Warning Rejected
315
church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a vile woman
an apostate church.
In the Bible the sacred and enduring character of the relation that
exists between Christ and his church is represented by the union of
marriage. The Lord has joined his people to himself by a solemn
covenant, he promising to be their God, and they pledging themselves
to be his, and his alone. He declares, “I will betroth thee unto me
forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in
judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies.” [
Hosea 2:19
.] And
again, “I am married unto you.” [
Jeremiah 3:14
.] And Paul employs
the same figure in the New Testament, when he says, “I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
[
2 Corinthians 11:2
.]
The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting her con-
fidence and affection to be turned from him, and allowing the love
of worldly things to occupy the soul, is likened to the violation of
the marriage vow. The sin of Israel in departing from the Lord is
presented under this figure; and the wonderful love of God which they
thus despised is touchingly portrayed. “I sware unto thee, and entered
into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest
mine.” “And thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper
into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for
thy beauty; for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put
upon thee.... But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst
the harlot because of thy renown.” “As a wife treacherously departeth
from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house
[382]
of Israel, saith the Lord;” “as a wife that committeth adultery, which
taketh strangers instead of her husband.” [
Ezekiel 16:8, 13-15, 32
;
Jeremiah 3:20
.]
In the New Testament, language very similar is addressed to pro-
fessed Christians who seek the friendship of the world above the favor
of God. Says the apostle James: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever
therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
The woman, Babylon, of
Revelation 17
, is described as “arrayed
in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness.... And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery,