SERMON UPON ACTS VII. 55, 56. 73
' The sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire in the eyes of the children of Israel ; ' meaning thereby some representation of his splendour and majesty ; only that was more for terror, this for comfort and support.
(3c?.) For the third difficulty, about the seeing of Christ, this being an extraordinary miraculous vision, it hath been answered before. But mark, 'He saw Christ standing at his right hand.' Elsewhere he is described in another posture, of * sitting on the right hand of God : ' as Mark xvi. 14, ' He was received into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.' That noteth his royal dignity ; but standing as ready for the help of all that belong to him. God is said to arise when he will help his people ; as Ps. Ixviii. 1, ' Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered.' So he saw Jesus, God-man, standing, as in a posture of readiness to assist and help his servant.
Nothing remaineth for further explaining this text but the publica- tion of his vision : ' And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.' This publication is made —
[L] To show his own faith. The apostle saith, 2 Cor. iv. 13, 'We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I have believed, therefore have I spoken : we also believe, and therefore speak ; ' that is, we having the same spirit of faith which is spoken of in David's psalms, where he saith, ' I believed, therefore I spake.' In sore afflictions he pleads the hopes of his preservation and deliverance. Therefore we profess Christ, and express our faith in him, notwithstanding all our afflictions, troubles, and dangers. A spirit of faith, when it cometh upon a man, it cannot be checked ; but a bashful inconfidence is easily- obstructed. Therefore Stephen would not conceal his vision to himself, but divulge it for the profit of others.
[2.] To show forth the dignity of his lord and master. Therefore he calleth him the Son of man, but acknowledgeth him to be at the right hand of God ; to show that Christ reigneth as God incarnate in that flesh in which he was abased and contemptuously used by men : * Crucified in the flesh, but liveth by the power of God,' 2 Cor. xiii. 4. [3.] He testifieth and publisheth it to show them that they did in vain strive against the truth of Christ, whom they supposed to be utterly destroyed by their rulers; for he was in the highest glory, reigning with God in the heavens. Therefore nothing more vain and fruitless than the opposition which Satan and his agents make against Christ and his king- dom : ' For he is sat down at the right hand of God ; from henceforth expecting till all his enemies be made his footstool,' Heb. x. 12, 13.
Doct. Nothing doth fortify us against the discouragements we meet with in Christ's service so much as the sight of heaven, and Christ's sitting at the right hand of God there.
In the prosecution of this point I shall consider — (1.) The objects represented, God, Christ, and heaven ; (2.) The sight of them, how we can see such things, visions and raptures being antiquated things, at least not commonly dispensed ; then (3.) You will soon see how this is the ground of christian courage.
First, The objects represented to us, God, Christ, heaven.
1. There is mentioned in the text the glory of God. A due sight of
74 SERMON UPON ACTS VU. 55, 56.
God lesseneth all other things in our opinion and estimation of them and affection to them ; and could we but see his glory, we might easily wink out the amiableness and terribleness of the creature ; for what are all the fears of man and the rage of the world to God ? the wrath of a poor creature, whose breath is in his nostrils, against the power of an eternal God ? Ps. xl. 4, ' Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, and such as turn aside to lies.' The proud are those that abuse their prosperity to the oppression of others, and, turning aside to lies, seek to uphold themselves by earthly props and dependences, or those base arts by which atheistical men, that have no conscience, would maintain their greatness. Surely he that is afraid of man doth not rightly know God : Isa. li. 12, 13, ' AVho art thou that art afraid of a man that shall die, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker.' Is not God able to bear us out in his work ? Heb. xi. 27, Moses endured the wrath of the king, seeing him that is invisible. Could we get this sight of his invisible glory, lesser things would not startle us. Alas ! when we come to set God against man, the match is altogether unequal ; there is then the Creator against the creature, who is the mere product of his Maker's will, and can subsist and act no longer than he pleaseth ; an eternal God against a bubble, that is soon blown up, and bursts. You may set his wisdom against their policy and wiles : ' For there is no wisdom, nor counsel, nor understanding, against the Lord,' Prov. xxi. 30. His love and goodness against their malice and cruelty. What matter is it if they fiown when he smileth ? His power against theu- weakness ; they can be nothing without him, and therefore we need not fear the sword if we have not reason to fear him that beareth the sword. And lastly, his promises against their threatenings ; he is not God if he be not above his creature. All the powers of the world are nothing to God.