LECTURE XXIV. TWO BLIND MEN RESTORED TO SIGHT. – MATT. ix. 27-38. 27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30. And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. The miracle here related contains, in short compass, a striking description of the nature and the effect of christian faith. These blind men knew Jesus, who he was, and for what purpose he was come; for they address him by his prophetic title, the Son of David. Therefore they followed Jesus with an earnest supplication, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. We too, in the first place, must know that Jesus is "he that should come," the predicted Saviour, "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.' We too must apply to him by the movement of our hearts, desiring the benefit of his atonement, and inwardly saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. He sees whether we believe that he is able to do this: whether we believe that he is the appointed way by which we have access to God, and his blood the only atonement by which our sins can be blotted out, and our souls purified. Believe ye that I am able to do this? Believe Believe ye that "God has delivered all things into the hands" of the Son? That" as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive?" That "all that believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life?" According as in our hearts we believe this, so will it be unto us. This is the faith, by which "being justified, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ." He who performed this miracle, could also tell whether it were best, in this particular case, to spread the fame of it abroad, or to let no man know it. They, however, who had been restored to sight, were too full of gratitude and joy to keep the secret to themselves. They made it known unto all that country. We are at liberty to do this: if we find the blessing of an earnest faith in Christ, we may disclose the peace which we enjoy to others, and violate no command. We need not "hide his righteousness within our heart." We should rather ex hort all, over whom we have influence, to seek the same benefit and realise the same comfort; that knowing in whom they have believed, they may "commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." 1 32. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man, possessed with a devil. 33. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake : and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 34. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. The Pharisees, seeing these miracles, and hearing the fame of them, felt themselves obliged to explain them in some way and prejudice is never at a loss; it can always find some cloke for itself. So in this case, they allowed what they could not deny, he casteth out devils; but they persuaded the ignorant multitude, perhaps they were themselves persuaded, that he was in league with Satan; he casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. Blind and perverse as they were, they did not consider that it was a good work to cast out devils; and that good works do not proceed from Satan. But the mind which is overspread with prejudice never perceives its own contradictions. 35. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37. Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few : 38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of The harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. We have seen, perhaps, a wide field of corn, and a solitary reaper employed in it. Then the grain is shed, and the fowls of the air devour it before it can be gathered in. Such is, too often, the case in spiritual husbandry. Compared with the ignorance, the indifference, the wants of the people, the labourers are few, and yet the harvest is plenteous; of these ignorant and careless souls, many perhaps might be reaped and gathered into the heavenly garner, if they were diligently taught and affectionately warned. How much then has God made to depend on those whose business it is to labour! It was this which St. Paul felt, when he "taught publicly, and from house to house, and by the space of three years ceased not to warn every one, night and day with tears." (Acts xx. 20—31.) Observe, however, that all Christians have a duty in this matter. Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he may send forth labourers into his harvest. If the Lord dispose the hearts of men to this service, great will be the zeal and number of those who publish the glad tidings of salvation. And so to dispose their hearts, he may be moved by "effectual earnest prayer." The frequent exhortations of the apostle, "Brethren, pray for us, pray "that a door of utterance may be opened to us," pray" that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified;" sufficiently prove his conviction how much of spiritual success, of the increase of religion, depends on PRAYER. Prayer opens the doors of heaven, and brings down its gifts upon mankind; but no gifts so surely as its best gifts; those gifts which we may ask without scruple and without exception. Other things we seek and pray for, "as may be most expedient for us:" but here we may "come boldly to the throne of grace:" we may seek, with no reserve, both for ourselves and others, "in this world knowledge of the truth, and in the world to come life everlasting." LECTURE XXV. COMMISSION OF THE APOSTLES. MATT. X. 1-15. (Mark iii. 13. Luke vi. 13.) 1. And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of dis ease. 2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother: James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother ; 3. Philip and Bartholomew: Thomas, and Matthew the 1 Bartholomew is supposed to be the same as he whom St. John mentions under the name of Nathanael.-(John i. 43-46.) |