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We read in Luke 4:22, “And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” Never did such gracious and sweet words drop from the lips of any man that ever lived, as those from the lips of Christ when He was here upon the earth; and of all Christ’s words, those which He spoke to His disciples in His last sermon, before His last suffering, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John, are superlatively sweet, and none more sweet in this sermon than the words of my text read unto you, “And he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” In the former part of the verse, we have the character of one that truly loves Christ, “He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” In the latter part of the verse, which is my text, we have the privilege of one that truly loves Christ; and that is in three promises which Christ makes unto him: (1) “he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father;” (2) “and I will love him;” (3) “and will manifest Myself to him.”
It is the last of these promises which I shall speak unto, by way of appendix unto my treatise of the love which true Christians have, and ought to have, to Christ, and that is the promise of Christ’s manifesting Himself unto such as love Him. And the doctrine is this:
Doctrine. Christ will manifest Himself unto such as love Him.
In handling this point, I shall show: (1) what it is for Christ to manifest Himself; (2) that Christ will manifest Himself to them that love Him; (3) how Christ manifests Himself unto such; (4) when Christ manifests Himself unto such; (5) where Christ manifests Himself unto such as love Him.
1. What it is for Christ to manifest Himself.
(1) Christ manifests Himself when He makes a clearer revelation unto His disciples of the excellency of His person; when He further unveils Himself and lets forth some beams and rays with greater luster and brightness to reveal more of the radiance and transcendence of His soul-ravishing beauty unto them, of which they had but a dimmer light and darker apprehensions before. And this is done when Christ more fully imparts the Spirit of wisdom and revelation unto them. Upon this account, the Apostle prayed on behalf of the believing Ephesians that the Lord would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to enlighten their understandings in the knowledge of Him, Ephesians 1:16-18. They had the Spirit and some knowledge of Christ before, but he prays that God would give them a fuller measure of the Spirit to make a clearer discovery of Christ, that the eyes of their understandings might be more and more enlightened unto a more spiritual discerning of the surpassing beauty and excellency in Christ’s person, in the knowledge of whom the most enlightened Christians are capable of further growth unto the end of their life. Hence that exhortation of the Apostle Peter, 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
(2) Christ manifests Himself when He makes a deep impression and gives a sweet sense to His disciples of His presence. Christ is never really absent from such as love Him, but He may seem to be so sometimes. They may apprehend Him to be afar off. He may, and often does, withdraw the sense of His presence, Song of Solomon 5:6, “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone.” Christ manifests Himself when He draws near to His people, and makes them feel when He is near; giving them a sweet sense of His presence through the powerful breathings of His Spirit upon them, whereby their hearts are quickened, enlarged, and drawn forth towards Himself, and their graces excited unto powerful exercise.
(3) And, chiefly, Christ manifests Himself when He makes revelation of His love unto them that love Him; when He gives them to see not only the beauty of His face, but also the smiles of His face; when He gives them to behold the amiableness of His countenance; when He sheds abroad the sense of His love into their hearts, giving them a full persuasion of His special love unto them, and also a sweet sense thereof.
Thus Christ sometimes looks and speaks kindly unto His people; and this sweet language is not spoken to the ear of the body, but inwardly by His Spirit to their souls when He says to the soul, “I am your salvation and your Savior; I have loved you with an everlasting love, and My love is unchangeable. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My lovingkindness shall never depart and be removed from you. I have given Myself for you, and I have given Myself to you, and I will never repent of this gift. I have chosen you for Myself, called and joined you unto Myself, and I will never repent of this choice, nor suffer you to be disjointed from Me forever. I have you upon My heart and keep you in My hand, and no powers of earth or hell shall be able to pluck you from there. I have given you My grace, and I will show you My glory; and, ere long, I will appear in the world and receive you to Myself that, where I am, there you may be also. Dry up, then, your tears, clear up your countenance, banish your fears, droop no longer, despond no more, but be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven you; your name is written in My book, which none can blot out. You have a true love for Me, and My Father Himself loves you, and I love you with a most endeared love and, therefore, do not question or doubt My love any more.”
Thus Christ manifests Himself and His love, sometimes, unto drooping desponding souls.
2. That Christ will manifest Himself unto them that love Him appears in that His love engages Him and His Word engages Him hereunto. His love engages Him. The love of Christ is like fire that cannot conceal itself long; and there is no fire so strong, or has such a vehement flame, as the love of Christ to His people. Joseph had a great love to his brethren, notwithstanding all their unkindness; and, although he concealed himself for awhile and spoke roughly unto them, yet after they were sensible of their fault and were filled with perplexing fears, he could conceal himself no longer from them, as we read in Genesis 45:1, “Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all that stood by him; he wept aloud, and said unto his brethren, I am Joseph.” And verse 2, “Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near me, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.” So Christ may conceal Himself for awhile from His people, whatever love He has to them and whatever they have to Him. Some unkindness they have shown may be the cause of this hiding; but, when they are sensible of their fault, full of grief and perplexity for their offences, His love will not permit Him to hide Himself much longer. His love will engage Him to manifest and reveal Himself, and say, “I am Jesus, your Savior. Come near Me, My brethren; come near Me, that you may have a clearer view of Me, that you may know Me, and know that I love you.”
