Believe, whilst as yet ye see not; and “cry out” that ye may see. How great is thought to be
the unhappiness of men, who do not see this bodily light? Does any one become blind; im-
mediately it is said; “God is angry with him, he has committed some wicked deed.” So said
Tobias’ wife to her husband. He cried out because of the kid, lest it had come of theft; he
did not like to hear the sound of any stolen thing in his house; and she, maintaining what
she had done, reproached her husband; and when he said, “Restore it if it be stolen;” she
answered insultingly, “Where are thy righteous deeds?”2914 How great was her blindness
who maintained the theft; and how clear a light he saw, who commanded the stolen thing
to be restored! She rejoiced outwardly in the light of the sun; he inwardly in the light of
Righteousness. Which of them was in the better light?
16. It is to the love of this light that I would exhort you, Beloved; that ye would cry out
by your works, when the Lord “passeth by;” let the voice of faith sound out, that “Jesus
standing still,” that is, the Unchangeable, Abiding Wisdom of God, and the Majesty of the
Word of God, “by which all things were made,” may open your eyes. The same Tobias in
giving advice to his son, instructed him to this, to cry out; that is, he instructed him to good
works. He told him to give to the poor, charged him to give alms to the needy, and taught
him, saying, “My son, alms suffereth not to come into darkness.”2915 The blind gave counsel
for receiving and gaining light. “Alms,” saith he, “suffereth not to come into darkness.” Had
his son in astonishment answered him, “What then, father, hast thou not given alms, that
thou now speakest to me in blindness; art not thou in darkness, and yet thou dost say to
me, “Alms suffereth not to come into darkness.” But no, he knew well what the light was,
concerning which he gave his son instruction, he knew well what he saw in the inner man.
The son held out his hand to his father, to enable him to walk on earth; and the father to
the son, to enable him to dwell in heaven.
17. To be brief; that I may conclude this Sermon, Brethren, with a matter which touches
me very nearly, and gives me much pain, see what crowds there are which “rebuke the blind
as they cry out.” But let them not deter you, whosoever among this crowd desire to be healed;
for there are many Christians in name, and in works ungodly; let them not deter you from
good works. Cry out amid the crowds that are restraining you, and calling you back, and
insulting you, whose lives are evil. For not only by their voices, but by evil works, do wicked
Christians repress the good. A good Christian has no wish to attend the public shows. In
this very thing, that he bridles his desire of going to the theatre, he cries out after Christ,
cries out to be healed. Others run together thither, but perhaps they are heathens or Jews?
Ah! indeed, if Christians went not to the theatres, there would be so few people there, that
they would go away for very shame. So then Christians run thither also, bearing the Holy
2914 Tob. ii. 14.
2915 Tob. iv. 10.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xx. 30, about the two blind men sitting…