IN a very retired spot in a village in Kent lies a poor afflicted person, who has not only lost her sight, but also the use of all her physical powers, except her arms. It was my happy privilege to visit her about two years ago. I ascertained that she had been in the same perfectly helpless condition for eight years, but soon found that she had been made acquainted with the Lord Jesus, and that her spirit sweetly responded to what God had made Him to be to her.
In the course of our conversation, I asked her if she uninterruptedly enjoyed the Lord’s presence. She replied, “He sometimes hides His face from me.” “Why does He do so?” I inquired. “Because of my sinfulness.” I then observed, “You are not able to go out into the world to do anything wrong or sinful.” “Oh! but, sir, my heart is such a wicked one, and I often have sinful thoughts and feelings that make Him hide His face from me.” I said, “Is not God greater than your heart? does He not know more about it than you do? is He not satisfied with what Jesus was and is for you? Can He then hide His face from you? No; it is you who shut Him out by looking within yourself, and pulling the blind down. You must keep the blind up.” “What do you mean?” I replied, “You must be looking unto Jesus,’ setting your affection on things above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. It the sun is pouring forth all its golden beauty, and you are keeping the blind up, it will tell all its power; but if you draw the blind down you check it―that is, if you get occupied with self instead of Christ you are in darkness, and are taken up with your own feelings and thoughts instead of that joy and peace unspeakable and full of glory―Jesus, who is risen, and who is now on the Father’s throne is ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever.’”
She appeared wonderfully interested, and evidently drank deeply into it. I visited her a second time a few days ago, being again in the village where she still lives. She referred to my previous visit, and quoted what had passed on that occasion, adding that the thought of “keeping the blind up, had been constantly present to her mind, and had helped her very much. This poor young woman leads a life of much solitude, often being left quite alone all day in the cottage without anyone near her. She expressed the joy it had given her to “keep the blind up,” as she had found by real experience that every dark and trying moment was caused by not really looking unto Jesus. I then observed, “What do you think is the reason why God leaves you here?” “For some wise purpose,” she replied. “If the blind is up,” said I, “He does not hide from us what His object is, as in the case of Abraham— ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?’ Just so God loves to make His secrets known to those who are near to Him. Then, why are you left here?” “To glorify Him!” “But how can you do so, lying always in the bed?” “By patiently suffering, in subjection to His will, and by testifying of Him to any that come to see me―of His grace and goodness.” “Are you never afraid of being alone?” “No! I am under the protecting care of the Lord; I am never alone.” “You can then say in the full consciousness of it, ‘Thou art with me.’” “Yes; His rod of protection and staff of faithfulness comfort me.” What a reality it is when the soul is shut up to the Lord Himself, as in the case of this poor blind person, who so truly enjoys, without natural sight or strength, the secret place of the Most High.
C. T.