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reward. If you will begin a religious life, if you will make Christ your friend, and be a friend to him, he will surprise you with the blessings of goodness, and with his power to make you happier, infinitely happier, even in this life, than the world can ever do.

See that bright and cheerful face of the ruler of the feast, at the head of the table, after he has tasted Christ's wine. He beckons to the bridegroom, and compliments him upon his affluent, generous conduct to his guests. Thus many a friend of yours gets praise from you, and gratitude, for goodness and kindness which are Christ's doings. O that you could see his hand and his heart in all that makes your life happy, and be persuaded that he is the best of friends, and that to be a friend of his is the best relation and character which you can sustain.

II. THE SAVIOUR SHOULD BE A SPECIALLY INVITED GUEST AT EVERY WEDDING.

In the first place, he is willing to come and to be wherever his friends are. He is with them in prison, and poverty, and sickness, and in the valley of death, by his special presence; and will he not rejoice with them that do rejoice, as well as weep with them that weep? Yes; for, In the second place, he has testified his great interest in marriage by beginning his public ministry at a wedding. It was not a royal wedding. It was not even in Jerusalem. The place is not mentioned in the Old Testament; for Kanah was in the tribe of Asher; but this Cana, in Zebulon. It was the Saviour's interest in marriage, as relating to the welfare and happiness of the whole human family, that brought him to that wedding. He is that Creator, whose first miracle, in the beginning of the old world, was the creation of a companion for man; and now, as he brings in the new creation, his first miracle is at a marriage. How can we forget and neglect him in this transaction? If we ever need the Saviour's blessing and love, we need it, and it is specially precious, in that transaction which, more than any other, affects the whole life.

But, perhaps, when this great event of our lives was taking place, some of us forgot the Saviour. We made a careful scrutiny as to the guests whom we ought to invite, or whom we thought that we should gratify with an invitation; and we were extremely careful to give no offence by any neglect or slight, knowing how keenly such a thing at such a time is felt. But, of all our friends, there was one whom, perhaps, after all, we neglected; and he was the very best friend we had. Perhaps he had more to do with the acquaintance and love which led to our marriage than any other; he took pleasure in the progress of events, and brought them to their consummation; and when the happy day came, and every friend, who had a claim, was present, and all was bright and joyous, he was neglected, and was not so much as thought of as one of the guests.

And yet it might truly have been said to those guests, as John the Baptist said of Christ, "There standeth one among you whom ye know not." Christ was there, an unwelcomed, unthought-of spectator. He looked upon the company, the bridegroom, and the bride; and may he not have said to himself, They do not know that I loved them before they loved each other; loved them, and gave myself for them; and that all they enjoy is the fruit of my love and sufferings for them. How much they need my friendship. Once, and but a little while since, they were utter strangers to each other. This union is earthly; it breaks asunder at the touch of death; could they but love me, were they my friends, they would have in me a security to their present bliss, and heaven to crown them at the end.

Months and years have rolled away, and how has it fared with us, in this relation? Some of you had Christ for an invited guest on the occasion of your marriage; and if you have since, consistently with this, acknowledged him in all your ways, he has blessed you, making you happy in your union, smoothing those little asperities which happen to all, and which, sometimes, grow to alienation and bitter In times of affliction he has rewarded you, for your love to him, by a peace that passeth all understanding.

sorrow.

If we have not been happy, if domestic trials and sorrows have made our path gloomy, let us only recollect whether we called the Saviour to the wedding. Some contract marriage without thinking of their God and Saviour in connection with it; but, on the contrary, a suggestion that his guidance and his approbation are essential to happiness, is regarded as interfering with their feelings, and marring their pleasure. Religion is most unwelcome, to many, in these seasons of pleasurable acquaintanceship and the interchange of hearts. What a mistake to think that he who is called "Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God," is out of place in giving us counsel about our intentions of marriage. One humble, heartfelt prayer to Christ, in connection with this important step, would, in thousands of cases, have prevented anguish of soul from which there has been no refuge but the grave.

The Saviour, whether called, or not, to the wedding, heard the vows we uttered, as we took and gave the right hand, and, calling God to witness, swore to be faithful to each other till death. Many who were witnesses of your marriage (in some instances, O, how many) have gone the way of all the earth; but Christ was there; Christ is a witness of the vows, and of the manner in which they have been kept. His approbation of our kindness, forbearance, gentleness, faithfulness, and love unfeigned, in this relation, is indispensable to peace and happiness. There is no one who can appreciate such things like Christ.

Christ is one day to have a marriage of his own. The announcement will soon be heard, "Let us rejoice, and be glad, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and the bride hath made herself ready." She has been seen by one who has made a report of her, a messenger being sent to him to say, 'Come up hither; I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.' He saw the city which the bridegroom had built for her, compared with which the city that Solomon built for Pharaoh's daughter was a dark place. There never was such a bride as this; and all the weddings of earth, should they combine their festivities and brilliancy, would not be seen nor thought of in that exceeding great joy. Jesus Christ is to be publicly united, before the universe, to this bride, and, through eternity, is to rejoice over her with joy, and rest in his love. Bunyan, when, in his dream, he saw the gates of heaven shut, after the arrival of the pilgrims, says, 'which, when I saw, I wished myself among them.' I feel the same desire. I want to see that marriage. I have been invited, and I am happy to say I have, in my hands, an invitation for each of you, which I now deliver.

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