ai blepontas kophous laloutas, kullous hugieis,
cholous peripatountas kai tuphlous blepontas]; xxi. 14; [Greek: kai
proselthon auto tuphloi kai choloi en to hiero kai etherapeusen
autous]; Mark vii. 37, where after the healing of the deaf and dumb,
the people say: [Greek: kalos panta pepoieke. kai tous kophous poiei
akouein, kai tous alalous lalein.] Yet shall we not be able to see, in
these facts, the complete fulfilment of the prophecy, in so far as it
refers to the healing of the bodily blind and deaf--inasmuch as it
promises the healing of all, not of some only--but only a pledge of the
complete fulfilment of it; just as Christ's raising some from the dead
only prefigures what He shall do in the end of the days. The complete
fulfilment belongs to the time of the resurrection of the just, of
which it is said: Whatever is here afflicted, groans, prays, shall then
go on brightly and gloriously. More comprehensive was the fulfilment
which the prophecy received, in reference to spiritual blindness and
deafness, immediately at the first appearance of Christ, who declared
that He had come into the world, that they which see not, might see
(John ix. 39). But even here the completion as certainly belongs to the
future world, as [Greek: blepomen arti di'esoptrou hen ainigmati].

Ver. 6. "_Then shall the lame leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
dumb shall shout; for in the wilderness shall waters be opened, and
streams in the desert._"

The _leaping and shouting_ imply that they have obtained deliverance
from their bodily defects,--at this deliverance the preceding verse
stopped--and proceed from the natural delight at the appearance of this
salvation, personal as well as general, of which these are an
emanation. On the first words especially. Acts iii. 8 is to be
compared, where it is said of the lame man to whom Peter, in the name
of Jesus spoke. Arise and walk: [Greek: kai exallomenos este kai
periepatei, kai eiselthe sun autois eis to hieron, peripaton kai
allomenos kai ainon ton theon]; farther. Acts viii. 7: [Greek: polloi
de paralelumenoi kai choloi etherapeuthesan]; xiv. 8; John v. 9. Of
_spiritual_ lameness, Heb. xii. 13 is spoken. It appears especially in
dark times of affliction, as _Vitringa_ says: "In the time of wild
persecution, and when the Church languishes, [Pg 162] not a few men
begin to halt, to vacillate in their views, to suspend their opinions,"
&c. On the words: "the tongue of the dumb shall shout,"