The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-05-07
We shall receive. that your Joy ma,

uldu pOru Dluu. IL Is an eutlTel.
different case and yet typical one
The man is hopeless. He has neve,
been able 10 see. He has never heart
OF case where a man born blint ha,
been made TO see. and so he does MOI
consider the question. He scttlei
back into a grim acceptance OF hh
sorrow. He does not ask TO be healed
and because he does not ask. Chris
offers. just because of the mans hope
lessness and ignorance, Christ Jesui
offers in mercy. Here is the charter
for our missionary work among the
ignorant and hopeless. Many O
them do not know their need, all ar,
hopeless, but that Is no reason VIII,
the Christian church should withhold
its merciful ministrations. II is Of
tentimes the man who laughs at re
ligion and disbelieves in its power
that needs II most. and a religion
based upon the quality Of mercy can
not refuse to give even that which
Is not wanted or asked for. The Saw.
ious put clay on this mans eyes ant
bade him go wash in the pool o!
Sloan. The man was more humble
than Naaman. He made use OF the
means which Jesus suggested and re-
ceived his sight. He is a type OF the
hopeless man who does not believe
that his spiritual blindness (if II II
blindness, because he has never beer
able to see and does not realize wha,
spiritual blindness really means),
can ever be relieved by the simple
things which Jesus provides, prayer
worship and sacrament. and yet TX
his willingness to try them makes hi
act Of faith. and is ushered out into
new world OF glory and beauty OF
which, heretofore, he has never beer
able even to dream. He becomes
partaker of blessings for which he
has not asked, and OF benefits pro
vided freely by one whom he has not
known. On the other hand, the blind
man Of Bethsaida Is not only hope
less. but faithless. He Is brought &c
Christ by others, and because jesus
does not want to reject him. and can,
not cure him. He takes him by the
hand and leads him out OF the town
He takes him away from his familiar
surroundings and daily associations
He lifts him out Of the rut from
which he had been unable to extrt
cate himself. He takes him into the
solitude. just as He takes men now
into the solitude and Loneliness o,
sickness or trouble or poverty or un.
Just suspicion, or pain, and In the
solitude stries to build up their faith,
so that they NAV be healed. This Il
the only miracle Of healing which
Jesus performed where the recovery
Of health came by degrees. and thii
was caused by the mans slow deveh
opment of the faculty of faith. Jesus
touched his eyes. but sight did moi
come; he saw men as trees walking,
It was an earnest. however, OF whai
Jesus could do, and II gave the man
confidence and his faith became more
perfect, and Jesus touched his eve,
again and he saw things distinctly.
1t Is the story OF the tenderness
and gentleness with which Jesus
deals with the spiritually blind. whe
are faithless as we'll as hopeless
And lastly. there is the story Of the
Blind Bartimaeus whis1 carries with
IT such a weight and wealth OF sug
gestion for ourselves. II is the story
Of a man who wanted to come and be
healed. and was hindered by others
How often that Is true OF those who
really want to be healed Of spiritual
blindness. A mans foes are those oi
his own household. Jesus was
wounded in the house Of His friends
1t is often only bv persistent perse.
verance and by disregarding those
who should help him that a man Il
healed by the Saviour OF his spiritual
blindness, as Bartimaeus was healed
OF his physical infirmity. wonder
how many Christians realize the tre.
mendous responsibility they assume
when in any way they stand in the
light OF the man who is looking for
Jesus Christ.
The man or woman belonging to
Christian church who deliberately
sets aside the methods of that organ.
iZation for deepening the spiritual
life is hindering others from becom.
ing Christians. What a wonderful
opportunity for good we are throwing
away when, on the ground OF cour.
tesy to others, we practically abandon
our principles and cause our brother
TO offend. Blind Bartimaeus wat
healed in spite of hindrances of 9th.
ers, and men become Christians IN
spite of our inconsistencies, but what
an opportunity we are casting aside
and what responsibility we incur.
when we deliberately make truth ap
pear unreal or undesirable. To
pIcdCH IcCONtIlHS Va SlSuI lO lut
blind; TO preach the Gospel to the
poor and, deliverance to the captive
read the Saviour in the Nazareth syn.
agogue, and as He read men were as.
tonished. But why astonished? II
was only a quotation. Yes, but He
spoke with power. That is, His
words were convincing; but why con.
vincing? The same words had been
heard many times before. They wer.
the words of truth, you say. Surely
but truth has been preached through
the ages. What then was II that as
tonished men? We answer, the fact
that Jesus saw truth in such way
that other men coming in contact
with Him could not fail TO see II also
and see 1t in its completeness. We
see truth, says Mozeley. In a frag
mentary way. and fragments OF truth
are not convincing. Jesus saw II IN