Week of Meetings 05 Union of Christ/church — James K. Boswell

And regarding His coming. Now, just before we do have the measure, let us sing that chorus. Some are disappointed we didn't sing it last night. It's a new life. Oh, how He's changed me. A new life, He'll rearrange me.

So, I think we'll have it tonight, shall we? And for those of us who know it, we'll sing it twice, and by the second time I know you'll have it. Many of you really know it, because we taught it when we were here some time ago, and sometimes we continue to sing it, so that's just one for me.

Can I tell you a story about this particular chorus? When I was in Brisbane, in Australia, in Queensland some time ago, I thought I had seen these choruses all over the world, and I thought, do you believe it's precious?

And then I thought, this one is a new life. A friend of ours was having a two-and-a-half-hour organ recital at the elderly citizen's home. The home really belongs to these families there, but there were a hundred there staying.

They've also got a nursing home, they've got an infirmary on the same campus, and anyway, he was asking for favorites, and some favorites were given out. Then somebody said, let us sing the chorus that Mr. Boswell taught us.

It's a new life, and also, do you believe it's precious? So they sung those. A lady came in, who had not been in previously, and so he asked for some of those favorites. So this lady said, let us sing that Christian rock and roll chorus.

Christian rock and roll chorus. So they said, Christian rock and roll? Yes, the one that Mr. Boswell taught us, you know, and it's a new life. So this is the Christian rock and roll chorus. So you know, I always thought, well, they love this, do you believe it's precious?

But I found a more mature Christian. No one grows old these days, you just mature, don't you, eh? And some of you are maturing very gracefully, you know, you really are. And so the more mature Christian really liked this, it's a new life, oh how he changed me.

And of course the chorus sings, gone are the wrinkles and gone are the stains. He goes, listen Boswell, what does that mean, gone are the wrinkles? Shall we sing it together? It's a new life, oh yes. It's a new life, it's how he changed me.

A new life, he really arranged me. A new life, richer and full. It's a wonderful, wonderful life. It's a big life, it's a big life. It's how he filled me, a big life. It's how he filled me, a big life.

It's deeper than water, it's a wonderful, wonderful life. And what's this? He's gone is the old life, and gone are his chains. He's gone are the wrinkles and gone are, sing it now, he's gone is the darkness and gone is the light.

He's I have found Jesus, the truth and the light. It's a great life, he cannot be chosen, he's a great life. He'll never lose, he's a great life. Why don't you choose? It's a wonderful, wonderful life.

Amen? Now you just sing a chorus once and then you know. Isn't that true? So everyone knows at this time. Let us all rise and sing it right now, shall we? Sing it right now, the new life. It's a new life, it's how he changed me.

A new life, he really arranged me. A new life, it's a wonderful, wonderful life. It's a big life, it's how he filled me, a big life. It's deeper than water, it's a wonderful, wonderful life. And what's this?

He's gone is the old life, and gone are his chains. He's gone are the wrinkles and gone are, sing it now, He's gone is the darkness and gone is the night. He's I have found Jesus, the truth and the light.

It's a great life, he cannot be chosen, he's a great life. He'll never lose, he's a great life. Why don't you choose? It's a wonderful, wonderful life. Amen, that's wonderful. Thank you so much. I see one or two cold black coffees floating around there.

There's some more extra coffees for tomorrow night, that'll be really wonderful. Some are here for the very first time, and they don't know the chorus. Lovely, you can get a group of them, I'm sure. Please continue to remember us very much in your prayers.

We continue to journey these days together. I said the other night we were destined for different ones. You yourselves have been blessed by the ministry then to help others often, and encourage them to come along with you, night after night.

We want to share these good things from the Lord, don't we? Now last night we're looking at the 2nd corner chapter, and the 14th chapter of John. We're going back there tonight, and we want to look at one or two verses in the 14th chapter of John, and we find there a wonderful intimacy between Christ and his church.

The Church as a Living Union With Christ

A wonderful intimacy between Christ and his church. Now, when I refer to church, I'm not referring to a building of stone and lime, or brick and mortar. I am referring to a living organism composed of every born-again child of God.

Irrespective of what label they may have on them, if they're born again by the Holy Spirit, they are in this living organism the Church of the Living God. First of all, then, there is a union of support.

A union of support. It is the foundation and the building. Christ said, remember, upon this rock I will build my church. Now, he's not referring to Peter as the rock, but Peter himself refers to Christ as the rock, remember, and Christ himself is a rock bed.

