THIS is the great lesson which the believer is learning, till he comes to the end of his faith–what is promised him, what he hopes to be the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the centre to which all his experience tends; and while he keeps it in view, it so enlivens and animates his prospect, that, come what may, he goes on his way rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit."
And by his holy inspiration, he opens the eyes of the understanding, both to understand what is revealed, and also to know the things that are freely given to us of God; for great as they are, endless as they are, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: but he that is spiritual has spiritual senses given him to exercise upon spiritual things–he is made certain of their reality–his faith gives a substance to the things hoped for, and evidence to the things not seen–a hope that never maketh ashamed–an evidence very clear and satisfying–sometimes he can triumph in hope of the glory of God, when the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in his heart the Father's love, and bestows great joy and peace in believing. But be who is thus taught of God knows only in part. An apostle knew no more. The best of our present enjoyment is only a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Bat even this little is of such a nature, and has such efficacy, that when it is truly believed, it influences the whole man, while he looks not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal; they are not seen by the eye of the body, but are visible by the eye of faith; so we read, "Come, taste and see how gracious the Lord is."
By this eye of faith Moses saw him that is invisible; and this sight so affected him, and had such an influence upon his heart and life, that he lived above the world with all its temptations. This is the victory that overcame the world, even his faith. The same sight still works the same effect–producing a real value for spiritual and eternal things, and forming the heart to love and to practise the apostle's rule–"My conversation is in heaven, from whence also I look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
In the scripture view of our victory in Christ, there are two great points, which will take in all that is revealed of our eternal triumph; namely, the complete conquest of all our enemies–and the full and eternal enjoyment of all possible good. These two truths come now under our consideration; and if we can mediate upon them under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and mix faith with his revelation, we shall hake a good warrant to begin those praises which will never end, and to sing in harmony with all the redeemed our everlasting jubilee.
When we come to the end of our faith, even the eternal salvation of our souls, our victory is described to be a perfect deliverance from all evil–from sin, from suffering. Sin has brought all pain into the world–miseries upon the body–miseries upon the soul–spiritual wickedness–numerous hosts of foes–mighty principalities and powers–it has armed thousands, yea, millions of them for our destruction–made us our own enemies by enslaving us to divers lusts and passions, making us the pray to earthly, sensual, devilish tempers–and, as if there was not suffering enough in the world, filling us with many imaginary fears, which occasion real suffering. At last come the wages of sin–death with its terrors–hell with its torments.
O what a deliverer! what; a deliverance! Not one enemy left. They are all brought; under, and subdued, to rise no more. The Captain of our salvation has vanquished them for us. His victory is the earnest of ours. His was complete, so is ours. No sin, no suffering, can come near the habitation of his holiness. Indeed he suffered once for sin; but he put it away by that sacrifice of himself. By faith, we have the benefit of his suffering, a conscience purged from guilt, no condemnation left, no charge from any enemy. God himself justifies, God himself sees us, accepts us, glorifies us, in and with his Son; for in that day he will present us to his Father without spot of sin unto eternal salvation.
Of this blessed and complete victory over all sin, and all suffering, the prophet Isaiah had a delightful prospect, speaking of it in these words: "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and shall come to Sion, with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." O give thanks unto the Lord Jehovah, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy: they have as much to thank their Redeemer for, as any creature possibly can have: his ransomed were under sin, helpless, miserable, dying sinners: from this slavery he bought them with an inestimable price, and they are become his property, his peculiar people, who have through him liberty to return to God, and to serve him without fear on earth, and to bless him for giving them freedom to come to Zion, to the city of the living God, with songs of gratitude and praise; they have everlasting joy upon their heads–crowned conquerors; they have the joys of heaven, and the gladness of eternity in their hearts, which exclude all pain, and all sorrow–no fear can enter there–not one sigh. The Lord himself is their portion, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever.
The beloved John was favoured with a view of the same eternal conquest which the ransomed of the Lord shall have over all their enemies; and he speaks of it thus: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more curse, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away; and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new."
