SERMON XI.

LOOKING AT THE INVISIBLE.

ON THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

2 CORINTHIANS iv. 18.

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

SUCH was the thought with which the Apostle Paul comforted himself, amid the abundant troubles and afflictions which he daily endured in the cause of Christ. He had before said, that "as the suf ferings of Christ abounded in him, so his consolation also abounded by Christ." Let us see, then, in what respect this thought, which is expressed in our text, afforded consolation to him, and if to him, then to all other Christians who walk according "as they have him for an example," "in whose hearts God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

1 2 Cor. i. 5.

2 2 Cor. iv. 6.

Now, if we examine the sentiment, or rather the sacred truth, taught in our text, we shall see what it was which gave St. Paul such abundant comfort in the midst of tribulations compared with which the afflictions which many of us are called upon to endure are light indeed.

"We look not," he says, "at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

First, you see, he believed fully, and was most absolutely persuaded, that there are two states, two worlds, two conditions, each equally real:-the things which are seen, the one state; the things which are not seen, the other state.

Secondly, he looked (or as is signified by the original Greek, he aimed) not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen.

Thirdly, he gives the reason: namely, because the one state of things is temporal, that is, lasting but for a time; the other state is eternal, lasting for ever. And the thought that he was truly aiming at those eternal things, and that amidst them, and within them, there was an exceeding and eternal weight of glory laid up for himself, in return for his afflictions, borne for Christ's sake,— this thought gave him, in all his sufferings, not only patience, but joy; so that, "though sorrowful, he was" nevertheless "always rejoicing."

1 2 Cor. vi. 10.

Let us consider this subject; and, first, let us reflect on that great and most awful truth, that, besides the things which we see, we are also concerned in many other things which we do not see, much more wonderful, much more glorious, than the former, and not a whit the less real because we do not happen to be gifted at present with the power of beholding them.

You know, in the Creed, God the Father Almighty is said to be maker of all things visible and invisible. By visible things are meant all things which our senses, whether of touch, taste, sight, scent, or hearing, are able to distinguish,-the world and all that is therein, sun, moon, and stars, the air, the clouds, land and sea, cities, mankind, our own homes, our relations, our friends, our own bodies. All these things, and many more, whether constituting the world of nature, or the world of art, the vain pomp and glory of life, or the sober round of business, make up together one vast spectacle which is continually before us, and perpetually exciting our notice.

And too many there are, who, seeing these visible objects constantly about them, learn to regard them as the principal things. Led away by the lust of the eye and the pride of life, they look only to that which they see, form schemes only in connexion with such objects, labour for such things, taking earnest thought "what they shall eat, what they shall drink, and wherewithal they

shall be clothed ;" and this to such an extent that, amidst the continual excitement and bustle of life, they altogether forget that, besides the objects which they see, they are also involved in many objects which are unseen.

By that expression, "the unseen," the Apostle doubtless refers us not only to created invisible things, but to the Creator Himself. God Himself, the Creator of all, is the principal and chief amid unseen realities. “No man hath seen God at any time." And as this is true of God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, so it is true of the Holy Ghost,-He also is unseen; like the wind, "which bloweth where it listeth, but no man can tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth." Christ also, though once visibly seen and handled, and though hereafter to be seen again as He is, when, at the end of the world, He shall come in like manner as He went, yet at present is invisible, and makes His approach in a purely spiritual manner. Then, again, even amid things created, consider how many are invisible. All the holy angels, although some of them have from time to time been beheld by mortal eye, are to us invisible; Satan also is invisible; heaven is invisible; hell is invisible; the mansions of the intermediate state are invisible; the souls of the dead are invisible. They live, indeed, unto God, but they are out of our sight. Nay, even the souls of the living are out

1 Matt. vi. 31.

2 John i. 18.

3 John iii. 8.

of our sight also: we see the bodies of our friends, but not their souls. And thus we are as it were surrounded with many wonderful and awful unseen realities, which may be much nearer to us than we are inclined to suppose; and as we die, we ourselves pass into that unseen state, and find these things to be real.

You see, then, the mercy of God in not leaving us in ignorance that there is an unseen world, but in sending His Son to teach us its existence, and to warn us of our connexion with it, and the necessity of our being prepared, if we would enter into its blessed abodes. And from our text we learn what the feeling of Christians ought to be with regard to it; namely, that they ought to be looking and aiming, not at the seen, but at the unseen that they ought to have constantly before their view, and in their minds, the unseen God and Father of all; looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith; looking to the Holy Ghost, to sanctify them and make them holy : that we ought to live with heaven and hell as it were in our sight, as having unseen angels for the witnesses of our actions, and the hosts of Satan surrounding us, ready to lead us captive,— doing all things by all means to keep up in our minds a lively sense of the reality of an invisible world, and of our future state in that world; bearing in mind the souls of the departed, the eternal truth that we must, ere long, be with