“The joyful day is coming” by Jonathan Edwards

“We trust, dear sir, that you will esteem it a most blessed employment to spend your time and skill in adorning Christ’s bride for her marriage with the Lamb, and that it is work that you will do with delight.

And that you will take heed that the ornaments you put upon her are of the right sort, what shall be indeed beautiful and precious in the eyes of the Bridegroom, that she may be all glorious within, and her clothing of wrought gold that on the wedding day she may stand on the King’s right hand in gold of Ophir.

The joyful day is coming when the spouse of Christ shall be led in unto the King with raiment of linen. And angels and faithful ministers will be the servants that shall lead her in.

And you, sir, if you are faithful in the charge that is now to be committed to you, shall be joined with glorious angels in that honorable and joyful service.

But with this difference: that you shall have the higher privilege. Angels and faithful ministers shall be together in bringing in Christ’s bride into His palace and presenting her to Him. But faithful ministers shall have a much higher participation of the joy of that occasion.

They shall have a greater and more immediate participation with the bride in her joy. For they shall not only be ministers to the church as the angels are, but parts of the church, principal members of the bride…

So great, dear sir, is the honor and joy that is set before you, to engage you to faithfulness in your pastoral care of this people; so glorious the prize that Christ has set up to engage you to run the race that is set before you.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “The Church’s Marriage To Her Sons, And To Her God,” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 25, Sermons and Discourses 1743-1758. Ed. Wilson H. Kimnach (WJE Online Vol. 25), 193-194.