These things are of the deep things of God, such as belong unto that wisdom of God in a mystery which they that are carnal cannot receive, as the apostle testifies, 1 Cor. ii. 14. But the meanest be- liever who lives in the exercise of faith, may have an understanding of them so far as is needful unto his love and obedience. The sum of the whole is this : If you would behold the glory of Christ as the great means of your sanctification and consolation, as the only pre- paration for the beholding of his glory in eternal blessedness, consider what of God is made known and represented unto you in him, where- in God purposed and designed to glorify himself in him. Now, this is all that may be known of God in a saving manner, — especially his wisdom, his love, his goodness, grace, and mercy, whereon the life of our souls doth depend; — and the Lord Christ being appointed the only way and means hereof, how exceeding glorious must he be in the eyes of them that do believe !
These things being premised, I shall close this first consideration of that glory of Christ which we behold by faith in this world, with some such observations as may excite us unto the practice of this gi-eat duty, and improvement of this great privilege, — the gi'eatest which on this side heaven we can be made partakers of.
There are some who regard not these things at all, but rather de- spise them. They never entertain any serious thoughts of obtaining a view of the glory of God in Christ, — which is to be unbelievers. They look on him as a teacher that came forth from God to reveal his will, and to teach us his worship ; and so indeed he was. But this they say was the sole use of his person in religion, — which is Mohammedanism. The manifestation of all the holy properties of the divine nature, with the representation of them unto angels above and the church in this world, as he is the image of the invisible God, in the constitution of his person and the discharge of his office, are things they regard not ; yea, they despise and scorn what is professed concerning them : for pride and contempt of others were always the safest covert of ignorance ; otherwise it would seem strange that men should openly boast of their own blindness. But these conceptions of men's minds are influenced by that imbelief of his divine person which maketh havoc of Christianity at this day in the world.
AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD. 303
I speak of tliem wliose minds are better disposed towards hea- venly things ; and unto them I say, Wherefore do you love Jesus Christ ? for so you profess to do. Wherefore do you trust in him ? wherefore do you honour him? wherefore do you desire to be in heaven with him ? Can you give a reason of this hope that is in you, — an account why you do all or any of these things ? If you cannot, all that you pretend towards him is but fancy and imagina- tion ; you fight uncertainly, as men beating the air. Or is one of your reasons hereof, that in him you do by faith behold that glory of God, with the holy properties of his nature, and their principal operations, in order unto your own salvation and blessedness, which otherwise would have been eternally hid from you ? Herein is he " precious unto them that do believe."
Let us, therefore, as many as are spiritual, be thus minded. Let us make use of this privilege with rejoicing, and be found in the dis- charge of this duty with diligence. For thus to behold the glory of Christ is both our privilege and our duty. The duties of the Law were a burden and a yoke ; but those of the Gospel are privileges and advantages.
It is a promise concerning the days of the New Testament, that our " eyes shall see the King in his beauty," Isa. xxxiii. 1 7. We shall behold the glory of Christ in its lustre and excellency. What is this beauty of the King of saints ? Is it not that God is in him, and he is the gi-eat representative of his glory unto us ? Wherefore, in the contemplation of this glory consists the principal exercise of faith. And who can declare the glory of this privilege, that we who are born in darkness, and deserved to be cast out into utter darkness, should be translated into this marvellous " light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ? "
What are all the stained glories, the fading beauties of this world ? of all that the devil showed our Saviour from the mount ? what are they in comparison of one view of the glory of God represented in Christ, and of the glory of Christ as his great representative ?
The most pernicious effect of unbelief under the preaching of the gospel is, that, together with an influence of power from Satan, " it blinds the eyes of men's minds, that they should not see this glory of Christ;" whereon they perish eternally, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.