Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-17

also. The man was not fully healed at
rnce. His vision came at the first touch
Of the Savior's hand, but it was indistinct.
This may be only to give US type of the
lealing Christ brings to the sin blinded
soul. The work is in proper sense in
stantaneous, aud in another proper sense
progressive. Spiritual dsccrnment does !
not come at once in all its perfection, but |
after a time the senses become trained to |
discern good and evil. We arc not in /
ormed whether this was a case OF lifelong
blindness, or whether the man had by
some means become blind. The fact that !
ne saw not clearly at first may be consid-
cred only natural result of the disusc OF
rhoso functions fhran and mind by which |
sight is secured, and If any one choose so
to consider it. we may look upon the mir
. acle as twofold: first. the restoring of
vision, SO that light affected the proper
! nerve and the man saw; second. the be-
stowal of that power which experience
gives to every one of us whereby we dis.
\ tinguish Objects and clearly discern those
movements that are going on about u.s.
We cannot doubt, however, that the same
! divine power which let the light into the
darkened chamber Of the eye and caused
tho unused, and perhaps diseased nerve, to
respond to the action of the light, could
have completed the work ut once and
brought tue man to see clearly. When
questioned, however, he acknowledged
that as yet bis vision was imperfect. 1t is
never wise that the soul receiving the first
touch of saving grace should rest satisfied
with that. live acknowledge our need of
a further work, mighty Savior waits
to finish in US the work begun.
Again in this case, as often before, we
find Jesus commanding the restored mar
not to speak of his healing among the mul.
titude, but to return at once. So was the
prophecy concerning Christ fulfilled: "He
shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any
man hear his voice in the streets"
From this locality, north of the lake,
Jesus proceeds some twenty-five miles
further north to the villages about Casarea
Philippi. This place, like Bethsaida before
mentioned, was q town which had been
built up by Roman patronage. Hcrod
Philip had enlarged and adorned both
these towns, and constituted them royal
dwelling places for himself and hisoilicers.
The important question asked the dis
ciples: "Whom do men say that am ?"
seems to have been propounded as they
Ijourneyed between these two places. If
we SO understand tho account, we begin
to get an insight into one real purpose of
these frequent journeys. Christ would
have some time and some privacy wherein
to instruct his disciples; so as the crowds
increased in one locality he withdrew to
another. and bv tho way he held many of
the conversations with the twelve, which
are recorded by the evangclists. In an
, swer to the question Jesus asked, his dis
ciples give the leading theories concerning
: his character and mission which were
abroad at the time; some. among whom
/ was Herod, thought Christ to be John the
Baptist risen from the dead. This view
could have been obtained only among those
, who were ignorant of the carly part Of
. Christ's ministry, for he was for some
] time contemporary Of John. Others,
marking the likeness between his teach,
ings and those Of Elijah and other of the
f old prophets, said he is Elijah or he is one
+, of the prophets.
0 The next question Jesus asked lis dis
o ciples was far more important one
$ "Whom say yc that am ?" 1t is of vastly
, greater moment that we should personally
@ know Christ than that we should know the
j. views that others hold Of him. We may
o be able to explain all these different views
r and compare their soundncss, but vet be
a destitute Of all real knowledge OF Christ.
t Peter, always foremost among the twelve,
: made answer for all 1t may be doubted
4 whether all tho twelve were ready to yield
IF unqualified assent to Peters declaration OF
t faith; but without question his disciples
had revolvcd the matter much in their own
n minds and questioned with each other, sc
Il that Peter had some authority for answer,
v ing in behalf of all, Thou art the Christ
,r the anointed one." Finding out the gen
10 uineness of their faith, Jesus commanded
them to tell no man of him, that is at pres
I cnt, then proceeds to reveal TO them wha
n is to happen 10 the Son of man. Mark and
/. Matthew both indicate that this was thu
!. first time Jesus had fOretold his suffering
Of directly. How strange it must have seem
y. ed to the disciples, just as they had pro
i. claimed their faith in him as the chosen o
God, to be told that the Jewish leaders
v, would reject him as an impostor, and tha
ID he should suffer death. Often our mo
mcnts of sublimest faith and deepest dis
couragement come not far apart.
But along with these revelations of
gloomy nature, Christ speaks of victor,
over death. The disciples paid little hee
to the last declaration of the Master; the
>, were too much stunned by the first. Il
our thoughts of death we many times fin
10 r no place for thoughts of the resurrection
W Peter rebuked Jesus for speaking thus q
himself after having sanctioned their view
~ that he was the Christ Jesus turned to
~ -, ward tho other disciples from whom Pete
40 had drawn him, and with his back towar
-" Peter, said, "Get thee behind me, Satan.
~ =, BY this he meant to say, you bring to m
~ a suggestion which is from Satan, namely
~ asuggestion to abandon my heavcn-assigr
IN cd work. To Satan in all his forms an
~ ~ by all his agents Jesus said "Get thee be
no hind me-"
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