TWO BLIND MEN RESTORED.

"Thy healing power upon us light; O, Son of God, restore our sight! Companioned erst, the two, in woe, Companioned now, heaven's grace they know. WHEN Jesus was returning from raising the ruler's daughter, two blind men followed him, crying, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." (Matthew chap. ix. 27.) Though these men had not the happy privilege of beholding, with their natural eyes, the wonderful miracles of Christ, yet it is evident they had heard of him, and being blessed with faith in him, as the promised Son of David, they were led to cry to him for the gift of sight.

We cannot be sufficiently thankful to God for the use of all our members and faculties; it is to his gracious providence we are indebted for them, and to his glory we should study to use them.

It appears that our Saviour, not immediately attending to these beggars, they followed him into the house; not that he ever disregarded the application of any one, but he very often tried the faith of those who came to him, to see if they would still follow, though not noticed; and it stands upon record for our imitation, to persevere in prayer, though the Lord for a while delay to answer, for in his own time he will speak, as we find he did to these importu

nate men.

When he found they had faith in him, he healed them; and thus has he encouraged us to come with our natural blindness, even our spiritual darkness, to him, and he will cause the light of divine grace to shine into our hearts, to conduct us in the way everlasting.

In the 20th chapter of St. Matthew we

read of another instance of our Saviour's giving sight to two blind men who were sitting by the way-side begging; and hearing that he passed by, they cried after him for sight, and when rebuked by the multitnde, and bid to hold their peace, they only cried the more, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David." To their ardent entreaties Jesus paid kind attention, and they received their sight. (See Mark chap. x. and Luke chap. viii.) May we imitate them, though the world and Satan oppose us; may we have grace to persevere, being determined not to rest satisfied with any thing short of saving light and grace.

In the ninth chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we have a very interesting account of a man, blind from his birth, who received the blessing of sight from Christ,

which gave rise to much conference among the Pharisees, who, instead of admiring this amazing instance of divine power, and the tender compassion of the Saviour, opposed him as much as possible, calling in question his character, because he healed this man on the Sabbath-day; and having examined the man on whom the miracle was wrought, and perceiving that he was determined to speak well of his glorious Physician, they cast him out, either from their presence in a rage, or from the synagogue; but Jesus having heard that the man was cast out, found him, made himself known to him, and was worshipped by him as his Lord and Saviour.