HOMILY XLIV.

JOHN ix.

And as He passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. When He had

thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others, No, but he is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, That man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. Now it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, who keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And

Rr

HOMIL.
XLIV.

there was a division among them. They say unto the blind
man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened
thine eyes?
He said, He is a prophet. But the Jews did
not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and re-
ceived his sight, until they called the parents of him that had
received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your
son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is
our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he
now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we
know not he is of age; ask him: let him speak for himself.
These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews:
for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess
that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then
again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him,
Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
He answered and said, Whether He be a sinner or no, I
know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now
I see.
Then said they to him again, What did He to thee?
how opened He thine eyes? He answered them, I have
told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye
hear it again? will ye also be His disciples? Then they
cursed him, and said, Be thou his disciple! But we are
Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as
for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
The man
answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath
opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not
sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth
His will, him He heareth. Since the world began was it
not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind. If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing.
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born
in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had
found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son
of God?
He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I
might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.

All are born blind by Original Sin.

589

IX.

And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him. JOHN And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto Him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Serm.

1. THIS, which has been recited, concerning the man Comp. born blind, whom the Lord Jesus enlightened, is a long 135.136. lesson, and should we attempt to handle the whole narrative with a fulness answerable to its dignity, by giving to each part in detail such consideration as we are able, the whole day would not suffice. Therefore, my beloved, I beg and advise that in those parts which are open, ye require no discourse of ours, for it will take too long to dwell upon all the circumstances one by one. Briefly, then, I bespeak your attention to the mystery of this blind man's enlightening. For so it is, that those acts of our Lord Jesus Christ which are astonishing and marvellous, are both works and words: works, because they were things done; words, because they are signs. If then we consider what is signified by this thing done, this blind man is mankind in general: for this blindness took place in the first man through sin, of whom we all have derived the origin not only of death, but also of iniquity. For if blindness is unbelief, and enlightenment faith, whom will Christ find a believer at His coming? Since indeed the Apostle, born as he was in the nation of the Prophets, saith, We too Eph. 2, were sometime by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. If children of wrath, children of vengeance, children of punishment, children of hell. How by nature, unless as by the sin of the first man, the 'taint has grown into us to be as ' vitium nature? If the taint has grown into us to be as nature, then, in respect of the mind, every man is born blind. For if he seeth, he needeth not one to lead him; if he needeth one to lead and to enlighten him, it follows that he is blind from his birth.

2. The Lord came: what did He? A great mystery hath He

3.

XLIV.

v. 6.

14.

v. 7.

590 Anointing and enlightenment; conversion and baptism.

HOMIL. intimated. He spat upon the ground; of His spittle He made clay,-because the Word was made flesh;-and anointed John 1, the eyes of the blind man. He was anointed, and still did not yet see. He sent him to the pool which is called Siloe. It concerned the Evangelist, however, to call our attention to the name of this pool; and he saith, Which is by interpretation, Sent. Who was the Sent, of course ye know: had not He been Sent with that mission, none of us should have had remission of our iniquity. Well, he washed his eyes in that pool which is by interpretation, Sent; he was baptized in Christ. If therefore when Christ in some sort baptized the man in Himself, He then enlightened him; when He anointed him, belike He made him a catechumen. There may indeed be various other ways of expounding this so great sign in its depth of spiritual meaning, and setting it forth fully; but let this suffice, my beloved; ye have heard a grand mystery. Ask a man, Art thou Christian?' He answereth, ‘I am not,' if he be Pagan or Jew. But should he say, 'I am;' thou goest on to question him, 'Catechumen, or believer?' Should he reply, 'Catechumen;' he is anointed, not yet washed. But wherewith anointed? Ask, and he answereth; ask him, in Whom he believeth? in the very fact of his being a catechumen, he saith, In Christ.' Lo, I am now speaking both to believers and to catechumens. What said I of the spittle and the clay? That the Word was made flesh. This the catechumens do also hear; but that is not enough for them whereunto they are anointed: let them haste unto the laver, if they seek light.

v. 1.

3. Now then, because of certain questions in this same lesson, let us take the words of the Lord and of the whole lesson, rather in a cursory recital than to handle them in exposition. Going forth, He saw a man who was blind, not indifferently in what manner blind, but from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, Rabbi-Ye know that Rabbi is, Master. They addressed Him as Master, because they desired to learn: namely, they put a question to the Lord, as to a Master,who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, that he should be born blind. What is this that

• Saliva quasi Verbum est, terra caro est.

Serm. 135, 1.

The night cometh when none can work.

591

IX.

He hath said? If there be no man without sin, were the parents JOHN of this blind man without sin? Can it be, that this man 2-4. himself, either was born without original sin, or by his life had added nothing of sin thereto? Because he had his eyes closed, were the lusts not at all awake? What great evils do blind men commit! What evil does an evil mind abstain from, even when the eyes are closed? He had not power to see, but he knew how to think, and haply to lust after somewhat which a blind man had not power to accomplish, but for which he might in heart be judged by the Searcher of the heart. If then his parents had sin and the man had sin, wherefore did the Lord say, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but in reference to the matter about which He was questioned, that he should be born blind? For his parents had sin, but it was not caused by their sin. that he was born blind. If then it was not caused by the parents' sin that he was born blind, why was he born blind? Hear the Master teaching: He requireth a man to believe, that He may make him to understand: Neither hath this v. 3. man sinned, saith He, nor his parents: but that the works of God may be manifested in him.

4. Thereupon what follows? I must work the works of v. 4. Him that sent Me. Lo, this is that Sent, in Whom the blind man washed his face. And observe what He saith: I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day. Remember how He giveth all the glory to Him, of Whom He is because it is of the Father that the Son bath His being, but the Father Himself hath His being of none. But wherefore saidst Thou, Lord, while it is day? Hear wherefore. The night cometh, when no man can work. Not even Thou, Lord? Yea, and shall the force of that night be so great, that not even Thou shalt be able to work in it, Thou Whose work the night is? For I suppose, O Lord Jesu, nay, not suppose, but believe and hold firm, that Thou wast there, when God said, Let there be light, and there was Gen. 1, light. If with His Word He made, by Thee He made it; and therefore it is said, All things were made by Him, and John 1, without Him was nothing made.-God divided between the Gen. 1, light and the darkness: the light He called day, and the 4. 5. darkness called He night.

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