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A53707 Meditations and discourses concerning the glory of Christ applyed unto unconverted sinners, and saints under spiritual decayes : in two chapters, from John XVII, xxiv / by the late Reverend John Owen ... Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1691 (1691) Wing O769; ESTC R13776 183,162 300

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and vain Is it because there is no God in Israel that these Applications are made unto the Idol of Ekron That there is no Glory no desirableness in Christ for Men to enquire after and fix their Minds upon Oh the blindness the darkness the folly of poor sinners Whom do they despise and for what SOME of more refined parts and notional Minds do arise unto a sedulous Meditation on the Works of Creation and Providence Hence many excellent Discourses on that Subject adorned with Eloquence are published among us And a Work this is worthy of our Nature and suited unto our rational Capacities yea the first end of our natural Endowment with them But in all these things there is no Glory in comparison of what is proposed unto us in the mysterious Constitution of the Person of Christ. The Sun hath no Glory the Moon and Stars no Beauty the Order and Influence of the Heavenly Bodies have no Excellency in comparison of it This is that which the Psalmist designs to declare Psal. 8. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth Who hast set thy Glory above the heavens When I consider thy heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained what is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honor thou hast made him to have Dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet HE is engaged in a Contemplation of the Glory of God in his Works and he concludes that the Fabrick of Heaven with the Moon and Stars therein for it was his Meditation by Night when he beheld them was exceeding glorious and greatly to be admired This casts his Thoughts on the poor weak infirm Nature of Man which seems as nothing in comparison of those Glories above But immediately hereon falls into an Admiration of the Wisdom Goodness and Love of God exalting that Nature incomparably above all the Works of Creation in the Person of Jesus Christ as the Apostle expounds this place Heb. 2 5 6. THIS therefore is the highest the best the most useful Object of our Thoughts and Affections He who hath had a real View of this Glory though he know himself to be a poor sinful dying Worm of the Earth yet would he not be an Angel in Heaven if thereby he should loose the sight of it for this is the Center wherein all the Lines of the Manifestation of the Divine Glory do meet and rest LOOK unto the things of this World Wives Children Possessions Estates Power Friends and Honor how amiable are they How desirable unto the Thoughts of the most of Men But he who hath obtained a View of the Glory of Christ will in the midst of them all say Whom have I in Heaven but thee There is none on Earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 73. 25. For who in the Heavens can be compared unto the Lord Who among the Sons of the mighty can be compared unto the Lord Psal. 89. 6. HE himself out of his infinite Love and ineffable Condescention upon the Sight and View of his Church and his own Graces in her wherewith she is adorned doth say Thou hast ravished my Heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my Heart with one of thine Eyes with one Chain of thy Neck Cant. 4. 8. How much more ought a believing Soul upon a View of the Glory of Christ in whom it pleased the Father that all Fulness should dwell to say Thou hast ravished my Heart taken it away from me O thou whom my Soul loveth One Glance of thy glorious Beauty upon me hath quite overcome me hath left no heart in me unto things here below If it be not thus with us frequently if we value not this Object of our Minds and Affections if we are not diligent in looking up unto him to behold his Glory it is because we are carnal and not in any good measure partakers of the promise that our Eyes shall see the King in his Beauty 2. OUR second Direction unto the same End is That we diligently study the Scripture and the Revelations that are made of this Glory of Christ therein To behold it is not a Work of Fancy or Imagination It is not conversing with an Image framed by the Art of Men without or that of our own Fancy within but of Faith exercised on Divine Revelations This Direction he gives us himself Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifie of me The way whereby this is done is fully set before us in the Example of the holy Prophets under the old Testament 1 Pet. 1. 11 12 13. THIS Principle is always to be retained in our Minds in reading of the Scripture namely that the Revelation and Doctrine of the Person of Christ and his Office is the Foundation whereon all other Instructions of the Prophets and Apostles for the edification of the Church are built and wherein to they are resolved as is declared Ephes. 2. 20 21 22. So our Lord Jesus Christ himself at large makes it manifest Luk. 24. 26 27 45 46. Lay aside the Consideration hereof and the Scriptures are no such thing as they pretend unto namely a Revelation of the Glory of God in the Salvation of the Church nor are those of the Old Testament so at this Day unto the Jews who own not this Principle 2 Cor. 3. 13 14 15 16. There are therefore such Revelations of the Person and Glory of Christ treasured up in the Scripture from the beginning unto the end of it as may exercise the Faith and Contemplation of Believers in this World and shall never during this Life be fully discovered or understood and in Divine Meditations of these Revelations doth much of the Life of Faith consist THERE are three ways whereby the Glory of Christ is represented unto us in the Scripture First by direct Descriptions of his glorious Person and Incarnation See among other places Gen. 3. 15. Psal. 2. 7 8 9. Psal. 45. 2 3 4 5 6. Psal. 68. 17 18. Psal. 110. Isa. 6. 1 2 3 4. Chap. 9. 6. Zech. 2. 8. Joh. 1. 1 2 3. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Chap. 2. 14 15 16. Rev. 1. 17 18. Secondly by Prophecies Promises and express Instructions concerning him all leading unto the Contemplation of his Glory which are innumerable Thirdly By the sacred Institutions of Divine Worship under the Old Testament For the end of them all was to represent unto the Church the Glory of Christ in the Discharge of his Office as we shall see afterwards WE may take notice of an Instance in one kind under the Old Testament and of one and another under the New HIS Personal Appearances under the Old Testament carried in them a Demonstration of his Glory Such was that