The confession Peter just made in Matthew 16, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Christ says immediately, upon this rock I will build my church. Now, Christ is the foundation, and we born-again ones are the lively souls built upon that solid foundation, and thank God tonight the foundation.

God stands sure, having the skill, the Lord knows them that are his. A preacher back in Hyde Park, London, England, some time ago, was preaching on the theme, Christ the solid rock foundation. Greatly burly Irishman looked over the crowd and said, I say mister, what about the shamrock?

But the preacher went on preaching, On Christ the solid rock I stand. Then the Irishman said, say me, what about the shamrock? The preacher stopped and said, On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other rocks are shamrock.

Now, isn't that true? Now, probably you wonder why I put these little funny bits in from time to time. I'll tell you why. Because when you smile, and when you laugh, I know you're getting it. You see, and that's a real help.

There may be a good bit of psychology in it, but it really works, doesn't it now? So there it is, we've got the solid rock foundation, and the lively souls are born-again ones and built upon that foundation.

It's amazing, you have the church founded upon hunger, and more than that, he himself is the architect, he himself is the builder, and he himself is the foundation. Lively souls, living souls, no dead break.

A man may make a brick, but only God can make a stone. And those that are born of the Holy Spirit, they are the lively living souls which are placed upon the solid rock foundation. First of all, there is a union of support.

The Church as the Body and Head

Secondly, it's a union of life. A union of life, the head and the body. As a building we are supported from beneath, but as a body we are sustained from above. And Christ became the head of the church after his crucifixion, resurrection, exaltation, to the right hand of the Majesty on High.

Now, all the life of that body comes from the head. The whole body is sustained from above, and from that living head we find all the members knit together, and we're members one of another. And in 1 Corinthians 12, we read these words, Christ has placed us in that church for his own pleasure.

I like that. That knocks all the starch out of us, doesn't it? Knocks all the pride of us completely. Christ wouldn't say, if I were only a hand, I would be doing this. Although I may say, if I were only a foot, I'd be going here and going there.

But, oh, he placed us in that very position where he wanted us. I like that. For his own pleasure, and for God's glory. And all the life of the risen head comes from each member in this living organism.

And remember, just as the church is a picture of the tabernacle in the Old Testament, that manifests the glory of Jehovah, so now the body here manifests the excellences, and the virtues, and the beauty, and the graces of our lovely Lord Jesus Christ.

And all these come to us from the risen head, so it is imperative that we are in living touch, day by day, with the living head, a light flowing through you, a light flowing through me, a life-giving stream.

Your life, my life, will be an outshining of the indwelling Christ. I'd love to devote that time another hour, but remember again that we are members one of another. He placed us in that position for his own pleasure.

Christ and the Church as Bridegroom and Bride

Let me come down to another union. It's a union of affection, the bridegroom and the bride. Now, this is a very tender union, the bridegroom and the bride. The Father delights in us as a family. The Holy Spirit indwells us as a temple, but the Lord Jesus displays his affection for us as his Christ.

Oh, that wonderful intimacy! Did you ever notice the first I will in the scripture, and the last I will have to do with the bride? The first one a bride for the first Adam, the last one a bride for the last Adam, the Lord from heaven.

And he's saying now, he loves the church, and he gave himself for her. He cleanses her, and he washes her with the washing water by the word. He nourishes, and he cherishes, and one day along, he's going to present her to himself without any spot or blemish or wrinkle, any such thing.

I'm quoting now from chapter five of the Ephesian letter, and the scripture says clearly, so speaks Christ of his church, the bride. Isn't that precious to your heart? This wonderful, tender intimacy between Christ and the church.

He is the heavenly bridegroom, and one day along, the bridegroom's coming to take his bride away. The bride is purging his own precious, precious blood. The dear bride has been singing this, and maybe today we shall hear the bridegroom's voice saying, rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.

We are members one of another. Remember how in Genesis, while Adam, God took Adam, had he said, it's not good for man that he should be alone, and he caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and while Adam was still in that deep sleep, from his side God took the rib, and from that rib he built up the woman.

Therefore you got your name from, by the way, girls, woman, and somebody says been woman ever since. But there's the whole thing woman, you see, and so when Adam opened his eyes, lo, there was he, a complete woman.

