A53708:106
Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ
Meditations and discourses on the glory of Christ, in his person, office, and grace with the differences between faith and sight applied unto the use of them that believe / by the late Reverend John Owen, D.D.
London: printed by B.A., 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 2: The Glory of the Person of Christ, as the only Representative of God unto the Church.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. OF such as those described, we are the Posterity and Off-spring. Our Fore-fathers in this Nation, were given up unto as brutish a service of the Devil, as any Nation under the Sun. It is therefore an effect of infinite mercy, that the day hath dawned on us, poor Gentiles, and that the day-spring from on high hath visited us. See the glory of this Grace expressed, Ephes. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. God might have left us to perish in the blindness and ignorance of our Fore-fathers; but of his own accord, and by his own powerful Grace alone, he hath translated us out of darkness into his marvellous light. But alas! the horrible ingratitude of men, for the glorious light of the Gospel, and the abuse of it, will issue in a sore revenge.
GOD was known under the Old Testament, by the Revelation of his Word, and the Institution of his Worship. This was the glory and privilege of Israel, as the Psalmist declares, Psal. 147. 19, 20. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel; He hath not dealt so with any Nation, The Church then knew him; yet so as that they had an apprehension that he dwelt in thick darkness, where they could not have any clear views ⟨p. 21⟩of him, Exod. 20. 21. Deut. 5. 22. 1 King. […] 2. 2 Chron. 6. 1. And the Reason why God so represented himself in darkness unto them, was to instruct them in their imperfect state, wherein they could not comprehend that glory which should afterwards be revealed. For as he is now made known in Christ, we see that he is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.