His eyes had seen the salvation of God. What he had really seen was the
promised Messiah, that is, the Lord’s Christ. The little child was the
promised Saviour, and to him the Saviour was salvation. The Person and
the Gift were so bound together that they were as one. He could not know
the Person without the Gift, or enjoy the Gift except through the Person.
Thus our Lord, more than thirty years afterwards, spoke of Himself as
“the Salvation,” {31b} when He said, as He entered into the house of
Zacchæus, “This day is salvation come to this house.” Simeon had what we
cannot have, something material that he could handle and look upon. His
hand could handle and his eye could see the little child; and there
cannot be a doubt that there is in the human mind a craving after
something visible, tangible, and material. But we have nothing of the
kind; we cannot hold our salvation in our hands. Neither do we want it
there. It is safer in the hands of our Lord Himself. But though we
cannot say, “Mine _eyes_ have seen,” we can say, thanks be to God, “Mine
_heart_ hath seen,” and we can understand the words, “Whom having not
seen, ye love.” {32a} There is exactly the same union in that passage
between the Saviour and the salvation. Receiving Him we receive
salvation, and beholding Him with the eye of faith we behold, as it were,
our names written in the Book of Life.
To behold the Saviour is a very personal matter. It is not merely to
behold Him like a monument on a distant hill, which we can admire, but
never enter; or as a harbour of refuge which we cannot reach. It must
not be with us as it was with Balaam when he said, “I shall behold Him,
but not nigh,” {32b} for the invitation to us is to draw near, and our
privilege is in our inmost soul to pour out our heart before Him, as
before One who knows all its secrets, and through His own most precious
blood has blotted out all its guilt. This has thrown a gleam of sacred
light into many a death-chamber. May God grant that it may be the same
with each of us. Let none of us rest until we can say, “Mine eyes have
seen Thy salvation,” till we not merely know that there is a Saviour, but
can rest assured that He has saved us, and has made us—even us—heirs of
God and joint-heirs with Himself in His kingdom.