The Lamb's Wife
The Bride says 'Come!'
~ Revelation 22:17
Every believer should realize that he stands in the relation, and is under theobligation, of the Bride of Jesus. His are the privileges, his the honors, and his theduties — of the Lamb's wife.
'The Position and Practice of the Bride'
by James Smith
The Church of God, quickened and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, is the Bride of Christ. It is of His Church, and every individual member of that Church, He speaks, when He says, "I will betroth you unto Me forever; yes, I will betroth you unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. Yes, I will betroth you unto Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord."
In the name of the Bride, and as one of her servants, I cry unto you most heartily: Come to Jesus, and find pardon, peace, and everlasting life. Come you to the Cross, COME! Come without delay. Then come to the Church, and come with fear. Then join with us in looking up to Heaven, and unite with us in the cry, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!"
then you must come to Jesus!
Lost sinner, there is for you — no rest, no satisfaction, no solid happiness — until you sincerely come to Jesus.
and more vitality in our meetings,
more holiness in our lives,
more love in our hearts,
Do you stand at the door of Christ's Church — and endeavor to induce seekers to come in? There are many in these days outside the Church, who ought to be within it; and they would be, if there was . . .
Do you stand by the cross of Jesus, and invite poor sinners to it? Do you speak to them from your own experience of the power of that Cross, telling them, that "it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one who believes?" Do you bear witness of the rest, peace, and joy to be obtained there? Pity, O pity poor sinners, and try to bring them to Calvary! Speak, O speak for Jesus, and endeavor to lead sinners to His precious Blood, that he may "see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied!" Try, try, to induce some to share with you in the blessings, and benefits of His death!
My Christian brother, is this your position? Is this your practice?
She stands on this poor world, and surrounded by all the marks of the curse, treading upon thorns and briars, listening to the sighs of the saints, and the groans of creation at large — and she looks up to where her Lord is and cries,
Clothed in the bridal robe, wrought for her by her beloved Lord, washed clean in in His atoning Blood, made happy in His precious love, with beaming countenance, with sparkling eye, and with sweetest voice — she cries to every young believer, "Come in, and find a home. Come in, and enjoy a feast! Come in, and be merry with your friends. Come in, and go no more out."
The bride is careful not to stand before the Cross — lest she should conceal it. Nor does she hold up a crucifix — lest the soul should rest short of it; but standing by its side, with uplifted hand she points to it, and cries, "Come, Come, COME!"
balm for the bleeding conscience
healing for the broken heart, or
repose for the soul,
She stands beside the Cross, and seeing lost sinners in the distance, wandering, wretched and undone — and she lovingly calls them to come. She has found peace at that Cross; she has found rest and pleasure there. She knows that there is no . . .
We will now look at the BRIDE as represented by John. She is associated with the holy and ever blessed Spirit; the Spirit invites sinners to Jesus, the Bride echoes His call, and the hearer is directed to echo hers, "The Bride says, Come!"
Every believer should realize that he stands in the relation, and is under the obligation, of the Bride of Jesus. His are the privileges, his the honors, and his the duties — of the Lamb's wife. Espoused to Him through the Gospel, we have pledged ourselves to be His; secretly at the mercy-seat, and publicly in our baptism. We have said, "I will be for you, and not for another." We made a full, entire, and eternal surrender of ourselves, and all we have — to Him. So that we are not our own; it is not lawful for us primarily to seek our own pleasure; our object should be, in all we do to please Jesus. As the virtuous woman is a crown to her husband — so should we aim, and strive, and seek, to be a crown to Jesus
By nature, we are far from Him, strangers to Him, and at enmity with Him. The very last thing we would think of, desire, or seek — would be union to Christ. But He sends Hisservants, as Abraham did Eliezer, to take a wife for His son Jesus. They come and proclaim His love, commend His person, exhibit His portrait, and invite us to Him. The Spirit of God attends them in their work, crowns their efforts — and union with Christ is the result. We feel our need of Him, our affections are raised and go out after Him; we heartily and earnestly seek Him, we are introduced to Him, we give utterance to our desires before Him, and at length He gives us his hand, and pronounces us His forever.
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