This is Jesus the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who reigneth the Lord God Omnipotent for this very purpose, that this scripture may be fulfilled to the uttermost, and to eternity, he was the Word made flesh, who tabernacled amongst us, being that most holy temple which God pitched, and not man; out of whose fulness believers receive all grace and all glory: the compassions of Jesus are like himself, infinite and endless. He loves his redeemed too well to let either sin or sorrow come near them. They might have been holy mourners in their pilgrimage, when they went through the valley of Baca; but now he has wiped away their tears, all tears from their eyes.
The curse that caused them, he has removed. That death, the wages of which they deserved, he has changed into life. The pillars in his house, which are to go out no more, are thereby delivered from sorrow, and crying, and from every pain; all the former things are passed away–sin is no more–pain is no more. Into the kingdom of Jesus, nothing of the old man is suffered to enter; for he creates all things new. The Lord from heaven makes all his people like himself, conformed to his own image in righteousness and true holiness. A more perfect victory cannot be imagined, than to have enemies so vanquished, all enemies, that they shall never have entrance into the kingdom of God and his Christ.
When believers shall come to the end of their faith, they shall not only. be thus saved from all possible evil, but who can conceive What their actual enjoyments will then be? To be saved from all sin, from all the effects of sin, is a great mercy, yet it is only a part of our salvation. But looking at the world lying in wickedness, beholding the variety of pains and miseries in it, from which no one is exempt–no state of life free from them, the palace as full of them as the cottage–kingdoms convulsed-infidelity spreading its poisonous influence, and attempting to destroy all good order and government–old age bringing its infirmities, and death hastening–it is certainly a great deliverance, that none of those evils can approach us any more.
Blessed be God the Saviour for this' great mercy! It is through his grace that his kingdom of glory will be kept in perfect peace; no evil, no fear of evil, shall for one moment interrupt the happiness of his subjects. But that is this compared to the actual enjoyment of all possible good. Who is able to declare fully what this will be at the appearing of Jesus, the great God? We must wait for the full manifestation of the sons of God. ]But yet there is a great deal revealed, which belongs to us and to our children; and if we can read it in faith, with prayer, and with a continual dependence upon the teaching and application of the Holy Spirit, he will give us to form our hearts and lives upon the certainty of what he has revealed; for our conversation will then be in heaven, and we shall have both the knowledge and also the experience of heavenly things, growing according to our faith.
The word revelation signifies taking off the veil, or covering, from anything, that it may be seen clearly; in the Scripture sense, it is removing the veil from heavenly things, which is the work of the Holy Spirit, creating spiritual senses to exercise upon those heavenly things, of which the natural man can have no just ideas; for he cannot understand, nor receive the things which are freely given to us of God; but he that is taught of God, has evidence given him of the reality and of the blessedness of those things which are revealed, and by faith enjoyed. When such an one reads what God said to Abraham: "After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward,"–he reads it for himself; he makes the promise his own, and trusts in it as steadfastly as if God had spoken it to him by a voice from heaven; for so is he warranted to apply it by the apostle.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, but for us also; no scripture being of any interpretation. The gift of grace to Abraham was nothing short of an infinite good–for it was God himself: I will be thy God. What is meant by this relation has been largely treated of in the preceding discourses. It is only needful to add, that it denotes the relation in which the Holy Trinity stand to believers, and the covenant engagements to them. God is theirs–he is their Father, the Son is their Saviour, the Spirit of life has enabled them to receive the Son, and they are one with him, he dwelling in their hearts by faith, and through him they are one with his Father; as the Lord said in his prayer–" Neither pray I for these alone [the apostles], but for them also who shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us."
