Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-12
THE TRANSFORMING VISION.

THE TRANSPORTING VISION.
Sermon by a. j. Rowland, ID. d., at the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
"But we all, beholding as in glass.
the glory of the Lord ar changed into the
same image, from glory to glory, even
as by the spirit of the Lord. - II Corinth-
iaus iii. 10. That was the text chosen
by Rev. DIR. Rowland yesterday. FA
said: ''This passage of the divine wo. /
represents n process OF spiritual photog
rsphy which the Holy Spirit is carrying on
in the hearts of all believers. Three
things are to be oted: First, the nature
of the process; second, the results
achieved; third, he divine artist.
THE nature of the process is outlined
in the first part of the text. As in TAX
ing photograph the seosltized plate is
brought face to face with an external OBJ
iect, so is it here. That external object
/. is the personality OF Jesus Christ, which
in the next chapter is declared to be the
glory of God. Prepared by the Holy
Spirit the human heart is affected and
influenced by this personality and
changed into its likeness. We do not in-
deed see the Savior directly, but in
glass or mirror the apostle tells
us The Lord Jesus is mirrored
to us in nature in the characters
of his people and especially in the word.
we look upon Him in these as the visitor
in the Rospiglioss palace at Rome looks
upon the picture of the Aurora by
Guido, in q mirror placed upon the floor;
Nka 60
shining for while on the broad plate of
his Rejecting telescope. But we see the
Lord and feel His influence just as really
in this way as if we were like his dis
ciples of old, standing at his side. Then,
too, we must look with open face. In
the taking of Photographic picture the
cloth must be removed from the face of
the lens. So, If we would be trans
formed into the likeness of Christ, there
must be no hinderiug or obscurIng media
between us and him. All prejudice and
pride and sin must be taken out of the
way.
The results achieved by the process
are also outlined in the text. In the
first place, there is n wOndrous change.
Our natures, blurred aud marred by sin,
begin to take on divine liuesments, and
all through feel the uplifting influences
of heaven. Nor is this change an iufe-
rior one. We are transformed with the
very image of our Lord himself. We
grow to be not like some mighty man of
earth, or even like some seraph of the
skies, but like that blessed one who
stands confessedlY at the head of all
things. Being made partakers. of the
divine nature, wes grow more and .Riore
into the very perfection of God The
change indeed lisa gradual one. We
pass from glory. TO glory here. and to.the
final glory hereafter. But it is ever
upward in its progress, and will culmi-
nate after while in the supreme glory
OF the new Jerusalem.
And now the Divine Artist who con-
ducts this wonderful process and secures
these wonderful changes is none other
than the Spirit of God. He it is who
prepares the heart to receive spiritual
impressions. He brings us in contact
with the Lord Jesus as mirrored in His
word. He carries on the work which
He has begun until 1t eventuates in our
complete redemption. To Him, with the
Father and the Son, be ali the gloryl
We should be encouraged by this dis
cussion TO give ourselves more COM
pletely into the Spirits hands. As we
put ourselves in the hands of the pho
tographer in order that a perfect like
ness may be secured, so should It be in
spiritual things. The more We seek our
own help the less rapid and the more
imperfect will the person be and the
poorer the results. He knows better
than ourselves what we need, and loves
us too well TO do aught TO us but good,
TIE vision of the future which is brought
before us IN this discussion should also
Nil our hearts with inspiration and hope.
We are now. living sad lives, and afteR
haye.wioked or dissatisfied hearts X But
the day Is. coming when We will be mar
and ike our Lord. With such vision
40 eAeer US awe should lift up our heads
and march triumphantly on. y
Let 1t be noted in conclusion that the
experience here outlined Is for all. Paul
was writing TO the church Of Corinth, a
church made up of those who had been
plucked out Of ldolatry and superstition.
yet he says I'VE sll. So to our entire hui
nanity fhe same blessed hopes and GER