Let us turn once more to God's
Word, and I want to direct you again to the verse that we were
looking at last Lord's Day evening, the opening chapter of the Gospel
according to Saint John, in chapter 1 and verse 14. The Gospel according to Saint
John, chapter 1 and verse 14, and the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. We were on that occasion considering
something of the glory of Christ as the only begotten Son of God. The only begotten Son of God. This is what John says in the
parenthesis, the bracketed section that we have in the middle of
the verse. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father. Believers are those who are the
sons of God by adoption. We read in the opening chapter
of the Epistle to the Ephesians that God has predestinated us
onto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to
his good pleasure. There is an eternal adoption. It's what God has purpose to
adopt his sons from eternity and how that is manifested in
time because you are sons says John in that first epistle from
whence we read but in the third chapter he says because ye are
sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son in your hearts
crying Abba Father Those who are the sons of God
then are such as come and address him as their father. And the word that we have there,
Abba, is an intimate word. In many ways I suppose it's equivalent
to our English word dad, probably the first sound that a babe makes
calling upon its father. how God is pleased to grant that
spirit of his son putting that spirit into the hearts of those
whom he has predestinated to adoption and then John goes on
to say beloved now are we the sons of God and it does not yet
appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." What
a glorious doctrine is that of adoption, that there are those
who in their very nature are the children of wrath and the
children of disobedience, and yet in the great purpose of God
they are His adopted sons. And so in that time appointed,
that spirit of the that ministry of the Holy Spirit is put into
their hearts whereby they are enabled to call upon God as their
Father which is in heaven. But when we think of the Lord
Jesus Christ, how different is Christ's Sonship. He is not a
son by adoption. No, He is the only Son. He is the Eternal Son. He is
that one who is eternally begotten of the Father. And we considered
something of that great truth last Lord's Day evening, Christ's
eternal Sonship. And we made some reference on
that occasion to the language that we have in that second Psalm
from where we just sang in the metrical version. how David goes
on to say at verse 7 in that psalm, thou art my son this day
have I begotten thee. David speaking as it were as
the very mouthpiece of God himself addressing the son as if the
father himself is speaking to his well-beloved son. thou art my son, this day have
I begotten thee. And we remarked last week on
the significance of the comment that the Protestant reformer
Martin Luther makes upon that particular verse saying how it
implies neither yesterday nor tomorrow but always a present
time, this day Today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but at present
time, Luther says of the Son, neither began He to be born,
nor will He ever cease to be born, but He is ever that One
who is being born. It is eternal Sonship. This day
have I begotten thee. And this is part of the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. that He is the only begotten
of the Father and He is full of grace and of truth. Well, I want us to come again
to consider something of what John is saying in this tremendous
verse that we find here in the opening chapter of his Gospel. I want us to consider how here
we see the Lord Jesus Christ as that One who comes to dwell
among His people. The Word was made flesh, it says,
and dwelt among us. Here we are reminded of that
physical coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His presence here
in the world, eternally the Son of God. always in the bosom of
the Father. And yet, in the fullness of the
time, God sends forth His Son, made of a woman and made under
the law. This is the great mystery. This
is the great mystery of godliness, that God was manifest in the
flesh. Now, all of the persons in the
Godhead are involved in the incarnation. It is a work of God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Remember how the Apostle
Paul, in Hebrews chapter 10, takes up the language of Psalm
40, that Messianic Psalm, and makes it clear how the words
of the Psalm apply to the Lord Jesus. When He cometh into the
world, He says, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but
a body hast thou prepared made. The words are addressed to the
Father. The Father is involved. There
is a body prepared for the Lord Jesus Christ in the great purpose
of the Father. Oh, it was when the fullness
of the time was come, you see, that God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman. And it was not just the work
of the Father there in the Incarnation, it was also the great work of
God the Holy Spirit. As we know from the words that
the angel addresses to the Virgin Mary. The Holy Ghost, says the
angel, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, the power of the highest
shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing that shall
be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. He is conceived
in the womb of a virgin, she knew not a man and yet she is
with child. Now is she with child? She is
with child of the Holy Spirit, the miracle of the virgin birth. As I said, all the persons you
see, God the Father is the one according to the language that
we have there in Hebrews chapter 10 prepares a body. But it is
the specific and particular work of God the Holy Spirit who comes
upon that woman Mary, a virgin, and she is found with child. But though all the persons are
involved, it is only the Son. It is important that we mark
this fact. It is only the Son. It is God
the Son who became a man. Not God the Father, nor God the
Holy Spirit. It is God the Eternal Son. the only begotten Son of the
Father who became a man. For as much then as the children
were partakers of flesh and blood, He likewise took part of the
same, we are taught. Verily, He took not upon Him
the nature of angels, but He took upon Him the seed of Abraham. He is the promised seed of the
woman. He is the promised seed of Abram. He is Abram's son.