Perfections I have elsewhere declared 9. HOWBEIT he would not restore them into their former State so as to have again two distinct Families each in an immediate Dependance on himself though he left them in different and distinct Habitations Eph. 3. 15. But he would gather them both into one and that under a new Head in whom the one Part should be preserved from sinning and the other delivered from sin committed 10. THIS then is that which the Apostle declares in these Words To gather together in one all things which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him And so he again expresseth it Col. 1. 20. To reconcile all things unto himself in him whether they are things in Heaven or things in Earth all things were fallen into disorder and confusion by sin they were fallen off from God into variance among themselves God would not restore them into their first Order in an immediate Dependance on his Divine Perfections He would no longer keep them in two distinct Families but he would in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness gather them up into one common Head on whom they should have their immediate Dependance and be reconciled again among themselves 11. THIS New Head wherein God hath gathered up all things in Heaven and Earth into one one Body one Family on whom is all their dependance in whom they all now consist is Jesus Christ the Son of God incarnate see 1 Cor. 11. 3. Eph. 1. 21 22 23. This Glory was reserved for him none other could be meet for it or worthy of it see Col. 1. 17 18 19 20 12. TO answer all the Ends of this New Head of Gods recollected Family all Power in Heaven and Earth all Fulness of Grace and Glory is committed unto him There is no Communication from God no Act of Rule towards this Family no Supply of Vertue Power Grace or Goodness unto Angels or Men but what is immediately from this New Head whereinto they are gathered In him they all consist on him do they depend unto him are they subject in their Relation unto him doth their Peace Union and Agreement among themselves consist This is the Recapitulation of all things intended by the Apostle 13. IT is true that he acts distinctly and variously towards the two parts of the Recollected Family of Angels and Men according as their different States and Conditions do require For 1. We had need of a Reparation by Redemption and Grace which the Angels had not 2. Angels were capable of immediate Confirmation in Glory which we are not until we come to Heaven Therefore 1. He assumed our Nature that it might be repaired which he did not the Nature of the Angels 2. He gives us Union unto himself by his Spirit which exalts us into a Dignity and Honour meet for Fellowship with them in the same Family THIS is a brief Account of the mysterious Work of Divine Wisdom in the Recapitulation of all things in Jesus Christ and herein is he transcendently glorious or his Glory herein is far above our Comprehension Yet some few things may be observed to direct us in the View and Contemplation of it As 1. HE alone was a meet and capable Subject of it He only could bear the weight of this Glory No meet Creature in Heaven or Earth was meet to be thus made the Head of the whole new Creation of God In none of them could all things consist None of them was meet to be thus in the Place of God to have all things depend upon him and be put in subjection unto him so as that there should be no Communication between God and the Creation but by and through him alone Wherefore when the holy Ghost assigns this Glory unto him he so describes him as that we may discern his singular meetness for it as that he is the Brightness of the Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person upholding all things by the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. That he is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature by whom all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1. 15 16 17 18 19. Such an one alone and no other was meet to bear and uphold this Glory And the Glory of his Person is such as that it is the Blessedness of all Creatures to center in this Glory of his Office 2. THIS is that Glory which God designed unto his only Son incarnate and it gives us a little View into the Glory of that Mystery the wonderful eternal Design of God to glorifie himself in the Incarnation of Christ. God would have his eternal his only begotten Son to be incarnate to take our Nature on him to be made Man What is his Design in this incomprehensible Work of his Wisdom Love and Power Indeed in the first place it was for the Redemption of the Church by the Sacrifice of himself and other Acts of his Mediation But there is that which is more general and comprehensive and wherein all the concerns of the Glory of God do center And this was that he might gather all things into one in him that the whole Creation especially that which was to be eternally blessed should have a new Head given unto it for its Sustentation Preservation Order Honor and Safety All Springs are in him and all Streams are unto him and in and by him unto God Who can express the Divine Beauty Order and Harmony of all things that are in this their Recapitulation in Christ The Union and Communion between Angels and Men the Order of the whole Family in Heaven and Earth the Communication of Life Grace Power Mercy and Consolation to the Church the Rule and Disposal of all things unto the Glory of God do all depend hereon This Glory God designed unto his Son incarnate and it was the greatest the highest that could be communicated unto him For as the Apostle observes All things are put in subjection unto him he only excepted who doth ●o make them subject that is God the Father 1 Cor. 15. THERE is no Contemplation of the Glory of Christ that ought more to affect the Hearts of them that do believe with Delight and Joy than this of the Recapitulation of all things in him One View by Faith of him in the place of God as the supream Head of the whole Creation moving acting guiding and disposing of it will bring in spiritual Refreshment unto a believing Soul AND it will do so the more in that it gives a glorious Representation of his Divine Nature also For that any meer Creature should thus be an Head of Life Motion and Power as also of soveraign Rule and disposal of the wh●le new Creation with all things reduced into