Faith compared to sight in four particulars
It goes with a majesty and discovers all other things, good and bad whatsoever; and together with light God created sight in man, and other senses, to apprehend the excellency of the creation. What were all this goodly frame of creatures, the sun, and moon, and stars, and glory of the earth, if there were not light to discover and sight to apprehend it by? Is it not so in this outward creation of the old heavens and old earth that must be consumed with fire? And is it not much more in the new creation? There is excellent glory, marvellous glory, wondrous grace in* Christ, &c. Must there be light, and must not there be an eye to discover this? Surely there must. Therefore it is said here, 'We behold.'
God puts a spiritual eye by his Spirit into all true believers, whereby they behold this excellent glory, this glorious grace, that God may have the glory, and we the comfort. Those are the two main ends.
God intends his own glory and our salvation. There must be a 'beholding.' How should he have glory and we comfort, unless all were conveyed by spiritual sight! Well then the Spirit creates and works in us spiritual senses. With spiritual life there are spiritual senses, sight, and taste, and feeling. Sight is here put for all, 'We behold.'
There are many degrees of sight. It is good to know them. Therefore I will name some of them.
Faith compared to sight in four particulars [1.] We see God in his creatures, for 'the heavens declare the glory of God.' They are a book in folio (g). There God is laid open in his creatures. That is a goodly sight. But what is this to the knowledge of him in his will to us, what he means to us? The creatures discover not what he means to us.
[2.] Besides therefore the sight of God in the creatures, there is a sight of God in his will, in his word and promises. There we see what he is. His grace is revealed in Christ, and what his good will to us is, and his will from us, what he will do to us, and what he will have from us again. 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. He sees with application. It is not a bare sight, but a sight with feeling and discovery of a favour. So the sight in the word and sacraments, it is a higher sight.
[3.] There was a sight of Christ when he was in the flesh. When he was covered with the veil of our flesh upon earth, it was a sweet sight.
Abraham desired to see it, John 8:56, and Simeon, when he saw it, was willing to be dissolved and to depart, Luke 2:29. He had enough.
But that outward sight is nothing without another inward sight of faith.
[4.] There is a sight therefore of faith, and other sights are to no purpose if they be without this, a sight of God shining in Christ. And this is perfected in heaven, in the sight of glory, when we see him as he is. Now there is a comfort in all these sights, to see him in his word and works. It was a glorious thing to see him in his bodily presence; and by faith to see God in Christ, to see his face in Christ.
Oh it is a sweet and lovely sight to see God shining in Christ! Oh but what is all this to the sight of him after in glory! Now this beholding meant here especially, is the beholding of faith, in the ordinances, in the word and sacraments. 'We all behold,' as in the glass of the word and sacraments, by the eye of faith. Faith is expressed by beholding, by knowledge; for indeed faith is nothing but knowledge with application. Therefore faith includes knowledge. What is faith, but to know God and Christ, and the promises as mine? Christ in the sacrament as mine, as verily as the outward things are mine:
Knowledge with application is faith. Therefore, when I say faith, I include knowledge, 'We behold.'
The knowledge of the mind is compared to the eye of the body.
Knowledge and faith is compared to seeing and beholding, for many reasons.
First, Because sight is the most glorious and noble sense. It is the highest in situation, and the quickest in apprehension, for in a moment, presently sight apprehends its object in the highest heavens. So it is with faith. It is the most noble sight of all, and it is quick as sight is; for faith is that eagle in the cloud. It breaks through all, and sees in a moment Christ in heaven: it looks backward, and sees Christ upon the cross; it looks forward, and seeth Christ to come in glory. Faith is so quick a grace, that it presents things past, things above, things to come, and all in a moment, so quick is this eagle-eye of faith.
Second, Again, it is the largest sense; for we can see almost the whole hemisphere at one view. That a little thing in the eye should apprehend so much in a moment, as it is quick in apprehension, so it is large in comprehension.
Third, Again, it is the most sure sense—sight more than hearing; therefore that divine act of knowledge is compared to seeing; believing is compared to beholding. When faith looks upon God in the glass of the word and promises, it is as certain as the object is certain. Now, how certain is the object? The mercy and love of God in Christ, who is truth itself, is most certain.
Fourth, Then it is that sense that works most upon the soul, sight; for what the body seeth, the soul is affected and moved with. The affections of desire and love rise out of sight. It works upon the affections most. Therefore the knowledge that stirs up the affections, and works upon the heart, is compared to sight. It affects us marvellously, for, answerable to our faith, we love, and joy, and delight. It alters the frame of the whole man. Therefore it is expressed here by beholding. Divine, spiritual knowledge, it works upon the heart. So we see why this beholding spirituall[y] of the