204 The Man is called again before the Sanhedrim, Sect. 130. the Event, when he works with, than without Means; and that all the Creatures are only that, which his Almighty Operation makes them. Ver. -7. : Ver. 15, 17, 18, 19. The Blind Man believed, and received the immediate Benefit of it. Had he reafoned, like Naaman, on the Impropriety of the Means, he had justly been left in Darkness. Lord, may our proud Hearts be fubdued to the Methods of thy recovering Grace! And may we leave it to Thee to chuse, how thou wilt bestow Favours, which it is our highest Interest on any Terms to receive! ; It must be a Satisfaction to every true Christian, to observe the Curiosity and Exactness, with which these Pharisees enquired into the Miracles of Christ, and how thoroughly they canvassed every Circumstance of them. A Truth like this, need not fear any Examination. Every new Witness which they heard, confirmed the Cafe, and confounded the Obstinacy of Ver. 20,-23. their Unbelief. But surely the Weakness of the Parents was very pitiable, who in the midst of the Evidence and Obligation of such a Miracle, were more afraid of incurring a Human Sentence, than of offending God, by failing to own so great a Favour, and to confess the blessed Person by whom it was wrought. The Fear of Man bringeth a Snare: (Prov. xxix. 25.) But they, whofe Eyes Christ has opened in a spiritual Sense, will fee a Glory and Excellence in him, which will animate them boldly to bear their Testimony to him, in Defiance of all the Censures which Men can pass, or of all the Penalties by which they can inforce them. 1. Sect. 131. SECT. СХХХІ.. The Man who was born Blind, that had received his Sight, is a fecond Time examined before the Sanhedrim, who, provoked by the Freedom of his Replies, excommunicate bim; but JESUS meets him, and declares himself to be the Son of GOD. John IX. 24,----38.. : N : JOHN IX. 24. OW as the Sanhedrim were not able to discover any Fraud in the Miracle mentioned John IX. 24. in the preceding Section, by examining the Parents, they therefore called a second Time for the Man who had been. Blind, and faid to him, Give Glory to GOD, by a free Confeffion of the Fraud, if there be any Collufion or Artifice in this Af fair; who would perfuade him, JESUS was a Sinner. Gon the Praife: we know that this Man is a Sinner. 25 He answered and faid, Whether he be a Sinner, or No, I know not: one Thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I fee. 26 Then faid they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine Eyes?. 27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his Disciples? 28: Then they reviled 205 fair (a); or if the Cure was really wrought in the Sect. 131. Then anfwered be, and faid, If he be a Sinner, 25 But they again faid to him, hoping that in some 26 And as the Man perceived that they intended 27 The Pharifees then were filled with Indignation, 28 to (a) Give Glory to GOD, by a free Confeffion of the Fraud, &c.] As it is greatly for the Honour of the Divine Omniscience and Providence, that Persons who are guilty of Crimes not fully proved against them, should freely confess them; and not prefume, against the Dictates of Confcience, to maintain their own Innocence; there is a great Propriety in the Phrafe taken in this Sense: (Compare Joh. vii. 19. and Rev. xi. 13.) Yet some have taken it, as a general Adjuration by the glorious Name of GOD; (as I Kings xxii. 16.. 2 Chron. xviii. 15. and Mat. xxvi. 63:) - The Words also admit another Sense, which I have comprehended in the Paraphrase; but I prefer the former. (b) This Man is a Sinner.] I cannot, with Mr. Locke, (Reasonableness of Chriftianity, pag. 28.) imagine this any Proof of a Tradition among the Jews, that the Meffiah should! be perfectly free from Sin; but rather conclude, that Sinner here, as in ver. 16. fignifies a notoriously wicked Man. It was certain from the Principles of their Sacred Writings, that a Person not entirely finless, might perform very illustrious Miracles. But how fevere an Insult was here on the Character of our Redeemer, to be pronounced a known Scandalous Sinner, by this high Court of Judicature? An Infamy, which has seldom, in any civilized. Country, fallen on any Person not legally convicted.. (c) We 206. He argues from the Miracle, that he was fent of GOD. Sect. 131. to them so infolent a Speech, that they reviled him, and faid, Thou art his bim in very opprobrious Language, and faid, Thou Disciple; but we are Mofes John IX. 28. Disciples. art indeed this Fellow's Difciple, as many of the Herd of ignorant People are; but we would have thee to know, that we scorn the Imputation, for we are the Disciples of Mofes (c), and are too firmly attached to that great and holy Prophet, to re 29 gard such a Deceiver as this. 30 We well know that GOD fpake to Mofes (d), and gave the most from GOD to us. And the Man replied with a becoming Free- 32 And this is plainly an extraordinary Instance; for the 29 We know that Gon spake unto Mofes: as for this Fellow, we know not from whence he is. 30 The Man answered and faid unto them, Why, herein is a marvellous Thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine Eyes. 31 Now we know that GOD heareth not Sinners: but if any Man be a Worshipper of Gon, and dotk his Will, him he heareth. 