Two Men Before You

“And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”

“Do you see yonder man with a rope in his hand, and with his sight gone, and with the rope tied around the neck of a dear child? See him walk out yonder lonely path, and just beyond is yonder great precipice; he is walking on, and is blind, and he has the child tied to the other end of the rope and it must follow; the strong arm of the blind man holds that rope, and he is getting nearer and nearer to that great abyss; a few more steps and over he will go. Is there no one to bring him back? Is there no one to run and hold him? There he goes! Down he goes! – a blind leader of the blind – and they both fell down into the gulf. “And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”

“Yet, oh! how many people are falling down because of unfaithful preachers, because of unfaithful teachers, because of unfaithful fathers and mothers – blind leaders of the blind. I said a while ago that I felt ashamed, when I hear this text, of myself, and I hope you all feel ashamed of yourselves this morning. But let us not forget to thank God if we can feel ashamed of ourselves. That itself is a wondrous gift of God, to be able to be ashamed of ourselves. There are two men in this world that are very mean – in fact, they are the meanest: The one is standing before you this morning preaching the Gospel, and the other is yourself. God have mercy on us all. Amen.

Prayer

“O God, our Heavenly Father, we feel in our hearts this morning that we are not fit nor worthy to call ourselves members of that first picture which Thou hast placed in Thy great gallery, and yet, we pray this morning for forgiveness, and for a spirit of love, and for a spirit of leaving all judgment to Thee, and for a benevolence that shall make us subject, by Thy grace, to be placed upon that beautiful photograph painted in heaven. We pray Thee to help us this morning by Thy holy law, and by the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, to behold the beam in our own eye, and by Thy grace and strength wilt Thou draw it out, and wash the wounded eye with the balsam of Cavalry, Thine own blood, and keep it clean, that by the help of this wounded eye healed, we may be able to see the mote in the brother’s eye, and help us also by Thy grace, to make it clear. If any of us this morning have found ourselves to be blind leaders of the blind, help us to open our eyes, help us to see as Thou wouldst have us see, and make us safe leaders of our own families, of our own children, of our own Sunday-schools, and all others that are around us. O God, give Thy blessing to the public schools of this country, and help that the conscience of the teachers may grow there, and that in every lesson the children may be led closer to the Great Teacher. O God, we ask Thy special blessing upon those of our own number who in this morning hour are suffering intensely. Lord help them, according to Thine own promise, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Yes, help us to hold fast to that command of Thine, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Heavenly Father, Thou hast always delivered all Thy saints of old, and Thou wilt deliver us in Thine own good way, in Thine own good time and Thy way and Thy time are the best way and the best time. Give us a faith, O Lord, that will always hold, even as a child would cling to its mother’s breast, to these sweet words: “All things work together for good to them who love God.” Pour into our hearts a double love, and finally, when our work on earth is finished here, give us that grander home above. We ask it all in the name of the Blessed Jesus, who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven; Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us, this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

From The Great Gospel by Simon Peter Long from the sermon, “Going to God’s Gallery”.