What a paradox! "Seeing Him who is invisible." Is not this the very height of enthusiasm? Enthusiam! I love that term, and in the very sense in which worldly men use it too; for they mean one who has the zeal and fire of godliness in his soul. Is it any marvel that scriptural, experimental truths are foolishness to the spiritually blind, and that they can neither endure the persons nor the language of the children of faith?
Consider, What did Moses endure? What you, and I, and every enlightened soul are called to endure, "the reproach of Christ," and "suffering affliction with the people of God." Now this is opposed by "enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season." So that if you will enjoy the pleasures of sin with the men of this world, you may escape "the reproach of Christ" and avoid suffering affliction from them. Now, which is your choice? If Christ is in your eye, you cannot hesitate for a moment: Moses' choice will be yours: "Give me Christ –welcome reproach –afflictions I embrace for him. O let me have Christ within me, and his mark upon me. Faith makes all easy: love makes all pleasant: hope makes all joyful." Well, but how could Moses endure the reproach of Christ, before Christ was born in the flesh? Why, the promised Messiah was the object of his faith, his hope, his love and his joy: so he was of all these heroes of faith recorded in this chapter. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," is the one only object of every sinner's faith since the fall of Adam to this day: take away Christ, and faith has no existence.
How did Moses endure? Just as you and I must, seeing: this implies a continued act of the mind constantly fixed upon an object. We cannot be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, abounding in love, and enduring reproach for Christ, unless we are continually "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2. Though he is invisible to the eye of sense, yet we see him by the eye of faith: see him as our forerunner, entered into heaven for us –having removed out of the way all things that hindered us –ever living to pray for us –ever ready to keep us –and waiting to receive us to himself, that where he is there we may be also. O, this constant looking makes hopeful, holy, joyful living, and comfortable dying.