National Republican., 1883-08-20
CHRIST AND THE CHURCH..

PRACTICAL EXPLANATION OF THEIR COM
PLETE UNION BY REV. DIR. ELLIOTT, ,oF
ENGLAND.
The pulpit of the Foundry NJ. E. Church
was occupied on yesterday forenoon by the
Rev. DIR. Elliott, Of Plymouth, England, now
80 fayorably known to large number of the
church-going people of this city. For tho les
sons,t doctor read Isaiah, H. and 81. Luke, X,
90 to AZ verse. He put the substance of both
scriptures into the long prayer aftcrward.
The hymns and the whole of the opening and
closing exercises were deeply impressive The
congregation was large and the attention was
marked throughout.
The doctor selected as his toXt the second
verse of the fifth chapter of the song of Solo
mon, and among other things said that the
reality and closenegs of the union between
Christ and the church, the scriptures set out
under various phrases and figures. Christ is
tho head; the believers are really living mem
bers of His bOdy-ruled over, directed, and
cared for by that head. He pities us, not
merely as creatures standing in need of COM
passion, but feels for us as our own head feels
for and with any living member of our own
bodies which is in the condition of suffer.
ing You would not need to tell tho healthy
head that it ought to feel for the suffering
members of its own body; it does feel for it,
and for this reason that it is lovingly united
to it. So Christ feels for every suffering mem
bcr of the body. "He nourisheth and cher
isheth 1t" as His own flesh and blood as low
ingly part and parcel of his very own self
1--WE are members Of His body, of His flesh, and
of His bones"
Again, 81 am the vine ye are tho
branches" says Jesus. Tho branches are
really livingly united to the vine; they draw
life and health and fertility from it; they
liylnVlX "a nd nf bn mi
IS close and real. SO Of the figure in tho
Book of Songs throughout-it is that of tho
marriage union; that union is most real
They two shall be united in one fesh," one
life one aim common to tho united pair.
Christ, tho husband, cares for his bride.
The church is subject to Jesus Christ. So
lei wives be to their own husbands in every
thing" So says the Apostle. Whether this
be American law or custom don't know and
i don't caro-. This IL tho original custom and
law of marriage. The will Of the husband Is
law for the bride. She has no interest, no
position, no happiness apart from him.
Husbands ought to love their wives,
even as Christ loves tho church and gave
Himself for it," In dealing with the
olden jewish church this idea Is constantly
presented by God. If Israel worshps
an idol God, the husband, calls that not only
idolatry, but also adultery. 1t is tho wife
committing tho foulest crime which can be
committed against the husband. So in this
song the brides self Indulgence, while her
husband stands knocking, calling, ut the
door, his head wet with dow, his locks with
the drops of the night" is treated as great
crime, as marking u condition of heart which
she must he made TO feel to bo in itself ut
terly contrary to love, TO the duties of mar
rlage unioni and she must be mado to feel
this SO deeply that once cured OF il she will
by Gods grace never more return to that
condition of selishness. She shall forever
feel, My husbands comforts, my husbands
giits TO me are worse than nothing If / am
not in everything doing my husban's will, if
my conduct be not in all things pleasing in
his sight," ii in anything am grief TO