“The whole world is not a theater large enough to show the glory of Christ upon” by John Flavel

“Let me tell you, the whole world is not a theater large enough to show the glory of Christ upon, or unfold the one half of the unsearchable riches that lie hid in Him.

These things will be far better understood, and spoken of in heaven, by the noon-day divinity, in which the immediately illuminated assembly do there preach His praises, than by such a stammering tongue, and scribbling pen as mine, which doth but mar them.

Alas! I write His praises but by moon-light. I cannot praise Him so much as by halves. Indeed, no tongue but His own is sufficient to undertake that task.

What shall I say of Christ? The excelling glory of that object dazzles all apprehension, swallows up all expression.

When we have borrowed metaphors from every creature that hath any excellency or lovely property in it, until we have stripped the whole creation bare of all its ornaments, and clothed Christ with all that glory.

When we have even worn out our tongues, in ascribing praises to Him, alas, we have done nothing, when all is done!”

–John Flavel, The Works of the John Flavel (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1820/1997), 1: xviii.