John ix. 35 — 38. Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he tvorshipped him.
NO man that ever suffered for righteousness' sake found, in the issue, that he had any reason to com- plain : for, sooner or later, God has recompensed his sufferings into his bosom a hundred-fold, even in this present life : and assuredly a most glorious recompence awaits him in the world to comea. A remarkable instance of God's special favour to his suffering people is recorded in the passage before us. A man, who had been born blind, had been restored to sight. The Pharisees, being averse to acknow- ledge Jesus as the Messiah, would not believe that the miracle had been wrought: but, being compelled at last to acknowledge that, they persisted that Jesus, in working this miracle on the Sabbath-day, had violated the Sabbath, and unequivocally proved him- self to be a sinner. But the man, on whom the miracle had been wrought, very justly observed to them, that God would never have set his seal, in so public and wonderful a manner, to the pretensions of an impostor ; and that, consequently, the miracle must be considered as a decisive proof that Jesus was both sent of God, and approved of God. The Pha- risees, unable to withstand the force of his reasoning, had recourse to persecution, and " cast him out of the synagogue." But his fidelity did not long remain unnoticed or unrewarded : for our blessed Lord soon found him, and poured into his soul all the blessings of salvation.
In considering the case of this blind man, I propose to notice,
» Mark x. 29, .'30.