The Caucasian., 1907-01-15

you IT'S he Sltihe 10 tNt Hlinu man 0i
| the east. Go wash in the pool oi
| SiloamE Cannot you hear his deal
voice speaking: Will you not sur
render yourself and obey his will, even
though you cannot understand all
| about this Jesus?
| Oh, that we could all live in the sim
| pie faith in which Sir David Brewster
| the great scientist, lived and died
| When he was coming near to the end
| Of his life he said to his Christian ply
sician, Sir James Simpson: Il shall
see Jesus, and that will he grand
shall see him who made the worlds -
/ Then he went on and explained to Dr
Simpson that one of the greatest de
slreS of his life in reaching heaven was
TO have so many things explained
which he could not understand here.
Then, as the end drew near, he wills
pered: Yes, | have had the light for
many years, and, oh. how bright it is.
feel so safe, so satisfied" Cannot
you be like the gentle, Christian David
Brewster? Cannot you be like the
blind man of the east? Cannot you
Just obey Christ and leave the myste-
rfes to be solved later? oh, how soft
that voice is! How gentle is that
touch. Canst thou not hear him gently
say, 'Go wash in the pool of Siloam:"
In thy blindness, wilt thou not go?
Brave Beggar.
But there is another fact you must
bear well in mind. No sooner did this
young man have his eyes opened at the
Sloan pool than he became brave
enough and manly enough to speak the
truth and tell what Jesus had done for
him. He was not Il craven hearted. I'M
grateful coward, as. We're his timid
parents. He was one of those high
principled, true, noble fellows who nev-
er believe in going back upon d
friend or refusing to give the credit
to the person who has done them a ia
vOr But before we show what the
true heartedncss of this young man
was able to do for Christ let us turn
for a little while and study the parents
of this blind boy You cannot praise
the boys manlineSs without condemn
ing the timidiry of the father and
mother. These two parents, Of all peo-
pie, ought to have been most grateful
to Jesus.
Come. let us imagine fol little
while that We are sitting in the home
of these parents. 1t is about noon.
The two old folks are taking their din
ner. The blind son is not there. for
his wont When his guide led him
there in the morning the blind boy took
his lunch along The father has just
finished his meal and lie is stretching
out his arms as he walks to the door.
Suddenly he turns and calls: Mother.
Mother! Come here. quick! Is not
that our James running up the road?
Look. He has cast off his staff! Look,
He is running as though he could see.
No one is guiding him. Look! The
titudes, calling: He sees! He sees.
The blind boy sees" Yes, it is our
boy, and his eyes are opened, He
sees! He Sc. a." The old mother trem-
bles with excitement Great tears of
JOY are running down the fathers
cheeks. And when the son enters they
stroke his hair again and again and
look into his face with such deep
heartfelt gratitude. They keep saying:
my boy. Ny boy! Ny boy. No
longer blind beggar, He sees He
SeeS!"
How He Was Cured.
Now what happens? No sooner Is the
first exciting welcome over than the
parents say to their son: "My boy, who
gave you these eyes? How dost thou
see?" Then the son replies: "Wly,
mother and father, this was my expe-
rience: | was down near the temple
begging. A man by the name of Jesus
me along He had the sweetest
made a salve This he rubbed upon
my eyelids Then he told me to go
and wash in the pool of Sloan. oh.
mother! | want you to come with me
and thank Jesus for my eyes" ''Whatr
says the mother. Jesus? Is it the
same Jesus whom the leaders Of the
church are trying to kill? No. My
son, don't mention his name Why. if
you do this the church leaders will ex-
communicate us, and we shall never
have any Of our neighbors as our
friends. You have your eyes. OF
course this man Jesus cannot take
them away from you. Now, you had
better pretend that he had nothing to
do with the miracle" Did you ever
hear anything meaner? Did you ever
know of an action more contemplate
than that of the parents of that young
man who had received his sight? /
have given to you the gist of their ac-
tions in my own language Oh, yes, !
know of some other actions just as con
They are your actions and
mine when we refuse to give God the
credit for all Christ has done for us
and ours. We are in exactly the same
position as were these parents who re
fused to give Jesus the credit of open
ing the blind eyes of their son when
they said: by what means he now
seeth we know not, or who hath open
ed his eyes we know not. He is of
age: ask him. Let him speak for him
self" Are we so cowardly that we