The Word of God Compared to a Glass

    THE WORD OF GOD COMPARED TO A GLASS

    "Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord;" "And like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a Glass," 2Co 3:18; Jas 1:23.

    BERNARD understands by Glass here, to be meant the Gospel, with divers others; and we see no cause to question this exposition.

    SIMILE

    I. A Glass is a medium, that represents persons and things unto the sight of our external eyes.

    PARALLEL

    I. The Gospel is the best medium which represents God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, angels and saints, with things past, present, and to come, to our spiritual sight, or to the eyes of our faith.

    SIMILE

    II. Some Glasses show us such things, that we cannot see, nor discern without them, as common experience shows, which are called perspective Glasses.

    PARALLEL

    II. The Word of God shows us such things and mysteries, that without it we could not see nor have the least knowledge of; as the manner of the creation of the world in six days; the cause why God sets his bow in the cloud; the glorious attributes of God, together with God's manner of being, or the glorious Trinity; the conception, birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ; as also God's positive law and instituted worship.

    SIMILE

    III. A Glass seems to bring such things near to us that are at a great distance. Some by looking in a Glass have discovered things and persons many miles off, as if they were just by them.

    PARALLEL

    III. The word and Gospel of God brings things that are afar off, very near; it represents to our faith the judgment-day, and shows us how matters and things shall be managed then; who shall be cleared, and who condemned; it brings near to the eye of our faith, the glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ, and many things of like nature.

    SIMILE

    IV. A true Glass shows or represents unto a man his own natural face; by looking therein he may see what manner of man he is; he may take a plain view of himself whether fair or deformed.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So the Word of God shows forth, not only the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, as also what this world is, what sin is, &c., but it shows what man is before grace, how wretched, blind, naked, deformed, polluted! and also after grace through Christ, how happy, adorned, beautiful, and glorious.

    SIMILE

    V. A Glass is used by some as a thing to dress themselves in; by it they know how to put on their attire, and to deck themselves with all their ornaments; if any thing be wanting or amiss, which they would have on, they soon perceive it by looking in a Glass.

    PARALLEL

    V. So the Word of God is absolutely needful or necessary for all Christians to look into, who would dress and deck themselves with the ornaments of grace, that they may be comely in the sight of God. By looking into the Word they may see what ornaments are wanting, and how to put them on so as to be completely dressed, and every way ready for the Bridegroom's coming.

    SIMILE

    VI. A Glass is a thing some persons take much delight to look into.

    PARALLEL

    VI. The Word of God is a thing that all true Christians take much delight to behold, daily pry and look into by reading and meditation; "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he doth meditate both night and day," Ps 1:2.

    SIMILE

    VII. He that would have a full sight of a person or persons that he hath a desire to behold in a Glass, must look therein with open face, he must not look asquint upon it.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So he that would have a clear sight of God in his glorious attributes and perfections, must look into the Gospel with open face; he must look with a full and single eye, as one that is resolved by the help of the Spirit, according to the nature of his sight, to see what may be beheld therein; and not cast a squint look as it were upon it, seem to look towards God, when his heart is more upon other things and objects: "We with open face," &c. "If thy eye be single, thy whole body is full of light."

    SIMILE

    VIII. A man that beholds his natural face in a Glass, and goes his way, soon forgets what manner of man he was; if he saw spots or blemishes, or other deformity in his face or any uncomely features, he forgets them.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. So he that doth cast but a transient look into the Word of God, or is but a bare hearer thereof, may, whilst the Word is a preaching, see, or have some sense of his sin, and deplorable condition he is in by nature, and be somewhat troubled for it awhile; but not putting into practice what he hears, but turning to his former course again, he soon forgets what a deformed and miserable wretch he is, which is the principal imports of that text in James.

    SIMILE

    IX. If a man look into a Glass, he sees there but the image, resemblance, or representation of a person or a thing, not the person or the thing itself.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So a Christian that looks into the Work and Gospel to behold the glory of God, hath but the sight of the image, resemblance, and representation of God shining therein before his eyes.

    SIMILE

    I. One Glass hath not all the properties which we have here mentioned.

    DISPARITY

    I. The Gospel or word of God is a spiritual perspective Glass, as well as a looking Glass.

    SIMILE

    II. Some persons use too frequently to look into a Glass, as others do, to an evil end, viz., to paint, patch, and spot their faces, and to see their vain beauty, which tends to increase pride, and foolishly to lift themselves up.

    DISPARITY

    II. A Christian cannot look too often into God's Word, provided he do not neglect his particular calling in so doing, or let one duty interfere with another; neither doth his looking into the Word of God tend to lift him up, but rather to humble and abase him; for the more we see of God, the more with Job and Isaiah, we shall abhor and be ashamed of ourselves.

    There are divers other disparities which we pass by; they are the contrivance and workmanship of man, and brittle things, &c., besides many of them are false, not giving a true representation of persons and things, &c.

    INFERENCES.

    I. Let this teach every soul the folly of spending so much time in looking into a carnal Glass to see their own faces, and vainly to trim and deck their heads and bodies, whilst they greatly neglect looking into this Glass, wherein the glory of God in a glorious manner may be seen. See Metaphor Light. And thereby they may learn how to make themselves ready for Christ's coming, as also what their happy condition is, if truly in Christ.

    II. When you see a Glass, or enjoy the useful benefit thereof, remember the Glass of God's Word; and as you slight not, nor throw away that Glass by which you obtain your end, viz., a medium to behold what you desire: be persuaded never to slight or throw away the Word of God, but improve it to the end, for which God gave it, till you come to have the faculty so suited and fitted to behold the object, that shall see as you are seen, and know as you are known; which will be in a state of glory, and not till then.

    III. To inform the poor, dark, and blind world, that as a Glass of what nature soever it be, yet it is altogether useless to a blind man, till his eyes be opened; so till God open blind eyes, poor fallen man cannot see the glory of God, nor understand this glorious Gospel or Word of God.

    IV. Let it persuade all Christians, who do steadfastly believe that the holy scriptures or Word of God, are, or may be compared to a Glass in many of the particulars aforegoing, to look more into it with earnest prayer, that as it is a Glass as clear as crystal; so the eyes of their understanding may be opened, to the end they may, in a Glass, "Behold the glory of the Lord, and be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by Spirit of the Lord," 2Co 3:18.