The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

OF ONE BLIND AT BETHSAIDA 319
men as trees walking, and finally the putting again of
His hands upon the man's eyes, followed
by his complete
recovery—all this lengthening out of the
miracle was like the
lengthening out of a shut telescope,
enabling the man to adjust the true focus to his
sight, and see more clearly.
It was fitted to make a
deep and abiding impression upon him, such as could
have been produced in no other way. Whatever
ignorance, or unbelief, or superstition was in him
slowly gave way before the gradual enlightening
effect of the miracle upon his mind. His soul
cleared of all its films and mists of sin, as his eyes
cleared of all the natural obscurations of his eyesight
;
and the hour of his translation out of darkness
into the light of day, was the hour of his translation
out of the deeper darkness of the soul into the more
marvellous light of
the knowledge of God, in the face
of Jesus Christ His Son.
And when for the first time the blind eyes were
opened, what a wonderful sight revealed itself to him !
There were the shining waters of the sea of Galilee
stretching before him, bounded on the opposite side
by the opal hills of Gadara, and mirroring on their
calm surface the snowy crest of Hermon, which bore
the wide fair landscape in its arms far up to the blue
dome of the sky for the blessing of heaven. It was a
sight like that which St John saw in Patmos, when
the door was opened in heaven, and he looked
through upon the sea of glass and the great white
throne. It was a sight like that which rushes upon
the saint, when his mortal eyes have been couched by
death, and the heavenly eye-salve has anointed them
to behold the glories of the eternal world. And