that we had been with the two disciples when he so opened the Scriptures about himself, as to make their hearts burn within them! O that we had heard the cheering salutation, "Peace be unto you," and felt his warm breath when he said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost!" Such wishes are natural, I believe, to the renewed mind; and though they belong, it may be, to the weakness of regenerated humanity, I do not think they will be severely judged by Him "who knows our frame, and remembers we are dust.' In the present state, however, these longings cannot be gratified. On the day on which he "led out his disciples as far as to Bethany, and lifted up his hands, and blessed them," "the heavens received him," and they must "retain him till the times of the restitution of all things." And with this arrangement we have good reason to be satisfied, both for his sake and our own. For his sake for what has earth to offer in the shape of dignity and enjoyment, in comparison of that name above every name," which he bears in the heaven of heavens, or of those " rivers of pleasures" that are at his Father's right hand? "If we loved him, we would rejoice that he has gone to the Father." For our own for "it was expedient for us that he should go away; for if he had not gone away, the Comforter would not have come; but having gone, he has sent him to us." Yet still, though we know and believe all this, we feel that our happiness would be increased were we allowed to see his face, and to hear his voice; for we are sure "his voice is sweet, and his countenance is comely." But not merely is Jesus Christ, the great object of his people's love, bodily absent from them in the present state; while they are here, they can be but very imperfectly acquainted with him. They are acquainted with him, and they would not part with their knowledge of him for all the stores of human science. They feel that "it is life eternal to know him;" and they "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord." They know, and they are following on to know, him. They are studying his word, and they are studying his providence, which are both manifestations of Him, and they are thus gradually becoming better acquainted with him. But there is much in his word that they but imperfectly comprehend. There is much in his providence which perplexes and confounds them. If it were not their own fault, they might know much more of him than they do; for he is not backward to manifest himself to his people in another way than he does to the world. A more careful study of the Bible, and a more careful study of providential dispensations in the light of the Bible, would be found exhaustless sources of satisfactory information about Him whom we love, affording most amazing displays of his wisdom and power, and faithfulness and kindness. Yet, however carefully these means might be improved, still would it be true that here "we see through a glass darkly; we know but in part," in reference to him whom we love. While in the present state, our knowledge of him, and our intercourse with him, are through the medium of faith. "We do not see him—we believe in him.” His mind and his heart are made known 1 Luke xxiv. 20, 21. Acts iii. 21. John xvii. 3. Phil. iii. 8. 2 Phil. ii. 9. Psal. xvi. 11. John xiv. 28; xvi. 7. 41 Cor. xiii. 12. to us in his word. It is only so far as we understand this word that we know him; and it is only so far as we believe it that we have intercourse with him; his mind then becoming our mind, and his will our will. It is true that we have " the Spirit whom he hath given us;" but that Holy Spirit does not directly give us information about Christ; he only, by his enlightening influence, enables us to understand and believe the information contained in the Scriptures; and while, if we are Christians, we are "joined to the Lord," and are "one Spirit" with him we love, the intercourse of holy desire and affection is carried on entirely by means of clear and impressive views of revealed truth. Such is the Christian's situation while here below, in reference to the object of his supreme love. He is not bodily present with us he is but imperfectly known by us; and all our knowledge of him, and intercourse with him, are through the medium of faith. 66 It will be otherwise by-and-by. In "the last time" there will be "a revelation of Jesus Christ." At the appointed season He will bodily return to earth for the entire salvation of his chosen ones. He will then deliver them completely from "the last enemy" by raising them from the dead; and in his glorified body will forever dwell in the midst of his people, all of them possessed of bodies "fashioned like unto his glorious body." 