The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-28
CAST OUT AND FOUND.

CAST OUT AND FOUND.
tSeiccted for The Times -Dispatch)
And he said, Lord, believe. And
he worshiped Iim.-John IN IS.
The man spoken OF in our text was
one who. having been blind from birth.
received his sight from the healing
hand of Christ In the words Of the
Scripture we arc told. AS Jesus pass
cd by lie saw a man which had been
blind from his birth"
This may seem to some a chance
meeting, but in reality it must have
been the working out OF an eternal
purpose. 1t was the bringing OF n
spoilt life and blinded soul into His
presence, through whom "thc works
OF God should be made manifest IN
him"
This act should have brough. forth
thanksgiving from all the benevolent.
but instead, the Pharisccs became an
gered and would not believe In Jesus.s
power and when the man who had re-
ceiNed his sight came before them
praisins Jesus, they rcviled him ana
then cast him out.
"hen Jesus heard that they had cast
him out, He found him and said. "Dost
thou believe on the Son of God?" He
answered, who is He, Lord. that
might believe on Hing Jesus said
Thou hast both seen Him. and it is He
that talketh with thee" And he snid
Lord, believe. And he worshiped
Him"
This man, who had thought of Christ
as some distant, haIf-rcal being, now
found himself actually in His pres
ence' He had the sign of his own
healing as proof of this Presence
lie had the words of assurance from
His lips. and this drew from him the
words. Il believed" and the sealing &c,
of worship.
Is 1t not thus still that a man enters
into the faith which saves? we all
come together In the crurches, where
we repeat creeds which tell of Him,
but II is more often that we find Him
"hen we go apart from men In the
secret chamber Of our hearts when we
are driven by adversely or sorrow un
the heart by sore need and we call Him
TO the rescue and confess to Him thai
aching void which none else can mi
And as we look back We know that
from that dark moment dates our real
disciplcshfp and our real knowledge of
His presence in our lives. At that
hour our creed passed into faith. and
our homage into devotion; the long
hcard-of became the late-secn; then
the nominal object OF our hone and
trust first heard from our souls the
words. "I believe" and then in deed
and In truth we worshlped
When the world goes well with us 1t
is very often our tendency to feel an
INDEPENDENCE and drift without lean
Ing on our faith. Prosperity brings
about us world that smiles at and
huinors us in our weaknesses. Then
comes a day of adversely and We are
poor. sick and lonely and find rcvcrses
on every side; but let us not become
[ discouraged, for it was when He heard
that men had cast him out that Jesus
found, communcd with and saved the
| man of our text
Let ns all remember that no matter
whether in prosperity or adversely, He
Is always near and ready to give us
His help, and II only remains for us
TO seek 1T eagerly and earnestly Then
for the comfort of many OF us who
may have failed, even though making
an earnest effort to live near our
| Saviour, comes tho sustaining sweet
ness of this thought-though we may
be cast out by men, Christ Is seeking
for us, and 1t would be grievous
thing TO miss Ono who lis as close to
us ms our own soul, because we fail In
doing our part to receive Him. Let us
remember tho night cometh when no
man can work" While wo have tho
light. let us walk in the light. Pluck
out that which offends.
| Lord, believe; and whatsoever
Thou sayest unto me. Will do .
and though now see Thee not, yet
viii endure as seeing Thee. who art
inviaihlc. Thy strength is sufficient
! for mo-" Il.