The Word of Christ also engages Him to manifest Himself unto them that love Him. It is Christ’s promise here in the text, “He that loveth Me, shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him.” Christ’s words are sure; true and faithful is Christ’s name. The ordinances of the heavens may sooner fail than Christ fail of His Word and promise.
3. How Christ manifests Himself unto them that love Him.
(1) Christ here, in this world, manifests Himself but in part and darkly.
The soul is not now capable of the fullest and clearest manifestation of
Christ. This is a happiness reserved for the other world, 1 John 3:2, “Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth 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.” John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also whom Thou
hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory which
Thou hast given Me.” It is hereafter that Christ’s disciples shall be perfectly
like Christ, and shall have a perfect manifestation of Christ, that they
shall see Him as He is. It is hereafter that they shall behold His glory.
The luster and brightness of Christ’s glory is so great that, should He
now let forth the beams thereof upon them, it would dazzle and amaze them;
it would strike them blind. Yea, it would strike them dead. There is need,
because of their weakness, that Christ should keep a veil on His face when
He makes discovery of Himself. They cannot now bear the full manifestation
of Christ, therefore Christ reveals Himself but in part. As the Queen of
Sheba said, concerning Solomon’s wisdom and prosperity, 1 Kings 10:6-7,
“It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and thy
wisdom: howbeit, I believed not the words, until I came and mine eyes had
seen it: and behold the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity
exceedeth the fame thereof.”
It is not the one half which Christ’s disciples now hear, or
can in this world discern, of their Master’s excellencies. It has not now
entered into their hearts to conceive what beauties, and glories, and most
admirable perfections there are hidden in their Beloved. Not only Christ’s
love, but also Christ’s loveliness passes their knowledge. There are such
dimensions of most wonderful glory in Christ’s person as infinitely transcend
the capacity of the most elevated minds fully to comprehend. Christ manifests
Himself truly to them that love Him, yet is it but partly, and that but
a little part. It is but darkly by the beams of a more obscure light, 1
Corinthians 13:9-12, “For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child; but when I became a
man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly;
but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know, even
also as I am known.”
We ministers prophecy but in part. We can tell you but a little of what there really is in Christ, and both we and you know but in part. Our conceptions of Christ’s excellencies and our expressions now are childish; hereafter, there will be a perfect manifestation of Christ, and then all imperfections of knowledge will be removed. Now you may see Christ, but it is through a glass darkly; hereafter, face to face. Indeed, it is said, 2 Corinthians 3:18, “We all, with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed,” There is a comparative open discovery of Christ now in gospel-times over what there was under the law; the veil of types and figures which covered and, in a great measure, hid Christ from the view is now removed. Our face is now open from that veil, but Christ’s face is not fully open. There is a glass still between our eye and Christ’s face (the glass of ordinances which, though it helps us to see Him, yet it keeps us from the clearest discovery of Him). We see but through a glass darkly; our eyes now need this glass to help our weakness, and that we may see what we do see. There is a time coming when we shall be above the need and use of the ordinance glasses, I mean, when we shall see Christ face to face, and know Him in heaven as we are known by Him.
(2) Christ now manifests Himself gradually unto them that love Him. Christ does not show at once and altogether what He means to reveal of Himself and His love, but He does it by degrees; a little at one time and a little at another time, a little in this ordinance and little in that. Now He lets down some comfortable beams of the light of His countenance into the soul; by and by, clouds arise and obscure this light and darkness is upon the spirit. Sometimes, Christ opens the curtain, looks upon the soul, and gives gracious smiles; by and by, the curtain is drawn and His face is hid. Now He appears and then He disappears; He manifests Himself at one time, withdraws Himself at another time; and so leads His people on from one revelation of Himself unto another, until He brings them at last unto the full discovery of Himself in glory.
