November 19

"Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" John 9:35.

THIS question was addressed to a man that had been blind. Some are blind by accident, and some by disease, but this man was born blind. He had never seen even the face of her who bore him, and who, as she fed him at her breast, would often look upon him, and weep over her orbless boy. Blindness is always a sufficient affliction in itself, but here penury was added to it. Like others of the same class of sufferers mentioned in the gospels, he sat by the way-side, begging. Many had passed him without notice, but Jesus had compassion on him. Some had given him alms, which was all he implored; but Jesus gave him eyes, and did for him beyond all that he could ask or think.

The cure was notorious. The common people acknowledged it; and they brought the man to the Pharisees, supposing that they would be equally ready to confess it too. But see how the plainest truth can be perplexed or doubted when it comes before those whose interest it is to deny or conceal it. First, they admit the fact, but turn it against our Saviour because he had done it on the Sabbath-day. This did not satisfy the people, who justly remarked, that, had he violated the Sabbath, he would have been a transgressor, and God would not have thus honored a sinner. Then they pretend to question the fact itself. They set aside the man's own testimony, and call in his parents. His parents affirm that he was their son, and that he had been born blind; but fearing lest they should be put out of the synagogue, they affect to be ignorant of the mode of his cure. How stubborn is truth! How hard is it to suppress evidence! The attempt is like trying to keep fire under ashes out in the wind. Again they call in the man himself, and after an artless relation which they could not resist, and an involuntary address which they could not endure, "they cast him out;" that is, they drove him from their presence, and excommunicated him as a member of the Jewish synagogue. Informed of this, Jesus sought and found him, and said unto him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"

There are many foolish and useless questions asked by every individual. In the company of some persons we are in a perfect inquisition; we are tortured with inquiries concerning every body and every thing. It would be well if many professors of religion were aware that they are accountable not only for their time, but their tongues, and would remember the language of our Saviour, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Many of the inquiries in the theological world which have engrossed so much attention, and injured so much temper, have turned on subjects too deep to be fathomed, or too trifling to merit regard. When Peter, wishing to know his designs concerning John, asked, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" he replied, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me." A man in the road asked, "Lord, are there few that shall be saved?" But Jesus "answered and said unto them"—for he would not notice the trifler himself, but said unto them that were about him—"Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for I say unto you, that many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." If it be said, this was no answer to the question itself, we reply, that it was an answer, and the only proper answer—an answer by way of rebuke—an answer informing them, and informing us, that "the secret things belong unto God; but things that are revealed are for us and for our children," and that whatever be the number of the saved, we may be included in it if we earnestly and immediately seek it.

But the question before us is founded in importance. We may infer this from the character of the inquirer; he never trifled, never spoke an idle word. And we may infer it also from the nature of the case itself. For what can be so important as faith in Christ? It is the principle of all religion. It is the only medium through which we can enjoy the blessings of the gospel. Do we live? We "live by the faith of the Son of God." Do we walk? "We walk by faith." Do we stand? "By faith we stand." Do we conquer? "This is the victory that overcoweth the world, even our faith." There is no justification without it: "Being justified by faith." There is no sanctification without it: "Sanctified by faith that is in me." There is no consolation without it: "In whom, believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." In a word, there is no salvation without it: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." The same things therefore in the Scripture which are ascribed to Christ, are also ascribed to faith. The reason is, because it is only by faith we can make use of Christ for all the purposes which he is appointed to accomplish. It is only by faith we can receive him as the gift of God, enter him as a refuge, apply him as the balm of Gilead, and feed upon him as the bread of life.

And unless we believe on him, we not only incur the greatest loss we can incur, but we contract the greatest guilt we can contract. We disobey the express command of God, his dearest command—the command which involves all his glory in the highest degree: for "this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." We make him a liar; we throw unspeakable contempt upon his wisdom and goodness. He has, at an infinite expense, provided a Saviour, and brought him near, and pressed us to avail-ourselves of him. And how can we contemn God so much as by making light of it, and rejecting it? "He that believeth not shall be damned." "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

What, then, can be so momentous as this question, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" And yet many never give it a serious thought. They can live on, year after year, without ever once inquiring, "Am I a believer, or an unbeliever?" though their everlasting all depends upon it; though now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation; though their breath is in their nostrils, and they know that their only opportunity is as uncertain as it is short. Oh, the deceitfulness of sin! Oh, the madness of sinners! Oh, the influence of the god of this world, who blindeth the minds of them that believe not!