thus a belief that He was the SUPREME and ONLY GOD; for such is the faith, or belief, which in the gospel is called saving, and to which all things are declared possible, and the reason is, because it is a faith, or belief, not of man, but of GOD, agreeable to the proper character of faith described by JESUS CHRIST in another place, where He says, Have the faith of GOD, (Mark xi. 22.)

Q. It is said in the conclusion, that the woman was made whole from that same hourwhat do you suppose to be involved in these

words?

A. They involve the effect produced by the words of the GREAT SAVIOUR, thus they imply, not only that the woman was cured of her natural infirmity, which was an issue of blood, but also of her spiritual infirmity, or violent propensity to falsify truth, and consequently that she was restored to the blessing of a sound mind, which consists in loving the truth for its own sake, and practising it for the sake of that good with which it is connected, and to which it leads. It is added, in that same hour, to show that this effect was the result of her communication with the BLESSED JESUS, and was therefore the real fruit of His mercy and love, although He ascribes it to the woman's faith, which in reality is the same thing, since that faith was the product of the same divine mercy and love.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. From the issue of blood, which is the

subject of this miracle, I am taught to reflect on that more terrible issue of blood which it figures, viz. the falsification of truth, which at that time prevailed in the Jewish church, and which consists in perverting the truth from its proper purpose of purity and holiness of life, and making it favour evil purposes, which are contrary to purity and holiness. I learn further, that a remedy is still provided by the divine mercy for such falsification, and that this remedy consists in applying to the INCARNATE GOD, and to the truths of His MOST HOLY WORD, in the spirit of true repentance and obedience. I am resolved, therefore, whensoever I feel any propensity in myself to do violence to the ETERNAL TRUTH, by wresting it to an evil purpose, to imitate the conduct of the woman as recorded in the history of this miracle, by applying immediately to my GOD and SAVIOUR, and touching, if it be but the hem of his garment, through the power of that faith, which acknowledges the DIVINITY of His HUMANITY, and thus that He is the SUPREME and ONLY GOD even as to that HUMANITY. Then may I humbly hope that my issue of blood will be staunched, and that although at first I come behind the BLESSED JESUS, and behold only His back-parts, yet presently He will turn Himself about, and make manifest His blessed face of mercy and loving-kindness, whilst I hear from His gracious lips the consolatory words, Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. AMEN.

79

THE TWO BLIND MEN RE

STORED TO SIGHT.

MATT. ix. 27 to 32.

And when JEsUs departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us, &c. &c.

Q. YOU have already told me that the Leprosy, the Palsy, the Fever, the Possessed of Devils, and the Bloody Issue, are to be understood not only literally, but figuratively, as expressing the spiritual disorders prevalent at that time in the Jewish church, and that there is reason to suppose that all the infirmities and distempers, for which the BLESSED JESUS provided a remedy, are to be considered in this same figurative character. Can you tell me then, according to this idea, what is to be understood by the two blind men above-mentioned?

A. By blindness, according to its figurative meaning, is to be understood the want of spiritual intelligence respecting the things of heaven and of the church, for what the eye is to the body, that the understanding is to the mind, and consequently what the loss of eve-sight is to the

H

corporeal part of man, that the loss of intellectual sight is to his spiritual part. By these two blind men, therefore, was figured the want of spiritual understanding in the Jewish church at that period, and since the want of spiritual understanding is two-fold, viz. the want of the understanding of truth, and the want of the understanding of good, therefore two blind men are here recorded. For the same reason, and in agreement with the same figure, man is gifted with two eyes, one having reference to the understanding of good, and the other to the understanding of truth; on which ground it is that JESUS CHRIST says, If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, (Matt. v. 29,) for by the right eye is signified the understanding of good, and therefore this eye, and not the left, was to be plucked out, and cast away, in case it offended; in other words, in case it favoured the love of evil, since the left eye, as denoting the understanding of truth, was not capable of offending in the same degree.

Q. But it is said of these two blind men, that they followed JESUS, crying, and saying, Son of David, have mercy on ushow do you

understand these words?

A. By the two blind men following JESUS, is to be understood, according to the figurative or spiritual sense of the history, that they were made sensible of their want of spiritual understanding; and not only so, but they were also sensible that the BLESSED JESUS was able to open their spiritual eyes, and give them the spiritual

sight which they wanted. They accordingly are described as crying and saying, in the supplication which they make on the occasion; because the term crying is expressive of the strong desire of their wills to receive the light of truth, as the term saying is expressive of the thought of their understanding on the same subject. It is remarkable also, that they address the GREAT REDEEMER under His two-fold character, as a MAN, and as a GOD; as a MAN, when they call Him the Son of DAVID; and as a GOD, when they say, have mercy on us. Thus they supplicate Him as a GOD-MAN; or as God made manifest in a DIVINE HUMANITY, and dwelling bodily with all His fulness in that HUMANITY.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written, When He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him; and JESUS saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord.

A. According to the spiritual sense of this history, by JESUS coming into the house, is to be understood His divine influx of love and wisdom into His church, which is properly his house and. temple; His house, so far as His church is prineipled in heavenly good of love and charity; and His temple, so far as she is principled in heavenly truth of wisdom and intelligence. And by the two blind men coming to Him in the house, is to be understood, their spiritual communication and conjunction with Him by virtue of that influx. Again, by JESUS saying unto them, Be