derness and in love I would address to you. It is a painful sight, whenever I see men linked together for work that ought to be given to the beasts of the field. Often have I found my heart wounded by the sight. Still more, when I have seen in the same work man linked together with the beast of the field, there has been something, to me, at which nature seemed to recoil; and that too, which is not of the worst part of our nature, but that which is right in our nature, as I conceive. For a mortal that shall endure as long as God shall endure, yet to be linked to a creature "whose spirit goeth down," seemed to be an awful sight. But how many of you there are in this state at this moment-linking yourselves to that which is perishable! Ye are in a far worse state than that when the man and the beast are linked together for the same work. How worse? Why, the man that is linked together in that work with the beast of the field, it may be, is a man that has the of eternal life; he germ 66 be may a new creature;" he may be "born again ;" he may be a child of God, redeemed by precious blood, and soon to be in heaven. Not so, when I see you linking yourself to the things of the earth; when I see you preferring the creature to God. Is it your business? is it your profession? is it your money? is it your intellect? is it your good name? Whatsoever it is, you are linking yourself to the creature, and preferring the creature to God. Nay, if I come to the highest of all earthly bliss, domestic enjoyment-oh! inconceivably the highest of all earthly bliss-yet it is a piteous sight, to see a mortal being losing himself in his family, when time is so short, and eternity so near, the world so full of misery, and God's service so pleasant, "souls perishing for lack of knowledge," the judgment day coming, and the link that binds to earth soon to be broken, but the link that binds either to heaven or hell so indissoluble! Oh! it is a piteous sight, to see a man losing himself even in his family! Oh! that you may be satisfied with nothing short of the bond that is for ever! Oh! that nothing may Jesus; that binds us ever satisfy, but the bond that binds us to through Him to God, to holiness and happiness and life eternal ! May the God of all grace write out these truths in your hearts, so far as the sermon has been in accordance with His own truth; and to Father, Son and Holy Ghost shall be all the glory. A SERMON, BY THE REV. J. H. EVANS, M.A. PREACHED AT JOHN STREET CHAPEL, KING'S ROAD, BEDFORD ROW, ON SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 1, 1844. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."-Ephesians v. 25. It would not surprise me, if some have thought, that in speaking last Lord's day morning on the commanded subje ction of the wife to the husband, the standard was too high: something impracticable: something that could not be obeyed in these our days. And perhaps the same individuals would say the same thing, if I were to preach on those words" Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." May the Lord the Spirit preserve us from the low standard of human principles, and the still lower standard of human practice. A low standard of holy walking is one of the greatest of all evils; and a really high standard, or the standard of God's Word, is one of the greatest of all blessings. He that through grace aims high, is led to honour Christ in all His characters; but he that aims low, despoils Him, as far as man can do, of half His glory. We have nothing to do with that common remark-' This does not suit our days.' We have nothing to do with what suits our days; we have to do with the Word of God, whether it suits our days or not. If we are in a position, in which a precept cannot meet with entire obedience, what a wretched position we must be in! The perfect beauty, true concord, full harmony, will be seen, felt, or heard, when we are led to consider the duties, that husbands owe their wives. This will come on in due course. For the present, for the next two or three sermons, if the Lord permit and own and bless, I shall direct your minds to that great truth-the love of Christ to His Church: not forgetting, that this His very love to His Church is the pattern for Christian husbands loving their wives: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." The way in which our Lord displayed His love, in what He did, and in the objects for which He did it-each of these points shall be looked at, the Lord permitting, in due order. He "loved the Church;" He " gave Himself for it;" He gave Himself for it, "that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the Word;" and He gave Himself for it," that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any See ante, No. 362. Vol. XI. No. 364.-December 19, 1844. E such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish;" which is, to my mind, its ultimate state, its final and perfect condition; though the verse is often quoted another way, yet I think it is misquoted. The points before us now are these two: that "Christ loved the Church;" and that He "gave Himself for it." I. With regard to the first point, I would begin by remarking, that the Church of God-the reality of a true Church-is a thing quite unknown to the world. The world talks about Churches, the glory of a Church, and the beauty of a Church; but it does not know what a Church is; it has no true perception of what a Church of Christ is. If there be any gleaming of light upon the point, so far as it sees it, it dislikes it, hates it, despises it. We fully acknowledge, that the Church of Christ is just like its Author; it has " no form nor comeliness" in the eyes of the world, and " no beauty that men should desire it ;" and so, like Himself, it is "despised and rejected of men.” It has no outward splendour; it has no earthly glory; it has nothing in it, wherefore men should gaze, look at it, bow before it. But who can describe, notwithstanding, its true glory, and the love that Jesus has to it? He loved it in all eternity. So we read in the eighth chapter of the Proverbs; for there I cannot but see Him: "Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men." He loved her all through time. He will love her when time shall be no more. My dear hearers, Jesus loves her, as the Father's gift. He loves her, as His own portion. He loves her, as His peculiar treasure. He so loved her, that He stood forward for her; undertook her cause. Though so forlorn, wretched, miserable and desolate, and desperate too, yet He stood forward on her behalf; undertook every thing for her, and every thing in her. Language seems altogether to fail, in describing the love that Jesus has to His Church. It seems exhausted. Does an eagle "bear her brood upon her wings ?"