August 4

THAT WAS BORN BLIND.

One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see.— John 9:25.

How marvellous was the prejudice of the Jews against Christ. They heard his pure and heavenly doctrine, they saw his unblameable life, and witnessed his benevolent miracles, and yet they professed to believe that he was an impostor, an enemy of God, and a deceiver of men. On the occasion of the blind man being cured, they seem to have displayed that infatuated spirit and temper in the highest degree. It was the sabbath when Christ had cured the man, and therefore they at once concluded, despite of the astounding and unheard of miracle before them, that Christ was a wicked person, and only deserving of scorn and contempt.

2 A

Nay more than this, they endeavoured to shake the testimony of the man, and if possible they would have caused him to prevaricate, that Christ might have been robbed of the glory of the miracle altogether. His parents they did terrify into inglorious silence, and they ungratefully and wickedly said, "By what means he seeth we know not." To meet their sophistical reasoning, the man himself might not find himself able, but he made a plain and straight-forward confession, "One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see." Now this was experimental evidence, and of all evidence it is the most satisfactory and decisive. He had undergone a change of the most palpable and blessed description: and he did not shrink from avowing both the agent and the means employed in producing it. My dear readers, there is another sort of blindness—blindness of mind—an understanding darkened by sin—the want of spiritual sight: this calamity has overspread the whole family of man; and to remove this was one great design of Christ's mission to our world.

"He came, from darkening scales of vice

To clear the inward sight,

And on the eye-balls of the blind

To pour celestial light."

Are you conscious of your true condition? are you saying, Lord, impart unto me sight! Believe the testimony of his gospel, and you shall see the glory of God, and be able to say, "whereas, once I was blind, now I see."