Oh, what a wondrous view of Christ the Holy Ghost sometimes gives us! As yet, however, I am afraid that very few of us have had more than a partial view of him. Have you not sometimes stood upon a hill, when it has been a day of mingled cloud and sunshine, and there has been a break in the clouds, and the sun has shone through, and that hill over yonder has been all ablaze with the golden sunlight, and marvellously has that part of the landscape been illuminated? All down the valley there was gloom; but presently the clouds shifted again, and then the beams of light traveled down into the plain, and the river flowing below flashed in the sunlight while the hill was once more enveloped in shade. As the clouds continued to move, the sunshine kept lighting up different parts of the landscape. It is just like that with regard to our view of Christ. The Spirit of God, who is the very perfection of light, shines upon Christ with a brilliance that the sun never possessed.
Sometimes the Spirit shines upon Christ’s priesthood, and oh, what a wonderful sight it is then for us to see Christ offering up himself as the one great, sacrifice for sin! Another time it may be that the Spirit shines specially upon the prophetic character of Christ, and we then admire him as revealing God to us, and teaching us the truth. Perhaps, the next, day, the Spirit shows us Christ’s royal character, and then we cry, or more probably we sing, —
“All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown him Lord of all.
“Babes, men, and sires, who know his love,
Who feel your sin and thrall,
Now joy with all the hosts above
And crown him Lord of all.”
Sometimes a beam of light will shine upon Christ’s hands that were pierced by the nails and then we wonderingly ask, “How could the hands of the Creator of the universe be thus nailed to the tree for us?” Anon the Spirit’s bright light gleams upon the face of Jesus, and we then —
“ See divine compassion
Floating in his languid eye”
as he bows his head to death for us. But what will it be if the Holy Spirit shall be pleased to give us a full view of Christ upon the cross? Then will our happy spirits indeed glorify him, and each redeemed one will softly sing, —
“Sweet the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the cross I spend,
Life, and health, and peace possessing
From the sinner’s dying Friend.
“Here I’ll sit for ever viewing
Mercy’s streams, in streams of blood;
Precious drops! my soul bedewing
Plead and claim my peace with God.
“Here it is I find my heaven
While upon the cross I gaze;
Love I much? I’ve more forgiven;
I’m a miracle of grace.”
Oh, for such a sight of Christ as that, for thus Jesus is glorified, and we are truly blessed!
From a sermon entitled "A Promise And Precedent," delivered January 4, 1874.
Photo by bitterroot; some rights reserved.
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