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Wednesday, March 29, 2006

John Owen on Beholding the Glory of Christ

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
(John 17:24 ESV)
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When the sun is under total eclipse, he loseth nothing of his native beauty, light and glory. He is still the same that he was from the beginning, - "a great light to rule the day." To us he appears as a dark, useless meteor; but when he comes by his course to free himself from the lunar imposition, unto his proper aspect towards us, he manifests his native light and glory. So it was with the divine nature of Christ...He veiled the glory of it by the interposition of the flesh, or the assumption of our nature to be his own; with this addition, that therein he took on him the "form of a servant", - of a person of mean and low degree. But this temporary eclipse being past and over, it now shines forth in its infinite lustre and beauty, which belongs unto the present exaltation of his person. And when those who beheld him here as a poor, sorrowful, persecuted man, dying on a cross, came to see him in all the infinite, uncreated glories of the divine nature, manifesting themselves in his person, it could not but fill their souls with transcendent joy and admiration. And this is one reason of his prayer for them whilst he was on earth, that they might be where he is to behold his glory; for he knew what ineffable satisfaction it would be unto them for evermore.

1 comment:

Matt Harmless said...

Excellent post.

I had never thought of it that way before. Beautiful illustration.