32 Since the World began was it not heard, that any Man opened the Eyes of one that was born blind. (c) We are the Disciples of Moses.] Hereby they craftily, but most maliciously and falsely. infinuated, that there was such an Oppofition between Mofes and Jesus, that it was impoffible for the fame Persons to be the Disciples of both. (d) We know that GOD spake to Mofes.] Their Partiality here was inexcusable; for if they believed the Mission of Moses, on the Evidence of Miracles, credibly attested indeed, but performed Two thousand Years before they were born; it was much more reasonable, on their own Principles, to believe the Mission of Jesus, on at least equal Miracles, wrought daily among them, when they might in many Instances have been Eye-witnesses to the Facts; and one of which, notwithstanding all their Malice, they were here compelled to own, or at least found themselves utterly unable to disprove. (e) With They are provoked at his Replies, and excommunicate him. 33 If this Man were not of GOD, he could do nothing. 34 They answered and faid unto him, Thou wast altogether born in Sins, and doft thou teach us?' And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they Had caft him out, and when he had found him, he said unto him, Doft thou believe on the Son of GOD? 36 He answered, and faid, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 207 the Authority of his Miracles, should in this Cafe Sect. 131. But every unprejudiced Person may easily fee, that John IX. 33- And not being able to endure so plain and 34 Now Jefus quickly heard of their arbitrary 35 on the poor Man, and had cast him out for his He answered and faid, Sir, who is be, that I 36 Then Jefus, to encourage him under what he was 37 37 And Jesus faid unto him, Thou hast both feen him, Thou (e) With a Degree of Freedom very unusual.] We have formerly observed the wife Caution of Jesus on this Head. See Sect. 29. Note (q). Vol. i. pag. 177. - The Freedom here: used may be accounted for, by confidering the extraordinary Circumstances of the Cafe; this being the first Instance, in which any one had incurred the great Inconveniences attending a Sentence of Excommunication, out of Zeal for the Honour of Christ. No doubt, this paffed privately between our Lord and this good Man, tho' presently after others joined. the Conversation, as we observe in the Beginning of the next Section. (f) More 208 Reflections on the Force and Prevalence of Truth. Sect. 131. Thou hast no Need of going far to seek him; him, and it is he that talk ☑ for thou hast both already seen him, and had ExpeJohn IX. 37. rience of his Power and Goodness: It was he that miraculously opened thine Eyes, and it is even be, that is now talking with thee, who is that very Perfon. 38 John ix. 24,--27. Ver. 28, 29. Ver. 30. Ver. 31. eth with thee. 38 And he faid, Lord, I And immediately yielding to that convincing Ar- experienced of his Almighty Power, be faid, Lord, S him. IMPROVEMENT. O little does Truth fear repeated Examinations; and thus does it, after every Trial, come forth like pure Gold out of the Furnace. So did this Miracle of Christ appear to these subtile Adversaries; so will the Chriftian Cause appear to all, who will diligently search into its Evidence. Who can forbear wondering at the Obstinacy of these Pharifees, and on the fame Principles, at that of the present Jews, who while they acknowledge that GOD fpake by Mofes, because he wrought Miracles, will not on the Evidence of yet more various and glorious Miracles (f), and those attested beyond all Contradiction, acknowledge the Authority of the Son of GOD himself? But we fee, this poor illiterate Creature, (for such he undoubtedly was,) with the Advantage of Truth on his Side, baffles all the Sophistry of his most learned Antagonists. Great is the Truth, and it will prevail. Great is this Truth, so fundamental to the Gospel, that Jefus is the Son of GOD: And this also, which is so important to Natural Religion and Revealed, that GOD heareth not Sinners; but if any Man be a Worshipper of GOD, and do his Will, him he hears, and most favourably regards. May we be truly devout, and add to our Devotion an obedient Regard to the Divine Will, and the Eyes of the Lord will be upon us, and his Ears be open to our Cry! (Pfal. xxxiv. 15.) Then, being favourably owned of GOD, Wer. 35,-37. we shall have no Reason to fear the Cenfures of Men. If they cast us out, Christ will receive us, and perhaps reveal himself to us with more Freedom, in Proportion to the Injuries we sustain from them. Ver. 34. (f) More various and glorious Miracles.) A beautiful Parallel between the Miracles of Mofes, and Christ, is drawn by Orobio on the one hand, and Limborch on the other. Limb. Collat. cum Judæo, Scrip. iii. Quast. 4. N°. 3. pag. 131, & feq. and Refp. ad Scrip. iii. pag. 151, & feq. SECT. |