Glimpse of glory, or, a Gospel discovery of Emmanuel's land (1777)

by James Fisher

A

GLIMPSE OF GLORY;

OR, A

Gospel Discovery of Emmanuel's

LAND.

By the Reverend

Mr. JAMES FISHER,

Who dissented from the Errors of the KIRK of SCOTLAND, along with the Great ERSKINE, &c. He was then Minister at Kincleven, and removed to Glasgow, where he served his Great MASTER, above 36 Years, and died in September 1775.

GLASGOW:

Printed and Sold by J. and J. ROBERTSON,

MDCCLXXXII

А

GLIMPSE of GLORY

OR, A

Gospel Discovery of Emmanuel's Land.

WHat speak we, men and angels, of the limits of divine power? what talk we of his manifesting his excellency in one, or many, or innumerable worlds? Is it not manifested to the uttermost; The protection of never so many armies of creatures can add nothing thereto: Since the manifestation of God in the flesh, is the principal design of eternity: And all other manifestations are in order to this There stands one among us all, who is the first born of every creature existant, or possible: Here in that man, in whom is visible to be seen such glory, majesty, loveliness, sweetness, compassion, mercy, justice, wisdom, and all treasures of overflowing fulness of excellency, in such an incomprehensible transcendant, eminent and super-abundant manner as all the beholders are overwhelmed in a sea of delightsome ravishments for evermore.

Couldst thou, O my God, manifested thyself more clearly, familiarly, sweetly condescending? Away with other worlds, though they were; This is the only one, since my all lovely, WELL-BELOVED dwells here. Thy beauty my fair one, dark round about thee, and fills this world with passion glory; yea, were this world Myriads of Myriads of Stages, and ever so many times greater than it is, one ray of thy countenance, one glance of thine eye would enlighten, and adorn it all. What tho' we could view and comprehend at once, thousands of thousands of created paradises of beauty; one fight of thy God-like visage would swallow up all angels, had you such a sweet manifestation divine beauty in the beginning, as now? Is not our heaven now two heavens? Since the essential Image of God standeth here, cloathed with the human nature, as our' everlasting King, Priest,' and the great Lord 'Mediator of the new Covenant,' the boundless treasure of all fulness, out of which we shall all be filled and satiate for evermore. Are we not, as it were constrained betwixt standing back, and drawing near? These who behold thee, what can they think of themselves? Yet, who can see, and take rest until they be folded in thy ravishing embrace? Verily thou art both the shame and glory of creatures: created excellency is exalted in thee, to the highest pitch; and all created excellency is beautified and obscured before thee. This is the man, men and angels, by whom all things in heaven and earth do flourish and bloom. This is the Tree of life,' the great Vine of glory,' into which we are all ingrafted, as so many boughs and twigs; All the glory of his Father's house hangs upon him, the 'Offspring and Issue,' as so many chips and pieces darting out from him. This is he, in whom we have been ordain'd to this blessedness from eternity; This is he, who was promised to the people, under the first dispensation of the gospel; who was held forth by Types and Shadows unto them. This is he, by whom the carnal and beggarly Elements of the world were destroyed, the clear evident Gospel dispensation was brought in; the Hand writing of the law cancelled, the vail betwixt Jew and Gentile was rent assunder; the nations were ingrafted into the old stock of the peculiar people, the abstruse secrets of eternity were opened, the kingdoms were shaken, the princes of the earth were set up, and pulled down; the church was preserved, and flourished, in despight of all the world. This is the man, who 'wounded the heads' over many countries; who trode the wine-press alone,' and trampled the people in his fury; until all 'his raiment was stained with blood.' This is he, whose name is called 'Wonderful, Counsellor, the Almighty GOD, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: of the increase of his government and peace there is no end.' This is the 'Stone cut out without hands,' which smote all the power, strength and might of kingdoms, nations and languages: and lo, all principalities, and thrones, and powers, and dominions are broken to pieces together: and become like the chaff of the summer thresing-floor that the wind hath carried away. And behold, 'this Stone,' which hath smitten to nothing, all transitory glory, is become exceeding great, and filleth all in all.' This is he, whom nothing could overcome; he entered the lifts with death and hell, and gave them an eternal soil: so that they lie under his feet, and the feet of his chosen, for ever and ever.

