The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-23

There are many remarkable things to be
noted I'm connection with this story OF
the blind man
He is the only one I'm the long account
given us OF his healing who is vitality in
fuenced and he is the only one who SEEM
ingly had nothing TO do and little TO say
about IT,
He didn't ask to be healed He didn't
express any belief in the power of Jesus
10 heal him. When questioned by the
Jews as 10 the character OF this man he
professed complete ignorance. We find
him sitting by the way side where Jesus
passes just as a post might have been
stuck there in the ground. He wasn't
blind because his parents had sinned or
because he had sinned. but that the
works Of God might be made manifest in
him.
He was there then al part Of Gods
great scheme. just as we al are and when
once he felt himself wrought consciously
into that scheme he gives an expression
OF his faith. He tells what he knows.
The wise acres the doctors OF the
church. the profound theologians who
can tell us all about God and Christ, their
nature and relationship to men. and Just
how one must believe, these must be
struck with the lack OF knowledge and
want OF faith In this man. After ne had
been healed Jesus came 10 him and asked
" he believed on the love OF God. Who
Is he Lord that I may believe in him.
To the world of scholarship In these
days this blind man must seem singulary
naive and simple Today we know so
much and about every thing. We know
not only what is taking place now and
the explanation Of IL: but how II all hap
pened in the past and how 1t will all be
In the future. To the average college
graduate just coming forth bearing all
wisdom and knowledge this blind man
must seem ridiculous in his Ignorance.
The surprising thing, however. as
things go today in the religious world is
not that this man knew so little but that
he knew anything.
HE KNEW ONE THING.
He knew one thing. Measured by most
mems experience that is vast. DO you
know as much? Ia there one thing you
verify and truly know? can you place
your finger on one fact in your Chris
have no Christian experience. II YOU
can then that one thing ought 10 be
brought up to the front and made rock
on which to build in your daily living.
faiths OF other men OF past generations
Those creeds range heaven and earth the !
ence. We accept them as n part of the
Christian institution. II we are asked
what we believe we point TO the creed |
But do we believe it?
OF course we don't We may accept /
Il intellectually, just as we accept the |
statement that there are fogs In London, |
but such an acceptance means as much
In one case as I'm the other. DO we be.
leve IL with our mind and heart ana |
eoul7 Does II express our actual eSpe- /
rience? Does IL make the blood mount |
~ oh n nd
as does the relation OF some story OF |
hate or love that voices our own expert
ence?
There is no creed too long provided a |
man actually believes II. but a creed ac- |
cepted at the beginning of Christian ex- !
perience may be SO long and contain so /
never comes 10 believe anything
II Is hard for us to conceive that faith l
Is just as hard as works and that IL be- |
gins as grain of mustard seed. This |
blind map-s-faith did. See how his faith !
enlarges In this chapter. Before the end /
he expresses faith in God and in Christ.
II we believe one thing. Content with /
that for a starting point. There is no /
man who cannot start with such faith;
a faith rooted and grounded In the actual
facts OF experience. Here is a man who
by the making OF Gods spirit has been
He has come TO see life from n new
point Of view. old things have passed
away. behold all things have become new.
lie goes back To this same world in
sinned. He has changed. but the world
does not. Business has not righted IT
self. because he has become honest. The
ne has determined TO meet care and per-
pexity with patience. The saloons do
not close their doors because one drunk
ard signs the pledge.
THE WORLD STILL THE SAME.
The world remains the same There
are the same doubts rampant. the same
sneers abroad. the Same knotty prob
lens OF life and God and eternity To
be solved. This man cannot solve them.
He cannot wrestle with all this evil
There are burdens that seem too Eriev-
Gus to be borne. After all. how pre-
the world and believe and have faith
where stronger ones doubt and deny.
He has not the strength To do all this.
Nor does God expect a. Why trouble
and fret about these unexplained, unex-
nlainable things? You have a fact on
which 20 build. which Is moro real to YOU
than all tho worlds doubt and question.
Let the world question with these Jews
and say how is all thls7
ono thing you know. You were blind;
now YOU see. You see lfe as u r.. You
on shall see more and believe more ~
pu build on what YOU already know. Yet
'ow many men who have once started
-" ~ ftter
me thing and actually point TO IL as an
hour or Illusion when they have been I
borne away by enthusiasm TO accept /
rejected ,
There are men who have had no such
who still roam far and wide
N me fields Of sin. To all outside ap-
Their lot and never look hack with regret
ppon all they have lost. The evil results !