December 2

We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him. - 1 John 3:2.

WE are favoured with a partial development of the future glory of the sons of God, and we are enabled to see how far it extends and how much it comprehends. First, The apostle says, with all our ignorance, we know that he shall appear. He is now hid as to his presence and glory; but we read of his being revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, and of his coming to be admired in all them that believe. The appearance of our Lord here spoken of is personal, in distinction from his dispensation. This, we think, is not the appearance some are looking for. We only read in the Scriptures of two personal appearances of the Saviour: one of these is past, the other is future. He has appeared once. He appeared as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” In the other “he shall appear in his glory,” and shall “sit upon the throne of his glory.” Before “him shall be gathered all nations.” Once, in the end of the world, shall “he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.”

Oh, the solemnity of his appearance! Oh, the glory of that scene! Then infidels will believe, but it will be too late. Then worldlings will see that all their hoardings and treasures are gone forever. Then Christians will see the wisdom of their choice, and will “lift up their heads with joy, knowing that their redemption draweth nigh.” And while the kingdoms of the earth wail because of him, and are ashamed and confounded at his appearance, they will be enabled to exclaim, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him: this is our God; we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Secondly, The apostle says, notwithstanding all our ignorance, this we know,-that when he shall appear we shall be like him. Christians will be like their Lord in holiness. This is remarkable when we consider how inherently and universally we have been depraved. What a miracle of grace is here! that we should be transformed into the image of Him who is the “brightness of his Father’s glory and the express image of his person.” The likeness is here begun. They have the same views and dispositions as their Divine Lord, but neither in their measure or degree. Here they have only the outlines impressed, but then the whole figure will be filled up. The mind will then be freed from all error, from every thing perverse, from all vile affections, and from an irregular and carnal bias. Every Christian will then be as pure as Adam was in Paradise, and as the angels of God; yea, like the Son of God, abiding forever. This likeness will extend to the body.

The apostle therefore says, “As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” By the heavenly, then, he means the heavenly body. Yes, this vile body of our humiliation will be changed, that it may be “fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” It will take in the state, too. There will be likeness to him in this:-“He is our life;” “And when he who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.” “I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.” And to the conquerors of sin, self, and the world, he says, “I grant you to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his throne.”