The Marriage of the Lamb
Bees T) we marriage a the Evie as come, ie Hi wife hath made herself veady. And to her was granted Heat she should be arrayed in jime linen, clean and — wage. Si the fine linen ts the a o saints. ie Me. 19: 7.8: Me
CHRIST AS A LAMB. — SEEN ON EARTH TAKING AWAY SINS. Ee x ‘ti “HEAVEN GLORIFIED. — IMPLIES THAT SACRIFICE IS THE ESSEN. as eat TIAL QUALITY. — I THE ANTECEDENTS OF ‘THE skBert eke = DESTRUCTION OF THE HARLOT CHURCH. — A PECULIAR VOICE. — THE RESPONSE. — Il. THE MARRIAGE ITSELF. — THE RESULT OF ETERNAL GIFT. — THE COMPLETION OF BETROTHAL. — THE PERFECTING OF THE CHURCH. — THE HOME-BRINGING — III. THE BRIDEGROOM. — IV. THE PREPARA-TION OF THE BRIDE.
‘a “4 iake: en ji Do not forget that, whenever we read of Christ as: a Lamb, it is to remind us of His suffering and death in our room and place and stead, for the putting away of our sin. Under that character we looked to Him, ‘some of us, years ago, and found peace at the first. We are still looking to Him under that same character; and when we attain to heaven, we shall not have to change our thought of Him, but we shall still see Him as a Lamb that has been slain. In our lowest place, when we came out of the Egypt of our bondage, He was the Lamb of God’s passover; and in our highest CP 3: place, in the heavenly temple, we shall still regard =
a a Him as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the i world.” This morning my principal aim shall be to show you that the blessed and glorious union, which
is to be celebrated ta
BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND HER LORD, oN
will be the marriage “of the Lamb.” The ever- blessed ay Saas laid his head upon His Master’s bosom, ae af and knew most about Him, and who was under the pes immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost — in these Fie
words: “The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His.
wife hath made herself ready.” Whatever else we think of at this time, my discourse will aim at this as the white of the target — e namely, that Jesus Christ is the Lamb, the sacrifice, is not only the beginning, but the end; not only the foundation, but the topstone of the whole sacred edifice of the temple of grace. The consummation of the whole work of redemption is the marriage of the church to Christ; and, according to “the true
sayings of God,” this is “the marriage of the Lamb.”
I. First, I invite your attention to.
THE ANTECEDENTS OF THE MARRIAGE.
What will happen before the public marriage is celebrated? One great event will be the destruction of
the harlot church. I have just read in your hearing,
- the previous chapter, which declares the overwhelming destruction which will fall upon that evil system.
Any church which puts in the place of justification
by faith in Christ another method of salvation, is a harlot church. The doctrine of justification by faith in Christ is the article of a standing or a falling church. Where the blood is precious, there is life; where atonement by the sacrifice is preached and
of eg where es can be Bae ee re a there is an unbloody sacrifice instead of the great propitiation, and sacraments are exalted as the means of regeneration; there the Church is no longer ae chaste virgin unto Christ, but she hath turned aside from her purity.. Furthermore, in the immediate connection, we note that before the marriage of the Lamb, there was a peculiar voice. Read the fifth verse: “Anda voice i: came.” Where from? “A voice came out of the Bas. throne.” Whose voice was that? It was not the voice of the Eternal God; for it said, “Praise our God, all ye His servants.” Whose voice, then, could it be? No one but God could be upon the throne save the Lamb, who is God. Surely, it was He who said, ~.“Praise our God.” The Mediator, God-and-man in one person, was on the throne as a Lamb, and He announced the day of His own marriage. Who should do it but He? He speaks the word which — calls on all the servants of God to praise Him, because His complete victory had come.:, Next, notice the response to this voice; for this also precedes the marriage. No sooner did this one a oe august voice summon them to praise, than immedi- a i “ly ately “I heard as it were the voice of a great multia tude.” Who can imagine THE ACCLAMATIONS Bete that glorious day? We now preach the Gospel, as it were, in a corner, and few there are that will ay
ey Se
ay
“wn
sist care for hers
ledged as His spouse, what welcomes will be heard,
Observe that this tremendous volume of sound will be full of rejoicing and of devout homage. ‘Let us
joy will be there, and its expression will be homage to the Lord God, The joy of j joys will be the delight ’ of Christ in His perfectly gathered Church. There is aes JOY IN HEAVEN
that repenteth; but when all these repenting sinners are gathered into one perfected body, and married to the Lamb, what will be the infinite gladness! Heaven is always heaven, and unspeakably full of blessedae ness; but even heaven has its holidays, even bliss has its overflowings; and on that day when the springa measureless flood of delight shall overflow the souls of all glorified spirits as they perceive that the consummation of love’s great design is come — “The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath -* made herself ready”!