Could ten thousand deaths overcome him? Were not devils and wicked men fools, that imagined to bind him with any ties? What would chains greater than many worlds? What would infinite numbers of mountains of brass, be to hold him down, that he rise not again? 'How did this Lion of the tribe of Judah,' rouse himself from the sleep of death, like a mighty man after wine; and made heaven and earth, and all to quake! Who, but the Standard-bearer among ten thousand? Who, but the Prince of the kings of the earth? Who, but the mighty Captain of the Lord's hosts could have done so valiantly? Thou only haft done heroically, O Well beloved. You little heroes of time, your magnanimity, and heroic acts evanish here: even though you had done all you did, in your own strength, and not by his; 'What tho' you subdued kingdoms, wrought righteoufness, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, through weakness became strong, put to flight the armies of the aliens?' All these were done thro' faith in him. Yet what have ye done? Could you have trode the wine-press alone? And drunk the cup of the wrath of the Almighty, from brim to bottom? Could you have stood in the gap, when infinite eternal vengeance, like a mighty flood, was rushing in upon rebellious mankind? Who else could have turned back the mighty current of such floods of wrath? and pacified offended Majesty, bringing rebels to stoop, and be received into mercy and favour again? Who other could have given hell such a blow as it shall never be able to rise? and raised men and angels to such a pitch, as that they shall never fall? Who other could have led captivity captive, and purchased gifts for men, even for the rebellious? Who other could have opened the gates of this celestial Paradise, shut upon base, ungrateful man? and exalted him, by thousands of stages, to more glory and excellency than he fell from? Thou art all in all, thou art marrowless, O WELL BELOVED! no more comparisons betwixt thee and creatures. Hide yourselves, and be confounded, all lower excellencies; be ye silent, all creatures, when he begins to speak; cover your faces, all you little glories and beauties, when he doth shew his face: you are nothing, you are vanity compared to him. He is all things. Verily 'in him dwells all fulness.' Thou art not, O heaven of heavens, worthy to be a foot-stool for his glorious feet. Infinite worlds, erected above one another, were low for him to tread upon. What are you, men and angels, that you should thus stand beside him? That you shall set your head with in that world, he is pleased to dwell in? Did he not wonderfully condescend, you might run out without the very creation? What is our strength and beauty? On whose legs do we stand? Are we able for one moment, to persevere in our integrity without him? Should we not all become deformed in sin? Can he draw into himself what he darts forth? How is this paradise of GOD planted with goodly trees, blossoming and flourishing with an eternal verdour? But did they not receive sap and life, and all from this golden 'Branch of the stem of Jesse,' how in a moment should their golden blossoms wither, their fruit fall off, their leaves decay, and their root dry up? It is ten heavens of joy, o Well-beloved, to know that thy love is unchangeable; and that these that are united to thee, by faith, in time, and immediate beholding, in eternity, shall never be disjoined from thee; but shall ever remain close locked in the arms of eternal love.

What are your thoughts, 'O ye ransomed ones,' of this astonishing dispenfation? What an inconceivable transportation is this? that any of the curfed stock of mankind, should be adopted. co-heirs with the essential Heir of all things! 'Of him are we, in Christ Jesus, who of GOD is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and all. Thousand times blessed counsel of eternity! 'That chofe us in him before the foundation of the world: having predestinate us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace; wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved: having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of time, he might gather together in one all things, in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.' It was not my purpose, dreadful Sovereign, that any should inherit glory through their own obedience; a world of working was but for a time, that this of altogether free grace might shine forth more gloriously. Free grace's banner is the only pavilion, we should for ever abide under.

How greatly did the devil befool himself, in endeavouring to obscure the glory of his Maker, by the rebellion of man? Was he not herein an instrument in the hand of the great Sovereign, whereby he made way for his chief and only purpose? What should our blessedness have been, to what now it is, if we had wanted thee, 'O EMMANUEL, the man of God's right-hand, the very breath of our nostrils? Our eternal song should not have been so melodious; the praises of free redeeming grace should not have been heard here: 'Glory to the Lamb, that was slain, and lives for ever,' should never have been sung.

No worlds to this world! no happiness to this happiness! this is the flower, and top of all possible dispensations: here is a confluence of innumerable providences, that shall never be comprehended 'Many O LORD my GOD, are thy wonderful works, which thou hast done: and thy thoughts which are to upward, they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee.' How evidently do I now see, I that thy love passeth all understanding, that thy ways are innumerable; and thy thoughts unsearchable? my eyes are eternally fixed upon thee, O flower of all beauty, and loveliness; thou art the center whereto all desireableness and excellency betakes itself. In beholding thee, I behold all things. Art thou not love, discovered to the full? mercy manifested in its highest perfection? judgment and righteousness visibly, in its full splendor; what have we, which is not in thee? and what can a creature, want, which is not in thee? Shall we not, O enjoyers, be satiate, beautified, ravished, blessed for ever more, with that infinite fulness of all excellencies which dwells in him? 'We behold to the full, the glory, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth: and of thy fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.' We have received thy testimony, have set to our seal that GOD is true: that thou, whom he sent into the world, speakest the things of GOD: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure unto thee, O how great is the mystery of godliness? 'GOD manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.' If this was wonderful in time, is it not ten thousand times more now? When the bright day of eternity hath broken up. If a sight of this by faith, was ravishing, am I not now passed all the limits of such motions? O this frame! O glory, glory! thou art massie indeed!

F I N I S.