To be near unto God - pagina 433

The main point with it all is, that our nature has been so created and disposed, that it prefers sight. And that it carries this even into the spiritual desire to see, rather than to arrive at insight by exercise of thought, is not a defect in us, neither is it a result of sin, but a Divine instinct. Of the heavenly glory it is not prophesied that the redeemed will be subtle thinkers, but that they manifest themselves as children of God in this particular also, that they desire to see the Eternal Being, and that they surely shall enj oy

immediate

this clear, beatific vision. Philip's request: ''Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us," v.'as but the naive expression

of

this

deep

desire,

and

Jesus'

answer to this

question shows, that the entire Christian reUgion can be capitulated under this viewpoint of sight. The Apostles gloried in the fact that they had seen and beheld the Word of life. In prophecy the vision had prepared the way for this seeing. And when the apostles portray the glory that is to come, they prophesy that now we see as in a glass darkly, but that then we shall see face to face, and that in this seeing we shall know even as WG are known. Not reading, not reasoning, no,

but seeing, and clear vision shall constitute heavenly bliss. And John adds: "Beloved, it is not yet made manifest what we shall be, but we know that we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is." This seeing is

....

cultivated by picture and print, and seeing spiritual things is aided by the emblem The Cross, the All-seeing eye, the emblems of faith, hope and love, The catacombs of the early Christians are full of such emblems.

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429

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