—not only to teach them, and uot only to nourish them, but to protect them, so that the arrow that toucheth them, must touch her, and come through her, before they can be destroyed. This is the figure, that sets forth His love to His Church. Does a father "pity his child," when others can hardly bear with him, "remembering that he is but dust?" It is the very figure, that sets forth the love of Jesus to His Church. Is the mother, yearning over her weak and tender offspring, exhibited to view? and is it supposed, "she may forget ?" Jesus never will forget. The mother is brought forward, but brought forward as having no love compared with His love. Does a husband "leave his father and his mother, and cleave unto his wife?" This is God's command; and this is the very figure, made use of to exhibit the love of Jesus to His Church. And observe, the very care that a man has for his own flesh, is taken. "No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth it and cherisheth it;" he has no need of argument; and even with that inbred love, that innate love, the Lord nourishes and cherishes the Church. Yea, it is declared, that in loving His Church, He loves Himself; for it is thus that husbands' love towards their wives is spoken of― "He that loveth his wife, loveth himself;" as if it were another self. Language can ascend no higher; sympathy can stoop no lower. It is the very height of love; nothing can exceed it. And speak what we may, we must come short of the reality. Ah! beloved, you and I are living in a trying world. We find oftentimes a bitter, that makes all bitter. We find ourselves in a wilderness. We have trials, that no one knows; yet they are deep trials. They do not "spring from the earth," nor the dust, nor chance, nor accident; yet they are trials, great trials. But is there one trial, for which this is not enough? The waters are bitter; but this branch can make every bitter water sweet. There is not a hurt, but this can mollify; there is not a wound, but this can heal. Our friends may die, our comforts depart; that which is now sweet, may cease to be sweet; it may be taken away from us, or the power of enjoying it may be removed; yea, the greatest of all trials may come, when the heart so feels its own bitterness, and is so lacerated with a sense of its own vileness, its unutterable vileness, that no tongue can set forth its woe, no description come up to it. Yet is there one such position, that this cannot meet-" He loved me, and gave Himself for me?" Yea, and when our poor unbelieving hearts seem to tremble for the safety of the Church; when we see her foes so strong, her defenders so faithless; so many enemies within the walls, so much false profession, so much worldliness, so much dead talk, so that sometimes unbelieving hearts will quail; yet ought not every wave to subside, ought not every discouragement to disappear, when we read those words, and feel their power upon our souls-" I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands, and thy walls are continually before Me ?" Oh! unutterably sweet truth!-the love of Christ to His Church! II. But observe now, secondly, the proof He has given of His love. He " gave Himself for it." And let us, first of all, consider who it was, that "gave Himself for His Church." It was no mean person, no ordinary individual, no common being; it was the Son of God. It was His co-equal, coexistent, co-eternal Son. Explain it so says the man of reasonthe unreasonable man of reason. But tell me what you are; explain yourself first. You ask me- How can a Son be co-eternal? how can He be co-existent ? how can He be co-equal?' Explain your. self first. Can you tell me how the administration of food to my body keeps up the link between body and soul? Do you think you can explain it? Can you tell me how matter operates upon spirit? Can you tell me how spirit operates on matter? how will lifts up this arm-depresses it? Can you explain it? And you, a man of reason, attempting to span the Infinite-to fathom the unfathomable! Oh! how unreasonable! I believe it, because God says it. Faith's aliment is not reason, but testimony. It is not the deductions of my wit; it is the declarations of God. It is not what I can fathom; it is what God declares. What did Job say? "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."— (Job xix. 25, 26). What says Isaiah? "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high monntain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God. Behold, the Lord God, (the Jehovah, Elohim,) will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."-(Isaiah xl. 9-11). If a Socinian can part with Jesus here, we cannot; if he can find out another "shepherd," we can only find "a shepherd" in Him, that in God in our nature; in whom there must be a pulse of humanity to meet our case, and to soothe our sorrow. Shall I refer you to another passage? Observe how the prophet Ezekiel describes Him. "Above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a'man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it; from the appearance of His loins even upward, and from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord". JEHOVAH. (Ezekiel i. 26-28). And that passage in the eleventh of Zechariah, how does it breathe the distinct testimony of God on upon - |