The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-26

hopeless, but that is no reason why
the Christian church should withhold
it's merciful ministrations. 1t Is Of
tentimes the man who laughs at re-
ligion and disbelieves in its power
that needs it most, and a religion
based upon the quality of mercy cam
not refuse to give even that which
Is not wanted or asked for. The Saw
ious put clay on this mans eyes and.
babe him go wash in the pool Of
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 It is
blindness, because he has neve been
able to see and does not realize what
spiritual blindness really means),s
can ever be relieved by the simple
things which Jesus provides, prayer,
worship and sacrament, and yet in
act Of faith, and is ushered out into a
new world Of glory and beauty Of
which, heretofore, he has never been
able even to dream. He becomes a
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 to-
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 extrit
cate himself. He takes him into the
solitude, just as He takes men now
into the solitude and loneliness OF
sickness or trouble or poverty or UNI
just suspicion, or pain, and in the
solitude tries to build up their faith,
so that they may be healed. This is
the only miracle Of healing which
Jesus performed where the recovery
of health came by degrees, and this
was caused by the mans slow devel-
opment of the faculty Of faith. Jesus
touched his eyes, but sight did not
come; he saw men as trees walking.
1t was IN earnest, however, Of what
Jesus could do, and it gave the man
confidence and his faith became more
perfect, and Jesus touched his eyes
again and he saw things distinctly.
It is the story Of the tenderness
and %gentleness with which Jesus
deals with the spiritually blind, who
are faith1ess as we'll as hopeless.
And lastly, there is the story Of the
Blind Bartimaeus which carries with
it such a weight and wealth of sug-
gestic1 for ourselves. It is the story
of a mar 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 OF
his own household. Jesus was
wounded in the house of His friends.
It is often only by persistent perse-
verance and by disregarding those
who should help him that a man fs
healed by the Saviour of his spiritual
blindness, as Bartimaeus was healed
of his physical infrmity. I wonder
how many Christians realize the tre7
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
a Christian church who deliberately
sets aside the methods OF that organ
ization for deepening the spiritual
life is h%indering 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 our brother
to offend. Blind Bartimaeus was
healed in spite Of h~indrances 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 APP
pear unreal or undesirable. To
preach recovering Of sight to the
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? It
vas 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 were
the words of truth, you say Surely.
but truth has been preached through
the ages. What then was it that as
tonished men? We answer, the fact
that Jesus saw truth in such a way
that other men coming in contact
with Him could not fail to see it also,
and see it in its completeness. We
see truth, says Mozeley, in a frag-
mentary way, and fragments Of truth
are not convincing. Jesus saw it In
its completeness, and when a man
sees truth in its completeness he must
follow it. There is no other way for
him to do and remain sane, and so
it was just because Jesus could so
present truth that men must see 1t
and believe that His great mission
vas to preach recovery of sight to-
the blind.