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of Nazareth, who passed by, he began to cry out, and say, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And the multitude rebuked him, and many charged him that he should hold his peace; but he cried the more a great deal, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and commanded him to he called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth you. And he casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus said, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? He said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. So Jesus had compassion on him, and touched his eyes and said unto him, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately his eyes received sight, and he followed Jesus in the way.

Our Lord's progress is marked with another work of Divine power and beneficence in opening the eyes of the blind. With what importunity was the cure desired! And when the petitioner was for a while discouraged, with what eagerness was that importunity repeated, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! Thus will the sinner cry to Jesus when he sees how much he needs him. But, alas! men are not aware of their spiritual indigence and distress: they say they are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that they are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Rev. iii. 17.)

When once they come to be awakened to a just sense of their case, there is then room for hope, and great encouragement for their address. We may in such circumstances say to them, as was said to Bartimeus, Be of good courage, rise, he calleth thee. With pleasure should we deliver such a message; with pleasure should we lead on the lame and the blind, the weak and the trembling, in their application to Christ; and in all the instances, in which his victorious grace is exercised, should join with those who have received it in glorifying God, and in celebrating the praise of this Deliverer, whom he has mercifully raised up for his people.

SECTION LXIII.

LUKE XIX. 1.

And behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was: and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore-tree to see him; for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Thus did our Lord Jesus Christ, wheresoever he came, scatter blessings around him, both to the souls and the bodies of men. Who can wonder that Zaccheus had a curiosity to see such a person! And how happily did that curiosity end! Christ graciously observed him, and with an amiable frankness and openness of heart, invited himself to be a Guest at his house; choosing to accept the entertainment of a publican, and to distinguish with a particular regard one that was so desirous to see him. And let us diligently observe how happy a change this visit produced in the master of the family. O Zaccheus, well wast thou repaid for thine hospitality when salvation came to thine house, and the Saviour himself bore witness to thee as a son of Abraham!

What cannot the grace of God effect? This publican was in the morning contriving only how he might increase his estate by all possible methods of gain; and, before evening, he cries out, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. Thus does the Spirit of Christ operate on the soul, producing

in it the fruits of righteousness and charity to our fellowcreatures, as well as of love to God and faith in the Redeemer. And surely the miracle by which the walls of Jericho were many ages before thrown down by the sound of rams-horns, was not greater in its kind than that which now triumphed over the heart of Zaccheus, and threw down all the obstacles which corrupt nature had formed against the entrance of Christ into it.

Now were his eyes opened, and he saw in a moment how much more valuable the pearl of price was than all the riches he could part with to procure it. And he judged rightly of religion when he saw the necessity not only of faith, but of charity too; and not only of charity, but of restitution also to those whom he had injured, without which the highest pretences to charity are but presenting to God robbery for a burnt-offering.

SECTION LXIV.

LUKE XIX. 11-28.

AND as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying,

Lord, Behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou laidst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he said unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Let us also hear and fear. Our Lord is gone, and has received his kingdom. He has delivered to us our stock, to be improved in his service: let us be animated to diligence in it; for proportionable to that diligence will be our reward. Let us remember we labour for ourselves while we labour for him; as all the progress we make in wisdom and in goodness renders our own souls so much the happier, and will render them so to all eternity. Blessed servants that have the applause of such a Master, and share a reward as liberal as that conferred on a faithful steward, who should be made governor of a province containing ten cities.

Let us beware of a slothful neglect of our stock: let us beware of those hard thoughts of God which would discourage us from pursuing his service. Above all, let us take heed, that we do not proudly and insolently reject the government of his anointed Son, and either say with our tongues, or declare by our actions, We will not have this man to reign over us: for if we do, we speak a word against our own lives. He will be glorified by us, or upon us. And oh, what shall we do, if in that dreadful day he should bring us forth as the helpless prisoners of his justice, and command us to be slain in his presence! How can we withstand his power! or to the

horns of what altar shall we flee for sanctuary? O Lord, our flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and we are afraid of thy judgments. (Psalm cxix. 120.) May we never be the miserable objects of them; but having faithfully served thee here, may that be to us a day of honour, reward, and triumph, which shall be to every presumptuous rebel a day of shame and terror, of dreadful execution and eternal destruction!

SECTION LXV.

JOHN XI. 55-57, XII. 1—11.

MATTHEW XXVI. 6-13. MARK XIV. 3-9.

AND the Jews' Passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come up to the feast?

Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper in the house of Simon the leper, and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then came Mary unto him, having an alabaster box with a pound of ointment of spikenard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And she brake the box, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. And there were some disciples that had indignation within themselves, and said, To what purpose is this

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