July 23

PART II.—Luke 18:42.

HAPPY for Bartimeus that Jesus passed that way; otherwise he might have remained in darkness to the day of his death. Happy for the blind and wretched sinner, that Jesus came to seek, and to save that which was lost: otherwise the darkness of the mind would have settled down into the blackness of darkness for ever. It was for the happiness of Bartimeus, and it is not less for the happiness of every man, that Christ was manifested to remove human woe, and to destroy the works of the devil. Bartimeus availed himself of the event of Christ's passing to solicit mercy. And the doctrine of the gospel is this, that Jesus is nigh unto them who call upon him. Yea, that "the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach." But Christ's mercy must be solicited, — solicited earnestly, with all holy importunity, and in faith. Bartimeus received Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of David, as the long expected Messiah, as the King of Israel. And a reception of Jesus by us is indispensable to the obtaining of his favour and forgiving love. If thou believest in him with all thy heart, thou shalt be saved. In supplicating Christ's aid opposition may be expected. The multitude attempted to silence Bartimeus, they cried, "hold thy peace,"—they knew not his misery, they cared not for his welfare. And whoever came to Jesus that was not thus assailed? Sceptics will cry hold your peace, religion is a fable, an invention of men, a gross delusion. The profane will say, hold your peace; eat, drink, and be merry, and let religion take care for itself. The worldling will cry, hold thy peace; gold is the principal thing, be anxious for wealth, for money answereth all things. The formalist will cry hold your peace, why be so earnest, live decently, and worship reverently, and profess a little religion and all shall be well. Woe be to the man that hearkens to these enemies of our welfare, to these destroyers of our happiness. Conscience says, cry for mercy. The word says, cry for mercy, and the heralds of the cross are directed to assure you that, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."