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The Gospel

Jefus gives Sight to a Man born blind, ver. 1.
fitted to convert the humble and teachable, not the proud
and wilful, ver. 39. Unbelievers cannot plead Ignorance,
or want of Evidence of the Truth of Religion, ver. 41.

I.

After these things, as Jefus was walking with his Difciples from Jerufalem to fome of the neighbouring Villages, they faw by the Way-fide a *Ver. 8. Man that was born blind, * begging.

2. Upon which occafion, the Difciples afked Jefus, faying: Mafter, how comes it to pafs, that this Man was born blind, rather than another? Was it for any Sin, that he himself had committed in fome former State, or would commit here? Or was it upon Account of fome Fault, that his Parents had been guilty of before him?

3. Jefus replied: 'Twas not intended for the Punishment of any particular Sin at all. But the infinite Wisdom of the Divine Providence, fuffered this Man to come into the World in this Condition, that I might have an Opportunity of working a notable Miracle upon him, and of remarkably evidencing the Power of God, which accompanies my Preaching, and attefts and confirms my Doctrine.

45. And alluding to the prefent Occafion of the Cure, which he was about to effect, he faid: For this Purpose came I down from Heaven, that I fhould be the Light of the World; to give Sight to the Blind, and to enlighten them that walk in Darkness; to inftruct the Ignorant, to rectifie the Erroneous, and to convert the Wicked. And fo long 4

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6 When he had thus spoken, he fpat on the ground, and made clay of the fpittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And faid unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came feeing.

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him, that he was blind, faid,

as I continue here upon Earth, I must
take all Opportunities of benefitting
Mankind; by relieving their Bodies, by
inftructing their Minds, and by giving
Proofs of my Power and Authority to
fave them. The time will fhortly come,
when I fhall be taken away from them:
And then they can no more have the
Advantage of my perfonal Prefence, to
heal and to inftruct them. What time
therefore I have yet left to continue in
the World, I muft employ wholly in
this Work, which I was fent on pur-
pose into the World to perform.

67. Then, having by thefeWords
raised in his Difciples a great Attention,
and an Expectation of fome extraordi-
nary Miracle, he fpit on the Ground,
and having made Clay with the Spittle,
he anointed the blind Man's Eyes there-
with, and bid him go and wash in the
Pool of Siloam: (which Word, fignifying
in the Jewish Language, Sent; might
give him occafion to think of the Meffiah,

who was prophefied of under that Name.) * See GroAnd accordingly the blind Man went tius on the and washed, and immediately received Place.

the Ufe of his Eyes.

8& 9. In the mean time, Jefus conveyed himself away, without the blind Man's Knowledge; fo as not to be prefent when the Man returned with the Ufe of his Sight. But the Neighbours Is not this he that fat and begged ? and fuch Paffengers as happened to be 9 Some faid, This then at the Place, feeing him at his Reis he, others faid, turn walking without Affiftance, and He is like him but with the perfect ufe of his Eyes, were he faid, I am he. greatly furprized and aftonished, and knew not what to believe concerning him: Some afking doubtingly; is not this the Man, that ufed to fit here blind, and begging by the Way-fide? Others afferting pofitively, that it was certainBb 2

VOL. II.

ly

ly the very fame Man, which way foever he came to have his Sight at pre fent: And others faying on the contrary; Nay, it is impoffible it fhould be the fame Man, fince no one ever heard of fuch a Cure, as the healing one born blind; yet he is indeed extraordinarily like him. But the Man himself affirmed that he was the fame Perfon.

10. Then they asked him: If you are the fame Man, that used to fit here begging, and was born blind; how come you now by the Use of your Sight?

me,

II. The Man answered: As I was fitting by the Way-fide begging, after my usual manner; there happened to pafs by a Man, whofe Name they faid was Jefus; who obferving me to be blind, ftopped and came towards intending, as I expected, to give me an Alms: But instead of that, he, to my great Surprize, after a little Talk, anointed my Eyes with a kind of Clay that he had made, and then bid me go wash in the Pool of Siloam; which having done, I immediately received the Use of my Eyes.

12. The People, not fatisfied with this Answer, afked him again: Where is this Man you fpeak of, that we may from him make further Inquiry about this Matter? The Man answered: I know not: He went away as soon as he had given me the Directions I told you, and I never saw him at all, neither have I heard of him fince.

13. Upon this there arifing much Debate, the Matter came at length to the Pharifees Ears; and the Man was brought before the Council to be examined, concerning this Cure.

10 Therefore faid they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jefus, made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and faid unto me, Go to the

pool of Siloam, and

wash and I went and washed, and I received fight.

+2 Then faid they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know

not.

13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

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14. For one particular Circumftance, there was, which made them very follicitous to prevent its being thought a Miracle or a good Work. And that was, that Jefus had done it upon the Sabbath-day, in Diminution to the Authority and Obligation of their Traditions. 15. The Council therefore, hoping to find out fome Objection against the Truth of the Miracle, commanded the Man to give them a particular Account, of the Manner and Circumstances how Jefus had cured him. The Man anfwered: He made a Sort of Clay, and anointed my Eyes with it, and then bid me go and wash in the Pool of Siloam; which I did, and immediately thereupon received my Sight.

16. To this, the more obftinate and wilful of the Pharifees, who were most ftrongly prejudiced againft Jefus, and refolved not to believe any Testimony whatsoever in his Favour, replied: Well, we know not what to make of the Cure; but this we are very fure of, that the Perfon who you fay effected it, is not a good Man, nor fent from God, seeing he keeps not the Sabbath, and obferves not our Traditions ftrictly. But others of them, who were fomewhat more moderate and lefs fuperftitious, faid: Nay, if you once grant the Truth of the Miracle, 'tis by no means credible that God would enable a Deceiver, to perform fo great and beneficial aWork, for a Testimony of his divine Commiffion. If therefore you will effectually destroy this Man's Authority; there is no other way, but to enquire ftrictly into the Fact, if you can find out any Mistake or Deceit therein. Thus there was a Divifion among the Pharifees themselves, about Jefus's giving Sight to the blind Man. Bb3 17. They

17. They asked the Man therefore again, faying: What Opinion have you your felf of this Perfon, who you fay hath given you your Sight? The Man anfwered: I fuppofe he muft needs be a Prophet; For fuch a Cure as this, cannot, I prefume, be the Effect either of Accident or Art.

18 & 19. The Pharifees then, seeing the Man poffeft with a favourable Opinion of Jefus, began to fufpect Him alfo, as if he had not really been born blind; but, being fecretly a Difciple of Jefus, had only pretended Blindness for fome time, that he might gain his Mafter the falfe Honour of a reputed Cure. Sending therefore for the Man's Parents, (who by especial Providence, to give undeniable Evidence of the Truth of the Miracle, and to take away all Excufe from the malicious Unbelief of the Pharifees, were yet alive,) they asked Them, faying: Is this your Son, was born blind? If you are fure it is the fame Perfon, and if you are fure he was really born blind, and has continued fo till this Time; pray tell us how comes he now to fee?

who you fay

20 & 21. The Man's Parents anfwered: That this is our Son, the very jame Perfon that was born blind, we are very well affured: Also that he was really born blind, and has continued fo ever fince till this Time, we are no less certain: But how he has now gained the Ufe of his Sight, or who it is that has worked this great Cure upon him, this we are altogether ignorant of. We were not prefent when he received his Sight; nor know at all in what Manner, or by what Perfon, or by what Means the Thing was effected. Our Son is of full Age, able to give a fuffi

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