

Transcribed from the 1815 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

                   [Picture: Public domain book cover]





                                   THE
                           _SPEEDY APPEARANCE_
                                    OF
                                  CHRIST
                          DESIRED BY THE CHURCH.


                        _BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A_

                                 Sermon,

                    PREACHED ON THE DEATH OF A FRIEND,

                            _August_ 27, 1815.

                                * * * * *

                              BY J. CHURCH,
                MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, SURREY TABERNACLE.

                      [Picture: Decorative divider]

      It shall be said in that day, lo, we have waited for him, he will
                                     save
                             us.—_Isaiah_ xxv, 9.

                   Even so come, LORD JESUS—Rev. xxii, 20.

                                * * * * *

                                Southwark:
             PRINTED BY R. THOMAS, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH.

                                * * * * *




A SERMON.


                       SOL. SONG, 8th Chap. last Verse.

    _Make haste_, _my Beloved_, _and be thou like to a Roe_, _or a young_
                     _Hart upon the Mountains of Spices_.

THIS divine Poem, is designed by the Holy Spirit, to exhibit the love of
God our dear Saviour, to his chosen people, with all the happy
consequences of that eternal affection.  The whole book is full of
Christ, as the all in all of the Church, which he has purchased with his
blood—the union subsisting between the elect head and chosen body.  What
Christ is to them, and they are to him, is strikingly set forth by many
well-known metaphors.  Perhaps there is nothing of greater importance in
the Bible than the Union subsisting between Jesus and his Church, the
whole Scriptures are full of it; all our salvation depends upon it.  The
highest idea of Union is that glorious oneness in the three Persons the
adorable Trinity; that though they are distinct in Persons, Names and
Offices, yet they are one in the divine incomprehensible Essence.

The next idea of Union is the hypostatical Union of God in our Nature:
the Word made Flesh and dwelling among us.  This is the mystery of
Godliness.  The Union between the head and members is the principal
subject of this Song.  That Christ and his People are one, is an
everlasting truth, the date of it is eternal, it is indissolvable, it is
mysterious, it is perfect, and will endure to all eternity.  Hence it is
compared to the Union that subsists between the foundation of a building
and its superstructure.  Christ is the foundation stone, the corner
stone, the tried stone, and will be the top stone.

This Union is set forth by the metaphor of the head and the body, while
the love that united both is set forth in this song, by the neck.  The
self-moving love of God will keep this body and head in eternal Union.
This is also represented by the Vine and the Branches.  _I am the Vine_,
_ye are the Branches_.  All our fruit depends on Union with this Vine—_In
me is thy fruit found_.  The scriptures shew this doctrine by the Union
that subsists between the Husband and his Wife: this says the Apostle _is
a great mystery_; _but I speak concerning Christ and his Church_.

In consequence of this Union with Christ and his People, they become
partakers of the same Spirit with him.  He that is joined to the Lord is
one spirit.  He took our nature, we take his spirit, and like the men of
Judah, we have two parts in David.  We are bone of bone, and flesh of his
flesh; and the Apostle tells us, _we are members of his body_, _of his
flesh_, _and of his bones_.  Christ being united to his Church, beholds
it with admiration; highly commends her, and to shew how dear she is to
him, he laid down his life for her, in the set time, to favor our souls.
He subdues our enmity, melts our hearts, reconciles our wills, draws our
affections to himself, and leads our faith to admire him, believe in him,
rest on him, and be satisfied with him.  He loves us, we love him; he
chose us, we chuse him; he is delighted in us, we in him; he sought us,
we seek him; he commands us, we commend him; he draws near to us, we draw
near to him; he loves the company of his people, they desire his; he
invites them to his arms, his house, his table, and to holy familiarity
with him.  His people seeing his glory, beauty, suitableness, and love,
intreat him to visit them, to meet them, to abide with them, to be in
them, walk with them, talk with them, and indulge them with his company.
Thus the Union is mutual, and sweet communion is the blessed effect of
it.  The Saviour must see of the travail of his soul, in their complete
conversion.  He longs for their coming home, and they long to get home to
see him, who is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express
image of his Person.  Under this sweet influence of the spirit of love,
the Church breathes forth her earnest desires—_Make haste my beloved_,
_and be thou like to a Roe_, _or a young Hart upon the mountains of
spices_.

