All that Jesus is and has, all that He says and does is precious and glorious . . .
His miracles of mercy, while here below;
His words so full of grace, wisdom, and truth;
His going about doing good;
His sweet example of patience, meekness and submission;
His sufferings and sorrows in the garden and on the cross;
His spotless holiness and purity;
His tender compassion to poor lost sinners;
His atoning blood and justifying obedience;
His dying love, so strong and firm;
His lowly, yet honorable burial;
His glorious resurrection;
His ascension and present reign and rule;
His constant intercession for His people.
What beauty and glory shine forth in all these divine realities! A view of His glory and a foretaste of the bliss and blessedness it communicates has a transforming effect upon the soul. We are naturally . . . proud, covetous, worldly, grievously entangled in various lusts and passions, prone to evil, averse to good, easily elated by prosperity, soon dejected by adversity, peevish under trials, rebellious under heavy strokes, unthankful for daily mercies of food and clothing, and in other ways ever manifesting our base nature.
To be brought from under the power of these abounding evils, we need to be conformed to the image of Christ. Now, this can only be by beholding His glory by faith. "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory!" 2 Corinthians 3:18 It is this believing view of the glory of Christ which supports under heavy trials, producing meekness and resignation to the will of God. By Joseph Philpot
