ON THE GLORY OF CHRIST. to us, and that glorified above what we can conceive, but for this great use of the eternal beholding of Christ and his glory. Unto whom it is matter of rejoicing, that with the same eyes wherewith they see the tokens and signs ofhim in the sacrament of the supper; they shall behold himself immediately in his own person. But principally, as we shall see immediately, this vision is intellectual. It is not therefore the mere human na- ture of Christ, that is the object of it, but his divine person as that nature subsisteth therein. What is that perfection which we shall have (for that which is perfect must come and do away that which is in part) in the comprehension of the hypostatical union, I understand not; but this I know, that in the immediate beholding of the person of Christ, we shall see a glory in it a thousand times above what here we can conceive. The excellencies ofinfinite wisdom, love, and power there- in, will be continually before us. And all the glories of the person of Christ, which we have before weakly and faintly inquired into, will be in our sight for ever- more. Hence the ground end cause of our blessedness is, that we shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thess. iv. 17. as himselfprays, that we may be with Aim where he is, to beholdhis glory. Here we have some dark views of it, we cannot perfectly behold it, until we are with him where he is. Thereon our sight of him will be direct, intuitive, and constant. There is a glory, there will be so subjectively in us in the beholding of this glory of Christ, which is at pre- sent incomprehensible; for it dog, not yet appear what we ourselves shall be. 1 John iii. 2. Who can declare what a glory it will be in us to behold this glory of Christ? and how excellent then is that glory of Christ itself? This immediate sight of Christ, is that which all the saints of God in this life do breathe and pant after. Hence are they willing to be dissolved, or desire to de- partthat they may be with Christ, which is the best for them. Phil. i. 23. These choose to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. S. or that they may enjoy the inexpressibly longed-for sight of Christ in his glory. Those who do not so long for it, whose souls and minds are not frequentlyvisited with earnest desires after it, unto whom the thoughts of it are not their relief in trouble, and their chiefest joy, are 59 carnal, blind, and cannot see afar of. He that is truly spiritual, entertains and refresheth himselfwith thoughts hereof continually. 2. It will be so from that visive power of faculty of beholding the glory of Christ, which we shall then re- ceive. Without this we cannot see him as he is. When he was transfigured in the mount, andhad on his human nature some reflections of his divine glory, his disciples that were with him, were rather amazed than refreshed by it. Mat. xvii. 6. And when thedie- ciples heard it, theyfell on theirfaces, and were osre a. livid. They saw his glory, but spake thereon they knew not what, Luke ix. 30, 33.; and the reason hereof was, because no ratan in this life can have a visive pow- er, either spiritual or corporeal, directly and immediate- ly to behold the real glory ofChrist. Should the Lord Jesus appear now to any ofus its ,. his majesty and glory, it would not be unto our edifica- tion nor consolation. For we are not meet nor able, by the power of any light or grace that we have receiv- ed or can receive, to bear the immediate appearance and representation of them. His beloved apostle John had leaned on his bosom probably many a time in this life, in the intimate familiarities of love; but when he afterwards appeared unto him in his glory, he fell at his feet as dead, Rev. i. 17. And when he appeared unto Paul, all the account he could give thereof, was that Ire saw a lightfrom heaven above the brightness of the sun, whereon he and all that were with him, fell to theground. Acts xxvi. 13, 14. And this was one reason why in the days of his min- istry here on earth, his glory was veiled with the infir- mities of the flesh, and all sorts of sufferings, as we have before related.- The church in this lire is no way meet, by the grace which it can be made partaker of, to converse with him in the immediate manifestationsof his glory. And therefore those who dream of his personal reign on the earth before the day of judgment, unless they suppose that all the saints shall be perfectly glorified al- so, (which is to bring down heaven to the earth for a while to no purpose) provide not at all for theedification or consolation of the church. For no present grace advanced unto the highest degree whereof in this world, it is capable, can make us meet for an immediate con- verse with Christ in his unveiled glory.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=