(3) Christ manifests Himself most sweetly unto them that love Him, especially after long absence. When the soul has been seeking and cannot find Him, wandering in the wilderness under amazing fears, perplexing doubts, doleful despondencies, sinking and heart-overwhelming grief, after a black night of deep desertion, Oh, how sweet is the day spring from on high! Oh how comfortable are the bright beams of the morning light, when He shines upon their dark, despised, and sorrowful spirits; giving them to know assuredly that they are the dearly beloved of His soul, that He has not forgotten them, that He will not forsake them, that He has a more tender love unto them than the mother to her sucking child! Oh the ravishments of spirit! Oh the transports of soul which arise from hence! Oh the songs which are then in their mouths! This is our Beloved, we have waited for Him! This is our dear Redeemer, we have trusted in Him! Tongue cannot express the delight, the joy, and gladness of heart, which arises from the manifestation of Christ’s presence and love; the joy of harvest, the joy of the bridegroom on the wedding day, the joy of victory and taking great spoils, spoils from an enemy, the joy of a poor man in finding great treasures, and the greatest delight which ever was found in the sweetest sensual enjoyment is not worthy to be compared with the joys and exaltings of heart in the manifestation of Christ unto the soul.
4. When does Christ manifest Himself unto them that love Him?
(1) Sometimes Christ quickly manifests Himself after a little seeking. Some young converts have early and soon revelations of Christ and His love; they are cast down for a little while, and Christ soon comes unto them and lifts them up again. Weeping endures but for a night, and joy comes early in the morning. They have the spirit of bondage, who awakens them to fear; by and by the Spirit of adoption graciously visits them, and makes discovery of their relation to the Father, the love of their Savior, and sheds abroad the sense of His love into their hearts.
(2) Sometimes Christ is long before He manifests Himself. It is long before some seek Christ, and it is long before such find Him. Christ waits long to be gracious unto them, and Christ often makes them wait long before He manifests to them His lovingkindness; yea, sometimes, early seekers are no early finders. Christ makes some wait a long time to try their faith and patience, their love and obedience, so that He may prepare them for more than ordinary comforts and sweetness which He intends to give in the revealing of Himself unto them.
(3) Sometimes Christ suddenly manifests Himself unto them that love Him, Song of Solomon 6:12, “Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab.” Before ever they are aware, they see the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof; and the Lord Jesus comes unto them in the chariots of salvation, with such glory and luster as transports and amazes them.
Some Christians that truly love Christ have sought Him in this ordinance and have not found Him, and they have sought Christ in that ordinance and have not found Him. They have been looking, waiting, and hoping that at this time Christ would reveal Himself, or at that time He would reveal Himself, and still He has hid Himself; still they have come off with disappointment. This has been their grief, this they have complained of before God, and they have been under fears lest they should never see Him, never meet with Him at all. Hereupon their spirits have been ready to fail and sink within them and, in discouragement, they have been ready to say or think that all their labor would be in vain; and yet they have resolved to seek Him to their death. And, though He should kill them, to put their trust in Him; and, behold, all of a sudden, when they have had the least expectation, and their hope has been ready to give up the ghost, they have met with Christ and found Him whom their soul loves. All of a sudden, the veil of the temple has been rent and they have seen their Beloved in the Holy of Holies. All of a sudden the clouds have fled, their darkness has passed away, and the light has shone. The north-wind of trouble has ceased, and the sweet southern gales have blown upon them. I mean, they have been under such shinings and breathings of the Spirit that they have seen and felt the presence of Christ, and such a sweet sense of His love as has filled them with soul-ravishing joy.
(4) Christ manifests Himself seasonably unto them that love Him. Though He does not always manifest Himself when they most desire, yet He manifests Himself when they have most need; and then they have most need when they are most low, when they are most low in their spirits, most poor and mean in their own esteem as well as most low in their condition through affliction and trouble. Humility and patience under affliction makes way for the experience of Christ’s manifestation. Christ, many times, reserves His cordials for the fainting fits, and the sweetest consolations in the discoveries of His love for the time of the greatest adversity; especially when the trouble is for His sake, He is graciously present. John had his visions when he was banished for the sake of Christ unto the isle Patmos. And when all men forsook Paul at his answer to Nero, then the Lord came to him, stood by him, and strengthened him.
5. Where does Christ manifest Himself unto them that love Him? This is in the way of His ordinances; there He walks, there He appears unto His people. Sometimes Christ manifests Himself in the way of private ordinances, when they seek Him in their families or in their closets, when they speak of Him in conference, or when they think of Him in their meditation and contemplation.
Sometimes Christ manifests Himself unto them that love Him in the way
of public ordinances, in public prayer or fasting, in hearing the Word,
or when they are feasting at His table. Especially in this last-mentioned
ordinance, Christ frequently manifests Himself unto His disciples most
sweetly. At the Lord’s table, the Lord appears; in breaking bread, He reveals
Himself, as to the disciples that went to Emmaus. In His banqueting house,
He gives them to feast on His love. There are many who can say by experience
that, if ever they meet with Christ in their lives, and in any ordinance,
they have met with Him at the sacrament. There He has unveiled His face,
there He has revealed His love, there He has breathed upon them by His
Spirit, there they have found and felt the Lord to be near.
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