My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
The Beloved is Christ, and his bride is the redeemed people he purchased at Calvary, with his description as radiant and glowing portraying him as supremely lovely and perfect without stain, and exalted as outstanding above all others. He is incomparable in character, surpassing even the noblest human excellence, with divine compassion, purity and grace that make him glorious above all creation. Beholding the beauty of his character changes believers into his image, making the soul radiant as self is surrendered and hidden in him. He is therefore to be openly set forth with gladness as supreme and altogether lovely, commended to sinners and sufferers as the one who can heal body and soul and save from sin. As the compassionate Savior in whom hopes of eternal life are centered, he will be beheld in glory by the redeemed, who will rejoice in his presence and praise him as supreme.
Beloved's Identity and Words
The phrase chiefest among ten thousand means supremely distinguished, outstanding above all others, incomparable and lovely. Applied to Christ, it presents Him as radiant and distinguished, the One above all others and perfect without any stain upon His character. He is the source of true pleasure and satisfaction, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the author of every blessing, and the One in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. His servants are to commend Him in that character as supremely lovely and worthy of desire, rather than giving any impression that He lacks beauty. No other character can compare with His, and even people admired for excellence, love, and beauty bear only a faint likeness to Him.
In the marriage imagery of the Song, the bride's Beloved is Christ and the bride is His redeemed people, whom He purchased at Calvary. The same language also describes God as the living God and King in His beauty, whose goodness and wisdom make Him worthy of the heart's highest affection. Beholding Him as altogether lovely and supreme turns people from idols to worship their Maker, brings forgiveness of sin, and leads them to boast in God alone. That boasting is in Him alone as judge, lawgiver, King, and Savior, when turning from idolatry His people receive forgiveness.
White and ruddy portrays Him as radiant, supremely lovely and beautiful, and without imperfection. He is more beautiful than the flowers He made and highest among multitudes, with no stain marring the loveliness of His character. Contemplating His perfect character rather than the flaws of human beings makes Him the model for believers, changes them into His image, and brings new delight in beholding Him. Christians are to hide self in Him and let Him appear, representing His character and giving Him undivided allegiance. Because of God's great love children's natures can be changed into harmony with Him and made beautiful with the graces of the flowers, and as they gather blossoms and learn His love from nature their hearts are entwined about Him as a daily companion and familiar friend who transforms their lives into the image of His purity.
Christ's Incomparable Excellence
The verse presents him as incomparable in character, with no other character able to compare with his. Even those admired among men for excellence and love and beauty bear only a faint likeness to him. His character surpasses even the noblest and gentlest human character, which reflects it only faintly. His life on earth revealed the divine character of God's law, showing that love and Christlike principles are at the heart of its eternal requirements. His divine compassion and purity and rich grace make him glorious above all creation and worthy of honor, and beholding him reveals the ugliness of selfishness.
He is given as the divine Example for every person instead of any human model. His life was adapted for universal imitation, uniting wealth and poverty, majesty and abasement, and unlimited power with meekness and lowliness. Through a human mind he revealed the wisdom of the greatest Teacher the world has known, with that same meekness and lowliness to be reflected in every soul who receives him. He holds his supreme place because he denied himself and bore the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice. He passed over the ground where Adam fell, took fallen human nature, was subject to every temptation even in childhood, and remained unyielding to every inducement to sin. When associates tried to lead him to do wrong he turned them by singing a sweet melody until they joined him, catching his spirit and defeating the enemy.
He was the very embodiment of virtue, better than those around him, whose plain words drew multitudes as if spellbound. Though he was this excellent One, the scribes and Pharisees and Jewish leaders envied his hold on the people, attacked his character, and maligned and persecuted him in hatred without cause. Because the world hated him for his goodness, those who separate from the world and please God will also meet displeasure and hatred and must not expect better treatment than he received in humiliation and shame. God sent him into the world to save men who because of sin did not deserve such love. Though he holds that exalted place as Beloved and altogether lovely, men at his trial mocked him, blindfolded him, struck him on the face, told him to prophesy who struck him, and spoke many blasphemous things against him, as prophecy inspired by himself had declared he would be treated.
Acclaimed by Redeemed in Glory
The Beloved is outstanding above all others, and the redeemed apply that language to Christ their Beloved, whom they will behold in glory and praise as supreme, the chiefest among ten thousand. He is the chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely, the saints' Beloved and their chief joy, and in the joy of his presence the redeemed saints rejoice and acclaim him as their own beloved, declaring that they belong to him.
