Section 1

1. What it is for Christ to manifest Himself?

1. Christ does manifest himself when he makes a clearer discovery to His disciples of the excellency of His person, when he does further unveil himself, and lets forth some beams and rays, with greater luster and brightness, to discover more of the oriency and transcendency of his soul-ravishing beauty to them, which they had but a dim sight and darker apprehensions of before; and this is done when Christ does more fully impart of the spirit of wisdom and revelation to them. Upon this account the Apostle did pray in the 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 before and some knowledge of Christ before, but he prays that God would give them fuller measures of the spirit, to make a clearer discovery of Christ, that the eyes of their understandings might be more and more enlightened to 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 to 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 does manifest 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 a far 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may and often does withdraw the sense of his presence (Song of Solomon 5:6): I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone.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 does manifest himself, when he does draw near to his people, and makes them feel that 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 and enlarged, and drawn forth towards himself, and their graces excited to powerful exercise.

3. And chiefly Christ does manifest Himself, when He makes discovery of His love to 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, and also lifts up upon them the light of His countenance, when he sheds abroad the sense of His love into their hearts, giving them a full persuasion of His special love to them, and also a sweet sense thereof. Thus Christ does sometimes look kindly, and speak kindly to 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 loving kindness 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 to myself, and I will never repent of this choice, nor suffer you to be disjoined from me for ever; 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 before 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 of my love any more. Thus Christ does manifest himself and his love sometimes to drooping desponding souls.