Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the LifeBrown, John
Religion
Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Brown, John
Bible. John XIV, 6 -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Jesus Christ; Justification (Christian theology); Sanctification
Now he sees (what none without the
Spirit can see) the things which God hath prepared for them that love
him, and are freely given them of God; and these, though seen at a
distance, reflect such rays of beauty into his soul, that he beholds and
is ravished, he sees and is swallowed up in wonder.
But then, in the next place, this is not a spiritless inefficacious
speculation about these things, to know no evil but sin and separation
from God, and no blessedness but in the fruition of him; it is not such
a knowledge of them as doth not principle motion to pursue after them.
This I grant is part of the image of God, when the Sun of Righteousness,
by arising upon the man, hath made day-light in his soul, and by these
divine discoveries hath taught him to make the true parallel betwixt
things that differ, and to put a just value upon them according to their
intrinsic worth. But this divine illumination doth not consist in a mere
notion of such things in the head, nor doth it subsist in enlightening
the mind; but in such an impression of God upon the soul, as transforms
and changes the heart into his likeness by love.' Knowledge is but one
line, one draught or lineament of the soul's likeness to him; that alone
doth not make up the image, but knowledge rooted in the heart, and
engraven on the soul, hining and shewing itself forth in a
gospel-adorning conversation, that makes a comely proportion; when the
same hand that touched the eye, and turned the man from darkness to
light, and gave an heart to know him, that he is the Lord, that doth
also circumcise the man's heart to love the Lord his God, with all his
heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind; and this love
manifesting its liveliness, in its constraining power to live to him and
for him. Light without, heat is but wild fire; but light in the mind,
begetting heat in the heart, making it burn Godward, Christward, and
heavenward; light in the understanding, setting on fire and inflaming
the affections, and these shining out in a heavenly conversation, makes
up the lively image of God, both in feature and stature, both in
proportion and colour. Faith begins this image, and draws the
lineaments; and love bringing forth obedience finishes, and gives it the
lively lustre. The burnings of love in obedience to God is that which
illuminates the whole, and makes a man look indeed like him, to whose
image he is predestinate to be conform, and then makes him, who is
ravished with the charms of that beauty, say, as in a manner overcome
thereby, "how fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse? How much better is
thy love than wine, and the smell of thine ointments than all spices?"
But consider, that as these beams, which irradiate the soul, are from
the Spirit of Christ, so that spiritual heat and warmth come out of the
same airth, and proceed from the same author, for our fire burns as he
blows, our lamp shines as he snuffs and furnisheth oil. Men therefore
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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