'Ye men of Galilee," said the angels to the disciples who stood gazing up to heaven, after the cloud had received the ascending Saviour out of their sight-" Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing up to heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Behold," says John the divine, hurried forward by the inspiring Spirit to "the last time," even "the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ,"-" Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him.” The man Christ Jesus, ordained to be the judge of the world, shall descend from heaven, and having raised the dead, and pronounced and executed righteous judgment on all the living and the dead, shall return to heaven, and spend the endless years of eternity amid his reanimated and completely redeemed people, a glorified man amid glorified men, their Lord and yet their brother, the visible Head of his visible body, the Church-"the fulness of him who filleth all in all." " That the happiness of the saints will be greatly increased by the bodily presence of their Lord and Saviour and Brother, there can be no doubt. But "the Revelation of Jesus Christ" seems to me to import something more than this-something still more closely connected with the happiness of his people. He will not only be bodily present with them, but he will be much more extensively known by them. A much more complete manifestation will be made of his excellence and kindness, and they will be rendered much more capable of comprehending this manifestation. Every obscurity in his word will then be removed. Every dark dispensation will be explained. "In his light they shall see light clearly." The excellencies of his personal 1 John iii. 24. 3 1 Cor. vi. 17. Acts i. 11. Rev. i. 3. 1 Cor. xv. 26, 42–55. 1 Thess. iii 15-17. Phil. iii. 20, 21. Eph. i. 23. Psal. xxxvi. 9. character, the wisdom and benignity of his mediatorial administration, and the nature and transcendent dignity of his mediatorial honors, will all be apprehended to an extent, and with a clearness, of which at present we have no conception. The meaning of the scriptural descriptions of his excellencies will then be distinctly understood by his people; and they will find that he is excellent and amiable "above all that they have thought." The whole of his varied dispensations in the administration of universal government, shall appear a consistent display of infinite wisdom, righteousness, and benignity; and the glories of that higher order of administration which is to characterize the celestial state, shall be as fully displayed to them as the limited faculties of their glorified nature admit. The only other idea which I wish to bring before your minds just now, in illustration of the point of contrast between the present and the future state of the Christian, is, that whereas now, all our knowledge of, and all our intercourse with Christ, is through the medium of faith, then it will be direct and immediate. How knowledge is then to be communicated to us by him, how our intercourse with him is to be carried on, we cannot distinctly say, we cannot clearly conceive. We know it will be as different from our present mode of obtaining knowledge and maintaining intercourse, as seeing a thing is from merely crediting a report about it. We shall live, not by faith, but by sight. We shall see no longer as "by means of a mirror, but face to face; we shall know no longer in part; we shall know as we are known." Our knowledge will not be infinite, but it will be very extensive and perfectly clear, altogether unmixed with error or doubt. So much for the illustration of the first point of con trast. IL-THE TRIALS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE PRESENT STATE CONTRASTED WITH THEIR RESULTS IN THE FUTURE STATE. The second point of contrast between the present and future state of Christians is, that now and here, Christians are exposed to numerous and varied trials; then and there, they shall enjoy the glorious results of these trials. Christians in the present state are exposed to "temptations," to "manifold"—that is, numerous and varied, "temptations." Temptation is ordinarily used to signify enticement to sin; but in the New Testament it frequently signifies afflictions generally, viewed as trials, and this is obviously its meaning in the passage before us. The apostolical assertion then is, Christians are exposed in the present state to numerous and varied afflictions, and these numerous and varied afflictions are trials of the reality and strength of their faith, and hope, and love, and patience, and other graces. An abstract consideration of the divine character, and of the relation in which true Christians stand to God, would lead us to expect that they should be completely exempted from affliction. He is infinitely powerful, and wise, and good. They are the objects of his peculiar love. Is it not natural, then, to conclude, that from the moment they are brought into the relation of children to him by faith in 1 Δι' ἐσόπτρου, ἐν αἰνίγματι.—1 Cor. xiii. 12. Christ Jesus, they should be freed from evil in all its forms and degrees, and made happy up to their largest capacity of happiness? But "his ways are not our ways; nor are his thoughts our thoughts. As the heavens are high above the earth; so are his thoughts above our thoughts, and his ways above our ways." Christians are not exempted from the ordinary evils of life. It is true of them, as of mankind generally, that they are " born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." They are "of few days and full of trouble." Poverty, reproach, sickness, disappointment, sorrow, pain, and death, are the lot of the saint as well as the sinner. Many who are "rich in faith," are 66 poor in this world," strangers to the comforts and conveniences, and but scantily furnished with even the necessaries of life. They may be, they often are, the subjects of the most painful and loathsome diseases, and the general law of mortality holds in their case equally as in that of their irreligious neighbors,"Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Indeed, in very many cases a larger proportion of suffering than ordinary seems to fall to the lot of the children of God. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 2 Besides the afflictions which are common to the saint as a man, there are others which are peculiar to him as a Christian. He is exposed to suffering from the world "lying under the wicked one," and he is exposed to suffering from the wicked one himself. "In the world," said our Lord to his followers, "ye shall have tribulation;" and the faithful witness did not lie. All who have lived godly in this world have suffered, "all who will live godly must suffer, persecution." Some of them have "had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain by the sword, they wandered about in sheep's skins and goat's skins -destitute, afflicted, tormented, they wandered in deserts and in mountains, in dens and in caves of the earth.” And even where they are not exposed to open violence, they find that "this world is not their friend, nor this world's law;" that the world which hated their Lord and Master does not love them; and that a malignant influence in reference to their best interests is constantly proceeding forth from "the present evil world." In addition to trials from the world, the Christian is exposed to affliction from the assaults of his unseen enemies. He has to strive, not only "with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, with the rulers of the darkness of this world, with spiritual wickedness in high places." "His enemy, the devil, goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." His fiery darts, when not warded off by the shield of faith, sink deep into the heart, and inflict, though not a deadly, yet a most painful wound; and the buffetings of some of his messengers are all but intolerable. All these afflictions, from whatever quarter they come, are "trials. They are intended to prove and to improve the Christian, to try at once the reality and the vigor of his gracious principles; and not * Job v. 7; xiv. 1. James ii. 5. Gen. iii. 19. * John xvi. 33. 2 Tim. iii. 12. Heb. xi. 36-38. Eph. vi. 12. 1 Isa. lv. 8, 9. Heb. xii. 6. 1 Pet. v. 8. only to try them, but to strengthen them. This, then, is the state of the Christian; while here, he is exposed to numerous and varied afflictions, by means of which he is tried and improved. But in the state of final happiness there will be no affliction. The trial, having served its purpose, shall cease, and nothing but the glorious result of the trial will remain. "The trial of the Christian's faith" by means of these manifold afflictions, "is more precious than the trial of gold." The apostle does not here directly contrast faith' and gold, but the trial of faith and the trial of gold. Trial by fire improves gold; it frees it from all debasing alloy, but it does not render it indestructible. Refine gold as you will, it is, after all, a perishing thing. But the trial of the faith of the Christian has a nobler result. Purified and strengthened by the trials it is exposed to under the influence of the Holy Spirit, faith, with all the graces which grow out of it, survives the wreck of all material things, and, "at the revelation of Jesus Christ, is found to praise, and honor, and glory." The results of all the trials to which they have been exposed in the present state, will be found in that character of perfect conformity to the image of God, in which consist at once their perfect holiness and their perfect happiness. "Praise, honor, and glory," are synonymous expressions, and are equivalent to a very strong superlative. The praise, glory, and honor, may be referred either to the saints themselves or to their Lord and Saviour; to the saints themselves, for we know that "praise, and honor, and glory," shall be to every saint "in the day when Jesus Christ shall judge the secrets of all hearts;" to their Lord and Saviour, for we know that "he shall be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe." It has been beautifully remarked, "These two will well agree together; that it be both to their praise and to the praise of Christ; for certainly all their praise and glory will end in the praise and glory of their head, Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. They have each their crown, but their honor is to cast them all down before His throne." 2 III.-THE CHRISTIAN'S PRESENT STATE A STATE OF EXPECTATION— HIS FUTURE STATE, A STATE OF ENJOYMENT. The third point of comparison or contrast between the present and future state of Christians is, that now and here complete salvation is the object of faith and hope; then and there it will be the object of enjoyment. Saints in the present state are made partakers of many of the blessings of the Christian salvation. So far as the purchase of salvation is concerned, immediately on believing the truth they are interested indefeasibly in that all-perfect work of Christ which secures their everlasting happiness. They obtain the forgiveness of all their sins. "In him they have redemption through his blood--the forgiveness of sins." They obtain deliverance from the prevailing power Η πολὺ τιμιώτερον χρυσίου—i. e. τοῦ δοκιμίου τοῦ χρυσίου. GROTIUS. 3 Leighton. |