Incomparable Marriage Between the Creator and the Creature

Extract

Incomparable Marriage Between the Creator and the Creature
Ralph Erskine

“Thy Maker is thy Husband” Isaiah 54:5.

The prophet Isaiah having largely discoursed of the sufferings of Christ, and the blessed fruits and effects of them; among which one is, that He should have a numerous seed to believe on Him; and that, when the Jews reject Him, the Gentiles should gladly receive Him: and thus foreseeing, by the spirit of prophecy, the glorious state of the Gentile church, he breaks forth into a song of triumph in the beginning of this chapter; where the prophet directs his speech to the church and spouse of God in these words, “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing; and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.” Where we have a magnificent promise of the fertility and the felicity of the Gentile church; and this is enlarged to the fifth verse, which contains the words of our text; where we have the reason of her happiness and fruitfulness who was formerly a barren widow, for “Thy Maker is thy Husband:” He who made thee out of nothing, and therefore can easily fulfil all these promises, how unlikely soever they seem to be; He who made thee a people, yea, which is more, who made thee His people, He will take possession of thee as His spouse, and act the part of an Husband to thee.

I shall defer my further introduction and exposition, and also whatever might be said concerning the external relation betwixt Christ and the visible church, my chief design being at this time, only to speak a little to that internal spiritual marriage-relation betwixt Christ and the invisible church, or Christ and the believer, as it is represented under the picture of a marriage: and what I would offer upon this subject I lay before you in this doctrinal proposition. That there is a marriage-relation betwixt Christ and believers, wherein He supplies the place of a Husband unto them, and they the place of a bride and spouse to Him.
In prosecuting whereof, I would essay these three things. I. Prove, that there is such a marriage-relation betwixt Christ and believers. …

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