330 SERMON PREACHED ON THE ISLAND. 
laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your 
fear cometh ; when your fear cometh as a deso- 
lation, and your destruction cometh as a whirl- 
wind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon 
you.' 
" But there is another thing to be observed in 
this exhortation, viz. ' the Bride says, Come.' 
It is by this endearing appellation that Christ 
condescends to call the Church, that is, the 
congregation of the faithful in all ages up to the 
present time — wherever their lot may be cast, 
whatever their situation in life. The constant 
theme of their conduct and conversation to those 
around is — ' We are journeying unto the place 
of which the Lord said, I will give it you ; come 
thou with us, and we will do thee good, for the 
Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.' 
" When Peter exhorted the alarmed Jews to 
repent, the members of the visible Church were 
few in number, and oppressed with poverty; 
but did they on this account consider themselves 
excused from declaring the whole counsel of 
God, and making known the great salvation 
which had been effected by the death of the 
Lord Jesus? Certainly not. And what was 
the result ? Multitudes of bigoted Jews alarmed, 
and at least three thousand souls added to the 
Church. Well might St. Paul exclaim, at a 
somewhat later period, 'God hath chosen the 
foolish things of the world to confound the wise, 
and God hath chosen the weak things of the 
world to confound the things that are mighty/ 
But time would fail me were I to attempt de- 
scribing a millionth part of what the Bride has 