That's why I don't believe in selective rapture. That's why I don't believe in partial rapture. I believe when the church presents a crowd, there'll be a complete woman, a whole woman. Isn't that wonderful?

It fills my heart as I think of that tonight, and it may be tonight. The wonder of it all. But there's something more touching my heart, you know. Here Adam says, you're bone of my bone, you're flesh of my flesh.

What does the heavenly bridegroom say? They're members one of another, members of my body, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. All that wonderful intimacy between Christ and his people. Do we know this experientially?

Oh, we may know it scripturally, we may know it doctrinally, but do I know the living bodily entity in my life every moment of every day that Christ is the very life of my life, nothing apart from Christ.

He is my very life. Christ thinking through the pot, Christ willing through the will, looking through the eyes of compassion upon the multitude, Christ loving through the heart, Christ working through the fingers, Christ walking round in shoe leather.

It's not I but Christ who is our life every moment of every day. What a wonderful joy. Someone say to Stephen Alford years ago, back yonder in Britain. Steve and I used to preach together years ago. Now, of course, there's a great Dr. Stephen Alford, and he is really a man whom God is using mightily.

But after preaching to 10 ,000 young people in Royal Albert Hall, a young lady whom we knew very well went to him, and he was then a bachelor, by the way. So this young lady went up and said, Mr. Alford, I can't understand why you with this striking personality and with such gift and with such oratory, you're not married, and the very girls worship the ground you walk on.

What a thing to say to any man. So Stephen looked her and said, well, it's like this. When God was going to give Adam ease, he caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And when Adam was still asleep, from his side he took a rib, and from that rib he built up the woman, and lo, when Adam opened his eyes, there was ease.

Stephen said, I'm afraid I'm still in my sleep. He said, now and then I open my eyes and close them quickly. You know, I do feel over and over again, a man's not all there until he's married. Do you know that?

A man's not all there until he's married because there's a rib missing. There's a rib missing. And until that man gets that rib back again, he's not all there. But he must be sure he gets the right rib.

Because if he gets the wrong rib and it's a mistake, it can hurt pretty badly. I know you medical pupils saying, Jim Boswell, you ought to know you're nothing less than a knack. A man is nothing less than a woman.

Not at all. And according to the medical science, the rib grew again in Adam. And a man has a rib just as many as a woman has. Isn't that wonderful? It really is. So, you know, I can understand men being backstressed in you.

I can understand them. I do feel it's coming missing somehow. Present company excluded, of course, here tonight. Let us follow meditation, shall we? Remember, we find first of all, children, there is the foundation and the building, a union of support.

Then there's a union of life, the head and the body. And now there's a union of affection, the bridegroom and the bride. I often think of that time, you know, when the servant, Abraham's servant, was sent to bring back a bride for Isaac.

Not a very easy thing to do, to bring back a wife for another man. But that's what he's sent to do. And God's cross was in the way. Christ had put the young Rebecca first to go with this man. Oh, I wish to God I could preach like that.

I wish to God I could still present the Lord Jesus and all His Father's dignity and glory in eternal world. And when the Christ is asked of you tonight, Oh, you have this one blind Lord and Savior, your heart will respond, Yes, Lord, I will.

And I do it now. Rebecca had a golden opportunity. She got a freedom of will. And immediately she said, I will go. Now notice, she had only heard of Isaac. To you who believe he is precious, whom having not seen, we love.

She had never seen him. She'd only heard a testimony concerning him. But she believed that testimony, and Christ is asked, Won't thou go? Says, I will go. Now, not in a lovely Cadillac, not even in a Ford, not even in a Rolls Royce, but on a camel's back.

On a camel's back, going about 1 ,400 miles on that old camel's back. Now, I know what it is to ride on a camel. You know you've got kidneys and liver and everything else by the time you get to the end of your journey riding on a camel's back.

But here we find now, she's going across, and I think I can hear, I'm sure I can hear, Rebecca asking Eliezer all the questions she could think of concerning Isaac. Women are very nosy, and I'm sure she was nosy, and she wanted to know everything she could think of concerning Isaac.

She's going to marry him. Tell me everything you know about him. I want to know everything about him. Are you like that with the Holy Spirit? Do you ask the Holy Spirit to tell you everything that he knows concerning Christ through the Holy Scripture?

I love that, you know. And I'm sure the servants are delighted that everything he knew concerning Isaac is there in that very day. In the evening time, evening of grace, Isaac comes out to meditate in the field.

And as he's meditating in the field, lo, the camels are coming. Do you know that old song? The camels are coming, are coming, oh ho, the camels are coming, are coming, oh ho. For the heavens, we find death.

She says, look, who's that man? And there he is. That's him. That's the very man he's going to marry. Oh, and what happens? She gets off her camel and she bails her. She bails herself and she's brought into contact with Isaac.

And what happens? It says that Isaac loved her. I was comforted. And he took her into his mother's bed. Had he not seen, she lost. I present to you tonight the heavenly bridegroom, the one who died for you who shed his precious blood for you upon the very cross, and who lives no longer, who lives, who lies no longer in the grave, but who now lives in the power of an endless life.

And I tell you that story with all my heart. Do you believe that record? If I ask you right now, will you accept this one as your Lord and Savior? Will your heart say, Lord, I will. I do it now. If you don't, at the end of the meeting, you've been saved right now.

You're sitting right there in that seat. I see it all. I hear with a hearing of faith. I have not seen or hear heard. Holy God, prepare for them that love Him. One thing I do know, Christ died for me.

He shed His blood for me. And He lives in the power of an endless life. If I honor my very own Lord and Savior, He'll come into my life. He'll transform my life. Now, the evilest thing is a new life. Oh, how He changed me.

It's a new life. He rearranged me. It's a wonderful life. It's a big life. It's a great life. And all this life is yours, not in religion, but in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. I present you tonight this heavenly bridegroom.

Christ as Shepherd and Sustainer of His People

A union of guardianship, the shepherd and the sheep. The shepherd and the sheep says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. He's the great shepherd who came again from the dead.

He's the chief shepherd who one day will return and own and reward his sheep. Yes, beloved, the Lamb has said, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He not only saves us, He provides for us, and He protects us.

And right along the journey's way, right into the fount of hearts. But then last in this connection, with this all introductory to my message really, the next part is sustenance. It's a union of sustenance, the vine and the branches.

Isn't that lovely? Christ said, I am the vine, ye are the branches. And without me ye can do nothing. As the branch is hopeless and helpless without the vine, so are ye without me. Without me, says Christ, ye can do nothing.

But Paul said, I can do all things through Christ to pour His strength in and through me. I'm only a helpless branch, O Lord, for Thou art the mighty vine. I'll cast care aside and be alibied through the name of your divine.

Aren't these wonderful words? Aren't they precious words? It's a lovely chorus. I'll have to teach it sometime, not this time. But the words again are these. I'm only a helpless branch, O Lord, for Thou art the mighty vine.

I'll cast care aside and be alibied through the name of your divine. A fivefold union, a one-off intimacy between Christ and His people, a union of support, a foundation of building, a union of life, the head and the body, a union of affection, the bridegroom and the bride, a union of sustenance, the vine and the branches, a union of guardianship, the shepherd and the sheep.

Aren't you glad you're in that union tonight? Aren't you glad you're in Christ? Because all these are yours, all these are mine, mine matches great, because we're in Christ even tonight. A minute ago I was suggesting how the life comes just from the head.

Now, the least member in your body can't be hurt without your head knowing about it. Saul was persecuting the body in earth, how the head complained from heaven. Saul saw why he persecuted the army. Now, Saul was persecuting the Christian, the members of that body, how the head complained from heaven.

Saul saw why he persecuted the army. See how closely, how intimately you're linked up with your lovely Lord? And even the least member in the body can't suffer without the head knowing about it in the glory.

We were going to start America some time ago, and I'd have a blood test. And Dr. Sorezzata, a very lovely Italian doctor, was going to give me a blood test. So he said, Jim, I'm going to give your finger a little teeny-weeny prick.

Just a teeny-weeny prick, you see. He gave it to me, but you know, I felt it. Only a teeny-weeny prick. See, no sense, no feeling. I felt it. But he said, you know Jim, he said, you're so Scottish, you won't let your blood come.

I've got to give it another prick. You see. But you know, when I get even the least member in my body, I felt it. And you know something? There's not a pan that rains a heart, but the man of sorrow shares a part.

There's not a problem, not a soul, my heart does know that he feels it above. All Christians take heart, take courage tonight. You see how closely, how intimately you're linked up with your lovely Lord Jesus Christ.

He's a wonderful Lord, isn't he? And you know, he becomes increasingly precious every moment of every day. Now, back to John 14, please, for a few moments. I'll go as far as we can, there's time allotted to us now.

