Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8)Newman, John Henry
Religion
Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8)
Newman, John Henry
Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
But Christ really saw, and ever saw, the face of God, for He was no
creature of God, but the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the
Father. From eternity He was with Him in glory, as He says Himself,
dwelling in the abyss of the infinite greatness of the Most High. Not
for forty days, as Moses on the mount in figure, but for ever and ever
was He present as the Counsellor of God, as His Word, in whom He
delighted. Such was He of old, but at the time appointed He came forth
from the Father, and showed Himself in this external world, first as its
Creator, then as its Teacher, the Revealer of secrets, the Mediator, the
Off-streaming of God's glory, and the Express Image of His Person. Cloud
nor image, emblem nor words, are interposed between the Son and His
Eternal Father. No language is needed between the Father and Him, who is
the very Word of the Father; no knowledge is imparted to Him, who by His
very Nature and from eternity knows the Father, and all that the Father
knows. Such are His own words, "No man knoweth the Son but the Father,
neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the
Son will reveal Him[8]." Again He says, "He that hath seen Me hath seen
the Father[9];" and He accounts for this when He tells us, that He and
the Father are one[10]; and that He is in the bosom of the Father, and so
can disclose Him to mankind, being still in heaven, even while He was on
earth.
Accordingly, the Blessed Apostle draws a contrast between Moses and
Christ to our comfort; "the Law," he says, "was given by Moses, but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ[11]." In Him God is fully and truly seen,
so that He is absolutely the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. All our
duties are summed up for us in the message He brings us. Those who look
towards Him for teaching, who worship and obey Him, will by degrees see
"the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in His face," and will be
"changed into the same image from glory to glory." And thus it happens
that men of the lowest class and the humblest education may know fully
the ways and works of God; fully, that is, as man can know them; far
better and more truly than the most sagacious man of this world, to whom
the Gospel is hid. Religion has a store of wonderful secrets which no
one can communicate to another, and which are most pleasant and
delightful to know. "Call on Me," says God by the prophet, "and I will
answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not
of." This is no mere idle boast, but a fact which all who seek God will
find to be true, though they cannot perhaps clearly express their
meaning. Strange truths about ourselves, about God, about our duty,
about the world, about heaven and hell, new modes of viewing things,
discoveries which cannot be put into words, marvellous prospects and
thoughts half understood, deep convictions inspiring joy and peace, these
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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