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ZIONJS
WATCH
TOWER
ALLEGHENY,
PA.
they
could
not
say,
for
they
did
not
see;
he
was
of
age
and
able
to
speak
for
himself.
The
once
blind
man
was
again
interrogated:
How
~
When
~
Where
f
as
though
to
entrap
him
in
an
untruth.
His
own
heart
honest,
he
perceived
that
these
so-called
holy
men
were
so
opposed
to
Jesus
that
they
were
trying
every
way
to
disprove
or
belittle
the
miracle.
Turning
to
the
healed
man
the
Pharisees
said
to
him,
Thank
God
for
your
sight,
even
though
it
came
through
a
bad
channel,
for
we
know
that
this
man
Jesus
who
healed
you
is
a
sinner,
is
a
hypocrite,
is
a
falsifier
in
claiming
to
be
Messiah;
he
is
a
bad
man.
'fhis
was
more
than
the
once
blind
man
could
or
should
endure;
he
must
not
hear
the
character
of
his
best
friend
traduced
without
speaking
a
word
in
his
de
fense;
he
therefore
said,
This
is
a
very
remarkable
case
that
a
miracle
should
be
performed
such
as
never
before
was
hearJ
of,
and
that
the
man
to
perform
the
miracle
should
be
a
sinner
with
whom
God
would
have
no
dealings;
this
is
in
deed
remarkable.
It
has
been
a
teaching
amongst
us
Jews
that
God
would
not
even
hear
the
prayer
of
sinners;
how
then
could
this
man,
a
sinner,
have
performed
so
stupendous
a
miracle'
Then
they
began
to
cross-question
him
again
re
specting
the
how
and
when
and
where.
But
perceiving
their
dishonesty
of
heart
he
said
to
them,
Why
are
you
asking
again
~
You
remember
what
I
told
you
j
are
you
anxious
to
become
his
disciples
that
you
want
me
to
explain
further,
or
what
is
your
motive~
Perceiving
that
their
hypocritical
de
signs
were
discovered,
they
railed
at
the
man,
saying,
No,
we
are
not
Jesus'
disciples;
you
are
one
of
his,
we
are
Moses'
disciples.
We
know
that
God
appointed
Moses,
and
by
his
Law
we
stand;
as
for
this
man,
who
knows
anything
about
him'
He
is
said
to
come
from
Nazareth,
but
is
not
of
won
derful
parentage,
and
is
not
the
kind
of
a
Messiah
that
we
have
been
expecting,
with
power
and
great
glory
and
ability
to
deliver
our
nation
from
the
hands
of
the
Romans.
You
had
best
follow
him,
we
will
have
nothing
to
do
with
you
or
him
j
do
not
come
again
to
our
synagogue.
Consider
yourself
an
outcast
from
the
religious
people
of
your
own
nation.
Jesus
heard
that
they
had
cast
him
out
and
found
him
and
said
to
him,
Dost
thou
believe
on
the
Son
of
God'
In
answer
to
the
man's
desire
to
know
more
our
Lord
revealed
himself
to
him
as
the
Messiah.
Then
he
worshiped
Jesus.
Notice
the
exercise
of
the
Lord's
providential
care
over
this
man
and
his
interests.
He
did
not
spare
him
from
being
cast
out
of
the
synagogue,
but
turned
the
same
into
a
special
blessing
of
instruction
of
much
advantage
to
the
man
in
every
way.
In
the
various
features
of
this
incident
we
today
find
a
lesson
along
higher
lines.
Some
of
us
were
born
blind
blind
to
the
Lord
and
his
true
character,
blind
to
the
truth
of
the
divine
Word.
The
blindness
upon
us
was
neither
our
own
fault
nor
the
fault
of
our
parents.
They
as
well
as
we
were
honest-hearted
toward
the
Lord.
Our
blindness,
there
fore,
was
not
a
chastisement
for
sins.
The
darkness,
the
blindness,
which
so
long
has
overspread
Christendom
entrapped
us
as
well
as
others,
but
the
Lord
had
mercy
upon
us
and
passed
our
way
and
made
ointment
and
eyesalve
for
us.
He
took
of
the
clay
of
human
agency
and
mixed
it
with
his
Word,
the
fruit
of
his
lips,
and
with
that
combination
he
gave
us
the
anointing
of
the
eyes
of
our
understanding
and
bade
us
wash
in
the
waters
of
Siloam,
his
Word
of
truth
and
grace.
We
followed
his
prescription
and
now
we
see.