Thus, I have given you a hint of what will precede the marriage of the Lamb, in all of which you may observe that Jesus wears His character of the Lamb.
But i a that day when hee Lord is ‘ seen as the King of kings, and she is openly acknowwhat bursts of adoring praise unto the Lord God! —
be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him.” Double
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
tide of the infinite ocean of joy shall have come, what age ea it is to Him that the response is given; g ‘the joy and the delight all spring from the fact that - the marriage is that of the Lamb whom the Fath ys: glorifies and who glorifies the Father. Bik
Si II. Now may I be helped by the Spit of God, while I lead you on to a THE MARRIAGE ITSELF. “The marriage of the Lamb is come.” Often as you hear about this marriage of the Lamb, I greatly question whether any here have any precise idea what it means. The marriage of the Lamb is the result of. - the eternal gift of the Father. Our Lord says, “Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me.” His prayer was, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.” Next: this is the completion of the betrothal, which. took place with each of them in time. I shall not attempt elaborate distinctions; but as far as you and
I were concerned, the Lord Jesus betrothed each one of us unto Himself in righteousness, when first we believed on Him. Then He took us to be His, and gave Himself to be ours, so that we could sing, “My! 4 bved is mine, and I am His.” This was the b: essence of the marriage. Paul, in the Epistle to the 3 E
Ephesians, represents our Lord as already married to.
the Church. This may be illustrated by
A bride is taken to her husband’s house. She dwells. * wi ith her former household, and has not yet forgotten
Lord to-day, and He is pee to us by ea
ie bonds.
: THE DAY OF PERFECTING.
a the Church will then be completed, and it is not so now. This Church which is affianced unto the heavenly Bridegroom is not visible as yet, for she is in the process of formation. The music of the heavenly harmonies as yet lacks certain voices. Some of its needful notes are too bass for those already, and others are too high for them, till the singers come
who are ordained to give the choir its fullest range.
i At the Crystal Palace you have seen the singers
they seem to linger. Still, some are away. The time is nearly up, and you see seats up there on the right, and a vacant block down there on the left.. Even so with the heavenly choir: they are streaming
ye ieee may be 2 Haesraise Sptereal Before ie
The marriage day indicates the perfecting of the body of the Church. I have already told you that
come trooping in. The conductor is all anxiety if
her kindred and her father’s house, though still she is ee
espoused in truth and righteousness. Afterward, she a is brought home on an appointed day, the day which ate we should call the actual marriage; but yet the betrothal i is, to Orientals, of the very essence of the mar- te riage. Well, then, you and I are betrothed to our
ay
you. There i is
THE HOME-BRINGING.
