ead. These are the words: "Go and show John again those
things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead
are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And
blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

"It may be proper in the first place," said he, "for us to inquire why
John sent the message to Jesus which gave rise to the words of the
text. The message may appear strange to some, as John had, not long
before, pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world. He had seen the 'Heavenly Dove' descend from the open
heavens and abide upon him as he came up from the baptismal wave, and
had heard the Father's voice from beneath the same uplifted veil:
'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' It is my belief
that John had become doubtful. The iron gates of Herod's castle had
shut out from him all bodily comfort, and with this his hope seemed to
vanish. This experience has had many a repetition in the realizations
of good men since John's day. He felt himself neglected. If Jesus is
the friend I took him to be, why does he not come to my rescue? I do
not understand him. How can he feel satisfied to know that I am lying
here in great bodily distress and perplexity of mind, and put forth no
effort to release me, and thus restore me to useful activity in his
service? Many, many, not in Herod's castle, but in other castles, such
as beds of affliction, castles of poverty, castles of persecution,
castles of bodily infirmity, castles of bereavement, castles of losses
and crosses in one way and another, have had the same experiences, the
same doubts and misgivings.

"John resolved to try to find out about all this if possible. So he
sent the messengers. Here note the love of Christ. He does not upbraid
John for this half reproachful message. He calmly returns to him in
the shape of an answer a series of the most wonderful truths the world
has ever heard; truths which, in their spiritual sense, comprehend the
work of salvation on the part of Jesus from the alpha to the omega.
'Go and show John again the things which ye do hear and see.' The use
of the word '_again_' implies that a similar answer had been returned
to John at least _once_ before. This testimony, with the love in which
it was sent, may have refreshed John's love for Jesus, and reassured
his faith. The last words of the retu