Christ’s Resurrection Life in John 14

Verse number 19. John 14, this lovely cozy corner chapter, an appraisal of words here. They come seven times. I'll give you five. Here it is, verse number 19. Yet a little while, and the world will excuse me no more, but ye see me, because I live, ye shall live also.

These are the words, I, ye, also. I, ye, also. And they come seven times. There's the first one, I, ye, also, of life. Because I live, ye shall live also. Now, isn't that precious? And he who died upon the very cross, now lives in the power of a manless life, it says now, because I live, ye shall live also.

See, our life is not coming apart from Jesus Christ. He is our life. Sevenfold picture. Here's the first one. His life, just to see the life that we now possess as a Christian, as a Christian. Now, notice, His life is a life from above.

A life from above. I am come from above, that ye might have life, and that ye might have it, no abundantly. He came from above. And remember how the Lord said to Nicodemus, Marvel not I see unto you, you must be born from above.

How can that be? How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time and just not as a woman be born? The Lord Jesus said, that which is born of flesh is flesh, that which is born of spirit is spirit, flesh the earthly life, spirit the life which is life from above.

Man is made up of spirit and soul and body. Spirit he is God conscious, soul he is self conscious, and body he is world conscious. And when God said to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the day thou eatest that of, thou shalt surely die.

And when they partook of that forbidden fruit, they died. Oh, if it's Mr. Worldly Wise, they go, that's not true, because Adam lived to well over 900 years, and he had sons and daughters, so they did not die.

No, they did not die physically, they died spiritually. And that spirit part of man that knew God, that conhumed God, that worshipped God, from that moment, the last baby born into the world, that spirit part is dead, the world is gone.

In the Book of Proverbs it says, the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. And so man by nature is not only spiritually dead, he's spiritually ignorant. For the Bible speaks of darkness as ignorant, and that candlelight was snuffed out, and Christ said, I am come that ye might have light, that ye might have it more abundantly.

He said, I am the light of the world, for if ye shall not walk in darkness, they shall have the light of life. So, in receiving Christ, you receive light. He, by his Spirit, comes into your spirit part, you're quickened into life, you're livened to God, you know God as your Father, and you come from darkness into light.

That's what it says, he's brought us out of darkness into his marvelous light, from a condition of spiritual day into a field of spiritual life, from a condition of spiritual darkness into a field of spiritual life.

Beloved, if you're here without Christ tonight, you're not only spiritually dead, but you're spiritually in the dark, and you need illumination, and you need regeneration, and these are found for you in only one person, and that person is Jesus Christ.

And the Bible says, he that hath the sun hath light, he that hath not the sun of God hath not light. These are remarkable words, you know, but they're very, very precious. Two young people from Cambridge University came to see me one day, back in Yorkshire, in England.

They said, Mr. Boswell, do you believe the creation story of Genesis chapter 1? Being a Scotsman, I said, I'm going to ask you another question. The Scotsman always answers questions by asking another.

He gives them time to think of the question and answer them, you see. I said, it is this, have you received Jesus Christ for eternal life? He said, oh no, we'll deal with that one first. And after two hours, the two young people got up from their knees, having received the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I said to the young man, his name is Gordon.

Gordon, what about Genesis chapter 1? Oh, he said, that's all clear to me now. I said, why? I know the answer. The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, because they are spiritually discerned, said Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

A man may go through a theological seminary, or cemetery if you like, and he may come up with umpteen letters behind his name, but that man has never been born from above, born again. He's as blind as a bat from this book of concerns.

He will only scrub the floors to get a livelihood. He'll be born again by God's Spirit, for to see Christ by His Spirit in your heart, knows far more about this book, and far more about God, and the great theological professor with all his bolted learning, who has never been born of the Holy Spirit, Billy Graham said, the man's mind is warped, it's twisted, so it is with every natural man, no matter how intellectually bright it may be, he will be born again by the Spirit of God, who is as blind as a bat, for this book of concerns is a divine illumination that comes to us by receiving Christ in your heart.

I wonder, would you do that this very evening? Christ, I am come that ye might have life, that ye might have it more among the faithful. It says in John 1, verse number 12, "'Does many of you see Him, nor it, nor the curse, nor the creed, nor the catechism?