This prayer was for all the chosen of the Father, giver to the Son, redeemed by him, and in due time quickened by the Spirit, and brought into the same covenant relation, and partakers of the same covenant blessings, as Abraham was. What was promised to him, was promised to all that walk in the steps of his faith, the whole family and household of faith. It is as if God had said, Fear not, believer, I myself, Jehovah in Trinity, will be your present salvation, to shield you from all sins and enemies, and I myself will be your exceeding great reward. Who can tell what the believer shall then be, when this promise shall be fulfilled? When he shall be brought as near to the Godhead as a creature can possibly be, joined to the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit, a habitation of God through the Spirit, and through Jesus unto the Father, and in this holy and blessed communion, finding an eternal heaven of happiness, an exceeding great reward. When it is received in this its fulness, it is a reward, but of grace–a gift of sovereign mercy–great, something worthy of the great God–like himself–exceeding great, eternally great. O Holy Ghost, keep the hope of it lively: O make it every day more lively, till, through thy blessing, I come to know it as it is.
The Psalmist speaking of this happiness, suits his description to our present method of understanding spiritual things, as they are imaged to us by material; the pleasures of our senses are made use of to give us ideas of that happiness which is to be found in God; for it is all in him; he is heaven. The enjoyment of him in glory is the heaven of heavens. "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness; for thou writ show me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." All this, great and endless as it is, belongs to them who have God r their God; for when they are admitted into his presence, they shall be made like him.–O marvellous change –capable of enjoying him, so as to be quite satisfied–finding in him a fulness of joy–pleasures divinely great, abundant, a river of pleasures–yea, a fountain of pleasures springing up into everlasting life. Every sense shall be gratified to the uttermost, and that for evermore.
Blessed be God for this unspeakable gift; and has be not herein vouchsafed us matter of triumph? May not the believer, ought he not to rejoice with exceeding great joy, who has this prospect before him? Who that is out of heaven can have more reason than he has? Survey it, O my soul: take a narrow review of it. Examine over and over again the Psalmist's description of it, and see what can be added to make it absolutely perfect. If nothing can, if it be as full as God can make it, may my heart grow in holy desires after the glory that is to be revealed, and triumph in the God of my salvation.
Our Lord gives us the same description in these words, speaking?to his apostles, "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me in the surest, fullest manner that it can be conveyed, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The king of this holy land is Immanuel-God Jesus; he is the King of kings, the Lord Creator of all worlds, and the government of them all is upon his shoulders, and the names of his redeemed are written upon his heart. For them he has made abundant provision, that they may feast with him at his table, and may be receiving out of his fulness every grace that can make them completely and eternally blessed; for they shall sit down with him upon his throne, and shall share with him in all his royalties, blessing and adoring him in their everlasting songs of triumph. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made ns kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen."
The apostle John calls upon us Now to begin the heavenly song; and he would have us do it with the sweetest melody in our hearts, praising our sovereign, Lord, who has taken our nature into union with himself in order that by his Spirit we might be joined to him, our glorified Head, and might by faith partake of his holy and heavenly nature. No words can describe more fully the dignity to which, by virtue of this union, we shall be exalted; nay, it is not to be conceived at present how great it will be. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should, be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us, not, because it knew him not; beloved, Now are we, the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall, be, but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is: and every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
O what a dignity is this: what upon earth is to be compared for one moment to it?–Sons of God–Sons of Adam, who have borne the image of the earthly, advanced to bear the image of the heavenly. This is a glory which surpasseth all understanding. It did not yet appear as it is to the beloved John; he knew as much of it as perhaps ever man did, but it was far greater than his knowledge; he knew it but in part; he was indeed sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. But the earnest is not the inheritance itself. It is only a pledge and a security, that, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, the great God and our Saviour, we shall be put into full possession. At present, we have it in the promise of the God of truth; and faith in its promise begets, a hope, that will never make us ashamed; because it will keep us patiently waiting for the manifestation, of the sons of God, when we shall come to the eternal enjoyment of all the riches, and pleasures, and honours of our sonship with Christ, our glorified head.
The apostle would lead us also to consider the fountain from whence all this blessedness springs–from the Father–what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. The love expressed by this name, Father, has no parallel. It had no beginning, and it will have no ending. It is from everlasting to everlasting–bringing with it, out of its infinite ocean, all the streams of grace, which make glad the city of God, and never stopping, till it return with all the happy objects of his love to the same great ocean again. The apostle would have us to behold, and to admire the miracles of the Father's love, which he purposed and wrought out, and bestowed upon us, who are sinners, even as others, and yet to the everlasting praise and glory of his grace–chosen–called–effectually brought into the family and household of faith by the spirit of adoption, and ennobled–sons of God–what an exaltation–what a blessedness! Made the children of God–heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ,–with him who is Lord of all–admitted to share with him in his kingdom, his crown, his glories; according to his own prayer–"Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me, where I am, that they may behold my glory;" may be with me, may be like me.
