they are changed from death unto life without a separation from the body; and yet I tell thee, when this change takes place, men will feel a greater change in their nature than they would feel by the change of death, when the spirit is changed from death unto life, and all the evil that is in man will die away as the body dieth away. Here are mysteries some may think hard to be understood, how the infirmities of nature should all die away, and man should be changed in the twinkling of an eye.

But now I shall ask thee, from the blind man, (John ix.) how marvellous was it that he was born blind and became a man for that blindness in an instant to be taken away; then if this was done in an instant for a man that was born blind, to receive his sight, and see all the wondrous works of God in creation that he had never seen before, only heard of them by the hearing of the ear, how canst thou think it marvellous that men, that are born spiritually blind, and never saw the wondrous works of the Lord, that he hath promised to man in the end, should in an instant have the eyes of their understanding opened, and feel a sudden change take place in them? For no more than the blind man had seen the light of the sun in the firmament, or in what form the earth was made, only had heard from the hearing of the ear, no more have men seen what this world will be, when the redemption of man takes place, though they have often heard it by the hearing of the ear, and I am now come to explain it to them by my Spirit, that the time is at hand; yet, I tell thee, like the blind man, that could not distinguish what the sun in the firmament was, nor how the creation of the earth was formed, no more can man now tell in what manner my kingdom will appear, when the redemption of man takes place; and yet I tell thee, as sudden as the man's sight appeared to his wonder and surprise, so great a wonder and surprise will appear unto all men, when I come to open the eyes of the blind; for I now tell thee,

ON THE BLIND MAN BEING HEALED.

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in a spiritual sense, men are as blind to the decrees of the Lord, what he will do in the end, to complete the création and make man in his own likeness, as that man was blind to the works of creation. Now mark, this man also was healed of his blindness on the seventh day, for that was the Sabbath, at which the Pharisees murmured, that I should do good on the sabbath day. Now mark the words of the Pharisees, when they were truly convinced the miracle was wrought in the man, that he was born blind and received his sight, and the man told them who had opened his eyes, their answer was-" Give God the praise, we know that this man is a sinner." Here was the reasoning and wisdom of man, to believe that miracles of this kind could be wrought by a sinner; how then should they give God the praise for deceiving the people; for these miracles, which they theirselves could not do, and were out of the power of man to accomplish, established a faith in those that believed; for mark the words I said before I had cured the man-I must do the work of him that sent ME; and spat on the ground and made clay to anoint his eyes, and bad him go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Here was my working without any medicine of man, with my spittle upon the ground, as man was made of the dust of the ground; so from the ground he received his sight, by washing in the water, as I commanded him. Now when Naaman was cured of the leprosy, by washing in the river Jordan, by the command of the prophet, they confessed the prophet to be of God, and that he was a man of God; but when I had done greater miracles than this, they said I was a sinner; and yet they themselves, neither by sinners or by saints, could do the miracles that I did, to open the eyes of a man that was born blind; and if they had called reason to their assistance, reason must have taught them, as the man answered them, God heareth not sinners; if this man were not of God he could do

nothing. Here the Here the eyes of the man's understanding were opened, as well as his sight: and I now tell thee, if the eyes of men's understanding were opened they would all answer with the blind man-Here is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence the Spirit came-as the man said-I know not from whence he is, that hath opened mine eyes : for since the world began, was it ever heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind? And now I tell thee, in like manner I shall answer al men-it never was heard since the world began that the eyes of any one's understanding were opened to believe the promise that was made in the Fall should ever be claimed, that you might all receive your sight. Here is a marvellous thing amongst you. Will an evil spirit plead this? I tell you all, no; any more than an evil spirit could open the eyes of the blind. Therefore I say unto all men, as I said unto the Pharisees, their sin remained in them, because they said they had eyes to see, and were not blind; yet they were so blind that they could not see from whence the miracles came; but he that confessed he was blind, had sight to see who had healed him. Now I tell thee, here stands a type deep for all men: those that think they have eyes to see the true meaning of all my Bible are blind, and so they will remain, like the Jews of old, like the Scribes, Pharisees, and Hypocrites, who had sight to see that the blind man was healed, but had not sight to see by what hand he was healed. So they became blind to see him receive his sight; perfectly so I tell thee are mankind, to see those that own they were blind, as to seeing and understanding the meaning of my Bible, and now begin to receive their sight and own they were blind before, confessing they were born blind, as to the knowledge of their God, or understanding his words, but now begin to receive their sight from the visitation of my Spirit to man; for it is not to thee only, for it is unto all men, that I am come to throw open my Bible, that men may

A TYPE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS IN MAN. 565 understand the true meaning of my words, and what the shadows of my miracles were for--to bring in the sub tance in the end, and give men sight that became blind from the Fall. And this I tell thee will be discerned by those who see they were blind; for as the light appeared to the man, so will the light of my Bible appear unto all those that confess they were blind, and could not see the meaning thereof; for 1 now tell thee, no more than the man, could see the sun before I had opened his eyes, no more can men see the sunshine of my Bile, before the eyes of their undertanding be opened: and this can never be done by man, to open the eyes of their understanding and shew them the end, any more than they could open the eyes of the man that was born blind; for know the words that I said unto them-For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. Now let men answer ME, why they suppose I should speak those words unto them, to say I came into the world that they which saw might be made blind? Here are words beyond the learned, why these words should be spoken by a God of mercy; why I that said I came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost; and my love was so great for man as to give my life for man, and it is said, God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son to die for them, that the world through him might be saved; and that I for them became poor, that man through my poverty might be made rich; now when they come to weigh my Gospel through, and all the love I had for man and consider my dying words upon the cross-Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do-let them answer, why I should say, for judgment I came into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind? But thou sayest, men will answer-to make the Jews blind

that did see, and to give sight to the Gentiles that were blind. Now I tell thee, if this be the judgment of the world, my coming was of no use; for now I begin to try the Gentiles, I find them no better than the Jews; and if you look abroad in the world, you see sin under the Gospel as it was under the Law; so my wisdom must fail if this was all my judgment.

But now I shall tell thee the meaning of the words: Man was pronounced dead under the Fall; now to prove the truth of those words, I came into the world, and did wonders and miracles amongst them, such as are impossible to be done by man; but those that would not confess they were dead to that knowledge, as I pronounced them, though I did not speak the words, but I tell thee that was my meaning-I came into the world to try men, and prove men that they were dead to knowledge as I had pronounced them; but those that were full of their own wisdom, and thought all knowledge was in theirselves, that they saw and understood all things, I came to prove them that they understood nothing; and though they said they had eyes to see, yet I proved they had no eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor hearts to understand, who boasted of their knowledge and their own wisdom; yet they that thus boasted I came to prove they were blind; but those that confessed they had no knowledge, neither boasted in their own wisdom, that they could see or understand in what manner I should appear, yet when they saw my wondrous working, the eyes of their understanding began to be opened, like the blind man-no man could do these things unless God was with him, was his judgment; but not from the knowledge he had drawn from the prophets, but from the knowledge of his faith, from the wondrous recovery were the eyes of his understanding opened. Therefore I came to prove the truth of my Bible, the truth of the prophets : By faith Abraham obtained the promise; by faith Ja