A
new
world
is
opened
before
us,
II
Wonderful
things
in
the
Bible
we
see
I
"
The
Scribes
and
Pharisees
of
our
day
wonder,
criticise
and
try
to
account
for
the
blessing
which
has
come
to
us,
and
of
course
will
find
fault
with
every
agency
which
the
Lord
has
used
in
connection
with
our
blessing,
for
their
hearts
are
not
in
the
right
attitude
to
appreciate
the
light
of
the
favor
of
God.
It
is
for
us
now
to
take
a
similar
stand
to
that
which
this
blind
man
took,
to
confess
the
truth,
confess
the
light,
confess
the
miracle
which
the
Lord
has
wrought
upon
the
eyes
of
our
understanding
and
to
give
him
our
hearts.
And
it
is
also
for
us
to
find
that
this
will
bring
against
us
the
anger,
the
chagrin,
the
malice
of
the
Scribes
and
Pharisees
of
our
day.
It
is
for
us
to
find
that
this
will
lead
men
to
separate
us
from
their
company,
to
cast
us
out
of
their
syna
gogues.
Through
the
Prophet
the
Lord
has
foretold
this,
say
ing,
"Your
brethren
that
hated
you,
that
cast
you
out,
said,
The
Lord
be
glorified
[we
do
this
casting
out
for
the
good
of
the
Lord's
cause
that
we
may
glorify
himJ.
But
he
shall
appear
to
your
joy
and
they
shall
be
ashamed."
(Isa.66:5.)
How
many
of
the
Lord's
people
have
found
that
the
major
part
of
their
blessing
comes
after
they
have
acknowledged
the
truth,
stood
up
for
it
and
endured
some
persecution
on
its
account!
Then
the
Lord
findeth
them,
he
knows
where
they
are
and
all
about
them
all
the
time,
but
then
he
reveals
himself
to
them
specially
that
they
may
know
him,
that
they
may
have
fellowship
with
him,
that
they
may
rereive
from
him
a
blessing,
as
in
the
case
of
this
blind
man.
"ARE
WE
BLIND
ALSO?"
The
last
two
verses
of
our
lesson
call
our
attention
to
the
theological
pride
of
the
Pharisees.
And,
alas,
in
this
also,
we
must
concede
that
they
represent
fitly
some
of
their
suc
cessors
in
Spiritual
Israel
who
are
spiritually
proud.
Our
Lord
had
declared
that
his
coming
into
the
world
would
prove
a
judgment
or
testing
to
that
order
of
things,
that
some
of
the
blind
would
be
made
to
see
and
some
of
those
who
had
been
seeing
would
become
blind.
That
is
to
say,
the
truth
would
prove
a
testing
to
many,
some
coming
out
of
the
blind
ness
and
darkness
and
ignorance
and
superstition
to
an
ap
preciation
of
the
grandest
of
God's
blessings,
and
others,
who
had
a
larger
measure
of
favor
previously,
lapsing
into
a
blind
condition.
Those
who
received
the
Lord
received
enlighten
ment
at
Pentecost,
and
the
Apostle
remarks
that
the
remainder
were
blinded
and
are
to
remain
blind
until
the
close
of
this
Gospel
age.
Hearing
his
remark
about
the
blind
ones
seeing
and
the
seeing
ones
becoming
blind
the
Pharisees
said
to
the
Lord,
In
what
list
are
you
placing
usf
not
amongst
the
blind,
we
hope'
Jesus
replied
that
it
would
have
been
better
for
them
if
they
had
been
blind,
if
their
course
had
been
actuated
by
total
ignorance,
but
the
case
was
different.
They
did
have
considerable
enlightenment
and
therefore
corresponding
re
sponsibility,
but
because
of
their
pride
and
self-sufficiency
in
taking
what
they
did
see
as
the
whole
truth
and
rejecting
the
real
message
of
the
Lord
they
were
hardening
themselves
against
the
light,
against
the
truth,
and
their
sin
was
fasten
ing
itself
upon
them,
shackling
them
so
that
they
could
not
and
would
not
and
did
not
receive
the
light
that
was
then
due.
Are
there
not
a
good
many
in
this
situation
today,
promi.
nent
Christian
people
boasting
of
their
enlightenment
and
yet
afraid
of
the
light
of
God's
Word
and
afraid,
ashamed
to
acknowledge
either
their
own
ignorance
of
it
or
the
light
that
is
now
shining
upon
it
by
the
Lord's
presence
and
through
the
channels
which
he
is
using
for
the
scattering
of
the
light
in
this
present
time'
Let
us
be
prompt
to
asknowledge
that
we
have
nothing
of
our
own,
neither
light
nor
wisdom,
and
let
us
receive
at
the
Lord's
hands
the
true
wisdom,
the
true
enlightenment
which
comes
from
above.
If
all
could
come
to
this
position
rapidly
the
truth
would
spread.