He is David's son. He is the seed of David according
to the flesh. Now he is identified with those
that he has come to save, those that he has come to redeem. And now John is very careful
and very specific in the language that he uses in that portion
of scripture that we were reading there in his first general epistle.
Mark the words with which he opens the epistle, that which
was from the beginning, he says, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon. He speaks
of his senses and our hands have handled of the Word of Life. There's no disputing it. John
knew this. the beloved John who was favored
to lie upon the Lord's bosom there as Christ in His shoes,
His Holy Supper. That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life.
For the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness
and show unto you that eternal life. which was with the Father
and was manifested unto us, that which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ." Why there can be no disputing of these
things. The Lord Jesus Christ was indeed
made flesh and dwelt among us. John says it, he dwelt among
us. That physical coming and that
real presence of the Lord Jesus Christ here upon the earth as
a man. He who from all eternity is God. the eternal son of the eternal
father and yet in the appointed time he comes into this world
as a real man. Or when we think then of his
dwelling among his people, it was that that came to pass. But besides that physical coming
there is also Christ's spiritual coming. There is that sense in
which the Lord Jesus Christ is one who still dwells among his
people. And he dwells amongst his people
now not physically, but in a spiritual sense. And this is the promise
that he makes to the disciples in those valedictory discourses
that we find later here in this Gospel according to John. those
chapters wherein he speaks in particular of the ministry of
the Holy Spirit and that he himself must go away. He must of course
go the way of the cross, he must make that great sin atoning sacrifice. This was the purpose of his coming
into the world, to pay the price that God's holy law demanded. he must die the just for the
unjust to bring sinners to God but as he goes away so he promises
that he will send the Holy Spirit to his disciples and the Spirit
when he comes will come very much as the Spirit of Christ
we know those chapters from chapter 14 following where Christ speaks
of His going and of His sending of the Spirit look at the language
that we have there in chapter 14 at verse 16 I will pray the
Father and He shall give you another comforter that He may
abide with you forever even the Spirit of truth whom the world
cannot receive because it seeth Him not neither knoweth Him but
ye know Him for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will
not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Oh, the Lord
Jesus Christ is that One who clearly is promising that He
will come to His people. Verse 22 there, Judas sephantine,
not Iscariot, this is the other Judas, the human author of the
epistle of Jude. Judah saith unto him, not Iscariot,
Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and
not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto
him, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode
with him. Here is the promise, you see,
of a spiritual coming, though the Lord is going away. He will
send the Spirit and the Spirit Himself will come and He will
come very much as the Spirit of Christ. Oh, this is the promise
that the Lord Himself has given to His people. And John, John
speaks of these things even in that portion that we were reading
there in his first general epistle. He says, Who is a liar, but he
that denieth of Jesus is the Christ. He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the
same hath not the Father. But he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also. All let that therefore abide
in you which ye have heard from the beginning. He goes on, verse
28, Now little children abide in him. that when He shall appear
we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His
coming as the Lord comes so His children are able to abide in
Him. There is a real fellowship. Our
fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ
our Lord. Oh, there is that spiritual coming
now. That presence of the Lord Jesus Christ that He particularly
speaks of and promises in those chapters later on here in John's
Gospel that coming is corporate. Christ is the one who is pleased
to come and to be present in the midst of his church. That
is the great promise, is it not? Where two or three are met together
in my name, he says. There am I in the midst. We have to be careful when we
make reference to scripture, sometimes that verse might be
misquoted. The significant words are omitted.
Some say where two or three are met together, there am I in the
midst. But the Lord doesn't say that. It's where two or three
are met together in my name. Oh, it's as we come together
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is there. He is in
the midst of the church. That is His promise. And this
is what John, of course, witnesses in the opening chapter of the book
of the Revelation. We know how the language here
is highly symbolic. How all these things are signified
unto John. The revelation of Jesus Christ.
which God gave unto him, to show unto his servant things which
must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant John. He signified it, as it were.
