ON THE GLORY OF CHIUSE. ., CHAPTER XIV. OTHERDIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR BEHOLDING THE GLORY OF CHRIST BY FAITH IN THIS WORLD, AND BY SIGHT IN HEAVEN. AMONG the many other differences which might be insisted on (although the greatest of them are unto us at present absolutely incomprehensible, and so not to be inquired into) I shall name two only, and so put a close to this discourse. L In the view which we have here of the glory of Christ by faith, we gather things as it were one by one in several parts and parcels out of the scripture, and comparingthem together in our minds, theybecome the object of our present sight, which is our spiritual cont- prehension of the things themselves. We have no pro- posal of the glory of Christ unto us by vision or illus- trious appearanceof his person, as Isaiah had of old, chap. vi. 1 -4, or as John had in the Revelation, chap. i. 18-16. We need it not, it would be of no advantage unto us. For as unto theassuranceof our Nth, wehave a word of prophecy more useful unto us, than a voice . from heaven, 2 Pet. i. 17, 18, 19. And of those who received such visions, though of eminent use unto the church; yet as unto themselves, one of them cried out, wo is me, J am undone; and the other fell as dead at his feet. We are not able in this life to bear such glo- rious representations of him, unto our edification. And as we have nosuch external proposals of hisglory unto us in visions, so neither havewe any new revela- tions of him, by immediate inspiration. We can see nothing of it, know nothing of it, but what is proposed unto usin the scripture, and that as it is proposed. Nor loth the scripture itself in any one place, make an entire proposal of the glory of Christ, with all that belongs unto it; nor is it capable of so doing; nor can there be any such representation of it unto our capacity on this side heaven. If all the light of the heavenly luminaries had been contracted into one, it would have been de- structive not useful to our sight; but being by divine wisdom distributed into sun, moon, and stars, each giv- ing out his own proportion, it is suited to declare the glory of God, and to enlighten the world: so if the whole revelation, of the glory of Christ, and all that be- longs unto it, had been committed into one series and contexture of words, it would have overwhelmed our minds, rather than enlightened us. Wherefore God hath distributed the light of it through the whole firma- ment of the books of the Old and New Testament, whence it communicates itself, by various parts and de- grees into the proper use of the.church. In one place we have a description of his person, and the glory of it; sometimes in words plain and proper, and sometimes in great variety of allegories, conveying an heavenly sense of things unto the minds of them that do believe: in others of his love and condescension in his office, and his glory therein. His humiliation, exaltation, and power, are in like manner in sundry places represented us. And as one star differeth from another in glory; so it was one way, whereby God represented the glory of Christ, in types and shadows under the Old Testament, and another wherein it iseleclared in the new. Illustri- ous testimonies upon all these things are planted up and clown in the scripture, which we may collect as choice flowers in the paradise of God, for the object of our faith and sight thereby. So the spouse in the canticles considered every part of the person and grace of,Christ distinctly by itself; and from them all, concludes that he is altogether love- ly, chap. v. Io -16. So ought we to do in our study of the scripture, to find out the revelation of the glory of Christ, which is made therein, as did the prophets of old, as unto what they themselves received by home- diate inspiration, 1 Pet. xi. 12. But this seeing of Christ by parts in the revelation of him, is one causewhy we see him here but in part. Same suppose that lay chopping, and painting, and gilding, they can make an image of Christ that shall perfectly represent him to their senses and carnal affec- tions from head to foot; but they feed on ashes, and have a lie in their right hand. Jesus Christ is evidently crucified before our eyes in the scripture, Gal. iii, I. So also is he evidently exalted and glorified therein 13
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