The first petition in this song is for clear manifestations of his love.
_Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth_.  And the last petition is
the language of the text, the earnest desire to see his face.  This is
the Alpha and Omega of the Spirit’s teaching.

We shall first consider the object desired.—_My beloved_.

Secondly, Her earnest request, _Make haste_.  And thirdly, The metaphor
here made use of, _Be thou like a Roe_, _or a young Hart upon the
mountains of spices_.

First—The glorious object of the desire of every one taught of God,
emphatically stiled _My beloved_.  This title is given to Jesus, nineteen
or twenty times in this book; and no doubt is intended to point out the
high esteem the church has of her Saviour; the clearest, the sweetest
evidence of a person’s interest in Christ, is love to the dear God-Man
Mediator.  This principle is shed abroad in the heart; it is always in
the believer as a principle; but it is not always shed abroad in the
feeling sense of it, we wish it was, as it is calculated carry us above
the love of sin, the love of self, the love of the creature, and the love
of the world.  Christ as the Christ of God, is the darling of heaven; the
Father loves him, and is well pleased with him.  The Holy Spirit’s
principal aim in all his operations is to glorify him; the holy angels
admire and adore him, as their elect head; the spirits of just men, made
perfect, look on him with holy wonder, with rapture, and joy; while every
poor, tried, humble believer, trusts in him, leans upon him, hopes in
him, and sincerely desires to love him above all things else.  And if I
know any thing of experience, I must say in the behalf of the church, it
is our principal grief we think on him so little, trust him so little,
admire and adore him so little.  This is a lamentation, and must be so to
the end of our days.  But our days of mourning on this subject will have
an end—and

    Till then I would thy love proclaim,
       With every feeling breath;
    And may the music of thy name,
       Refresh my soul in death.

Christ is the beloved of his church for what is in himself, as God-Man
Mediator.  Secondly, Christ is beloved of his church for what he has
done, and is now doing in heaven.  If we view him as God, possessing all
divine perfections, and these harmonizing and engaged in our salvation,
O! how glorious do they all appear!  Divine sovereignty chose us to
salvation; loved moved him to make this choice; wisdom drew the wonderous
plan; power executed it; goodness made provision for us; truth makes us
free; faithfulness is engaged to make good his promises; pity redeemed
us; compassion leads us to repentance; holiness makes him all-glorious to
us; righteousness justifies; justice forgives us; and perfection renders
us compleat in Christ.  Thus all his sublime attributes center in our
salvation, and render Jesus as equal with the Father, beloved to us, if
we view him as Man and Mediator.  _There is_, says the Apostle to us,
_One God and one Mediator_, _the Man_, (i.e. _the God Man_) _Christ
Jesus_.  In this human nature he is the perfection of beauty; the Holy
Spirit formed it, the Father provided it, and the eternal Son of God
appeared in it as our Day’s Man.  It was filled with the Holy Ghost—it
was a sacred Temple, the residence of Deity.  _The word was made
flesh_—_the word was God_.  All things were made by him.  This human
nature was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners; and
such an High Priest became us.  And by virtue of the Union of the
Godhead; this dear God-Man is the Beloved of the whole Church.

If we consider him in his Mediatorial capacity, sustaining his glorious
offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King.  These offices no doubt he refers
to when he said I am the way, and the truth, and the life; to these he
was called.  These he executes in the church, and in the hearts of all
believers.  He enlightens us as a Prophet, he intercedes as a Priest, and
he reigns as a King.  He teaches the way to heaven as a Prophet, he opens
the way as a Priest, and he brings into the way as a King.  He preached
glad tidings to the meek as a Prophet, he binds up the broken-hearted as
a Priest, and he opens the prison doors as a king.  These glorious
offices he exercises in the souls of his children, and viwing him
faithful in his house, he is truly lovely to his church.  If we view him
in his glorious titles, it appears the Holy Ghost has ransacked all the
endearing ties of nature, and all the lovely instances of his creative
power, to set him forth—the affectionate Husband, the constant Friend,
the skilful Physician, the tender Father, the able Counsellor, the
sympathizing Mother and Nurse, the wise Law-giver, the lovely Prince