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to us, but we must glorify him in the he has pointed out to us. The defign of the Jews was very different; they wished to persuade the man that he owed no gra titude to the immediate inftrument of his eure; whom they afferted to be a finner, and confequently incapable of performing fuch an act; but that, without troubling himself further about the means, he fhould rest satisfied with the effect, and be thankful to God for it.

28. Then they reviled him, and said, "Thou art his difciple; but we are Mofes' difciples.

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"29. We know that God fpake unta "Mofes: as for this fellow, we know not "from whence he is.":

The want of education in this poor man did not prevent his seeing the weakness and fallacy of their arguments, or from vindicating the truth; which being the only thing neceffary to the honor of his benefactor, he did, even in the midst of his enemies.

enemies. Stung to the quick at what they would term the obftinacy of the man, and feeling their pride hurt, that one fo illiterate and ignorant should prefume to affert an opinion different from their's, and to infinuate that they might poffibly become his difciples, they grew angry, and, as is but too common, substituted abuse for arguments. It is true that, what they meant as abuse, was in fact the highest praise; but this did not alter the nature of their guilt. What greater honor or happiness can any human creature boaft, than that of being a disciple and follower of Chrift Jefus, and a partaker of his everlasting kingdom! Had these vain boafters been, as they pretended, the difciples of Mofes, they would have been Chrift's alfo; as Mofes not only wrote of, but was himself a type of the meffiah in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed.

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"30. The man answered and faid unto them, Why, herein is a marvellous 'thing, that ye know not from whence

"he

"31. Now we know that God hear"eth not finners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, " him he heareth.

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66 32. Since the world began was it not "heard that any man opened the eyes of "one that was born blind.

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33. If this man were not of God, he "could do nothing."

How ftrikingly juft, as well as pious, are the arguments made use of by this poor man. No education was required to point out, that God would not lend his power to one who was an enemy to his law; and that, of confequence, as Jefus exercised a power which belonged to God alone, he must be a true and fincere worshipper of God: this was all which, at present, the poor man knew; the Lord not having as yet revealed himself to him as the meffiah. As this mode of reafoning was convincing to himself, he natuY y rally.

rally expreffes his aftonishment that it should not produce the same effect upon them; and that they, the inftructors of the people, with all their knowledge of the Scriptures, should be at a loss as to the person who was able to perform fuch acts as no man before him ever did.

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34. They answered and faid unto "him, Thou waft altogether born in fins, " and doft thou teach us? And they caft " him out."

Not being able to reply to his arguments, (which were indeed unanswerable,) their fury was now raised to the utmost pitch, and they proceeded to inflict on him that punishment which they had before threatened against any one who fhould acknowledge Jefus to be the Chrift.

This is, by no means, an uncommon practice, with those who undertake the defence of a bad caufe: when overcome in argument, they have recourse to every species of abuse and injury towards the perfon,

perfon, (particularly if an inferior,) who has dared to oppose truth to their fallacies. But in this they must always mifs their aim; as they only thereby expose the more their own folly and abfurdity.

"35. Jefus heard that they had caft "him out; and when he had found him, "he faid unto him, Doft thou believe on "the Son of God?

"36. He answered and faid, Who is "he, lord, that I might believe on him?

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37. And Jefus faid unto him, Thou

"haft both feen him, and it is he that "talketh with thee.

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"38. And he faid, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

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39. And Jefus faid, For judgment I "am come into this world; that they "which fee not might fee, and that they "which fee might be made blind."

How inconfiderable do the former fufferings of this poor man appear, when compared with the ineftimable bleffings of

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