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It is quite certain that there is an inward faculty in the mind which accurately corresponds to the natural eye. It is the power by which we morally see and morally apprehend truth. And that eye, just like the bodily eye, admits of being either closed or opened. This eye of the soul is a part of man's original constitution. Familiarly we have known it under the name of faith. Faith is that eye of the soul. This eye is born blind. But while nature, in this matter of our blindness, has done much, we ourselves have done much more. The closed eye is being continually closed more and more, and sealed in its closeness. The mistakes of education — the bad early training — youthful prejudice — every neglect of a duty, and every violence done to conscience — the grievings of the spirit, each secret sin and wilful act of disobedience — all our proud tempers, and impure desires, and self-willed thoughts — all that has not God in it — the whole contact with this wicked world — almost every act, and word, and imagination of our lives — all has, every day, been fastening up the fast eye faster and faster. And so at last it comes, that a man can really see nothing but what is material. He has no perception of Divine things. Jesus is practically hidden. Neither his sin, nor its pardon, nor its punishment, nor peace of mind, nor the higher love, nor the heavenly life, nor another world, nor God, does he descry. And yet, all the while, all these things are near him and about him every moment — he moves in that beautiful circle, heaven is round him, but there is a thick curtain before him, it is an unknown thing, it is all to him as if it were not. How is the shut eye opened? Now, it might be enough to say that it is done by an act of sovereign grace and power. That is true; but that would not practically help you. You would then say, "I must wait till that act of sovereign power passes upon me." Therefore, let me look at it rather differently. There is the eye of the body, which you shut and which you open. How does the physical eye open? There is an act of will in the brain, and that act of will in the brain moves the organ. It is a perfect mystery how the will can take effect upon the nerves, and so upon the muscles, of any part of our body; but it is done. The will acts naturally; but there is another power, an appointment, and a secret omnipotence, which is wanted. So it is with the opening of the spiritual eye. There must be will. True, God gives the will; but He is always giving it, and you are always resisting it. The will begins — the will produces an effort — the effort puts certain things in motion — and God being in it all — in the will which He has created, and in the effort, and in the process — the thing is done — the eye opens, vision is restored. It may be gradually, it may be with more or less of clearness and growth, but it is vision — the eye is opened — and things which were invisible come in through the new avenue, and make their mark, and stamp their impression on the inner man. And the man, the highest part of the man, sees; he finds he is in a new world, and because he is in a new world, he is a new creature.

(J. Vaughan, M. A.)

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KJV: And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

WEB: Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.