The personal manifestation of God "in flesh" was given as a promise as soon as sin entered, and man had become alienated from his Creator by heeding the voice of the Tempter. God was already known by His works; "for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divinity." But God could not be known intimately by means of creation alone. It was in connection with redemption that He had decreed to manifest Himself. In this fact we see that sin, however great the offence it was to Him, and ruinous to man, was nevertheless the dark background upon which God was to be known and glorified throughout the universe.

There are two classes of beings to whom God was to manifest Himself-angels and men. But angels were not to know Him in the same manner in which He was to be revealed to man. Angels were to witness this manifestation, but mankind was to be in the immediate sphere of it. For we read, "God was manifested in flesh;.. .seen of angels." He was seen by angels at His birth, and they announced to the humble shepherds the fulfilment of the promise of old, and rejoiced, without envying man his greater blessedness. He was ministered to by angels at His temptation in the wilderness, and perhaps through His life (Ps. 91:11,12). 'An angel also appeared to Him in Gethsemane, "strengthening Him," as He was about to go forth to be crucified. Angels are present again at His resurrection, announcing the good news to the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. They are commanded to worship Him when "again He bringeth His first begotten into the world" (Ps. 97:7; Heb. 1:6).* *Some take this command to the angels to refer to His coming at His birth, but the context of the psalm and the structure of the passage seem to indicate that it refers to His coming again.*

The statement that He was "seen of angels" shows that they beheld God in this manifestation from a nearer view-point than they had done before. What a marvelous sight to these mighty hosts, that He before whom seraphim veiled themselves should now be manifested to them though veiled in lowly manhood! We are reminded in the Epistle to the Hebrews that, "Verily He took not on [Him the nature of] angels, but He took on [Him] the seed of Abraham." Yet, though He came so close to man as to become one of them, 1:e., "to be made in all things like unto His brethren," the angels, we are told, "desire to stoop for a nearer view" of these things (1 Pet. 1:12).

We are told also that the "prophets inquired and searched diligently," concerning the salvation which has now been brought near to us in the Person and work of the Son. But while these ancient worthies, and the "angels of His power" have shown intense interest in this manifestation, those for whose sakes especially it was given, "neglected," or "made light of so great salvation." Though the warning as to this is found in that Epistle which was sent to the Hebrews, we are not to think that we are beyond the need of such an exhortation. Christendom occupies a place almost identical, morally speaking, with that in which they were found who are addressed in that wonderful portion of the Word.

At the time of His manifestation in the "form of a bond-servant" He was rejected by the people of His choice. The "wise and prudent" had hidden from them that which was revealed to "babes," and the Lord lifted His voice in an exclamation of praise to His Father that it was so; adding, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight."

"At that time" the world had an opportunity such as it could never have again, even the time of His humiliation and suffering, but it did not profit by it. Rather, those who were "His own" were foremost in their refusal of Him, and it was left to those who were counted nothing in the estimate of man's wisdom, to confess and to worship Him. While the Jews were clamoring for a sign, and the Greeks were "seeking after wisdom," God was manifesting Himself to those who had faith, who saw in Jesus the Anointed One.

Among these we may look at the man of the ninth of John-he who had been blind, but whose eyes Jesus had opened. This one had been "born blind," and had "sat and begged." But Jesus, passing by from where He had declared Himself the "Light of the world," was now to give a witness of this to all who would receive it. "As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from His birth," and this sight arrests the interest of His disciples. They ask Him, "Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

If this question seems stupid, it should be remembered that among the Rabbis of that day a doctrine was held and taught that a man might be punished for sins he had committed before he was born. But the Lord does not refer to this, but replies to the disciples' question, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day. The night comes when no one is able to work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Here again the Lord declares Himself the "Light of the World." He is now about to give an open and practical illustration of this truth. "When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and 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."

Later, when the man had been questioned by the Pharisees, he said, "Since the world began hath it not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one that was born blind." Here then was not only a miracle, evident to the senses; but such an one as had never before been wrought! God had worked here, if anywhere. It was as much the work of God to open this man's eyes to the light, as it was to create the light itself. He who had done it had already declared Himself to be the light of the world. What the sun is to the natural sphere, this the Lord Jesus was to the spiritual world, and here He brings the power of God dwelling in Him to work both in the natural and the spiritual spheres. He who had his blindness turned to light, was also having the eyes of his heart enlightened, and he saw what he never had seen before, that the One who had found him in his need and distress, and had delivered him, was the Son of God.

But before he reached this knowledge of Jesus, he was persecuted by those who rejected Jesus. He had spoken of Him as a prophet, and as "of God," but even this confession of Jesus galled and irritated the Jews. They ridiculed the man who for the truth's sake fell under their condemnation. "The Jews had agreed already, that if anyone confessed that [Jesus] was the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue."

