Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

HYMN.

The aged sufferer waited long
Upon Bethesda's brink;

Till hopes, once rising warm and strong,
Began in fears to sink.

And heavy were the sighs he drew,
And fervent was his prayer,

For he, with safety full in view,
Still languished helpless there.

His hope grew dim; but one was nigh
Who saw the sufferer's grief.
That gentle voice, that pitying eye
Gave promise of relief.

Each pang that human weakness knows
Obeyed that powerful word:

He spake, and lo! the sick arose,
Rejoicing in his Lord.

Father of Jesus, when oppressed
With grief and pain we lie,
And, longing for thy heavenly rest,
Despair to look so high,

Oh may the Saviour's words of peace
Within the wounded heart,

Bid every doubt and suffering cease,
And strength and joy impart.

SECTION XVI.

WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY.

JOHN VII. 1. 2. 14. vIII. 2.

AFTER these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So, when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they

which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus

said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin

no more.

REFLECTIONS.

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" Well would it be for the world, if the spirit of this sentence were more generally felt and acted on; if those who are themselves guilty would pass judgments of less unnecessary severity on their offending brethren. Let those laws which are established for the punishment of crime, be executed with all needed strictness; let those usages of society be retained and enforced, by which the abandoned are excluded from the society of those they might corrupt: but let mercy unite with justice in our judgments of our fellow men. At least, as individuals, let us be willing to think as favourably of all, as may be possible. Have not we ourselves offended? Should we not therefore, sympathize with others, even though guilty? If we be forgiving to them, we have the best hope of mercy from our God, for "the merciful shall obtain mercy."

HYMN.

Benignant Saviour! 'T was not thine
To spurn the erring from thy sight,
Nor did thy smile of love divine
Turn from the penitent its light.

Oh then, shall we, who own thy name,
A brother's fault too sternly view,
Or think thy holy law can blame
The tear, to human frailty due?

May we, while human guilt awakes
Upon our cheek the generous glow,
Spare the offender's heart, that breaks
Berasth its load of shame and woe.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

AND as Jesus 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 cometh, when no man can work. the world, I am the light of the world.

As

day the night

long as I am in

When he had

thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay, 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.

They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also 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, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And 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 received 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; he shall speak for himself. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinnner. 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. They reviled him, and said, Thou art 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.

REFLECTIONS.

"For judgment," said Jesus "I am come into this world; that they which see not, might see, and that they which see might be made blind;" nor could a more striking instance of intentional blindness have been exhibited, than in the conduct of the Pharisees on this occasion. The man who has

« AnteriorContinuar »