A Spiritual Treasury written in 1740

The following comes from a daily devotional published by the American Bible Society in the late 1700's.

"We See Jesus."  Hebrews 2:9

    Fine sights of human pomp and worldly grandeur captivate and ravish worldly minds.  It is common to hear persons say, "O, I could sit all night to see a find play!"  But one sight of the matchless charms and dazzling glories of our Saviour makes all ofther things appear mean and contemptible.  We turn our eyes from them and say, "I put away these childish things; I have a heavenly object, infinitely superior to such low and perishing vanities."
    I know one, who having heard that faithful minister of Christ, Mr Whitefield, when he first preached in the fields, [about 1740] upwards of thirty years ago, on being asked  which he liked best, to hear him preach, or see Vauxhall? profanely replied, "Whitefield only preaches of heaven, but Vauxhall is heaven itself."  Poor soul! he was then blind t o his want of Christ, and to his glory and excellency.  But, to the glory of his rich grace, that poor sinner is out of hell, and can now happily join the faithful in saying, we SEE JESUS.  So then, the once profane sinner is changed into the "enthusiast."  Enthusiasm to see JESUS! 
    The esssence of the Gospel, the joy of sinners, and the glory of faith consist in this sight.  What is life itself withou it?  Alas, we have lost all righteousness, holiness and happiness, in ourselves; but we see all these, with heaven and glory, restored to us in Christ.  O blessed day! Happy hour! Joyful Moment! when the sight of our inestimably precious Saviour first saluted the eys of our mind and became the object of our faith!  It was the beginning of day;  yea, our birth-day to eternal blessedness.
    This sight is a feast to our souls all the year.  We delight to begin the year with seeing Jesus.  We salute one another with "I wish you a happy new year."  What mean we, but I wish you to see Jesus?  What can make the year happy without this?  This creates heaven in the soul.  Then it is a happy year indeed.  But without this precious view of faith we can get no ease from the burden of sin, and our souls must be miserable.  This world can afford us no real happiness.  The thoughts of death will torment us; and the view of judgment fill us with dread and terror.  But, O happy sinners, who can bless God with Simeon, and say, "Mine eyes have seen thy salvation!" - Luke 2:30.  I see Christ:  he is all my salvation and all my desire.  Ye heaven-born, highly-favored souls, well may ye say, "Time, hasten on; years, roll round; moments, fly swiftly; and bring me to the full enjoyment of my beloved Saviour in his kingdom of glory." 
    We See Jesus, who saw us, loved us, pitied and saved us when dead in our sins, cursed by the law, and polluted in our blood.  We  look back and see him an outcast babe, a despised MAN, crucified as a vile malefactor, bearing our sins on the cross, made a sacrifice for our souls, and redeeming us to God by the blood.  We glory in him as the only atonement for our sins and our one righteousness to justify our souls; for he is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS - Jeremiah 23:6.  We look up and see JESUS crowned with glory and honor, pleading our cause and interceding for our persons at the right hand of God, and ever living to save us to the uttermost.  We look forward to judgment; awful day! we see
                                       "A trembling world, and a devouring God."
But, O how bright the prospect! We see JESUS coming with power and great glory to receive us to his kingdom, that where he is there we may be also.
      Do we thus SEE JESUS by FAITH as revealed in the Word of Truth?  Then we are new creatures in him.  We are called, with Moses, "to endure as seeing Him who is invisible." - Hebrews 11:27.  We are exhorted to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."- Hebrews 12:1,2.  Thus we obey the will of God our Father, who commands us, "Behold mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth," - Isaiah 42:1, "beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." -  Matthew 3:17