The
great
opposition
comes
from
those
who
claim
to
know
but
do
not
really
know;
whose
boastfulness
and
pride
not
only
hinder
them
from
entering
into
the
light,
but
lead
them
also
to
hinder
others
from
appreciating
it.
VOL.
XXIX
ALLEGHENY,
P
A,
MARCH
15,
1908
No.6
017B
LOSING
FIGHT
WITH
THE
CBDlDJAL
II
Commissioner
Bingham
reports
4,470
arrests
made
by
the
Bureau
of
Detectives
for
felonies
in
1907,
against
2,091
in
1906.
Convictions
totaled
1,330.
The
inerease
in
arrests
for
misdemeanors
is
still
more
startling:
the
total
was
3,889,
while
in
1906
it
was
910.
There
were
1,566
convictions.
Chief
Wilkie
of
the
United
States
Secret
Service
reports
216
ar
rests,
of
which
160
were
for
counterfeiting.
A
substantial
de
crease
in
this
crime
is
shown,
largely
due
to
the
conviction
of
Irving
Tolley,
now
confined
in
Atlanta,
Ga.,
who
was
re
sponsible
for
50
per
cent.
of
the
raised
notes.
The
most
significant
item
in
the
report
of
J.
C.
Graveur,
chief
proba
t.ion
officer
of
the
New
York
Court
of
Special
Sessions,
dis-
closes
565
persons
placed
on
parole.
Only
twenty
failed
to
meet
the
requirements
of
their
release.
II
Society
not
only
fails
to
hold
its
ground
but
it
is
losing
in
its
warfare
against
the
criminal.
In
1901
the
Government
published
the
conclusion
of
Eugene
Smith
that
our
annual
tribute
to
crime
was
$600,000,000,
and
criminologists
have
recently
computed
a
substantial
increase.
To
our
eternal
dis
grace,
the
United
States
leads
all
civilized
countries
in
the
number
of
homicides.
Over
8,000
yearly
is
the
average.
Wil·
liam
C.
Clemens
fixes
New
York
City's
quota
at
240.
In
six
years
over
300
murderers
have
gone
undetected.
The
Ala
bama
State
Bar
Association
has
shown
that
in
proportion
to
population
there
are
twelve
murders
in
New
England
to
[4160]
(79-83) they could not say, for they did not see; he was of age and able to speak for himself. The once blind man was again interrogated: How? When? Where? as though to entrap him in an untruth. His own heart honest, he perceived that these so-called holy men were so opposed to Jesus that they were trying every way to disprove or belittle the miracle. Turning to the healed man the Pharisees said to him, Thank God for your sight, even though it came through a bad channel, for we know that this man Jesus who healed you is a sinner, is a hypovrite, is a falsifier in claiming to be Messiah; he is a bad man. This was more than the once blind man eould or should endure; he must not hear the character of his best friend traduced without speaking a word in his defense; he therefore said, This is a very remarkable case that a miracle should be performed such as never before was heard of, and that the man to perform the miracle should be a sinner with whom God would have no dealings; this is indeed remarkable. It has been a teaching amongst us Jews that God would not even hear the prayer of sinners; how then could this man, a sinner, have performed so stupendous a miracle? Then they began to cross-question him again respecting the how and when and where. But perceiving their dishonesty of heart he said to them, Why are you asking again? You remember what I told you; are you anxious to become his disciples that you want me to explain further, or what is your motive? Perceiving that their hypocritical designs were discovered, they railed at the man, saying, No, we are not Jesus’ disciples; you are one of his, we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God appointed Moses, and by his Law we stand; as for this man, who knows anything about him? He is said to come from Nazareth, but is not of wonderful parentage, and is not the kind of a Messiah that we have been expecting, with power and great glory and ability to deliver our nation from the hands of the Romans. You had best follow him, we will have nothing to do with you or him; do not come again to our synagogue. Consider yourself an outcast from the religious people of your own nation. Jesus heard that they had cast him out and found him and said to him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? In answer to the man’s desire to know more our Lord revealed himself to him as the Messiah. Then he worshiped Jesus. Notice the exercise of the Lord’s providential care over this man and his interests. He did not spare him from being cast out of the synagogue, but turned the same into a special blessing of instruction of much advantage to the man in every way. In the various features of this incident we today find a lesson along higher lines. Some of us were born blind— blind to the Lord and his true character, blind to the truth of the divine Word. The blindness upon us was neither our own fault nor the fault of our parents. They as well as we were honest-hearted toward the Lerd. Our blindness, therefore, was not a chastisement for sins. The darkness, the blindness, which so long has overspread Christendom entrapped us as well as others, but the Lord had merey upon us and passed our way and made ointment and eyesalve for us. He took of the clay of human agency and mixed it with his Word, the fruit of his lips, and with that combination he gave us the anointing of the eyes of our understanding and bade us wash in the waters of Siloam, his Word of truth and grace. We followed his prescription and now we see. A new world is opened before us, ‘‘ Wonderful things in the Bible we see!’’ The Scribes and Pharisees of our day wonder, criticise and try to account for the blessing which has come to us, and of course will find fault with every agency which the Lord has used in connection with our blessing, for their hearts are not in the right attitude to appreciate the light of the favor of God. ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. It is for us now to take a similar stand to that which this blind man took, to confess the truth, confess the light, confess the miracle which the Lord has wrought upon the eyes of our understanding and to give him our hearts. And it is also for us to find that this will bring against us the anger, the chagrin, the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees of our day. It is for us to find that this will lead men to separate us from their company, to cast us out of their synagogues. Through the Prophet the Lord has foretold this, saying, ‘‘Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out, said, The Lord be glorified [we do this casting out for the good of the Lord’s cause that we may glorify him]. But he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed.’’ (Isa. 66:5.) How many of the Lord’s people have found that the major part of their blessing comes after they have acknowledged the truth, stood up for it and endured some persecution on its account! Then the Lord findeth them, he knows where they are and all about them all the time, but then he reveals himself to them specially that they may know him, that they may have fellowship with him, that they may receive from him a blessing, as in the case of this blind man. ‘‘ARE WE BLIND ALSO?’’ The last two verses of our lesson call our attention to the theological pride of the Pharisees. And, alas, in this also, we must concede that they represent fitly some of their successors in Spiritual Israel who are spiritually proud. Our Lord had deelared that his coming into the world would prove a judgment or testing to that order of things, that some of the blind would be made to see and some of those who had been seeing would become blind. That is to say, the truth would prove a testing to many, some coming out of the blindness and darkness and ignorance and superstition to an appreciation of the grandest of God’s blessings, and others, who had a larger measure of favor previously, lapsing into a blind condition. Those who received the Lord received enlightenment at Pentecost, and the Apostle remarks that the remainder were blinded and are to remain blind until the close of this Gospel age. Hearing his remark about the blind ones seeing and the seeing ones becoming blind the Pharisees said to the Lord, In what list are you placing us? not amongst the blind, we hope? Jesus replied that it would have been better tor them if they had been blind, if their course had been actuated by total ignorance, but the case was different. They did have considerable enlightenment and therefore corresponding responsibility, but because of their pride and self-sufficiency in taking what they did see as the whole truth and rejecting the real message of the Lord they were hardening themselves against the light, against the truth, and their sin was fastening itself upon them, shackling them so that they could not and would not and did not receive the light that was then due. Are there not a good many in this situation today, prominent Christian people boasting of their enlightenment and yet afraid of the light of God’s Word and afraid, ashamed to acknowledge either their own ignorance of it or the light that is now shining upon it by the Lord’s presence and through the channels which he is using for the scattering of the light in this present time? Let us be prompt to asknowledge that we have nothing of our own, neither light nor wisdom, and let us receive at the Lord’s hands the true wisdom, the true enlightenment which comes from above. If all could come to this position rapidly the truth would spread. The great opposition comes from those who claim to know but do not really know; whose boastfulness and pride not only hinder them from entering into the light, but lead them also to hinder others from appreciating it. Vou. XXIX ALLEGHENY, PA, MARCH 15, 1908 No. 6 OUR LOSING FIGHT WITH THE CRIMINAL ‘*Commissioner Bingham reports 4,470 arrests made by the Bureau of Detectives for felonies in 1907, against 2,091 in 1906. Convictions totaled 1,330. The increase in arrests for misdemeanors is still more startling: the total was 3,889, while in 1906 it was 910. There were 1,566 convictions. Chief Wilkie of the United States Secret Service reports 216 arrests, of which 160 were for counterfeiting. A substantial deerease in this crime is shown, largely due to the conviction of Irving Tolley, now confined in Atlanta, Ga., who was responsible for 50 per cent. of the raised notes. The most significant item in the report of J. C. Graveur, chief probation officer of the New York Court of Special Sessions, dis closes 565 persons placed on parole. meet the requirements of their release. ‘¢Society not only fails to hold its ground but it is losing in its warfare against the criminal. In 1901 the Government published the conclusion of Eugene Smith that our annual tribute to crime was $600,000,000, and criminologists have recently computed a substantial increase. To our eternal disgrace, the United States leads all civilized countries in the number of homicides. Over 8,000 yearly is the average. William C. Clemens fixes New York City’s quota at 240. In six years over 300 murderers have gone undetected. The Alabama State Bar Association has shown that in proportion to population there are twelve murders in New England to Only twenty failed to [4150]
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