At his second coming, when the just are called from their graves at the resurrection of the just, they will see the marks and wounds of Calvary remaining visible in his glorified body. Their greatest joy is found in the presence of him who sits on the throne, and rejoicing in him the enraptured saints exclaim that he is supreme above all others, acclaiming him as their beloved and altogether lovely and declaring him their own. Those rescued from death and presented with immortal crowns, as representatives of all the redeemed from every nation, find that greatest joy in his presence when he is seated beside his Father on his throne and declare him supreme above all others as their own Beloved.
He is heaven's greatest and most treasured attraction, the Chief among ten thousands and altogether lovely, and the hope of seeing him face to face makes heaven richer and more desirable than earth.
Beheld and Reflected Within
The beloved is the supreme pattern believers long to resemble, uniquely excellent and altogether lovely, the incomparable pattern for humanity whose excellence surpasses every human example. Close study of his life and character through Scripture makes him precious and admirable, for knowing his words, habits, teachings and perfections and dwelling on them draws people to admire him and seek to become like him. Contemplating his perfect, spotless character rather than the flaws of human beings makes him the model, and that beholding changes beholders into his image.
Beholding the beauty of his character and the excellence of his grace transforms believers into his image and reflects his character in them. His divine compassion, purity and rich grace make him glorious above all creation, and beholding him exposes the ugliness of selfishness while changing the beholder. His followers discern matchless charms in their Redeemer, and as they become like him they seek closer fellowship with him, prize his ways and delight to do his will. The change makes the soul radiant in his glorious presence and is shown in the sweetness and humility his followers reflect.
When self is surrendered, submerged and hidden in Christ and he is accepted as all and in all, he appears as supreme and altogether lovely, revealed in the believer's life. Confidence in him rather than in self molds people after the divine likeness, and putting self out of sight lets Jesus appear first. Clinging to him, holding fast to the promises, bearing the whole weight upon them and living and working in God keeps him first. The Holy Spirit brings his excellencies before the renewed heart so they command its attention and keeps attractive scenes before the mind's eye, and the mind is to behold him by faith as full of grace and truth. No art of man can truly represent God or heaven or Christ, so no external pictures of his person are needed, for the Spirit presents his most attractive excellencies to engage the renewed heart and absorb the newborn soul.
The adversary seeks to keep the world from beholding him in this way by drawing attention to human beings and their works instead. Because of God's great love children's natures can be changed into harmony with him and made beautiful with the graces of the flowers. As children gather sweet blossoms and learn his love from nature, their hearts are entwined about him who made the flowers and is more beautiful than they. He thus becomes to them a daily companion and familiar friend, transforming their lives into the image of his purity.
Lifted Up Before Others
He is to be openly set forth with gladness as supreme above all others and altogether lovely, the giver of every good and perfect gift and the one in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. His servants are to commend Him as supreme and distinguished, to invite people to know Him as the sin-pardoning Saviour, and to tell of His love and saving power rather than giving any impression that He lacks beauty. Fixing the mind on Him and speaking of His beauty and loveliness keeps Him before discouraged people and points them to the one who can heal body and soul and give eternal life. Confessing Him in this way belongs in Sabbath meetings, home morning and evening worship, chapel services, and all religious exercises, expressing with deep earnestness and open brave confession the joy and comfort and hope written in the soul. It is done with the meekness of Christ, putting away all narrowness and exercising His love so that hearts are bound together and the joy blesses others, for He is the source of true pleasure and satisfaction and the author of every blessing.
Teachers should present Him so compellingly that students recognize Him as supremely worthy of their attention, lifted up as surpassingly distinguished and desirable. He is the pattern to be kept continually before students and the Man of Calvary to whom their attention is constantly directed, rather than being spoken of only in casual reference or on occasional mention. This requires teachers whose hearts are warm with the love of God and imbued with His Spirit, to fasten the attention of students upon Him as altogether lovely and standing above all others. Every worker likewise is to make Him appear as altogether lovely and supreme to all for whom he labors, inquiring of the Lord at every step how to conduct his line of work to that end. This is done when servants feel their inefficiency and entire dependence upon Him for success, hide self in Him, have no anxiety about what name they themselves may acquire, and do not seek to be head and shoulders above their brethren.
