e comes directly to the point; he names at once the thing which he needs most; he mentions the one thing needful for the relief of his direst necessity. “* Lord,” he said, “that I might receive my sight.” In like manner, whether we engage in public sup- plication, or family worship, or private devotions, we should have before our mind our most urgent neceasities, rightly discriminate them, really feel them, and with pointed earnestness and plain directness of speech express them; we should have some felt want, some real necessity, an actual petition to present or hearty thanksgiving to render. 5. The cure. It was immediate : “ immediately he received his sight.” It was a wonderful change for this poor, blind man ; it was a new and blessed experience; it was like a trans- ference into a new and beautiful world; in fact, we cannot realize, and words fail to express it. Equally new, and gracious, and wonderful, and blessed is the translation out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God, which takes place in regeneration, when the eyes of the under- standing are opened» and the light of the knowledge of the glory of God ashes in upon
118 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [on x. 1—52, ;
the soul. 6. The means employed. The gentle touch of Jesus’ hand was the outward instrumentality. Lovingly, tenderly, he passed his hand over the sightless eyeballs. What a thrilling touch that was! What condescension withal! How it helped the sufferer to hope for the best, and to have faith in the Saviour’s power! The inward means was faith: “Thy faith hath saved thee.” Nor is it said, “ Thy promptness hath saved thee,” though his promptness was laudable ; nor “ Thy humility,” though that was most becoming; nor “Thy perseverance,” though that was commendable; nor “ Thy Scriptural knowledge in relation to the Messianic hopes of the nation,” though that was of a superior kind; but “ Thy faith.” Faith and salvation go hand in hand together ; God has joined them, let not man separate them ; God has wed them, and let not man divorce them. 7. How faith saves. It saves, not by any merit in itself, not by any virtue of its own; it saves by bringing us into contact with Christ. It is the instrument that extracts virtue from the grace of Christ; it is the link of gold that unites with and binds us to Christ; it is the arm that puts on the robe of Christ’s righteousness, and that is the robe of salvation; it is the hand stretched out to receive the gifts that @ bestows. “He that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned.” IV. How BarTImM#vs PROVED HIs @RatiruDE. 1. He followed Ohrist. His faith, as usual, wrought by love; and love keeps near, and delights in, the presence of the beloved object. So with all who love the Lord; they follow him. Soon as the eyes are enlightened to see his beauty and his excellence, we follow him; soon as the heart begins to burn within us by his teaching, we follow him; if true disciples, we follow him; if sheep of the Good Shepherd, we follow him. “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” In Old Testament as well as in New Testament times, it was so with all who loved the Lord. Thus it is recorded to the honour, and redounded to the salvation, of Caleb and Joshua that they “ wholly followed the Lord.” The psalmist speaks his personal experience in the words, “My soul fol- leweth hard after thee.” The children of God in both Testaments followed the Lord as monuments of his mercy, as trophies of his grace, as living witnesses of the power of his love, and as witness-bearers to histruth. Bartimsus followed him “in the way.” We read of the Israelites, in their journeyings, being on one occasion sorely “ discouraged because of the way.” It may be so with ourselves, yet we must follow the Saviour whithersoever he leads; whether it be up the hill of difficulty, or down the hill into the valley of humiliation; whether it be a way of toil and trial, of danger and distress, or in green pastures and by still waters; taking up our cross, we shall, by his gracious help, follow him; through evil report and good report we shall follow him. Even when his way, as often, is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known, we will follow him. But how do we make sure that it is the way—the right way ? He has himself marked out the way in his Word, and said to us, “ This is the way, walk ye in it;” his providence has erected signposts along the way, so that a “ wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein ” or wander therefrom ; his Spirit des us in the way and comforts us by the way. Thus instructed in his Word, led by is providence, and guided by his Spirit, we shall follow him in the way which, rough though it be at times, and painful, and even distressing, leads in the end to glory, honour, and immortality. 2. He glorified God. “ Glorifying God,” says St. Luke. 0, too, shall we. We have always admired that opening statement in one of the West- minster standards, which says, “ Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him for ever;” it contains at once the whole duty of man, and the chief blessedness of man, We glorify God by deep and heartfelt gratitude; we glorify him when we praise his name and defend his cause; we glorify him by the devotedness of our life and our conse- oration to his service, Thus by the homage of the heart, by the fruit of the lips, and by the sinlessness and faithfulness of the life, we glorify him. We have good cause to glorify God for his unspeakable gift—the Son of his love and our beloved Saviour. We glorify God for raising up “ a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ; ” for the perfection of his person, the purity of his life, the suitability of his offices, the efficacy of his death, the, prevalence of his intercession ; for “his agony and bloody sweat, for his cross and passion, for his precious death and burial, for his glorious resurrection and ascension, and for the coming of the Holy Ghost ;” for all he has done fer us, for all he is deing, and for all he has promised to do. 3, The happy influence exerted om others, “ A}) the people,” says St. Luke, “ when they saw it, gave praise unto
t i , (8. x. 1—83.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 119
God.” ‘There is a holy contagiousness in this work. When ne ets good for his own é : 0
soul, he cannot keep it to himself, he cannot hide it; the Gratien eas deep, the joy
is #0 great, that he must declare it aloud and to all around, just as the psalmist, saying—
© All that fear God, come, hear ; Ill tell
What he did for my soul.”
Or again--
\ “God will I bless all times; his praise My mouth shall still express.
Extol the Lord with me, let us Exalt his name together.”