A BLIND MAN WHO SAW


Once upon a time there was a boy who had a call to be a preacher. Now
this boy was Scotch, and the fondest ambition of a Scotch mother is that
her son shall become a minister. You may believe that this particular
lad's mother was very, very happy. So George (George was his name) went
to school. He was not a brilliant student, but he was faithful, he did
his work well and passed his grades. One day he noted some difficulty
with his eyes. The trouble increased rather than diminished. Before he
had finished his education, while he was yet a young man, he became
totally blind. He was greatly discouraged. He was tempted to give up
entirely, stop trying to do anything. Certainly he could not be a
successful preacher if he was blind. Who would listen to him? How could
he do his work?

However there was another voice inside him, the voice of courage, hope
and faith. It was the voice of the Lord that bid him go right on with
his plans. He heeded the urge of the inner voice. He was ordained.
People loved him, and flocked to hear him preach. Though his natural
vision was darkened, his spiritual vision was so much brighter. Though
he could not look upon the beautiful sights of the world, he had eyes to
see more clearly the wonderful things of the soul. His fame spread
throughout Edinburgh, Scotland, England, and all the English-speaking
world, and everywhere he was known and loved as the blind preacher.

This blind preacher wrote many hymns. The greatest hymn he ever wrote,
and one of the finest in all the English language, is the Memory Hymn