Those who follow Him should watch for opportunities wherever they are to tell those who do not know Him about Him, following His example of binding daily life to truth and doing good so that hearts are opened. Then they are to speak not abruptly but with tact born of divine love, and telling others of Him in this way is the very highest work in which the talent of speech can be employed. He is to be revealed in the sanitarium through pleasantness in life, speech, and action, so that prejudice may melt away and souls may be won to Him. Seeing His supreme beauty causes believers to rejoice in God, gives knowledge of saving grace and the joy of anticipating the heaven of bliss awaiting the faithful. That sight lays duty on every Christian, young or old, rich or poor, to present the truth to others, raise souls ready to perish, and seek to save the lost instead of serving, pleasing, and glorifying self, recognizing that many do not know His saving grace or have the hope of heaven.
Those who have thus beheld Him are sent to arise and shine and to leave the mountaintop to carry the word of faith and prayer to souls enslaved by Satan in the plain below to set them free, the glory of the Lord rising upon the spirit and making the soul radiant in the presence of His glory. Cherishing His spirit and practicing His meekness and exalting Him as supreme in meekness and loveliness removes difficulty in determining who shall bear responsibility for the work in the field and in all institutions. His glory is dimmed, veiled, kept in the background, and beclouded when His professed followers are earthly-minded, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, and perverse, hiding His mercy, forbearance, long-suffering, matchless love, and honor. When His image is truly seen with spiritually anointed eyes He is beheld in glory full of grace and truth, lifted up with His love told and His power told and self lost behind the glory of His person and the mighty power of the cross, and of His fullness believers receive grace for grace, depart from all iniquity, rejoice in His gospel by whomsoever it is preached, labor together with God, and draw souls to Him that they in turn will draw others to Him.
Trusted as Saving Lord
He is the compassionate Saviour who pardons sin, atones for it and saves from its penalty, and people are to be invited to know him as such, for he becomes the believer's trusted personal friend and greatest delight, the one above all others to whom the soul can entrust itself. To Miller he became just this supreme Saviour, a being of goodness and compassion who atones for sin and saves from its penalty, in whom Miller found the friendship and assurance he had lacked. His excellence is to be set before sinners as precious and beautiful so that they are drawn to him, and the cross of Calvary is the pledge of everlasting life. His sacrifice on the cross is the central truth by which all Scripture is to be understood, and dependence on him rather than on self leads to effective ministry.
He is the one in whom hopes of eternal life are centered, the author of every blessing, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the source of true pleasure and satisfaction, the only hope to whom believers lift their eyes and keep them fixed above the world, the one in whom believers find their all, revealed to the person who becomes childlike and places himself in God's hands determined to do His will. Knowing his words, habits, teachings and perfections makes him precious and admirable, and as people look to him and seek to become like him they are changed to reflect his character. Seeing him as he truly is leads a person to humble self and exalt the Saviour above all others. Surrender to him brings his strength to bear in human weakness, he is the one in whom believers find their strength, and when helpless people hide in him he is their sufficiency.
He makes himself personally known and is to be believed and trusted with the keeping of the soul as a faithful Creator. When the door of the heart is opened to let him in, he forgives sin and makes the character like his own pure character, giving his peace, joy, comfort and glorious triumph. Those who know him as first loving sinners, full of grace and truth, feel heavenly peace, every lingering doubt is swept away, their hearts burn with the fire of divine love, and their characters are transformed. Looking to Jesus as precious and distinguished above all others, with no stain marring the loveliness of his character, brings new delight in beholding him. Focusing on his character and perfections instead of grief-filled memories turns the mind toward the hope of eternal life, and instead of dwelling on trials or on one another's faults hearts are called to praise him and to proclaim his love and power.
His presence accompanied Moses through hardship and care, making his earthly life a blessing and bringing him honor in heaven. He was with Moses in the wilderness wandering, with him on the mount of transfiguration, and with him in the heavenly courts, irradiating a life of toil and heart-burdening care so that it was blessing and blessed on earth and honored in heaven. After his conversion Paul likewise regarded him as supreme and altogether lovely. To be religious is not the same as to be a true Christian, for Paul was a religious man before his conversion, but when the Saviour revealed himself to Paul he was converted, and ever after Christ was to him supreme.
He is to be beheld by faith by putting self out of sight, resolutely turning from every worldly influence, clinging to him, holding fast to the promises and bearing whole weight upon them, and living and working in God. Keeping him first in this way belongs to the short hours of probation, and he died in order that the faithful might live in the earth made new. He must appear supreme as the Authority, and human beings are not to be glorified or set up as idols.
