himſelf ; not (as appears out of any good defign, that they might be convinced of the truth of the thing, or that he who had wronghr this Miracle was the Son of God ; but that they might have ſomething ro object again{t Chritt, and ro quarrel with him for, upon their Traditions, with reference to the obſeryation of:theSabbath. Of which we are told this was one, That it was unlanful for any to anoint thetr eyes with ſpittle on the Sabbath-day ; they having a conceir, thatir was a medicinal Application. The Blind man is-nort aſham- ed to own the Goodneſs of God to him, ro the Phariſees, but _— tae ſame Story which he before bad related to the Pco- ple, :
16 Theretore ſaid fome of the Phariſees, This man is not of God, becaulz he keeperh not the Sabbath- day s, Others ſaid * How can a man that is a finner - inch miracles z ? And * there was a divition among chem #. |
s They are fo far from owning Chrift as God, the Eternal 50n of God, and equal with his Fatizer, that they wil! not allow him to have any relation to Got as one ſenr of him. Ir is true, the Sandtification of the Sabbath 1s fo great a piece of Religion (the whole of which is fomerines expreflied by it, 1/a. 56. 4. 6.) that whoſo maketh no Confſcienee of 1t, miy reafonably be concluled to have lirtle or no- thing of Godin tim, bur we mutt rightly underttand what the Will ol God 15 as TO that Sanctihcation, and not think that it lyeth in a per- tormance of lome Ritual Services, winle in the mean time we neg- lect moral Duties: Chriit bad kept the Sabbath, tho” not in that Superitimions ſenſe they thonghr it was to be obſerves, keeping to all their Traditions about it» #t Others of the Pbar:fees had a fometiiinx Leiter Opinion of Chriit, by reaton of the Miracles he had wrought ; conchiting, that it he had been fo bad a Man, as fome of their Pre- thren would have him taken to be, God would not have ailified hun ro Tac £0ing of fucha miraculous Works as he had done. z Thus rhe wit: God made a divition amongtt the Counſels of Chriits Enennes, bis Work: b-iny not yet finiſhed, nor the time come when he wasto die for the Redemption of mans.
17 They lay unto the blind man again. What fſay- eſt thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes w? 12 ſaid *®, He is a prophet x.
Eyes? To make the Queition perfect, Interprerers think, there ought to be this Supplement, Oz the Sa»bath-day. What doit thou thin' of ſuch a man as this, who would make Clay, and apjly it ro thy Care upon the Sabbarh-nay 2 How can ſuch a Fact be detended 2 x Tie Blind-mananſwered, He z# a Prophet. It was taken for granted by the Ferws according to their Traditions,That at the command of aPro- phet it was lawful to violate the Sabbath : Which incieed is no more than, That God hath not in giving us a Law, bound up himfelf, but he may diſpence with his own Law. Their Prophets had an extraor- dinary Mitizon from Gog, and immediately revealed the Will ot God ; fo as they looked upon what they faid, as ſpoken by Gol him- {elf. The Blind man declareth, That he believed rhat Caritt was 4 Propher, and being fo, his Words an Actions had an extraordt- nary Warrant, and therefore were not to be judged by ordinary Rules. 15 But the Jews did not belteve
had been bind,
concerning him,
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- Whar Opinion haſt thoa of this man, who hath opened thine
rue Doctrine of the Sabbath ; rhat they might not ſaperſtiriouſly:
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HG Or mon om: 634. they ho feen bim for a long time fit beg- . z =p beim allowed, in an the corrupt and miferablec
no Tribamgry 1 the Ronarzs, tho! inthe feuled prof- berci - neo wins fech 2 biboral Previtgn matic toy thew Poor. that tone wasno Dealat in tracts } befides, they fad it from his ; 4. G. but the Rulers hi no mind to Hcheve 12; and mope r iers fe Fri (poilibly) had been nu Eve-witnefles of bis bor? Mo only keard the relation from others: The Rulers th fore end ior ihe Pareats of the Blind inan.
to And they acked them ſaying, I this your lon | : 3 was born blind? how then doth he now > The Parents of this Van that was Blind, in their Anſwer ſhew at deat of refcreticn and prudence. Three rhings the Pharafees nk 1. Fl hether this mere their Sen? 2. Whether {as they ſaid) lea i1.ce2d born Blind © 3 How he came now to ſee ? The man ner of tlie propenacing of the queſtion, Bo (fe ſay) ler us know
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whar Arfoer they would have 114d, and bat they did nor ſend for the Pir-rrs of this Bligd-man. out of 2 defire ro know the naked Trinh of the thinz. bur hoping to frigit them into a ſpeaking (Colbiiully ar Teal) whether it was their Son yea or no2 Or whe- ter he wis fark Hind when he was born, yeaor no? Bat alas ! the Proviiercs cf God ordering his condition to be fo poor, that he was vlad ws 12 for bis livelibood, made this defign vain z would his Parers kave gratified the Phariſees, by any ſlutfing, and in- Gre tAn 10 His Parents anſwered them, and faid, We know is is our fon, and that he was born Blind a,
21 P:c by what means he now feeth,we know not,01 who hit opened his Eyes we know not; He is of age, im, bs ſhall fpeak for himſelf. Por br{ides this, The Parents of this man proved honeſter, Lonter. than it may be the Phariſees did expett. Fhey affirm,
v knew that he was their Son, and that he was born blind. 27 ice the Third Queltion, How he now ſaw, They avoid an ro that. being poiſibly no Eye witneſs of Chriſt when he wreumbr the Miracle, For this they refer them to their Son, who o >
V8 135
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224:e, bur a man grown, one of Ape, able ro ſpeak for him- {-i'; of whom they might enquire, and he was belt able, as to this Ling, 0 give them fausfaction.
22 "Ih:ſe words ſpake his Parents, becauſe they * feared the Jews c, for the Jews had agreed already, that ifany man did confeſs that he was Chriſt,ne ſhould
be put out of the Synagogue d. C
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