Chap. 22o An Expofition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf. S. 47 was born blinde ; they could hit upon nothing but fin, why the manwas born blinde, ( 7ohn 9. 2. ) But at the third verge, Chrift anhvered, Neither bath this man finned, nor hie Parents ; he vindicates both from this fufpifition. What man was this? and who werehis parents, that they finned not ? were they cleave from fin ? not fo neither, but themeaning of Chritt is this, nei- ther bath this m in finned, nor his parents,fo,as that either his fin or theirs thould be reckoned the fpeciall caufe whyhe was born blind. There :vas fomewhat elfe in it, which the Di!ciple took . no notice of, nor did they undedland. Chrift doth not deny but that a mans own finne, and the fin of his parents may be a caule ofblindnefTe ; but neither the one nor the other was the caufe in that manscafe; as ifChritt had Paid ; Can you thinke ofnothing elfe why a man is affl::ffed bat only his finne ? There are many other codesoffuffering belides that. The cattle why fotne fuffer is the tryall of their graces. The caufe why many fuffer, is tobear witneffe to the truth, and to encourage others both in the profeffìon of it, and in perfecutions for it. And Chrift particularly of i ns anothercaufe of the fufferings of the blind man, That the workeof god might be made manifeft in him That the worke ofGod in his power and mercymight be feene in reftoringthis man to his fight, therefore was he horn without thepower offeting. The blindneffe of that man was an occa- fion to make a very glorious difcovery ofGod. Much ofGod hadnot been fo eminently feene at that time, ifthat m, nhad al- wayes teen. Many are caft down upon beds ofi:ckneffe, or in- to a Rateofpoverty, that the worke of God in railing them up tohealth and plenty may be made manifeft. The defigne of God lookes beyond the fin ofman in the affili&ions of molt men, . yet man feldorne lookes beyond it. Thirdly, Note from the whole verle ; That we are more ready to judge thefins ofothers great, then- our own. is not thy wickednefegreat,and thine iniquities infinite?Eliphati might have faid as much ofhimfelfe and his own fine ; and it hadbeen but a duty to have done fo ; we thoui l not aggro, vate the fins of others, not extenuate or leffen our own, we thould
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