It was not that the Jewish leaders did not know the true origin of the One who was in their midst, doing the works of the Messiah, and teaching with an authority such as the scribes knew nothing of. They had, at first, confessed Him as of God; that is, if we are to take Nicodemus' confession as covering the view in which the Rabbis then saw Him. "We know," he had said, that "Thou art come a teacher from God:for no- one is able to do these signs which Thou art doing, unless indeed God is with him." Here one of the foremost of their number speaks, not only for himself but for his company. This is confirmed by what the Lord says later, when speaking of John the Baptist:"Ye sent unto John, and he bore witness to the truth… He was a burning and a shining lamp, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." Later still, we read:"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Jesus was now looked upon by the majority of the leaders as an heretical teacher, and an apostate. But this was by no means the universal opinion of Him, even among the Rabbis. Here it was intellectual opinion, and not conviction of conscience wrought by the Spirit of God, and so even these were carried along by the tide of unbelief which bore the nation downward to destruction.

The position in which the confession of the blind beggar placed those who rejected Jesus was one in which they felt keenly their exposure. Here was not one of the chief rulers (who thought more of their prestige than of the truth), but a poor ignorant man, who up to that day had not even the advantage of looking out of that darkness in which he had been born, who now had received not only the sight of his eyes, but also through this means, the "light of life." And he dares to tell the truth, as far as he knows it, of the One who had come into his dark life and brought joy and gladness. Was He indeed the "God of Israel," who had opened his eyes? Not as yet did he know Him thus, but he did know and confessed, "If this man were not of God, He could do nothing." The boldness and courage of faith is here beautifully witnessed, but it angers the Pharisees, who in their blind folly reply:"Thou wast altogether born in sins:and dost thou teach us?" Who told them that he was altogether born in sins? They were the self-made victims of their false theology, which regarded the misfortune of the man before them as evidence of the judgment of God upon him for sins committed-when? In a former life? How differently Jesus regarded his being "born" in that sad state! It was that the works of God might be made manifest in him, not only in the miracle of sight given, but yet more in the illumination which was to come into his soul, lighting it up with the "knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

The Lord Jesus had come into the world, as He confessed before Pilate, "to bear witness to the truth," and He added:"Everyone who is of the truth heareth My voice." Pilate asked in contempt, "What is truth?" He had not seen it in those leaders with whom he had to do in the Jewish nation, and he knew that he was a stranger to it himself. But in Jesus, Pilate was brought face to face with the light, though like the Jews, who were more guilty, he too rejected it.

But the blind man represents a class who would suffer rather than deny Him. He does not attempt to settle any vexed theological problems. Let the Rabbis engage in this, if they will. His work was the much more simple one of telling what he knew; no less and no more. But the time came when because he did confess the truth, he received a greater revelation. He was "cast out," or excommunicated, from the synagogue. A greater punishment could hardly have been meted out to a Jew, short of death itself. Deprived of all religious privileges, esteemed by his fellows, in this position, a moral leper, Jesus finds him, and says to him:"Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The man shows his spirituality by his reply. He does not say, "What is it to believe such a doctrine?" but, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" Has He been manifested? Let me but know where I might find Him, in order that I might believe on Him. "Jesus answered him:Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee."
It is well said that Christianity is not merely a system of doctrine, but centers in a living Person, even the Son of God. Many a man has fought for a creed, true or false. But it is another thing to suffer for Christ's sake, and without knowing it, the blind man had done so. He felt keenly his outside position, marked by the populace and by the leaders as unfit for their association. It was for no other reason than because he acknowledged that the Man who had healed him must be of God, must be a prophet. But what a recompense he has for all he suffered in that same Man finding him again, as He had found him first in his misery and beggary, and revealing Himself now not merely as a prophet, but as the Son of God, the very God of Israel.

In the Lord's question we find a fitness which at first might escape us. Had this man been a Gentile, 1:e., one not taught in the things which every Jew knew, Jesus would hardly have asked this. But ignorant of much which others of his nation knew, who had been blessed with greater privileges, he knew that the expectancy of the nation was the coming into their midst of the Messiah, and that His coming would be a revelation of God such as had not before been given. To the Jew the Messiah was the Son of God; at least, so the Scriptures had prepared them to expect. Comp. Ps. 2, etc. If we except Elijah and Elisha, not since Moses' day had such works of power been manifested as were found in Jesus, who in every way was accredited as the Coming One. The leaders knew all this, but because it meant the overthrow of their system, built up by oppression and avarice, and the love of power over their fellows, they would rather destroy Jesus than accept Him. Thus Jesus' words proved themselves true in their case that "Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

What is the lesson for us in all this? Not to be content with a mere system of doctrine, which might be an expression of orthodoxy, or which might degenerate into error. We need to have a living, personal acquaintance with Him who says:"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes unto the Father, but by Me." May the Lord in His great mercy to us, in these dark days of the Church's history, give us a greater love for the truth as livingly expressed in Him, and in His people, not forgetting that "everyone who is of the truth hears His voice." Or, to put it the other way, Every one who has heard His voice is of the truth, even though he followeth not with us. May we learn to have more patience with those who may not see all things as we see them, remembering that like the blind man, they may not nave reached the height of the revelation God has given in His Son, but who, like that man, may love the truth none the less.* *It is not meant by this, that we have not the full revelation of God in His Son given to us in the Scriptures. But we should distinguish between the revelation given in the Person of Christ and the realization of this in the soul of anyone who is marked as "doing the truth (by) his coming to the light." History supplies us with many examples of men who did not "see all things clearly," at first. But the "path of the just is as the light of the dawn, which shines more and more to the perfect day."* Wm. Huss