We gather from the Scriptures that those believers who make up the Bridehood saints are in a special way those who are used of the Lord in spreading the Gospel, converting souls, edifying the saints, as well as those who share the sufferings of Christ. The position that the saved ones will have in the coming age will depend on their service in this present life, so that the more deeply we enter into the ministry of the Spirit in this life, the higher will our rank be in the kingdom. Let us itemize some points about the ministry of the Bride saints in this life.

1. The Bride stands next to the Holy Spirit in pleading with souls to drink of the fountain of life. We read, "The Spirit and the Bride say. Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life."� You notice, here are several invitations for sinners to come to Jesus, and it includes also believers receiving the Holy Spirit. The first invitation is from the Spirit Himself, for He takes the initiative in all steps to repentance and faith. Then next to the Holy Spirit, the Bridehood saints extend the invitation, because they are the ones who are in closest touch with God, and who, next to Christ, are the most eager for the salvation of souls. Then come invitations from those who hear the Gospel, and from those who have desires after righteousness.

Some interpret this passage to be an invitation or a cry for the second coming of Christ, but that can not be the meaning in this particular passage, for it especially says it is to come and take of the water of life, which can in no way apply to Christ, for He is the very fountain from which the living water flows.

Thus we see, the Bridehood saints are preeminently of a missionary spirit, and share the very desires of Christ in urging people to come and drink of the pure, sweet water of life.

2. The Bride is referred to as the believers who are "spiritual,"� in contrast with carnal believers, or those who are spoken of as "babes in Christ."� The Apostle says, "If any one be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness."� (Gal. 6:1,2.) This proves that the Holy Spirit recognized in the Galatian Church believers who were not spiritual, or else only partly spiritual, and then others that were spiritual, who had been purified, and baptized with the Holy Spirit, who were living in the power of the Spirit, and because of that fact they possessed the meekness, compassion and wisdom of the heavenly Bridegroom, and next to Christ were fitted to restore the fallen, to heal the broken-hearted, to comfort the distressed; for it requires the exquisite touch of a motherly hand to bind up the bruised ones, and restore them to fellowship with God. The multitude of believers are partly carnal, and will scold the backslider, and be severe with the fallen, and be impatient with those who have many faults, and because of their lack of gentleness, are not fit to be spiritual nurses on the battlefield of the Church life. Out of any congregation that you may select anywhere on earth, there are only very few who are truly spiritual, and who have those gentle graces and loving sympathy sufficient for this work of restoring souls to Christ. This is the special ministry of the Bridehood saints.

3. Another part of the special ministry of the Bride is that of saving souls. James says, "He that saveth a soul from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins."� (Jas. 5:20.) God has chosen to save sinners through the instrumentality of those who have been saved. We often hear it said that this is a work the angels would gladly do, and very likely it is true, for Jesus says that the angels rejoice when sinners repent, and there may be cases in which angels are used in drawing sinners to repentance. But this is a special work given to the saved ones, and more especially to those who are fully saved, and are partakers of the Holy Spirit, and thereby feel to some extent a yearning that Christ has for saving the lost. This is why no one is able to distinguish just exactly who the Bridehood saints are, because they are marked with several characteristics, and God is the only one who can in all cases discern them.

There are several Scriptures that speak of the Bride as the queen, and the elect daughter, and the most excellent of all the mother's children, and in such passages there are some references to a countless number of virgins who follow the Bride, who are her companions, and it would seem perfectly clear that these virgins are the saved ones, but they are not the spiritual agents in the saving of other souls, and that the Bridehood saints bring forth souls by prayer and faith and holy love and zealous works unto God, and thereby are the fruit-bearers for the Bridegroom. Jesus is the only Savior, but by His Spirit working through His chosen people, they become instrumental, as it were joint-saviors with Christ, and hence the Apostle says to Timothy that by doing such things he would save his own soul, and also those that heard him; and James speaks of us saving souls from death and covering their sins. Doubtless there are millions that will be saved in Heaven who were not instrumental in saving others, and these it would seem are the virgins that follow after the Queen.

4. The Bridehood saints are those who suffer for others, and, like St. Paul, do their part in filling up the sufferings of Christ which were left behind for the sake of His body, the Church, those who should be saved. There is a deep expression where Paul speaks of the life of Jesus being manifested in our mortal flesh: "So then death worketh in us, but life in you."� (2 Cor. 1:1, 2.) In other words, in order to save and sanctify other souls, we must take the sufferings of Christ in a measure into our bodies, and partake of His baptism of death in order that the Holy Spirit may give life to dead souls and purify them for the kingdom. In this way the Bridehood saints stand next to Christ in suffering for others, for the Bride in a special way is to be like Christ in His humility and unselfish sufferings for the welfare of others.

5. There is another point in which the ministry of the Bride is definitely mentioned, as the light-bearer for all others who are saved. It is definitely affirmed that the New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb, and that that city is filled with the glory of God, and the light of the Lamb, and that the nations of those who are saved shall walk in the light of that city. (Rev. 21: 24.) It is true that this Scripture is used of the Bridehood city after the present dispensation, and in the time of the new heaven and the new earth, but the principle is just as true to-day as it will be in the future. The Bridehood saints have always been the ones to give out spiritual illumination to other people, in their homes and churches. In almost every orthodox church there are a few who are the special light-bearers in the spiritual life for that people. There are a few who are the leading helpers in prayer-meetings, in revivals, in praying for the sick, in comforting the distressed, in giving spiritual advice, and in throwing the light of Heaven in times of difficulty, and upon perplexed souls. These fully purified and illuminated souls are great helps to the preachers, and others who are officers, so that though they occupy lowly places in the Church, they are in the Holy Ghost the true leaders, the spiritual shepherds, the holy counselors, and the other church-members walk largely in the light of their piety and their example. Hence, at this present time, there are thousands of these humble, holy ones who are the true light-bearers, scattered through the churches, and those who are saved walk in their light as truly as they will in His light in the age to come, when the nations of the saved ones shall walk in the light of that city, which is named the Lamb's Wife.

Thus we see there are many degrees in spiritual life and service, but there is a company that excels, and they stand next to Christ in love and ministry, and into this company any one can enter, who, like Mary, will persistently choose the better part.