Signs, symbols. And what is the first thing that
John is brought to witness? It is Christ. The glorified Christ. but where is it that John sees
him? He hears a voice we're told in
verse 12 and he turns and he sees seven golden candlesticks
and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the
son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about
the paps with a golden girdle and then he goes on to describe
more fully this person, this glorified person. But he tells
us later what the seven candlesticks represent. The seven candlesticks
are the seven churches. That's what it says at the end
of the chapter. The seven candlesticks which
thou sawest are the seven churches. And then of course in chapters
2 and 3 we have the letters that are addressed to those seven
churches. And as I said the language here
is highly symbolic and all these things are signified and seven
is that number that is a symbolic number and has the very idea
of that that is perfect. It's after God has created all
things in six days, at the seventh day He beholds His works of creation
and pronounces all to be very good. Why, from the beginning,
seven clearly indicates the perfect work of God. And this is the
church. And where is the Lord Jesus Christ
present now? Oh yes, He has physically ascended
into heaven, He is no more upon the earth. He who was raised
again in that very body in which he had been crucified is now
in that same body ascended and entered into heaven and never
lives to make intercession and yet spiritually the Lord Jesus
Christ is pleased to come and to dwell in the midst of the
church. That is the glory of the church.
The true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the mark of the
church. Christ is there. He comes and
He manifests Himself amongst His people and He doesn't manifest
Himself in the world. And ultimately that will be the
glory of heaven itself. There the tabernacle of God we
are told is with men and He will dwell with them. Again we have
it in the language of the book of the Revelation. Right at the
end of the Revelation in chapter 21 that John speaks of new heaven and
a new earth and he says at verse 3 I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will
dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself
shall be with them and be their God. Now Again, let us remember
how much of the language here in the Revelation is taken from
the Old Testament Scriptures. What's the significance of the
Tabernacle in the Old Testament? Why it's the presence of God
in the midst of Israel. There at the very center of the
Tabernacle is the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant and
the Mercy Seat and God sitting enthroned in the midst of Israel.
And here is the glory of heaven. God's tabernacle is with men
and He will dwell with them. Later in the chapter concerning
this heavenly Jerusalem, what do we read? The city had no need
of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory
of God did lighten it. And the Lamb is the light thereof. Heaven is that place, you see,
where the Lord Jesus, the glorified Savior, dwells. But He also comes
and dwells among men still. He dwells in the midst of His
Church. And so when the Church gathers,
when we come together in this fashion, Sabbath by Sabbath,
Lord's Day by Lord's Day, should we not be those who are anticipating
some foretaste of Heaven? all the assembly of the saints
we come together to worship God what is their business in heaven
they worship God day and night in his temple here surely friends
as we gather together we should be looking and waiting and expecting
that gracious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ he is there
corporately when the church is together he comes and he dwells
in the midst and so here Let us be those who are anticipating
heaven, or where congregations ne'er break up, where Sabbaths
know no end. But then this idea of the Lord
Jesus Christ dwelling amongst his people, he doesn't only come
corporately in the church, does he not come individually into
the life of every believer? It is Christ in you, says Paul. Christ in you, the hope of glory. When the Lord Jesus is pleased
to come into the soul of the sinner, behold, says Christ,
the kingdom of God is within you. He teaches us in that pattern
prayer how we are to pray and amongst the various petitions
that we are to May come to God, we are to say, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Or when we pray
for that kingdom, do we really want it to come into our own
souls? This is where God's kingdom is to be established. My kingdom,
He says, is not of this world. If my kingdom was of this world,
then would my servants fight. His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
He comes to establish that reign of grace in the soul of sinners.
And how the Apostle knew it, that man who was such a great
enemy of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, soul of Tarsus,
such a zealot, a Pharisee of the Pharisees he was, bent on
the destruction of Christians and yet, oh, he pleased the Lord. He pleased the Lord to save him
and how does he describe his experience of conversion? when He pleased God, He says,
who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me. All Christ comes to dwell in
the hearts of His people. He comes to us individually,
personally. It's a spiritual coming. And
how strange it is, what a strange feeling for the sinner, that
ever the Lord should come and make His dwelling place in such
a heart when the Lord is dealing with us and showing us our sins,
when He brings us to that place of conviction. Joseph Hart says,
our staggering faith gives way to doubt, our courage yields
to fear, shocked at the sight we straight cry out, can ever
God dwell here? Does God really come and dwell
in my heart? Does the Lord God really come
and dwell in your heart? Is that how you feel this morning,
you such a sinner? Or sometimes we think if people
really know what we were like, if they really knew the things
that went through our minds, the things that were in our hearts,
none would have any dealings with us and yet the Lord knows
all about us. He knows our thoughts are far
off, those sinful thoughts, before ever we think them. He knows
how wicked we are, He knows that our hearts are a sink of iniquity
and yet, this is where the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to come
and dwell and to make His spiritual presence known and felt. All the Lord dwells in the hearts
of sinful men and sinful women. This is our comfort, is it not?
