Oh! the Glory! Oh! the Glory!

Yea, he is altogether lovely. – Songs 5:16

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. – 2 Corinthians 12:4

Say ye that He is altogether lovely? It is not enough. It is not a thousandth part enough. No tongue of man, no tongue of angel, can ever set forth his unutterable beauties. “Oh,” say you, “but it is a great word, though short; very full of meaning though soon spoken-altogether lovely.” I tell you it is a poor word. It is a word of despair. It is a word which the spouse uttered, because she had been trying to describe her Lord and she could not do it, and so she put this down in very desperation: as much as to say, “There, the task is too great for me. I will end it. This is all I can say. ‘Yea, he is altogether lovely.'” I am sure John Berridge was right when he said-

Living tongues are dumb at best,
We must die to speak of Christ.

Brethren, the praise of the text is insufficient praise, I know, because it is praise given by one who had never seen Him in His glory. It is Old Testament praise this, that He is altogether lovely: praise uttered upon report rather than upon actual view of Him. Truly I know not how to bring better, but I shall know one day. Till then I will speak His praise as best I can, though it fall far short of His infinite excellence. Our text is cloth of gold, but it is not fit for our Beloved to put the sole of His foot upon. He deserves better than this, for this is only the praise of a church that had not seen Him die, and had not seen Him rise, and had not seen Him in the splendour at the divine right hand. “Well,” say you, “try if you can do better.” No, I will not, because if I did praise Him better, the style would not last long, for He is coming quickly, and the best thing the best speaker could ever say of Him will be put out of date by the majesty of His appearing. His chariot is waiting at His door now, and He may soon come forth from His secret chambers and be among us, and oh! the glory-oh! the glory! Paul, you know, stole a glance through the lattices one day when he was caught up into the third heaven. Somebody said to me, “I wonder Paul did not tell us what he saw.” Ay, but what he saw he might not tell, and the words he heard were words which it were not lawful for a man to utter, and yet to live among this evil generation. We shall hear those words ourselves soon, and see those sights not many days hence, so let it stand as it does, “He is altogether lovely.” But when you have thus summed up all that our poor tongues can express, you must not say, “Now we have described Him.” Oh no, sirs, ye have but held a candle to this glorious sun, for He is such an one as thoughts cannot compass, much less language describe. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1446.cfm

2 thoughts on “Oh! the Glory! Oh! the Glory!

  1. I never thought of it as written “He is all together lovely” as an old testament praise by those who did not see Christ and view His death and all He did by rising again. This makes me think how strong a faith they had in that time and it ties into the new testament statement when Jesus said “Blessed are your eyes who have not seen yet believe” because we too believe and have a strong faith without seeing Him. Once again a wonderful writing Sherry! Blessings.
    Julia

    Liked by 1 person

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