1 } 140 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED thing lefs than his immediate death would fatisfy them, they took up hones to fone him: but Jesus, either rendering himfelf invifible, or filling the minds of his ene- mies with confufion and abfence of thought, paffed immediately and imper- ceptibly through the crowd, and departed out of the temple. While Jesus remained in Jerufalem, he law in one of the facets of the city, a man who had been blind from his birth: the fight of fo diflreffed an object, loon ex- cited the compaffìon of the kind and be- nevolent Saviour of finners ; the various affronts and indignities which he had fo lately received from the Jews, could not prevent him from the exertion of his om- nipotence in favour of fuch objects as thefe, though they belonged to that cruel, mali- cious, and unbelieving nation : he was not to be provoked by their crimes, fo far as to with-hold his bleffings from them. Ac- cordingly, he beheld this poor blind man, not with a short and carelefs view, but with a fleady and fixed attention; he raft on him the eyes of his divine companion, and determined to afford him unexpected relief. The difciples, remarking their Lord'sat- tention to this diftreffed, helplefs perfon, and, doubtlefs, imagining that as he had engaged the pity of the only perfon who was able to help him, he would foon, by divine power and goodnefs, be reftored to fight, afked their Mailer, what was the caufe of his blindnefs ; and they were the more folicitious to be fatisfied in this mat- ter, as the diforder had commenced before his birth: they had learned from the law, that fin was the caufe of affliction and bo- dily diftemper, and that the Lord vifits the iniquities of the fathers upon their children; and therefore, they inquired of their Mafter, who didfin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? To this queflion, our Lord replied, that this dif- order was not the immediate confequence of the man's own fin, nor that of his pa- rents, but that he was born blind, that 2 the works of God íhould be made mani- fe in him. By this reply, our bleffed Saviour has taught us, that a curious inquiry into the caufe of thofe aílliilions and diftrefics of particular perfons, which feem very extra- ordinary, and are peculiarly affecting, and unaccountably deplorable, is impertinent and vain; and our cenfure of fuch perlons as the greaten of finners, and bringing down remarkable vengeance from heaven on their wickednefs, is cruel and unjufl the defigns of the great Governor of the univerfe are not open to our view ; he is perfectly and immutably wife ; we are full of blindnefs and folly; he knows how to anfwer the ends ofhis own government, and accomplifh the defigns of his grace by the afflid.ions and diftreffes, which he forue- times permits to fall upon his own people, while the narrownefs of our hearts, and our foolifh pride and vanity, are prone to afcribe thofe afflictions to a man's own per- form.' vices, which are for the glory. of God, and intended to work out the fupe- rior good of the fuffering perfon, or fome way or other to promote the real advan- tage of mankind. Our bleffed Saviour having declared the caufe of this man's blindnefs, namely, that the works of God f ould be made ma- nifef in him, further declared, I mufä work the work of him that fent me, while it is day ; the night cornea, wizen no man . can work: declaring to his difciples, and all the world, his unwearied labour, and ceafelefs attention and care in the work ofhis Almighty Father; in this he laboured inceffantly, both day and night, during the time of his fojourning in the fliefh ; to this only he directed his thoughts, with unwea- ried ardour, and unremitting diligence; this he elleemed even as his meat and drink, and fuffered the neglect of his ordinary food, that he might_finilh the great work which he came into the world to accomplifh, and bring about the falvation of loft perifh- ing fanners: to accomplifh this he left that glory which he had with his Father in the
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