SEEING

To see, in Scripture, is often used to expre the sense of vision, knowledge of spiritual things, and even the supernatural knowledge of hidden things, of prophecy, of visions, of ecstacies. Whence it is that formerly those were called seers who afterward were termed, nab i , or prophets; and that prophecies were called visions. Moreover, to see, is used for expre ing all kinds of sensations. It is said in Exodus, xx, 18, that the Israeli tes saw voices, thunder, lightning, the sounding of the trumpet, and the whole mountain of Sinai covered with clouds, or smoke. And St. Austin observes, that the verb, to see, is applied to all the five natural senses; to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch. “To see goodne ,” is to enjoy it. “To see the goodne of the Lord,” Psalm xxvii, 13; that is, to enjoy the mercy or ble ing which God hath promised. “Ble ed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God;” that is, they shall have the perfect and immediate fruition of the glorious presence of God in heaven; or they shall understand the mysteries of salvation; they shall perceive the loving kindne of God toward them in this life, and shall at length perfectly enjoy him in heaven.