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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1876)
HSHHHHHHite& a A ,,-A.ttij iniHHn V (t The Dent re for Glory. filled it with eternal strife. But because it lias wrought mischief does Hint disprove the excellence of the love of trur glory as an inspiration of the soul? Having (lis. tinguished the two, let us proceed to eon. aider if it is not a Christian duty to cherish in our souls and to enkindle into ardor the love of the true glory. Consider llrst the fact that the desire of true glory is eternally cherished in the mind of God Himself. From all eternity Ho has desired that in which we have seen true glory to consist, "To deserve the supreme blessedness, which is one of the legitimate rewards of iutlnito perfec tion, and to enjoy the appreciation, and the praise and the accorded honor, which is another. Dr. Edwards says Hint it is Hie doctrine of the Bible that the ultimate or highest end of God in the creation was his own glory. The scriptures teach that ho created all tilings for his own glory and that he expects all creatures to glorify him, even to the extent oV making this the chief end of their existence. Then since the migthy Father desires and al ways will desire true glory, is it not one of the highest duties of his children to de sire it also? Can we have any nobler as spirations than to resemble Qod in at tempting to deserve and receive the re wards of genuine virtue? Again, Christ, while a man on earth, aiu.1 ever since his exaltation, has ever desired true glory. He led a sinless life that he might deserve it in the highest degree and that ho ex pected it as a reward for his spotless life may bo seen from the following: The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. " "Now is Hie Sou of Aran glorified and God is glorified in him. " "And now, O Father, glorify thou mo with thine own self, with the glory that I had with thee before the 'world was." " Ought not Christ to have suffered and to enter into glory. " From this wo see that our Bcdcemor desired glory, attained it, enjoys it and will continue to desire and enjoy it forever. Then to desire true glo ry is Christ-like. That the desire for glory is a positive duty is shown by the fao. that, as it is ex plained, it includes the highest good that we are made capable of attaining. For since it consists in desiring and enjoying the highest rewards of virtue, the do sire for it is first, to bo in the highest de gree virtuous and good, to realize the moral perfection and beauty of our being when it is made what God designed. Then the second part of the desire is to bo approved and loved and honored as good by all good beings who may have knowledge of us, to receive the love of God The Supremo Good. and of all his followers. This is the glory that Christ enjoys and that lie promises His own. This certainly hi true glory enjoyed in the highest degree. Is it not our duty then earnestly to desire it? God desires it, Christ desires it. It is the highest good we arc capable of attaining. Is not that sulllcient reason why we should earnestly desiie it? It now remains to say that this desire for true glory is sure to be ultimately satisfied. The desiie of being good, of deserving the approbation of God and of coming to the full enjoy ment of i is the most distinguishing and infallible characteristic of Hie Christian, of a renewed and believing soul. As bu fore said the desire for glorv in natural men assumes ttie character of a selfish de sire to grasp the honor that belongs to virtue without possessing the virtue and only as, by the power of Christ and His gospel, and the inward work of the Holy Spirit, the views of men are elevated from the false and fixed on the true, as the heart is divested of -selfishness and tilled with' a genuine love of goodness docs one feel the noble desire for true glory. God, by the redemption of his son, Christ as the redeemer and savior of sin ful men purposed to purify them and thou to satisfy the constitutional longing f their soul. Breaking the bondage of self ishness and corruption by sin, In. restores Hie perception of what is morally excel-