Even as we come together this morning. The word was made flesh,
says John, and dwelt among us. Yes, there was that real physical
coming. But still the Lord comes. He
comes into the church. When we come together, oh, let
us be those who are looking and watching and waiting for His
appearing. But He comes also. and deals with us in such a personal
an amazing way really showing us our sins and yet showing us
that great salvation where sin abounds grace does so much more
abound and what are we to behold is this glory it's the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ John says he dwelt among us and we
beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father
now let me remind you friends that glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ is twofold there is a twofold glory here there is the glory
of the person the glory of Christ person the Son of the Father
He is in truth and in love yes The believer is one favoured
with that spirit of adoption. But the Lord Jesus Christ is
not the adopted Son, He is the real Son. He is the eternal Son,
the Son of the Father in truth and in love, the only begotten
of the Father. As we said last time, it's that
great truth of His eternal generation. We see him there in the Old Testament,
we see him in that 8th chapter of the book of Proverbs, that
one who is revealed to us as the wisdom of God, just as he
is the Word of God. And how does he speak there in
Proverbs chapter 8, when there were no depths, I was brought
forth. when there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth, before there was any work of
creation, in other words. Before God created. From all
eternity He is saying, I was brought forth. Whose goings forth,
says Micah the prophet, have been of old from everlasting. Why? We sang of it, did we not? There, in that hymn, our opening
praise, Verse 3, as sin was born, or
Satan fell, he led the host of morning stars, thy generation,
who can tell or count the number of thy years? Why, there is no
number of his years, he is from everlasting. eternally begotten
of the Father. And this is such an important
part of His glory. This is why we have to contend
for these things. And again, it's John. John in
his writings in the New Testament, John in his Gospel, John in those
three epistles that bear his name, writing of course under
the gracious inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but nonetheless
it's John's writing. It's not Paul. And you know,
in inspiration we're not to discount the personality of those that
the Lord is using. John's writings are quite distinct
and different to Paul's or Peter's writings. The great mystery of
the way in which the Spirit inspires these men. But now John is inspired
time and again to write of the glories of Christ. And what does
he say when we come to the end of that first general epistle? The last verse, or the last but
one verse, we know that the Son of God is come and hath given
us an understanding that we may know Him that is true and we
are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus Christ, this
is the true God and eternal life, little children. Keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. Oh God, preserve us from
idols. God, open our eyes to the glories
of that eternal sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Surely, if
any should be contending for such a doctrine, it is those
who call themselves strict Baptists. those who would identify with
that noble testimony of J.C. Philpott. When, as I said, last
Lord's Day evening, he wrote that seminal work on the eternal
sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Read it. Read it. Out there we see something of
the glories that belong unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He dwelt
among us, or does He dwell in our hearts? And do we behold
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth." Remember the language of the Baptist. John here immediately introduces
us to that testimony. John bear witness of him. He
was Christ's forerunner, coming to prepare the way for him. What
does John say? I saw and bear record, he says,
that this is the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth, this is the
Son of God. How vital the doctrine is. How vital it is, friends. If
we deny this doctrine, we're denying God. Whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. That's what John says there in
his second, that little epistle. That second epistle of John in
verse 9. Read it. And meditate in those
words. He is the Eternal Son. And this
is His glory. But He is the Eternal Son manifest
in the flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. And we beheld His glory. It's
a revealed glory. It's a real man. It's a true
human nature, made flesh. We're not just to think in terms
of His body, but also His soul. He is the last Adam. as we read in 1 Corinthians 15
we have the first Adam and the first Adam is a type of him who
is the last Adam the first man is of the earth
earthing the second man is the Lord from heaven and that first
man is a wonderful type of him who is the second man and the
first Adam he is made of the dust of the earth and God breathes
into his nostrils the breath of life and he is a living soul
and so too the last Adam his human nature, his body and soul
he makes his soul an offering for sin all he experiences is death and
what is death it is that severing of the soul from the body that
separation he experienced it he said it is finished and he
healed it up the ghost into thy hands I commend my spirit he
experienced dying he's a man always a real man and that's what we confess you
see not just His deity, but also the blessed truth of His humanity,
how He has come to identify with His people. Bone of their bone,
flesh of their flesh, He comes just where they are. Again, listen
to the language of John contending for this precious truth. Not
now the deity, but the humanity, that Christ really has come.
there in that first general epistle in chapter 4 in verse 2 he says,
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every
spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof
ye have heard that it should come and even now already is
it in the world. Those who deny him who deny the
truth of His human nature, they are of the spirit of Antichrist, or the glory of Christ's person.