The Beloved is Christ, and his bride is the redeemed people he purchased at Calvary, with his description as radiant and glowing portraying him as supremely lovely and perfect without stain, and exalted as outstanding above all others. He is incomparable in character, surpassing even the noblest human excellence, with divine compassion, purity and grace that make him glorious above all creation. Beholding the beauty of his character changes believers into his image, making the soul radiant as self is surrendered and hidden in him. He is therefore to be openly set forth with gladness as supreme and altogether lovely, commended to sinners and sufferers as the one who can heal body and soul and save from sin. As the compassionate Savior in whom hopes of eternal life are centered, he will be beheld in glory by the redeemed, who will rejoice in his presence and praise him as supreme.
Beloved's Identity and Words
The phrase chiefest among ten thousand means supremely distinguished, outstanding above all others, incomparable and lovely. Applied to Christ, it presents Him as radiant and distinguished, the One above all others and perfect without any stain upon His character. He is the source of true pleasure and satisfaction, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the author of every blessing, and the One in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. His servants are to commend Him in that character as supremely lovely and worthy of desire, rather than giving any impression that He lacks beauty. No other character can compare with His, and even people admired for excellence, love, and beauty bear only a faint likeness to Him.
In the marriage imagery of the Song, the bride's Beloved is Christ and the bride is His redeemed people, whom He purchased at Calvary. The same language also describes God as the living God and King in His beauty, whose goodness and wisdom make Him worthy of the heart's highest affection. Beholding Him as altogether lovely and supreme turns people from idols to worship their Maker, brings forgiveness of sin, and leads them to boast in God alone. That boasting is in Him alone as judge, lawgiver, King, and Savior, when turning from idolatry His people receive forgiveness.
White and ruddy portrays Him as radiant, supremely lovely and beautiful, and without imperfection. He is more beautiful than the flowers He made and highest among multitudes, with no stain marring the loveliness of His character. Contemplating His perfect character rather than the flaws of human beings makes Him the model for believers, changes them into His image, and brings new delight in beholding Him. Christians are to hide self in Him and let Him appear, representing His character and giving Him undivided allegiance. Because of God's great love children's natures can be changed into harmony with Him and made beautiful with the graces of the flowers, and as they gather blossoms and learn His love from nature their hearts are entwined about Him as a daily companion and familiar friend who transforms their lives into the image of His purity.
Christ's Incomparable Excellence
The verse presents him as incomparable in character, with no other character able to compare with his. Even those admired among men for excellence and love and beauty bear only a faint likeness to him. His character surpasses even the noblest and gentlest human character, which reflects it only faintly. His life on earth revealed the divine character of God's law, showing that love and Christlike principles are at the heart of its eternal requirements. His divine compassion and purity and rich grace make him glorious above all creation and worthy of honor, and beholding him reveals the ugliness of selfishness.
He is given as the divine Example for every person instead of any human model. His life was adapted for universal imitation, uniting wealth and poverty, majesty and abasement, and unlimited power with meekness and lowliness. Through a human mind he revealed the wisdom of the greatest Teacher the world has known, with that same meekness and lowliness to be reflected in every soul who receives him. He holds his supreme place because he denied himself and bore the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice. He passed over the ground where Adam fell, took fallen human nature, was subject to every temptation even in childhood, and remained unyielding to every inducement to sin. When associates tried to lead him to do wrong he turned them by singing a sweet melody until they joined him, catching his spirit and defeating the enemy.
He was the very embodiment of virtue, better than those around him, whose plain words drew multitudes as if spellbound. Though he was this excellent One, the scribes and Pharisees and Jewish leaders envied his hold on the people, attacked his character, and maligned and persecuted him in hatred without cause. Because the world hated him for his goodness, those who separate from the world and please God will also meet displeasure and hatred and must not expect better treatment than he received in humiliation and shame. God sent him into the world to save men who because of sin did not deserve such love. Though he holds that exalted place as Beloved and altogether lovely, men at his trial mocked him, blindfolded him, struck him on the face, told him to prophesy who struck him, and spoke many blasphemous things against him, as prophecy inspired by himself had declared he would be treated.
Acclaimed by Redeemed in Glory
The Beloved is outstanding above all others, and the redeemed apply that language to Christ their Beloved, whom they will behold in glory and praise as supreme, the chiefest among ten thousand. He is the chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely, the saints' Beloved and their chief joy, and in the joy of his presence the redeemed saints rejoice and acclaim him as their own beloved, declaring that they belong to him.
