Ministers who do not preach Christ, and sinners who do not speak of Christ, are objects of pity, not of our wrath; their eyes are blind to his matchless glory; their hearts do not understand his unparalleled love. But when once Christ's glory is displayed and his love believed in the heart, the tongue will speak of him. So Isaiah found it. So did the poor woman of Samaria, "she ran into the city," she took hold of one and another, she eagerly cried, "Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ? Surely it is, what think ye?" John 4:29. She had sweet experience. Here was no self-exalting; no cry, "See me, admire me; what fine experience I have had." One is sometimes grieved to read or hear people tell of their experiences, when they tend only to make the poor sinner appear somewhat glorious in his own eyes, and to be admired by his fellow-sinners: this is not right. If the sinner's vileness is not fully explored, and the Saviour's glory only exalted, such souls know not as they ought to know; such experiences are not profitable, they are not worth attending to.
When sinners see Christ's glory, they will speak of him to God the Father; they will come in his name; they will plead his blood only for the pardon of sin, his righteousness alone for the justification of their souls, his intercession for their obtaining every blessing in earth and heaven. Thus we come boldly to a throne of grace; thus we expect freely to obtain mercy to relieve us and grace to comfort us: thus we are sure, perfectly sure, that we are welcome to God; for he hath told us so. "It pleased the Father" that in Christ all fullness (of grace and glory) should dwell, Col. 1:19; that "out of his fulness we should receive." John 1:16. Having seen Christ's glory, we come to him for this grace.
The sight of Christ's glory blinds us to our own fancied glory. The more we see of Jesus, the less we like ourselves: we grow out of love with ourselves. What glory is there in a cage of unclean birds? Worse, inexpressibly worse are our hearts. Yet, astonishing love! Jesus displays the glory of his grace to us. Nothing but unbelief prevents our beholding it: "Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see my glory?" John 11:40.
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