Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head I. the Under Banding. 61
find a Miracle wrought upon one that was horn blind,
perform’d in fuch a Way, as feems to have been
defigned to let the World fee in it, as in a Glafs,
their Cafe and John ix. 6. He made Gay and
anointed the Eyes of the blind Man, with the Gay.
What could more fitly reprefent the Blindnefs of
Mens Minds, than Eyes clofed up with Earth ? If a.
vi. i. flout their Eyes; (hut them up by anointing,or
eajimgthem •mthMorter,a.s the Word will bear. And
Chap. xliv. 18. He bath Jbut their Eyes: The Word
properly fignifies, he hath plaijlered their Eyes; as
the Houfein which the Leprofie had been, was to
be plaijlered, Lev. xiv. 42. Thus the Lord’s Word
difeovers the Defign of that fixange Work ; and by
it Ihews us, that the Eyes of our Underftanding are
naturally (hut. Then the blind Man muft go and
•wafh oft' this Clay in the Pool of Siloam: No other
Water will ferve this Purpofe. If that Pool had
not reprefented him, whom the Father fent into the
World to open the blind Eyes (Ifa. xlii. 7.) I think
the Evangelift had not given us the Interpretation
of the Name, which, he fays, fignifies Sent, John
ix. 7. And fo we may conclude, that the natural
Darknefs of our Minds is fuch, as there’s no Cure
for; but from the Blood and Spirit of Jefus Chrifl,
whofe Eye-fa I've only can make us fee, Rev. iil 18.
Evid. 2. Every natural Man’s Heart and Life is
a Mafs of Darknefs, Diforder and Confufion; how
refin’d foever he appear in the Sight of Men. For
we our felves alfo, faith the Apoftle Paul, were
fometime foolifh, difobedient, deceived, ferving divers
Lufts and Pleafures, Tit. iii. 3. and yet at that
Time, which this Text looks to, lie was blamelefs,
touching the Righteoufnefs which is in the Lad),
Philip, iii. 6. This is a plain Evidence, that the
Eye