The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-09-23
natural and the spiritual sight-the old

natural and the spiritual sight-the old
nature predominates over that OF tina
new nature wherein dwells the Spirit
of God, and 1t results in all kinds Of
mistakes and errors. But It is not Code
will that it should be So God has given
to us His Spirit that through His min
istry we may come to know the deep
things of God. This is what IS implied
in the term spiritual sight. 1t is a gift
from God. 1t is the result Of looking
at the things of God through tho re-
yealing presence of the Holy Spirit
But to return to the natural man and
the natural sight. The fact that he
does not recognize the reality and
meaning of spiritual sight is often an
effectual barrier to his salvation. Per-
haps he is well versed in scripture and
has sought to understand the things Of
God with his intellect. Bob Ingersoll,
with the splendid brain with which
God had endowed him, endeavored to
do this very thing. Few men were ever
better versed in the Scriptures than
he. Few Christians have Scripture
texts at their tongues ends as did he,
and yet because Ingersoll did not rec
ognize this truth, that it was not his
spirit and his intellect which was to
understand God and Gods Word, but
the Spirit of God which would become
his teacher if he would only receive
Him-because Of this, he never knew
God How many there are in the same
condition.
ND by this we would not imply
n that mans intellect and all his
natural forces are eliminated as fac
tor in the finding Of God. These are
the mediums of Gods communication
to you, but not as predominating and
willful factors, but as submissive and
obedient agents for the operation OF
Gods Spirit. 1t is here that the sec
ond or spiritual sight begins. Dear
friend of natural sight, as you under
stand the things of man through the
spirit of man which Is in you, even
so you must come to know the things
of God through the Spirit of God.
You must have second or spiritual
sight. Will you not recognize the
reasonableness of this proposition, and
yield the natural sight to the point
where God by His Spirit can reveal to
you the things which pertain to God.
Quit trying by your own effort to know
and understand God, and with submis-
sive and humble spirit let the Holy
Spirit become Interpreter and Teacher
to your soul. Imagine the man born
blind trying with his sightless eyes to
see and understand the appearance
and beauty of nature all about him.
Think of his refusing to believe that
there were any other eyes which could
see better than could his poor slghtless
ones. Think of his standing in the
presence of Jesus and declaring that
he was satisfied with his view and un-
derstanding of things, and did not be-
lieve there could be anything better. ]
fear that the compassionate Christ
would never have stopped down and
anointed the poor beggar's eyes with
clay. He never would have washco
in the pool and come seeing. All, we
need the sight which Christ alone can
give US by His Holy Spirit if we would
come seeing the things Of God.
Il
i generate man, in the verses pre-
ceding our text, Paul declares that
EYE hath not seen, nor ear heard
neither have entered into the heart OF
man, the things which God hath pre-
| pared for them that love Him" But
| the apostle goes on to say of the re-
generate man that God hath revealed
them unto him by His Spirit" And
| then comes the query and the declara-
ton of our text. But how slowly and
! how indifferently the Christian re-
ceives the revelation which the Spirit
as He searches the deep things of God
seeks to make to the soul. How little
We are satisfied with. How limited is
our view of salvation. When God has
set table loaded with the richness
and fullness Of His inexhaustible spir'
itual dainties, how content we are tt
stoop down at the tables edge ant
| pick up only the barest crumbs which
have CHANGED to fall at our feet We
might sit at the table and partake o.
| all the feast. We might through The
aid Of the Holy Spirit see and enjoy
the wonderful things which Goo
hath prepared for them that love
| Him." but we do not. We are salts
| fed with the crumbs, and we make on
the rest of our meal on the weak ant
beggarly elements of the world and e
sightseeing with the natural man
We use his eyes and ears and tongue
and brain Oh, how much the Chris
tan willfully shuts himself ava.
| FRONT What fulness God has planned
for him and how empty he remains
God wants us to have His sight, Hi
view of things, to know His peace ant
| Joy, and fullness. My brother, give III
| the desire and tendency to see will
the natural eye; make the natura
man with his materialistic tendencie
and his f1eshly appetites and lusts TAX
a back seat, and enthrone the Hol!
Spirit in your heart, that you may SCI
with clear vision and know and I'm
derstand God.
ND now a last word to- the unsavet
y soul. My friend, the astronomer
| looking through his powerful telescop
| is able to see glories in the heaven
of which my natural and unaided ey
is utterly unconscious. l may look II
the direction of the stars which hi
great glass is searching out; l ma
strain my eyes to see as l hear hin
tell of what he beholds, and yet l can
not bring the splendors which he dis
covers within the range of my vision
| But if l accept the aid of his teleScop