A53708:522
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 13: The second Difference between our beholding the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World,…
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.
SECONDLY; When the Lord Christ is near us, and we do behold his Glory; he will frequently communicate spiritual refreshment in peace, consolation, and joy unto our souls. We shall not only hereby have our graces excited with respect unto him as their object, but ⟨p. 173⟩be made sensible of his actings towards us in the communications of himself and his love unto us. When the Sun of Righteousness ariseth on any soul, or makes any near approach thereunto, it shall find healing under his Wings; his beams of Grace shall convey by his spirit, holy spiritual refreshment thereunto. For he is present with us by his spirit, and these are his fruits and effects as he is the Comforter, suited unto his Office as he is promised unto us.
MANY love to walk in a very careless unwise profession. So long as they can hold out in the performance of outward duties, they are very regardless of the greatest Evangelical Privileges; of those things which are the marrow of divine Promises, all real endeavours of a vital communion with Christ. Such are spiritual peace, refreshing consolations, ineffable joys, and the blessed composure of assurance. Without some taste and experience of these things, profession is heartless, lifeless, useless; and Religion it self a dead carcass without an animating soul. The peace which some enjoy, is a mere stupidity. They judge not these things to be real, which are the substance of Christs present reward; and a renunciation whereof would deprive the Church of its principal supportments and encouragements in all its sufferings. It is a great evidence of the power of unbelief, when we can satisfy our selves without an experience in our own hearts of the great things in this kind of Joy, Peace, Consolation, Assurance, that are promised in the Gospel. For how can it be supposed that we do indeed believe the promises of things future, namely, of Heaven, Immortality and Glory, the faith whereof is the foundation of all Religion, when we do not believe the promises of the present reward, in these spiritual Privileges. And how shall we be thought to believe them, when we do not endeavour after an experience ⟨p. 174⟩