There is therefore heart-pulling glory in Jesus Christ, which, when discovered, draws the man to him; wherefore by shall come to me, Christ may mean, when his glory is discovered, then they must come, then they shall come to me. Therefore, as the true comers come with weeping and relenting, as being sensible of their own vileness, so again it is said, that “the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” That is, at the sight of the glory of that grace that shows itself to them now in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the hopes that they now have of being with him in the heavenly tabernacles. Therefore it says again, “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the King’s palace” (Isa 35:10; 51:11; Psa 45:15). There is therefore heart-attracting glory in the Lord Jesus Christ, which, when discovered, subjects the heart to the Word, and makes us come to him.
It is said of Abraham, that when he dwelt in Mesopotamia, “the God of glory appeared unto him,” saying, “Get thee out of thy country.” And what then? He went away from his house and friends, and the world could not stay with him. “Now,” as the Psalmist says, “Who is this King of glory?” he answers, “The Lord, mighty in battle” (Psa 24:8). And who was that, but he that “spoiled principalities and powers,” when he did hang upon the tree, triumphing over them thereon? And who was that but Jesus Christ, even the person speaking in the text? Therefore, he said of Abraham, “He saw his day. Yea,” saith he to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad” (Col 2:15; James 2:23; John 8:56).
Indeed, the carnal man says, at least in his heart, “There is no form or comeliness in Christ; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him,” (Isa 53:2); but he lies. This is how he speaks as if having never seen him. But they that stand in his house, and look upon him through the glass of his Word, with the help of his Holy Spirit, will tell you other things. “But we all,” say they, “with an open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18). They see glory in his personal, glory in his undertakings, glory in the merit of his blood, and glory in the perfection of his righteousness; yea, heart-affecting, heart-sweetening, and heart-changing glory!
Indeed, his glory is veiled, and cannot be seen but as discovered by the Father (Matt 11:27). It is veiled with flesh, with the meanness of descent from the flesh, and with that ignominy and shame that attended him in the flesh; but they that can, in God’s light, see through these things, they shall see glory in him; yea, such glory as will draw and pull their hearts unto him.
Moses was the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter; and for aught I know, had been king at last, had he now conformed to the present vanities that were there at court; but he could not, he would not do it. Why? What was the matter? Why! he saw more in the worst of Christ (bear with the expression), than he saw in the best of all the treasures of the land of Egypt. He “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.” But what emboldened him thus to do? Why, “he endured;” for he had a sight of the person speaking in the text. “He endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” But I say, would a sight of Jesus have thus taken away Moses’ heart from a crown, and a kingdom, &c., had he not by that sight seen more in him than was to be seen in them? (Heb 11:24-26).
Therefore, when he saith, shall come to me, he means, they shall have a discovery of the glory of the grace that is in him; and the beauty and glory of that is of such virtue, that it constrained, and forced, with blessed violence, the hearts of those that are given to him.
Moses, of whom we spoke before, was no child when he was thus taken with the beauteous glory of his Lord. He was forty years old, and so consequently was able, being a man of that wisdom and opportunity as he was, to make the best judgment of the things, and of the goodness of them that was before him in the land of Egypt. But he, even he it was, that set that low esteem upon the glory of Egypt, as to count it not worth the meddling with when he saw this Lord Jesus Christ. This wicked world thinks, that the fancies of a heaven, and happiness hereafter, may serve well enough to take the heart of such, as either have not the world’s good things to delight in; or that are fools, and know not how to delight themselves therein. But let them know again that we have had men of all ranks and qualities, taken with the glory of our Lord Jesus, and left all to follow him. As Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon; and who not, that had either wit or grace, to savor heavenly things? Indeed none can stand off from him, nor any longer hold out against him to whom he reveals the glory of his grace.
