You will say that Moses was under the law when God wrapped up himself in darkness, and his mind in types and clouds and dark institutions; — under the glorious shining of the gospel, which hath brought life and immortality to light, God being revealed from his own bosom, we now know him much more clearly, and as he is; we see his /ace now, and not his hack parts only, as Moses did,
Ans. \ I acknowledge a vast and almost inconceivable difference between the acquaintance we now have with God, after his si:)eaking to us by his own Son,^ and that which the generality of the saints had under the law; for although their eyes were as good, sharp, and clear as ours, their faith and spiritual understanding not behind ours, the object as glorious unto them as unto us, yet our day is more clear than theirs was, the clouds are blown away and scattered,^ the shadows of the night are gone and lied away, the sun is risen, and the means of siglit is made more eminent and clear than formerly. Yet,—
2. That peculiar sight which Moses had of God, Exod. xxxiv., was a go8pel-si(jht, a sight of God as "gracious," etc., and yet it is called but his " back parts;" that is, but low and mean, in comparison of his excellencies and perfections.
3. The apostle, exalting to the utmost this glory of light above that of the law, manifesting that now the "vail" causing darkness is taken away, so that with " open" or uncovered "face* we behold the glory of the Lord," tells us how : " As in a glass," 2 Cor iii. 1 8. " In a
• Ileb. 1. 2. • Cant. iv. G, * 'Avax!«aXt/^/isn»/ •xfoffu'riu.
SELF-ABASEMENT BEFORE THE MAJESTY OF GOD. G5
glass," how is that? Clearly, perfectly? Alas, no ! He tells you how that is, 1 Cor. xiii. 12, " We see through a glass, darkly," saith he. It is not a telescope that helps us to see things afar off, concerning which the apostle speaks; and yet what poor helps are they! how short do we come of the truth of things notwithstanding their assist- ance! It is a looking-glass whereunto he alludes (where are only obscure species and images of things, and not the things themselves), and a sight therein that he compares our knowledge to. He tells you also that all that we do see, di' hoirrpou, " by" or " through this glass," is in ahlyiian, — in " a riddle," in darkness and obscurity. And speaking of himself, who surely was much more clear-sighted than any now living, he tells us that he saw but 1% /^ipovg, — " in part." He saw but the back parts of heavenly things, verse 12, and compares all the knowledge he had attained of God to that he had of things when he was a child, verse 11. It is a fi'spog, short of the to tsXsiov yea, such as xarapyriQyiffsrai, — " it shall be destroyed," or done away. We know what weak, feeble, uncertain notions and apprehensions children have of things of any abstruse consideration; how when they grow up with any improvements of parts and abilities, those concep- tions vanish, and they are ashamed of them. It is the commenda- tion of a child to love, honour, believe, and obey his father; but for his science and notions, his father knows his childishness and folly. Notwithstanding all our confidence of high attainments, all our no- tions of God are but childish in respect of his infinite perfections. AVe lisp and babble, and say we know not what, for the most part, in our most accurate, as we think, conceptions and notions of God. We may love, honour, believe, and obey our Father; and therewith he accepts our childish thoughts, for they are but childish. We see but his back parts ; we know but little of him. Hence is that promise where- with we are so often supported and comforted in our distress, " We shall see him as he is;" we shall see him " face to face;" " know as we are known ; comprehend that for which we are comprehended," 1 Cor. xiii. 1 2, 1 John iii. 2 ; and positively, " Now we see him not ; " — all concluding that here we see but his back parts; not as he is, but in a dark, obscure representation; not in the perfection of his glory.
The queen of Sheba had heard much of Solomon, and framed many great thoughts of his magnificence in her mind thereupon ; but when she came and saw his glory, she was forced to confess that the one half of the truth had not been told her. We may suppose that we have here attained gTeat knowledge, clear and high thoughts of God ; but, alas ! when he shall bring us into his presence we shall cry out, " We never knew him as he is ; the thousandth part of his glory, and perfection, and blessedness, never entered into our hearts."
VOL. VL 5
66 MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS.
The apost]e tolls ns, 1 John iii. 2, that we know not what we ourselves shall be, — what we shall find ourselves in the issue; much less will it enter into our hearts to conceive what God is, and what we shall find him to be. Consider either him who is to be known, or the way whereby we know him, and this will farther ai)pear: —