1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

once created in the image of God, so that "every creature whichis in heaven and on earth will say, blessing, and honor, andglory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, andunto the Lamb for ever and ever."O, what a joy that will be to his glorious benevolent nature. Butthat is not all. Having been found in fashion as a man (a perfectman) he loved humanity with all the devotion and tenderness ofa perfect affection. And as some of the race come to realize andappreciate his great love and so much so as to forsake all andfollow him, he longs to have these with him where he is thatthey may behold and share his glory. This joy was also setbefore him--the joy of bringing many sons (other Sons begottenof God) to glory--to the same Divine plane. O, what wonder thatfor such glory, and honor, and blessing, he should bear the cross,despising the shame.And this same joy--this exceeding and ETERNAL WEIGHT ofGLORY is set before you who are called to follow in hisfootsteps. Now weigh it if you can; measure it if you can-- thebreadth, the length, the height, the depth. Oh, can you? Eye hathnot seen nor ear heard it, neither hath entered into the heart of(the natural) man, the things which God hath prepared for themthat love him. But he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.We are called to be joint heirs with Jesus, heirs of immortality,partakers of the divine nature, part of the divine family, farabove men and angels. We as the bride of the Lamb are to havea name that is above every name, since we are the people for hisname. The Bride shall bear her husband's name, and she shall belike unto his glorious body.Wherefore holy brethren (reckoned holy since purchased fromsin and death), partakers of the heavenly calling, consider Jesus."He was rich," (a glorious spiritual being before the world was)yet for our sakes he became poor (transferred his life from aspiritual to a human form, then sacrificed that) that we, throughhis poverty, might be made rich (partakers of his highexaltation).Let us look for his footprints. We find that his first step wasconsecration. "A body hast thou prepared me (not prepared untilit had reached its maturity--thirty years, according to Jewishlaw). Then said I, Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God." Heb.10:5,7. "Not my (human) will but thine be done." He thensymbolized by his burial in, and resurrection from, the water, hisentire consecration, his willingness to be immersed-- swallowedup in death--and his faith in God's power to raise him to a newlife. Have you followed him here? Immediately after, he was ledinto the wilderness, away from human sympathy, humansociety, and human pursuits. Are you there, or are you clingingto a worldly church for sympathy, society, and worldlyambition? There he was tempted and tried in all points; so must