The New York herald., 1874-11-02
oHUROH OF 81. JOHN THE BAPTIST.
The Bishop OF Kingston, Jamaica, on
the Mystical Union Between Chris,
and His Church.

The Bishop OF Kingston, Jamaica, on
the Mystical Union Between Christ
and His Church.
After q strictly unrituallstic service at this
church yesterday morning, the Right Rev. Regi-
maid Courtenay, Lord Bishop of Kingston, ia
maica, delivered very eloquent and spiritual
discourse on the bridal relation OF the Church and
the individual believer to Christ taking his text
from Psalms, XIV, 10 and 1l-"Hearken U, daughter,
and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also
thine own people and thy fathers house; so shall
the king greatly desire thy beauty for he Is tiny
lord and worship thou him."
The right reverend prelate began by saying that
the words OF his text conveyed the idea Of mar.
rage. 1t would be a mistake, however, to suppose
that the language Of this marriage song was to be
limited to Its primary sIgni1cation, or merely
ferred to the marriage OF King Solomon to the
daughter OF the King OF Egypt 1t perhaps had
that earthly meaning, which would come first, but
there was after spiritual signfcatlon, difficuit
and deep, which would distinctly refer them to a
much higher and holier idea All the words OF
Scripture to be taken first in their literal and
then In their wider spiritual signi1cation; and,
having exhausted all their literal meaning, we
shall find the beautiful images which lay
beneath them. The words used by the
Psalmist elsewhere, Thou snat put all
things 7nder his feet" could reler to no one but
to the Divine Son, who was only second to God the
Father, as was explained by st. Paul when he said
that Jesus was 'madc little lower than the
angels to be clothed with glory and nonor.n
Under His leet the Almighty Father would put
the universe, that He might fiji all things. fhe
words, "ihou art farer than tie children or men,
could refer 10 but one being. Who could be said
TO be altogether lovely" and 'Iull OF praisen but
the son OF God, to whom the Father we are told,
gave not the spirit by measure? The term ''most
mighty could not apply to solomon but must re-
fer TO Him who, who was TO eird His sword upon His
hand OF God, being annolnted with the oil
Of eadness above HIS, fellows. The daughter
who is to iorsake her own people and
her father's house Is the Church of Christ, the
bride, the Lambs vie. OF whom IL is said "thy
relationship that every individual believer stands
10 the Saviour as his accepted DrIdeg! 1t was
this mystical union winch was ALLUDED to In Scrip
ture in those passages Wherein idolatry Is called
adultery. The marriage customs o the Jews made
the hallowed union between the bridegroom and
BRIDE the symbol OF heavenly things. There was
frequently u long interval between the betrothal
and marriage, ana sometimes in early ages people
were betrotned IN infancy, many brides not seeing
their husbands until The bridal day. In the same
way the Church and every individual believer is
pledged TO Christ, aud we await as Christians tnat
time at which the bridegroom VIII come out
oi his chamber and the heavenly bride out OF her
closet. In the meantime our hearts are pledged
10 Him VINO Is the 1alrest among ten thousand
and altogether lovely whom we worship and
adore. We were sealed 10 HIM In the waters or
regeneration, and renewed our professions OF love
ana devotion In confirmation: while In the sacra-
ment OF HIS blessed body and blood we present
ourselves 4 living sacrifice and deJicafe and
present TO Him again and agan our souls and
bodies as Tree and reasonable Offering. We must
SHOW toward HIN all the evidences Of sincere
love, worship and affection, without which the
relationship between our souls ana tnat Of our
Divine Lord cannot be maintained.
IL Is the duty and delight OF an expectant bride
70 become assimilated to her bridegrooms
thoughts and wishes, and so to accommodate her.
sell and ht herself TO her brdeQrOoIn;s wlshes as
TO please hin In all things. There are no such
things "a tribes IN this heavenly love but our
whole heart VIII be Gods il we form part OF the
bride oI Christ. the Churcn, which He Is preparing
ior Himself pure Without spot or wrInke.
Moreover, we are In real and active communion
tiou with him who has said II Will guide thee
with mine eye." lie Is the Kings Son,