To give trial, whether we look at the things that be seen or no. '' (1.) If we look to things not seen, because they be eternal, this is a sight that ravisheth the soul, that iifteth the soul above itself. Things above be so exceeding above things below, that it makes the soul almost forget itself; it worketh an high esteem of heaven, of heavenly things. For as it is said of knowledge, it hath no enemy but the ignorant, so there is no enemy of grace but they that feel it not from conscience.- All that see it have a high admiration of it, which appeareth by the mean esteem of all things else. When the sun riseth, the stars hide themselves. And when these comforts rise in the soul, upon the apprehension of the glory in the glass of the word and promise, and a little feeling here, all earthly comforts are gone. When Moses saw God that was invisible, what cares he to look for Pharaoh ? Heb. xi. 27. And when Micaiah had seen God sitting on the throne, what cares he for Ahab ? 1 Kings xxii. 14. We have seen the Lord, and what have we to do with base idols ? Not anything in the world must be co-rival with God. What have I to do with pride, with riches, with honour ? I have seen God, I have seen heaven. When the patri- archs had with the eye of faith seen the excellency of the world to come, what cared they for banishment or death ? When Paul had seen Christ, all things else were ' dung and dross,' Philip, iii. 8. Therefore your great admirers, that admire worldly things, it is a sign they never saw better. They that doat upon worldly things, it is an argument of spiritual folly.
(2.) Again, the consideration of things spiritual, it is a jmrifijiiiff sight, a purging sight, that makes the soul fit for the object. A man cannot with the eye of faith apprehend things to come, nor by hope wait for them, but that hope will be efi'ectual to purify the soul. They that have any faith, any hope of good to come, they will prepare their souls suitable to that * That is, ' consciousness.' — En.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. lG-18. 483
condition, 1 John iii. 3. And therefore where the apprehension of these things hath not a purging power in some degree, it is but a conceit. ' We do not so sec them as that we be convinced that they are so excellent as they be.
(3.) Again, this is a sight that doth man-eUousli/ affect. Love comes of sight. Sight is the most afiecting sense. That which moveth the aflection most is sight. Feeling is but dull. And therefore if we have the eagle's eye, a sharp-sighted faith, to sec things which are not to be seen with the eye of reason and flesh, then certainly this sight will quicken and affect a man gi'catly ; move to joy and move to delight, move to the love of God and heavenly things. A man cannot see any excellency but his heart embraceth it; as the patriarchs, Heb. xi. 2, scq., saw the promises afar off", and their hearts did join with them ; they did embrace them, grasping as it were the things they saw in the arms of their affections. In what measure that I apprehend and see things, in that measure the heart lets in the things to embrace them and close with them. Therefore where no love is there is no sight. And the reason why affections are so flat and dead is, because they do not exercise this sight of faith. Let us examine ourselves by these things, whether we have spiritual sight of the things we see. Do they affect us ? Do they quicken us ? And do they put into our hearts holiness ? Do they raise our hearts to a holy admiration ? If so, certainly we have seen them.
I will give you a familiar comparison. The nearer the object is to any man, the more glorious it seemeth ; the farther off" anything is, the less it seemeth. The stars are bigger than the world, and jet appear to us little.
Now, ask our souls how great things are in comparison of former times. Are heavenly things greater ? And for earthly pomp and state, have they less esteemed them than in former times ? It is a sign we are nearer heaven, and heaven nearer us. When we can look upon earthly things in a distance, it is a sign we are removed from them, and drawn nearer to the best things. And then the best things seem to be great to us, when we conceive of them in their own magnitude.
Quest. But how shall we come to look on things not seen, and things eternal, according to their own worth ?
Ans. (1.) First of all, labour every day more and more to be jjuryed and purified, and then we shall have delight to look upon that which is pro- portionable. The holier a man is, the more delight he hath in holy and heavenly objects, and laboureth to grow in grace more and more. The more we see, the more gracious we are ; the more gracious we are, the more desire we shall have to behold with the eye of faith these excellencies.