Does many of you see Him, the Lamb gave His power, the legal right to become the sons of God, even the men that believe on His name, in order to believe on Him, is to receive Him into your heart?'. There is a great difference between believing about and believing in and believing on.

A young university boy from Alberta came to me one morning after the family Bible on Bethany Chapel in Calgary, and said, "'Sir, what is the difference between believing with my mind and believing with my heart?'.

Looking at him, I said, "'Do you believe in the virgin birth, Lord Jesus?'. He said, "'I have never doubted the virgin birth. I have always believed in the virgin birth.'. He said, "'Do you believe in the vicarious life of Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless, spotless Son of God?'.

He said, "'I have never doubted that. Had He been able to ascend, it could never have been my Lord and Savior.'. Then I said, "'Do you believe in the vicarious death of Christ?'. When Christ died upon that cross, He died instead of you.

He said, "'Good Christ, He tells me, Christ died for me, to bear the penalty against my sins.'". He said, "'Good. Now, do you believe in the victorious resurrection, and the crimes that were done upon that cross were taken place in that human now lives?'.

He smiled and said, "'Of course I do.'. He said, "'Easter Sunday tells me Christ rose again from the dead. I just can't get away from it. I can't put a date on the top of my newspaper, look at a date on the calendar of the newspaper without believing these historical facts.

For all dates point from these historical facts concerning Jesus Christ.'". He said, "'That's true.'. I said, "'Now look, do you believe that Christ as a living man has ascended back into Heaven as being a good Anglican, a good Episcopalian?'.

He said, "'Of course I do.'". He said, "'Easter Sunday tells me Christ went back to Heaven, looking straight at that young man, by the way, whose name is Arthur Gordon. The first Gordon I referred to from Cambridge is in Zambia.

He's a medicine medical officer. That's his profession, but he's there helping the missionaries, doing a tremendous work for God. And this other young man's name is Arthur Gordon. And I looked at him and said, "'Gordon, do you believe all that was your mind?

You've given the mental ascent to historical facts concerning Jesus Christ. Now you leave Christ's tongue at your heart's door. Won't you have believed with your mind all these years? Now act upon it.'".

I said, "'Lord, it isn't for me, and I owe it to my Lord and Saviour. Now receive, for remember,' I said, "'you may know all that intellectually, but there's no light, and no power, until Christ comes into your heart.'".

The hand twice as fast as the size of mine, and he clasped my hand and he said, "'I'll do it right now.'". He was holding down that manly spade to receive Christ. That's quite a number of years ago. I was passing by from Vancouver, about two years ago, and called in for two nights with Ebony.

A young man came up with a rather heavy beard, and he said to me, "'Do you remember me?'. And I said, "'If I could get past that beard, I think you're God Morgan, aren't you?'. He said, "'Yes, I am.'".

That very same young man who that very night rejoiced in the glorious fact that Christ was the very light of his life. Now let me ask you lovingly, is not it a case of believing about? I believe in stories quite concerning Christ.

You must act upon what you really believe, for the Lord and I receive these coming to my heart, Lord Jesus. Can I give you a very simple illustration? I'm going to thank Father Clare's name, and go on from here tomorrow night on his honour, for her five I .E. authors are very precious, and you dare not miss them, because you'll miss a tremendous lot if you miss out on those five I .E. authors, and they'll be a real definite blessing to you.

Faith Becoming Personal Through Union With Christ

Here's the illustration. A young couple are going round together. They're very much attached to one another, and she believes he loves her. She believes he cares. She's strong, he's strong, for he will support her and to look after her.

She believes all that about them, but they don't belong to one another, until that lovely moonlight night, the stars drifting up there in the heavens, the breeze coming through the trees, and that little ripple there upon the lake, and a little bird that sings a little song.

Every man expects a world romance. I don't know much about these things, but they do tell me a lot about them. And, of course, the father says that it's so conducive to romance, and he pops the question to her, and he asks her to marry him.

Now, he says, Yes, I will marry you. She believes about him, now that she's got confidence in him, but still they don't belong to one another, until that day they stand before the fish-eating pastor, who says, Young man, look out ahead, this world I love will be white.

He says, I will. He says, and I will have committed. He says to her, Look out ahead, this man's quite awful. No, lawful, when he's a husband, and she says, I will. And now remember this, and I will have committed.

He commits himself to her and she to him, and they still become one, only that the day I put my hands upon the hands of two young people, I said, In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I pronounce you husband and wife.