Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. "a.


l. And rs Jesus passed by fIe saw
man which was blind from his birth"
In the order of events this lesson probably
preceded that of last week. 1t is the only
one given to us from that whole section
of Johns gospel from chapter vii, g to x,
81, in which we find Jesus at Jerusalem
teaching In the temple and hated by the
chief priests and Pharisees. In chapter
viii, IL, 2S, He proclaims Himself as the
light of the world and the light of life
speaking only what the Father told Him
and doing always those things that please
Him, not seeking His own glory oversees
20, 50).
2. And His disciples asked Him, Gay
ing, Master, who did sin, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind? 1t Is n
common thing to suppose that special SUI.
fcring is caused by special sin and that
sickness is the result of individual sin
This is sometimes the case as with the
mon whom Jesus healed at the pool Of
Bethesda Chapter viii, 14), but let Las
carefully observe the teaching of Jesus In
this lesson and we shall see that while
sin lies originally back of all sickness an1
suffering, for had there been no sin, sui.
fering would not have been, yet we must
not suppose in the case of any individual
that there has been any special sin OF that
there is any lack of faith in God back ol
the suffering.
3. Jesus answered, Neither hath this
man sinncd nor his parents, but that the
works of God should be made manifest in
him" There can be no contradictions
in Scripture, and as it is written that
''all have sinncd" (Rom. iii, 23) Jesus
did nCt say that neither this man nor his
parents had never sinncd, but in answer
to the disciples question He said that this
blindness was not the result of any spc
cial sin Why, then, was this man horn
blind? Here is the answer That the works
OF Cod might be seen in Elm. We are re-
minded of the question in EX. iv, II,
"Who mul;cth the dumb or deaf, OF the
seeing or the blind? Have not l, tho Lol.l?'
i. u must work the works of Him that
sent me while it is day. The night comcth
when no nun can work" Jesus delight
ed to honor the Father and to call Him
self sent of Cod" More than 30 times
in this gospel He is so called, and when
He finished His ministry He said gladly tc
His Father l have glorlied Thee on the
earth" (John xvii, ~. AS to all the works
wrought by Him, He confessed that it was
the Father in Him who did the works
(John xiv, 1O) For our comfort He
tells us that, as the Father sent Him,
so lie sends us (John xvii, IS; Xxx, 2l);
that He is with us all the days having
all power in heaven and on earth; that
He will hold our hand, be with our mouth
and work in us both to will and to dc
OF His good pleasure (Math. xviii,
20 lsa. xii, 13; Elk. iv, ~; Phil. ii, 49,.
.. As long as l am in the world l am
the light of the world. Compare chapters
viii, II, ana xii, 35, SO. See proof of His
divinity, for what mere man would dare
to use such words, being in his right mind,
Then hear Him rs He says to His disciples,
"Ye are the light of the world (Math. v,
14), and consider we'll the fact that wheth-
er blind or seeing, deaf or hearing, dumb
or speaking, sick or well, rich or poor,
unto each one is given the offer of having
God work His works in us, and of having
Jesus live His life in us The wonder is
that He takes sinners to do this. He came
to save sinners, to take lost ones and re
deem them, filthy ones and make them
whittier than SHOW; that in these redeemed
and blood washed souls He might repre-
duce His lie and speak the words and
work the works OF God { II Cor. iv, 10, IL.
&. when he had thus spoken, He spat
on the ground and made clay of the spit
blind man with the clay" Sometimes
with word, sometimes with "A touch anu
sometimes without being present at all
He wrought His works and glori1ied God,
but whether we may see it or not there
must have been always reason for tbs
way He wrought. On other occasions we
read of His using spittle as in Mark vii,
33; viii, 23, and by means of this spittlC
from His tongue both sight and hearing
are restored either instantly or gradually,
as it plcaseth Him.
7"And said unto him, Go, wash IN
the pool of Sloan (Which is, by interpre
tation, Sent). He went his way, there
fore, and washed and came seeing" All
is suggestive. Jesus is the Sent of God
(Gal. ", A. He also is the fountain OF
living water (Jer. ii, l3). He was Goo
manifest in the flesh Il Tim. Iii, 49, sc
that both spittle and earth and Sloan
are suggestive of Him by whom the blind
eyes were made to see. On the part of the
blind man there was simply submission
and obedience and thus the victory
s. 1.-The neighbors, therefore, and they
which before had seen him that he wa.
blind, said, is rot this he that sat anc
bcggedl" The poor blind man had beer
utterly helpless, he could give nothing
! ana he COUlu 90 NOtnlnS ny when 10 lncfl
or obtain his sight such is truly the rca
condition of all the unsaved, but because
they fancy they are not blind Verse 4
ana not helpless they insist ON saying
! 1--WE see " aud We can do very well,
ana thus they continue blind. When
however, any become willing to be hcalct
by Jesus and are truly healed, their ol'
acquaintance can hardly tell whether il
is they or net, the change is so great.
9. Some said, This is he; Others said
he is like him, but lie said, l am he. " /
any man be in Christ, he is a new crea
ture. Old things are passed away, and al
things arc become new. Only one VIII
was always blind and had his eyes finally
opened could sympathize with this man il
his newly found joys and experiences III
was in new world, IA world of which HI
had heard and something OF which he ha'
felt, hut which he now saw for himself
10, Therefore said they unto him How
were thine eyes Openod?' Since the worl'
began no one had ever heard that MAJ
opened the eyes of one born blind (vcrs
32) and this was such an unheard OF thni
that soma nav questioned rs 10 Whpt he