Yes, He is God, but yes, He is also man. Who, although He be
God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One Christ, in
the words of the Athanasian Creed. Oh, the glory, you see, beholding
the glory of the Lord Jesus, but not just the glory of His
person, but also we must behold the glory of that great work
that the Lord Jesus Christ has come and has accomplished. We read of Him here, full of
grace and truth. And John goes on at verse 17,
for the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. He is that one who is the faithful
and the true witness. In the language of the Psalm,
Psalm 45, grace is poured into thy lips, always ministry. his
ministry. I am the way, he says, the truth
and the life. No man cometh unto God but by
me. What a revelation of the truth. That one who is the fulfillment
of the prophetic office in the Old Testament. That one who is
the great prophet that was promised like unto Moses and yet so much
greater than Moses. Never man spake like this man. And what this man spake he did.
It's not just his ministry. It's not just the words that
he speak. It's also the manner of his living. Remember how he
speaks to his own disciples concerning the ministry. of the scribes and the Pharisees. There at the opening part of
Matthew 23, it's all then, spake Jesus to the multitude and to
his disciples, saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses'
seat. All therefore whatsoever they
bid you observe, that observe and do. In other words, respect
them, they're sitting in the seat of Moses, they have authority.
whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do says the
Lord but do you not after their works for they say and do not
here is the difference or they might sit in Moses seat and they
might lay many burdens upon the people but they don't do what
they preach but how different the Lord Jesus Christ how different
He is that one who doesn't only speak truth, he does truth. He
practices his own ministry. Now, he is referred to in prophetic
scripture. The Lord is well pleased for
his righteousness sake, it says. For he will magnify the Lord
and make it honorable. How has he magnified the Lord?
This is his work. All this is His work. He is made
of a woman. He is made under the law. He is subject to the law. He
obeys the law. That's how He magnifies it. By
a life of obedience to every commandment of God. A life that
in every detail is well pleasing to God. He pleases God in thought,
in word, and in deed. Why? He is the end of the law
for righteousness. to everyone that believe and
in the Lord Jesus Christ how we see all the attributes of
God, what a revelation all God's attributes, all that God is and
what is God, why God is love but God is also the Holy One
of Israel He's a just God, a righteous God And all these holy attributes
harmonize in that great work that the Lord Jesus Christ came
to accomplish. Again, the language of the Psalmist,
all the Psalms, they're full of Christ. Mercy and truth are
met together, says the Psalmist. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Why in the Lord Jesus Christ
we see that even God's justice and God's holiness is now on
the side of the poor sinner. Oh God is just and yet God is
the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. This is what the Lord
Jesus Christ has done. He has granted such a full revelation
of the glories of God. He dwelt among us, says John.
We beheld His glory, the glories of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and of truth. Yes, it's grace, but it's also
truth. God's truth. God's holiness. God's righteousness. All for
the sinner. We read it there at the end of
that opening chapter in that first general epistle of John.
If we confess our sins, if we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What remarkable words. John could
have said, if we confess our sins, He is merciful and gracious. He is that. He is love. And yet John says he is faithful
and just. The faithfulness of God and the
justice of God, all that God is, is now for the sinner. Oh friends, are we those sinners?
Are we those sinners who desire to behold something of the glories
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of God? in the face of
the Lord Jesus Christ. There is, you see, a consequence
when he comes to dwell. John says he dwelt among us.
And John is speaking, of course, and we have to recognize that
this is what he's principally speaking of. He's speaking of
that physical coming, the great truth of the Incarnation, God
manifest in the flesh, God here upon the earth in a physical
sense. He dwelt among us. when we beheld his glory, the
glories of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and
truth, John beheld him but John also beheld him spiritually John
beheld him spiritually John saw Christ after he had died and
risen again and ascended on high when he was on the Isle of Patmos
he saw the glorified Christ and there is a consequence if we
behold Christ what does John say when I when I saw him, I
fell at his feet as dead." Oh, it's an overwhelming sight for
the sinner, even the beloved Apostle John, to see Christ,
to behold Christ, to know what it is for the Lord to come and
dwell amongst us, to be present. When I saw him I fell at his
feet as dead and John says he laid his right hand upon me and
said unto me fear not I am the first and last I am he that liveth
and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore amen and have
the keys of hell and of death for the grace of the Lord Jesus
he says to John their prostrate fear not or that He might come,
friends, to us today and speak such language to us, or that
we might see all the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
only Saviour of sinners. There is none other name under
heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved, or there is
salvation in none other. O God, grant him that we might
be those who are favored to behold him. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. O the Lord be pleased
to bless this scripture to us. Amen.