blemish. (Eph. 5:2727That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27).) She is the Bride, the Lamb's wife, (Rev. 21:99And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9),) the sharer of His glory and heavenly object of His love. As such, the present utterance of her heart should be, with the Spirit, “Come." (Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17).)
Thus, to faith is made known the riches of the glory of the wondrous mystery hidden from ages and from generations, but now made manifest to His saints and summed up in these words: “Christ in you the hope of glory." (Col. 1:2727To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27).) When this hope of a new and heavenly glory—a hope, therefore, as open to Gentiles as to Jews—possesses the soul, waiting for Christ is a necessary consequence. "But hope that is seen is not hope." Patient waiting for it is therefore needed. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wail for their Lord."
Many students wait for the fulfillment of prophecies which have a special, if not exclusive, reference to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, or to the events which precede and accompany it. Hence they see not the essential distinction between the Church, Christ's body, glorified with Him in the heavenly places, and the glory of Israel in the latter day. This lowers the hope, and the practical walk too, beyond calculation.
Doubtless, all Scripture is given for our profit and instruction; but, in studying prophecy, the exact order of it must not be overlooked, as well as the exact persons to whom it applies. Now, we are sure to go astray if we are watching for events out of their revealed order, or if we are converging upon the Church that which is really written about Israel. Whatever system of interpretation weakens our daily constant expectation of the Lord's coming for the Church, it is not too much to say, must be wrong. There may be some real and many apparent difficulties on this, as on every other, branch of revealed truth; but our text, with many others, establishes this prophetic test very plainly.
Before the kingdom of Christ is established upon earth, "every thing that offends must be rooted out," and terrible inflictions will overtake His enemies. But how does this show that the Church is to be here upon earth when these direct closing judgments are executed? The pouring out of the judgments will not take place until iniquity, or lawlessness, is no longer a mystery, but the Lawless One is fully revealed. As the false mystery opposes the true mystery, or the mystery of Christ and the Church; just so, when the Lord is about to be revealed, Satan has an antagonist disclosed, even the man of sin. "For he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that Wicked One be revealed," &c. When the light is removed, darkness will ensue; when the salt is taken away, there will be no preservation from utter corruption. The presence of the Spirit in the Church now may be this restraint upon the full development of wickedness. The spring tide of evil will set in when the Church is taken away.
I conclude with the words of the Psalmist, (Ps. 39.) after he had been taught that “man walketh in a vain show." “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee."
M.