Re: they are gazing but the atmosphere now, won't snap programmings later
Robette
like the dawning of the day, when at first but a little light appears,
and it may be presently hid with a cloud; and then it appears again, and
shines a little brighter, and gradually increases, with intervening
darkness, till at length it breaks forth more clearly from behind the
clouds. And many are, doubtless, ready to date their conversion wrong,
throwing by those lesser degrees of light that appeared at first
dawning, and calling some more remarkable experience they had
afterwards, their conversion. This often, in a great measure, arises
from a wrong understanding of what they have always been taught, that
conversion is a great change, wherein old things are done away, and all
things become new, or at least from a false inference from that
doctrine.
Persons commonly at first conversion, and afterwards, have had many
texts of Scripture brought to their minds, which are exceeding suitable
to their circumstances, often come with great power, as the word of God
or of Christ indeed; and many have a multitude of sweet invitations,
promises, and doxologies flowing in one after another, bringing great
light and comfort with them, filling the soul brimful, enl
Robette
say of them.
When they say that it will be eternal, do they mean to speak of that
covenant which they say will be changed; and so of the sacrifices, etc.?
A cipher has two meanings. When we find out an important letter in which we
discover a clear meaning, and in which it is nevertheless said that the
meaning is veiled and obscure, that it is hidden, so that we might read the
letter without seeing it, and interpret it without understanding it, what
must we think but that here is a cipher with a double meaning, and the more
so if we find obvious contradictions in the literal meaning? The prophets
have clearly said that Israel would be always loved by God and that the law
would be eternal; and they have said that their meaning would not be
understood and that it was veiled.
How greatly, then, ought we to value those who interpret the cipher and
teach us to understand the hidden meaning, especially if the principles
which they educe are perfectly clear and natural! This is what Jesus Christ
did, and the Apostles. They broke the seal; He rent the veil, and revealed
the spirit. They have taught us through this that the enemies of man are his
passions; that the Redeemer would be spiritual, and His reign spiritual;
that there would be two advents, one in lowliness to humble the proud, the
other in glory to exalt the humble; that Jesus Christ would be both God and
man.
679. Types.--Jesus Christ opened their mind to understand the Scriptures.
Two great revelations are these. (1) All things happened to them in types:
vere Israelitae, vere liberi, true bread from Heaven. (2) A God humbled to
the Cross.