FOR THE MAN WHOM THE KING DELIGHETH TO HONOUR
“If I should tell a worldly person what holiness and spiritual joys of the saints on earth are, he cannot know; for grace cannot be clearly known without grace: how much less could he conceive of it, if I should tell him of this glory? But to the saints I may be somewhat more encouraged to speak; for grace gives them a dark knowledge and slight taste of glory. If men and angels should study to speak the blessedness of that state in one word, what could they say beyond this, that it is the nearest enjoyment of God? O the full joys offered to a believer in that one sentence of Christ, “Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.” Every word is full of life and joy …
Rejoice therefore in the Lord, O ye righteous and say with His servant David, “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance: the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
What presumption would it have been, once to have thought or spoke of such a thing, if God had not spoken it before us? I would not have dared to think of the saints’ preferment in this life, as Scripture sets it forth, had it not been the express truth of God. How indecent to talk of being sons of God — speaking to Him — having fellowship with Him — dwelling in Him and He in us; if this had not been God’s own language, how much less dared we have once thought of shining forth as the sun — of being joint heirs with Christ — of judging the world — of sitting on Christ’s throne — of being one in Him and the Father, if we had not all this from the mouth, and under the hand of God?
But hath He said, and shall He not do it? Hath He spoken and shall He not make it good? Yes, as the Lord God is true, thus shall it be done to the man whom Christ delighteth to honour. Be of good cheer Christian, the time is near, when God and you shall be near, and as near as you could well desire. You shall dwell in his family. Is that enough? It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. You shall ever stand before him, about his throne, in the room with him, in his presence-chamber. Would you yet be near? You shall be His child, and He your Father; you shall be an heir of his kingdom; yes, more, the spouse of his Son. And what more can you desire? You shall be a member of the body of his Son; he shall be your head; you shall be one with him, who is one with the Father, as he himself has desired for you of his Father, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.”
Richard Baxter in “Saints Rest”
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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 mei 1965
The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's
Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 mei 1965
The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's