At his second coming, when the just are called from their graves at the resurrection of the just, they will see the marks and wounds of Calvary remaining visible in his glorified body. Their greatest joy is found in the presence of him who sits on the throne, and rejoicing in him the enraptured saints exclaim that he is supreme above all others, acclaiming him as their beloved and altogether lovely and declaring him their own. Those rescued from death and presented with immortal crowns, as representatives of all the redeemed from every nation, find that greatest joy in his presence when he is seated beside his Father on his throne and declare him supreme above all others as their own Beloved.
He is heaven's greatest and most treasured attraction, the Chief among ten thousands and altogether lovely, and the hope of seeing him face to face makes heaven richer and more desirable than earth.
Beheld and Reflected Within
The beloved is the supreme pattern believers long to resemble, uniquely excellent and altogether lovely, the incomparable pattern for humanity whose excellence surpasses every human example. Close study of his life and character through Scripture makes him precious and admirable, for knowing his words, habits, teachings and perfections and dwelling on them draws people to admire him and seek to become like him. Contemplating his perfect, spotless character rather than the flaws of human beings makes him the model, and that beholding changes beholders into his image.
Beholding the beauty of his character and the excellence of his grace transforms believers into his image and reflects his character in them. His divine compassion, purity and rich grace make him glorious above all creation, and beholding him exposes the ugliness of selfishness while changing the beholder. His followers discern matchless charms in their Redeemer, and as they become like him they seek closer fellowship with him, prize his ways and delight to do his will. The change makes the soul radiant in his glorious presence and is shown in the sweetness and humility his followers reflect.
When self is surrendered, submerged and hidden in Christ and he is accepted as all and in all, he appears as supreme and altogether lovely, revealed in the believer's life. Confidence in him rather than in self molds people after the divine likeness, and putting self out of sight lets Jesus appear first. Clinging to him, holding fast to the promises, bearing the whole weight upon them and living and working in God keeps him first. The Holy Spirit brings his excellencies before the renewed heart so they command its attention and keeps attractive scenes before the mind's eye, and the mind is to behold him by faith as full of grace and truth. No art of man can truly represent God or heaven or Christ, so no external pictures of his person are needed, for the Spirit presents his most attractive excellencies to engage the renewed heart and absorb the newborn soul.
The adversary seeks to keep the world from beholding him in this way by drawing attention to human beings and their works instead. Because of God's great love children's natures can be changed into harmony with him and made beautiful with the graces of the flowers. As children gather sweet blossoms and learn his love from nature, their hearts are entwined about him who made the flowers and is more beautiful than they. He thus becomes to them a daily companion and familiar friend, transforming their lives into the image of his purity.
Lifted Up Before Others
He is to be openly set forth with gladness as supreme above all others and altogether lovely, the giver of every good and perfect gift and the one in whom hopes of eternal life are centered. His servants are to commend Him as supreme and distinguished, to invite people to know Him as the sin-pardoning Saviour, and to tell of His love and saving power rather than giving any impression that He lacks beauty. Fixing the mind on Him and speaking of His beauty and loveliness keeps Him before discouraged people and points them to the one who can heal body and soul and give eternal life. Confessing Him in this way belongs in Sabbath meetings, home morning and evening worship, chapel services, and all religious exercises, expressing with deep earnestness and open brave confession the joy and comfort and hope written in the soul. It is done with the meekness of Christ, putting away all narrowness and exercising His love so that hearts are bound together and the joy blesses others, for He is the source of true pleasure and satisfaction and the author of every blessing.
Teachers should present Him so compellingly that students recognize Him as supremely worthy of their attention, lifted up as surpassingly distinguished and desirable. He is the pattern to be kept continually before students and the Man of Calvary to whom their attention is constantly directed, rather than being spoken of only in casual reference or on occasional mention. This requires teachers whose hearts are warm with the love of God and imbued with His Spirit, to fasten the attention of students upon Him as altogether lovely and standing above all others. Every worker likewise is to make Him appear as altogether lovely and supreme to all for whom he labors, inquiring of the Lord at every step how to conduct his line of work to that end. This is done when servants feel their inefficiency and entire dependence upon Him for success, hide self in Him, have no anxiety about what name they themselves may acquire, and do not seek to be head and shoulders above their brethren.