ieedat among a people of a strange tongue; but aa blessed Bridegroom cometh to take you to the happy a q country, where you shall no longer say, “My soul is Pa among lions.” All the faithful shall soon be away to a thy land, O Emmanuel! We shall dwell in the land “4 that floweth with milk and honey, the land of the unclouded and unsetting sun, the home of the blessed of the Lord. Happy, indeed, will be the home-bringing of the perfect Church! I cannot tell you all it means, but certainly aa -marriage signifies that all who-have believed in Him shall then enter into a bliss which shall never end; a bliss which no fear approacheth, or doubt becloudeth. They shall be forever with the Lord, forever glori- — fied with Him. A day will come, the day of days, time’s crown and glory, when, all conflict, risk, and judgment ended forever, the saints, arrayed in the righteousness of Christ, shall be eternally one with Him in living, loving, lasting union, partaking together of the same glory, the glory of the Most. High. What must it be to be there! My dear hearers, will you be there? Make your calling and election sure. If you are not trusting in the Lamb on earth, you will not reign with the Lamb in His glory.
he Lamb, as the Stoning sacri- — a all never We ee bride of the Lamb. How Banco hope to be glorified with Him if you neglect Him r n the day of His scorning? ele “AIT But we pass on now to dwell emphatically ag upon the fact that the character under which 3 THE BRIDEGROOM ae — - is that a the Lamb. “The marriage of the Lamb is come.” It was next as the Lamb that He y ss loved us and proved Fits love. Beloved, He did not give us words of love merely when He came from heaven ‘to earth, and dwelt among us “a lowly man before His foes;” but He proceeded to deeds of, 4 truest affection. The supreme proof of His love was that He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. When He poured out His blood as a sacrifice, it might have been said, ‘Behold how He loved them!” So you — ee: see, as a Lamb He proved His love, and as a Lamb: He celebrated His marriage with us. Goa step further. Love in marriage must be onp both sides; and it is as the Lamb that we first came -~ to love Him. I had no love to Christ; how could I have till I saw His wounds and blood? “We love Sg Him, because He first loved us.” His perfect life was -acondemnation to me, much as I was compelled to — 3 admire it; but the love that drew me to Him was shown in His substitutionary character, when He bore ‘my sins in His own body on the tree. Is it not so with you, beloved? I have heard a great deal about conversions through admiration of the character of Christ, but I have never met with one; all I have
wi
Nea RS,
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Paes: f cicotgh wich sin is eer sae and is subdued. This is the great heart-winning, doctrine Christ loves us as the Lamb, and we love Him as the ee Lamb. Further, marriage is the most: oy Bi PERFECT UNION. ei Bs Buccly, it is as the Lamb that Jesus is most closely joined to His people. Our Lord came very close to - us when He took our nature, for thus He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He came very near to us when, for this cause, He left His Father and became one flesh with His Church. He could not be sinful, as she was; but He did take her sins upon Himself, and bear them all away, as it is written, “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of — us all.” When “He was numbered with the transgressors,’ and when the sword of vengeance smote Him in our stead, then He came nearer to us than ever He could do in the perfection of His Incarnation. And oh, beloved, when you come to think of it, to
be married to Him, to be one with Him, to have no-Beets thought, no object, no desire, no glory, but that which. eres dwells in Him that liveth and was dead — will not this. ‘be heaven indeed, where the Lamb was the light thereof? Forever to contemplate and adore Him aaa who offered up Himself without spot unto God, as our 4 sacrifice and propitiation — this shall be an endless 1 feast of love. We shall never weary of this subject. + “IV. Now we’come to the preparedness of eared wotd than “bride” herself ready.” The Church has now come to the
—‘“hath made herself ready”?
“een forever. This she does with all her heart: “She
: $ quickened man. Beloved, I never preach to you in M
No action of the soul is more free than that a which it quits sin and closes with Christ. Then the man comes to himself. The heart is free from compul-
sion when its love goes forth toward the Lord Jesus. Does it not mean that she has put away from herself all evil, and all connection with the corruptions of
struggled against error, she has fought against
infidelity, and both have been put down by her holy watchfulness and earnest testimony; and so she is ready for the Lord. Does it not also mean that in the great day of the consummation the Church will be
Ais”
one? Alas for the divisions among us! You do not
—“His wie a nae
fullness of her joy, and has taken possession of her status and dower as “His wife.” What does it mean
: It signifies, first, that she willingly and af her own accord comes to her Lord, to be His, and to be with —
. esl force, which sets a constraint upon the will of the.
