o listen to the things that He whispers in our
hearts, and to the words that He says to us in the Bible.

[Illustration: Child at prayer.]

CHAPTER IX.

THE MAN BORN BLIND, AND LAZARUS.

One Sabbath day, most likely the next Sabbath day after the Feast of
Tabernacles, Jesus saw a blind beggar out of doors. That poor man had
always been blind. He had never been able to see at all. Jesus spat
on the ground, and put the wet earth on the blind man's eyes, and said,
'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.' And the man went and washed, and
came back able to see. The people who met him began to ask him, 'How
were thine eyes opened?' And the man told them. Then they wanted to
know where Jesus was. But the man did not know that. Then the people
brought him to the Pharisees to see what they would say. And the
Pharisees said, 'How is it that you can see now?' And the man told
them.

Then the Pharisees turned him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard about
that, and He came to the lonely man, and said, 'Dost thou believe on
the Son of God?' And the man said, 'Who is He, Lord, that I might
believe 'on Him?' And Jesus said to him, 'THOU HAST BOTH SEEN HIM, AND
HE IT IS THAT TALKETH WITH THEE.' Then the man fell down at the feet
of Jesus, saying, 'Lord, I believe.'

And now Jesus turned to the Pharisees, and told them that _they_ were
very blind. They could see things with their eyes, but they could not
see that their hearts were full of sin. Then Jesus preached one of the
most beautiful of all His sermons. In it He said, 'I am the Door of
the sheep; by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved. I am the Good
Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. I am the
Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine; and I lay down
My life for the sheep, And other sheep I have which are not of this
fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there
shall be one flock under one Shepherd.'

[Illustration: The shepherd's care (2nd version).]

The 'other sheep' Jesus spoke about meant the Gentiles, the people who
are not Jews. It meant you and me, and it meant all the heathen. He
has called us. He is calling the heathen. And many sheep, many quiet
little lambs, have heard the voice of Jesus, and are following Him.
Have you heard Him calling you? Have you followed Him? if not, oh,
make haste to go after Him now.

Soon after Jesus had gone away from Bethany, His friend Lazarus b