Those who follow Him should watch for opportunities wherever they are to tell those who do not know Him about Him, following His example of binding daily life to truth and doing good so that hearts are opened. Then they are to speak not abruptly but with tact born of divine love, and telling others of Him in this way is the very highest work in which the talent of speech can be employed. He is to be revealed in the sanitarium through pleasantness in life, speech, and action, so that prejudice may melt away and souls may be won to Him. Seeing His supreme beauty causes believers to rejoice in God, gives knowledge of saving grace and the joy of anticipating the heaven of bliss awaiting the faithful. That sight lays duty on every Christian, young or old, rich or poor, to present the truth to others, raise souls ready to perish, and seek to save the lost instead of serving, pleasing, and glorifying self, recognizing that many do not know His saving grace or have the hope of heaven.
Those who have thus beheld Him are sent to arise and shine and to leave the mountaintop to carry the word of faith and prayer to souls enslaved by Satan in the plain below to set them free, the glory of the Lord rising upon the spirit and making the soul radiant in the presence of His glory. Cherishing His spirit and practicing His meekness and exalting Him as supreme in meekness and loveliness removes difficulty in determining who shall bear responsibility for the work in the field and in all institutions. His glory is dimmed, veiled, kept in the background, and beclouded when His professed followers are earthly-minded, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, and perverse, hiding His mercy, forbearance, long-suffering, matchless love, and honor. When His image is truly seen with spiritually anointed eyes He is beheld in glory full of grace and truth, lifted up with His love told and His power told and self lost behind the glory of His person and the mighty power of the cross, and of His fullness believers receive grace for grace, depart from all iniquity, rejoice in His gospel by whomsoever it is preached, labor together with God, and draw souls to Him that they in turn will draw others to Him.
Trusted as Saving Lord
He is the compassionate Saviour who pardons sin, atones for it and saves from its penalty, and people are to be invited to know him as such, for he becomes the believer's trusted personal friend and greatest delight, the one above all others to whom the soul can entrust itself. To Miller he became just this supreme Saviour, a being of goodness and compassion who atones for sin and saves from its penalty, in whom Miller found the friendship and assurance he had lacked. His excellence is to be set before sinners as precious and beautiful so that they are drawn to him, and the cross of Calvary is the pledge of everlasting life. His sacrifice on the cross is the central truth by which all Scripture is to be understood, and dependence on him rather than on self leads to effective ministry.
He is the one in whom hopes of eternal life are centered, the author of every blessing, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the source of true pleasure and satisfaction, the only hope to whom believers lift their eyes and keep them fixed above the world, the one in whom believers find their all, revealed to the person who becomes childlike and places himself in God's hands determined to do His will. Knowing his words, habits, teachings and perfections makes him precious and admirable, and as people look to him and seek to become like him they are changed to reflect his character. Seeing him as he truly is leads a person to humble self and exalt the Saviour above all others. Surrender to him brings his strength to bear in human weakness, he is the one in whom believers find their strength, and when helpless people hide in him he is their sufficiency.
He makes himself personally known and is to be believed and trusted with the keeping of the soul as a faithful Creator. When the door of the heart is opened to let him in, he forgives sin and makes the character like his own pure character, giving his peace, joy, comfort and glorious triumph. Those who know him as first loving sinners, full of grace and truth, feel heavenly peace, every lingering doubt is swept away, their hearts burn with the fire of divine love, and their characters are transformed. Looking to Jesus as precious and distinguished above all others, with no stain marring the loveliness of his character, brings new delight in beholding him. Focusing on his character and perfections instead of grief-filled memories turns the mind toward the hope of eternal life, and instead of dwelling on trials or on one another's faults hearts are called to praise him and to proclaim his love and power.
His presence accompanied Moses through hardship and care, making his earthly life a blessing and bringing him honor in heaven. He was with Moses in the wilderness wandering, with him on the mount of transfiguration, and with him in the heavenly courts, irradiating a life of toil and heart-burdening care so that it was blessing and blessed on earth and honored in heaven. After his conversion Paul likewise regarded him as supreme and altogether lovely. To be religious is not the same as to be a true Christian, for Paul was a religious man before his conversion, but when the Saviour revealed himself to Paul he was converted, and ever after Christ was to him supreme.
He is to be beheld by faith by putting self out of sight, resolutely turning from every worldly influence, clinging to him, holding fast to the promises and bearing whole weight upon them, and living and working in God. Keeping him first in this way belongs to the short hours of probation, and he died in order that the faithful might live in the earth made new. He must appear supreme as the Authority, and human beings are not to be glorified or set up as idols.