William Kelly

The words "this present time" are striking. His mind is full of the future — absorbed with to-morrow — like the boy at school looking for a holiday, who can think of nothing else. The glory is so present, that he calls it but momentary — "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment." For if you talk to one whose mind realizes eternity, about this present evil world, eternity is too big to allow of room for any thing else. We never realize eternity, till we fill it with the Father's love and Christ's glory. If we think of it otherwise, we only look into a mere vacuum. We are confounded on the one hand, and filled with glory on the other. Finding ourselves in the glory of God, we hardly know how to grasp it — "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." It is a blessed thing that it is ours, so that we can get near it in that kind of way. "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us;" it is not to become proud with the "glory which shall be revealed in us;" it is not a change of time, but the glory is present to his mind, and he realizes the glory. Then he opens it out doctrinally: "For I reckon" — not "we teach" — "that the sufferings of this present time," etc. — the present sufferings had lost their hindering power, because he saw the power of God in them and endured afflictions according to the power of God. He does not say it is received, but "revealed in us." It is wonderful how the Holy Ghost uses that word "us." It is the common course of all the promises of God, "to the glory of God by us." "That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length," etc. The great thing is to get the heart into conscious association with all this fair scene. And if we have our hearts always occupied with Christ and glory, there will be such a sense of it that we shall be always there. So that if I look at the stars in the heavens — though I admire them and gaze on them with wonder and delight — they do but remind me at once that I am one with Him who created them.