O what an animating view is here for the highest rejoicing of faith and hope; Christ, by taking our nature into union with himself, has advanced it into the greatest dignity of which it is capable; for it is heaven to be with him, where he is in his glory; like him, conformed to that standard of all perfection in body and soul, perfectly and eternally; what a hope should this beget and cherish, even a hope full of glory and Immortality! Especially as all this honour is according to the Father's covenant purposes; for whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren: moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
What shall we say to these things? Can there be greater grace shown from the God of all grace? Can there be higher honour conferred, than to be so exalted from the depth of sin and misery, as to be raised to the honours of sonship, even to a conformity to the Son of God? O! what sentiments had that blessed man of it, when he said, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake after thy likeness; for thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Conformity to Jesus brings with it this fulness of joy; and the hope of it is au active and a lively grace; for every one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as Christ is pure. This is the mark at which the believer aims; he wishes to be like Christ, and to be more like him: he would feel more of the power of the cross of Christ to crucify in him the body of sin, and more of the power of the risen Jesus, that there may be a real growth into him, and that in all things: thus he purifies his heart and life by that faith in Jesus, of which the apostle thus speaks: "Brethren, I have not yet attained what; I am striving for; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
These are some of the Scripture authorities, from which this conclusion may be fairly drawn, that a believer, whatever view he may take of himself, either from what he was, when dead in trespasses and sins, or from what he now is, quickened by the Spirit of Christ, and living by faith, yet crying out under a sense of his corruptions, O wretched' man that I am, who shall deliver me? yet he may thank God through Jesus Christ his Lord; for he is warranted, he is commanded, to rejoice in the Lord always, and to triumph in the God of his salvation. And he has enough given him in hand to exercise that strong faith, which will administer strong consolation, even great, very great joy and peace in believing; for the word of God cannot be broken, his promises cannot fail, his covenant engagements are immutable, given as infallible security to the believer, that his faith may not stagger at any difficulty; but, looking to a faithful God, he may go on his way rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
These are some of the blessed effects of looking to Jesus, and living by faith upon him and his fulness. In this way there is continual matter of triumph. Let the believer look back on what he was by nature, or on what he is now in his renewed state by grace, or looking forward to the glory that is to be revealed at the appearing of his Saviour, when he shall be with him in the kingdom which cannot be moved, and shall be like him, all his members conformed to their most glorious Head, and partaking of his divine riches, and honours, and pleasures. What upon earth can exceed such a prospect? What can administer greater happiness, than to have the evidence of it kept clear and open? What can make life more comfortable, and the end of our faith more desirable, than such great and blessed things, promised and given most freely in time, yea, in the fullest manner that almighty love can bestow them in eternity?
For such mercies bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Last, the Author and the Finisher of the faith, Jehovah Jesus! I have been looking up to thee for thy divine teaching, and I ant still looking up to thee for thy divine blessing on this my offering. It is a poor mite which I would cast into thy treasury, as my dying testimony for the truth and for the power of thy gospel. Be pleased to accept it out of thine infinite condescension. Thou knowest the heart of thy servant; whatever is right in it is thine own, the work of thine own grace. Failings there are, and they are mine; of thy mercy pardon them. And make use of this little treatise as it shall seem best to thy godly wisdom, for the increase of faith in thy church, and for the advancement of thine own fame and glory; that more honour may be put upon thy word, more dependence exercised upon thy faithfulness, and there may be a growing conformity to it in the hearts and lives of thy people. De pleased, merciful Saviour, to accompany the reading of it with thy Spirit for these purposes, and I shall be amply rewarded.
May thy grace, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all. Amen.