The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-18

durable physical infrmity as the sym
Dol of sin we have right to lnfer tnat
the power which can give sl@ht OF re-
move the infirmity is a superhuman
power and that the same power can
eradicate sin. An old legend tells us
that Martin Luther when he was torn
by remorse and anguish over his
past sins had strange dream. At that
time he was very sick. While he lay
in his bed he saw the evil one enter
his room with huge scroll upon his
back.
With a demoniac leer he suddenly
began to unroll it. The scroll seemed
to grow larger and larger as it unfold
ed before Luthers eyes. Then as the
fiend began to unroll this scroll Luther
began to read. And as he read on he
found out that this long scroll was the
record of his past evil life. There are
thy sins" the fiend chuckled AHA,
see, the record of them is all there?'
But as Martin Luther read on sudden
ly a passage of Scripture flashed into
his mind. He raised himself upon his
| sick ed and said: "Oh, demon. you
have forgotten to put something in
that record. The record is all true. but
you have forgotten the one promise
which cancels all that CHASTITY list.
Write it there. Write it there now:
THE blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin"
No sooner did Luther speak thus, the
old legend says. than the tiend gath
cred up his long, heavy scroll and, with
wild cry of defeat, fed into the dark
ness of the night" That may be only
legend, but it is the consolation of
many a sin burdened heart. Like the
blind man of the east, we have been
staggering along in the darkness of
our sins. But Jesus has come and
touched our eyes. Jesus has cleansed
us. Jesus has made a test case out of
our sins. On account of his shed blood
he has spoken to our repentent souls:
"Thou art whole. Thou art whole"
oh, the wonderful miracle of the kin
died eyesight of the blind man Of the
east! Oh, the divine grace which cap
cleanse us from all sin!
Ihe
But it is not sufficient here to make
general statement that this young
man, having his eyesght given to him,
is the sym aOl of our own lives being
cleansed of sin by a supernatural pow
er. We must go more into detail and
tell you how this young man came to
have his eyesight given to him. In the
first place, we would state he was not
a disciple of Jesus Christ at all. Up to
the time Peter asked, Master, who did
sin, this man or his parents, that he
was born blind?' | do not believe he
had ever heard of Jesus or he had ever
spoken to Jesus or that Jesus had ever
spoken to him. He was just one of
those miserable beggars of the east
who live on charity.
There these beggars may be met on
every street Like the Jerusalem dogs,
they crawl under the very hoofs of
your horses. They greet you in the
country. They follow you into the
city. They are at every street cor
ner. They are cursed at and spat up
on. Get out of the way there, you
beggarp' you can hear the cry on al
most every hand. They are the vam-
pires, the offscourings of the east.
Like the poltroOns of Rome, who used
to cut off their thumbs so they could
not shoot bow and arrow and would
therefore be immune from conscrip-
ton in the Roman army, some of
these beggars of the east mutilate
in order to escape work and
to be able to better ply their trade of
begging. All, yes, this poor blind beg
gar Of the east must have been we'll
used to kicks and cuffs and upbraid-
ed talking than a most wonderful eX-
perience was his. The blind man could
not see, but he could hear. He could
feel. And, oh, the softest voice began
to talk to him! Every word was a
gentle word of love. The softest touch
pressed his eyelids. This strange be-
ing came and put some salve upon his
eyes and then said, "Son, go to the
pool of Sloan and wash" The blind
man could not make out who this
strange being was, but he felt that he
must be either a God or the repre-
sentative of a God Thus the blind
man went and came seeing. That is
the symbol of true conversion. 1t is
Obeying Christ as the blind man obey
ed him. 1t is just giving yourself up
to his will. 1t is doing what he wants
you to do, even though it may seem a
foolish way of getting cured. The
blind man obeyed Christ, even though
ne could not tell who he was.
Trust and Belief.
"Oh," you answer, 81 do want Jesus
,or my Saviour, but l cannot under
stand how he could be co-equal with
God and yet be born of Mary the Vir-
Yin! | want to believe it, but l can
lot. don't understand how this Jesus
,ould be resurrected from the dead
10 not understand how he could per-
orm those miracles" Don't you, my
Perhaps you do not see his
ace as Paul saw 1t on the Damascus
Dad. But that does not prevent your
rusting him like the blind man of the
asst. Even though you cannot under
tand all about him, cannot you hear
lis sweet voice? Cannot you feel the
ouch of his fingers upon your eye
ids? Cannot you hear him saying to
rou as he spake to the blind man of
he east, go wash in the pool of ,
'iloam| Cannot you hear his dear ,
-oice speaking? Will you not sur
ender yourself and obey his will, even .
hough you cannot understand all ,
bout this Jesus?
oh, that we could all live in the sim
lie faith in which Sir David Brewster, ,
he great scientist, lived and diedl !
When he was coming near to the end