Christ welcomes them into his glorious presence.
If the father could receive his prodigal but repenting son with hugs
and kisses, how will Christ now receive His saints, when they come as a
bride to the solemnization of the marriage? His very heart springs (as I
may say) at the sight of His Bride! No sooner [does] He see her and
salute her, but He welcomes her with such words as these: “O my love, my
dove, my fair one—come now and enjoy thy Husband! Many a thought I have
had of thee: before I made the world, I spent my infinite eternal
thoughts on thy salvation. When the world began, I gave thee a promise
that I would betroth thee unto me in righteousness, in judgment, in
loving kindness, in mercy, and in faithfulness (Hos 2:19-20).
[For thy
sake I] was incarnate, lived, died, rose again, and ascended. And since
My ascension, [I] have been interceding for thee and making ready the
bride-chamber, where thou and I must live forever and ever. Now I come
hither into the clouds to meet thee more than half the way. My meaning
is to take thee by the hand and to bring thee to My Father. Now do I
take thee for My own—O My sister, My spouse, thou art as dear to Me as
My own dear heart! Come, see into My bosom, and see here love written in
the golden letters of free grace. Come near, for I must have thee with
Me…Sometimes thy sins have made a wall of partition between Me and thee.
Sometimes I withdrew and was gone; I hid Myself beyond the curtains.
And for a time, thou hast lain hid in the closet of the grave. But now
we will never part more: Indeed, I will bring thee to My Father, and I will say to Him, ‘Father, behold!
Here [is] My spouse that I have carried unto Myself.’ In the meantime,
welcome to thy Jesus. I have purchased thee with My blood, I have paid
dear for thee, and now I will wear thee as a crown and ornament
forever.”
