Spiritual Sight (1)

God puts a spiritual eye by his Spirit into all true believers, by which they behold his excellent glory. This glorious gift was given so that God may have the glory, and we the comfort. There must be a beholding. The Spirit creates and works in us spiritual sight. We see God in several ways:
(1) We see God in his creation, for ‘the heavens declare the glory of God' (Psa. 19:1). They are a book in folio. There God is laid open in his creation. That is a pleasing sight. But what is this compared to knowing him in his will to us?
(2) We see God in his will, and in his word and promises. There we see what he is, his grace revealed in Christ, what his good will is to us, and what he wills from us. There we see him as a spouse sees her husband in a loving letter which concerns herself. We see him as the heir sees a deed made to him with an inheritance. It is not a sight only, but a sight with feeling and discovery of a favour. The sight in the word and ordinances is higher than that in the created universe.
(3) Christ was seen when he was in the flesh. When he was covered with the veil of our flesh upon earth, that was a sweet sight. Abraham desired to see it (John 8:56); and Simeon, when he saw it, was willing to depart (Luke 2:29). Yet this outward sight is nothing without an inward sight of faith.
(4) We see by faith, and other sights are to no purpose without this, the sight of God shining in Christ. And it will be perfected in heaven, in the sight of glory, when we shall see him as he is.
There is comfort in all these sights of God in his word and works. It was glorious to see him in his bodily presence, and by faith to see the face of God shining in Christ. Oh, but what is all this to the sight of him hereafter in glory!

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 90-91 [98-99]
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.