Praise God—it is almost Sunday. We *get* to go back to church. Richard Sib-bes’ very insightful words are helpful to us, as they come from his excellent book, entitled, "The Bruised Reed." . . .
“Regarding Christ's Public Triumph . . ."It is not only said that judgment shall be victorious, but that Christ will bring it forth openly to victory. From this we observe that grace will become glory, and come forth into the sight of all. Now Christ conquers, and achieves His own ends, but He does so to some extent invisibly. His enemies in us and outside us seem to prevail. But He will bring forth judgment unto victory, in full view of all. The wicked that now shut their eyes to this shall see it to their torment. It shall not be in the power of subtle men to see or not see what they wish. Christ will have power over their hearts; and as His wrath shall immediately seize upon their souls against their wills, so will He have power over the eyes of their souls, that they may see and know what will increase their misery. Grief shall be fastened to all their senses, and their senses to grief.
"Then all the false glosses [opinions] which they put upon things shall be wip-ed off. Men are desirous to have the reputation of good, and yet the sweet-ness of ill; nothing is so cordially opposed by them as that truth which lays them open to themselves and to the eyes of others—their chief care being how to deceive the world and their own consciences. But the time will come when they shall be driven out of this fools' paradise, and the more subtle their manipulation of things has been, the more shall be their shame."
