John 9:41

REFLECTIONS

My soul! contemplate in this man, thy state by nature; blind indeed, from thy birth, and in spiritual things, as ignorant as the very, brute that perisheth. And how long didst thou remain, stumbling over the dark mountains of sin, and unbelief? Nay, wouldest thou not have remained so forever, had not Jesus passed by, and created life and light to thy spiritual apprehension? It was indeed the sabbath day when Jesus did this; for He himself became the very sabbath of thy soul. And in this sovereign act of grace, how sweetly hath he proved to thee his own eternal power and Godhead! Surely thou canst say, with this fellow-partaker in the rich mercy: Since the world began was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.

Oh! ye blind Pharisees! How long will ye have to learn a right knowledge of the Person and righteousness of Jesus? An whole eternity ye will have to mourn over the darkness of blackness forever! How awfully verified, in that day which unfolds all, will be the words of Jesus! When ye have lifted up the Son of Man; then shall ye know that I am. Yes! know it, to your everlasting condemnation; but not to your joy, as the Lord's people!

Reader! Doth Jesus now put the question to you, and to me, which he put to the man born blind, when he had opened his eyes; Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Hath the Lord opened our eyes? Have we seen the king in his beauty? Seen ourselves in our deformity? Can we, from the heart, and from the soul, fall down and worship him? crying out, as one of old: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel! Oh! the blessedness of being taught by him! Surely the Lord will say to us, as he did to the Apostle, on his confession: Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.