A53708:567
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 14: Other Differences between our Beholding the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World, and…
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.
IN the last place, the great difference between them, consists in, and is manifested by their effects. Hereof I shall give some few instances, and close this discourse.
1. THE Vision which we shall have of the Glory of Christ in Heaven, and of the Glory of the immense God in him, is perfectly and absolutely transforming. It doth change us wholly into the Image of Christ. When we shall see him, we shall be as he is, we shall be like him, because we shall see him, 1 Joh. 3. 2. But although the closing, perfecting act of this Transformation be an act of sight, or the sight of Glory; yet there are many things towards it, or degrees in it, which we may here take notice of in our way.
1. THE Soul upon its Departure from the Body, is immediately freed from all the Weakness, Disability, Darkness, Uncertainties and Fears, which were impressed on it from the Flesh; wherewith it was in the strictest Union. The Image of the first Adam as fallen, is then abolished. Yea, it is not only freed from all irregular sinful Distempers cleaving to our Nature as corrupted, but from all those sinless Grievances and Infirmities which belong unto the Original Constitution of it. This necessarily ensues on the Dissolution of the Person in order unto a blessed State. The first entrance by Mortality into Immortality, is a step towards Glory. The ease which a blessed Soul finds in a deliverance from this Encumbrance, is a Door of entrance into eternal Rest. Such a change is made in that, which in it self is the Centre of all Evil, namely Death, that it is made a means of freeing us from all the Remainders of what is evil.
1. THE Soul upon its Departure from the Body, is immediately freed fom all the Weakness, Disability, Darkness, Uncertainties and Fears, which were impressed on it from the Flesh; wherewith it was in the strictest Union. The Image of the first Adam as fallen, is then abolished. Yea, it is not only freed from all irregular sinful Distempers cleaving to our Nature as corrupted, but from all those sinless Grievances and Infirmities which belong unto the Original Constitution of it. This necessarily ensues on the Dissolution of the Person in order unto a blessed State. The first entrance by Mortality into Immortallity, is a step towards Glory. The ease which a blessed Soul finds in a deliverance from this Encumbrance, is a Door of entrance into eternal Rest. Such a change is made in that, which in it self is the Center of all Evil, namely Death, that it is made a means of freeing us from all the Remainders of what is evil.