that fashion. Grace is the great liberating force.
the harlot church has been destroyed? She has
could not ee fouk a prayer. prayer appear as one.” Denomination! upon denominationalism! There should be but one. denomination: we should be denominated by the Hf name of Christ, as the wife is named by her husband’s name. As long as the Church of Christ has to say,. eu Ny right arm is Episcopalian, and my left arm is” Wesleyan, and my right foot is Baptist, and my left. ae E oot 1s Presbyterian or Congregational,” she is not 7 ready for the marriage. She will be ready when she has washed out these stains, when all her members — have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Unity is — a main part of the readiness here spoken of., ‘THE BRIDE’S DRESS.. I beg you to notice what the preparation was. It is described in the eighth verse: “To her was —: granted.” I will go no further. Whatever perpara- a tion it was that she made, in whatever apparelshe was arrayed; it was granted to her. Observe that the. =< harlot church wore fine linen also, but then she had with it purple and silk and scarlet and precious stones and pearls. I do not know whence the harlot had obtained her apparel, but I know where the true Church found her wedding dress, for it is written, — — — -* To her was granted.” This was a gift of sovereign sae grace, the gift of her Beloved: “To her was granted.” e Look at the apparel of the wife, “To her was — granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.” How simple her raiment! Only fine
“.
oe white! The n more b staple 6 our wors ship, “The true Church of Christ is ar Roe CONTENT WITH WHITE LINEN, es. % She asked not for those fine things: sam we ce Re in connection with the harlot. She; envied not the unchaste one, her harpers and — z ‘musicians and pipers and trumpeters; she was content with her simple harp and joyful song. She did not need all manner of vessels of ivory, and precious - wood, brass and iron and marble. She did not seek for cinnamon and odors and ointments, nor aught else of that finery with which people nowadays try to adorn their worship. The harlot church bedecks herself. with her architecture and her millinery and her per-
fumery and her oratory and her music; but those who. would follow the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth, will x keep their worship, their practice, and their doctrine pure and simple, avoiding all the blandishments of; carnal policy and human wisdom, content with the B fe truth as it is in Jesus. What more beautiful than pure white linen? ig
-In the Greek our text runs thus: “Fine linen, clean
a and One for fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.” We shall have
: A COMPLETE ARRAY °
OL righteousnesses in Christ’s perfect righteousness active and passive — a garment for the head, and a
A garment for the feet, and for the loins. Every
form of righteousness will go to make up the believer’s
outfit; only, all of it is granted, and none of it is of
our own purchasing. We shall not have Christ’s
4
“shall not want Christ’s ge Be to pre an
heart seem pure; we shall be as a ap as our Fath
aa in heaven is perfect..
S that which pleases the Radesiaoe Do I not remem= ber how He said, “I counsel thee to buy of Me white. raiment?” Yes, she has ae REMEMBERED HIS BIDDING. —; ‘She has nothing else but that “fine linen” which ia “the righteousness of saints”; and this He delights in. She comes to the Lamb, bearing about her the; result of His own passion, and of His own Spirit, and — she is well pleasing in His eyes. The Lord sees in her of the travail of His soul, and He is satisfied. Ne |. T have done when I have again put this question: Do you trust the Lamb? I warn you, if you have a religion which has no blood of Christ in it, it is not es worth a thought: you had better be rid of it, it will be of no use to you. I warn you, also, that unless you love the Lamb you cannot be married to the Lamb; for He will never be married to those who have no love to Him. As many of you as hope to be saved by the works of the law, or by anything else apart from His blood and righteousness, you have unchristianized yourselves; you have no part in Jesus here, and you shall have no part in Him hereafter, when He shall take to Himself His own redeemed Church, to be His spouse for ever and ever. God bless you, for Christ’s sake. — ::