" The riches of his glory," says the apos- tle in one place (Rom. ix. 23) ; " the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," writes he in another. (Eph. i. 18.) Strange expressions these ! They carry us up to a height of such infinite glory and joy, that we feel bewildered and overwhelmed. Just as there are " riches of grace," and " riches of mercy, "and " riches of love," and "riches of wisdom,5' so there are " riches of glory ;" glory in abundance, — such as shall make us rich indeed ; glory spread over our whole inheritance, so that we shall " have all and abound." Nay, this glory is that which God counts his riches, that which he reckons the perfection of his inheritance, —
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the very essence of its beauty and its bless- edness.
" The liberty of the glory of the children of God/5 writes the apostle, (Kom.viii.21,) — thereby telling us that there is a glory which is the peculiar property of the saints, — a glory of which they can say, it is our own, thereby marking it out from the glory of all other creatures. This glory contains liberty. It sets free those who possess it. Corruption had brought with it chains and bondage; glory brings with it divine liberty! It is not the liberty that brings the glory; it is the glory that brings the liberty. Blessed liberty ! Freedom from every bondage ! Not only the bondage of corruption and sin and death, but the bondage of sorrow ! For is not sorrow a bondage ? Are not its chains sharp and heavy ? From this bondage of tribulation the glory sets us eternally free. It is the last fetter, save that of the grave, that is struck from our bruised limbs, but when it is broken, it is broken for ever ! t 2
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And this liberty which the glory brings to us is one which shall extend to the un- conscious creation around us. We brought that creation into bondage, covering it with dishonour, and making it the prey of corruption. It now groans and travails under this sore bondage. But as it has shared our bondage, it is also to share our liberty ; and that same glory which brings liberty to us shall introduce the oppressed and dishonoured creation into the same blessed freedom ! O longed-for consumma- tion ! O joyful hope ! O welcome day, when the Bringer of this glory shall arrive, and the voice be heard from heaven, " Be- hold, I make all things new."
Nor is it liberty only which this glory contains in it, but power also, as it is writ- ten, " strengthened with all might according to the power of his glory." (Col. i. 11.) This glory has, even now, a power-giving energy, whereby we are strengthened " to all patience and long-suffering with joyful-
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ness." Thus "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God," (Rom. v. 2,) we are fitted for all manner of tribulation and endurance. Though still among the things " not seen," it not only flings forward a radiance which brightens our path, but sheds down a strength which enables us to "run with patience the race that is set before us." And so, in an unholy world, we " walk worthy of Him who hath called us unto his kingdom and glory/9 (1 Thess. ii. 12,) hav- ing that prayer fulfilled in us, "The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eter- nal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." (1 Pet. v. 10.)
" Christ in you the hope of glory." An indwelling Christ is our earnest, our pledge, our hope of glory. Having him, we have all that is his, whether present or to come. He is the link that binds together the here and the hereafter. We died with
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him, we went down into the tomb with him, we rose with him, and our life is now hid with him in God ; but "when he who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." (Col. iii. 4.)
The joy with which we rejoice is a joy " unspeakable and full of glory," or more literally, a " glorified joy;" a joy such as Paul had when caught up into paradise; a joy such as John's when placed in vision within sight of the celestial city ; a joy into whose very essence the thoughts of glory enter ; a joy which makes the soul which possesses it feel as if it were already compassed about with glory, as if it had "come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first- born which are written in heaven." (Heb. xii. 22.)
"The glorious gospel of Christ," says the apostle (2 Cor. iv. 4) ; and again, " the
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