unto us, thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, have a right judgment in all things, and evermore rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

SECTION XLIV.

ST. MATTHEW, XX. 30.

AND behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that 'Jesus passed by. Mark the end of your reading, and hearing of him, in this and all his miracles; it is, that you may know your blindness, and who is to be the restorer of your sight.

-Cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.-Why did they cry? They knew they were blind. Why do not you, in sincerity, and with great earnestness? Oh! it is a vain thing to take his name into your mouths, and think you believe in him, without any true knowledge of your case, or lively sense of your want of him.

Ver. 31. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace. - They would not for any man's bidding. They were not to be rebuked out of their cure. Probably, they had heard of the fame of Jesus, longed for his coming where they were, and would not lose this precious opportunity. How many have you lost?

-But they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. Let who will endeavour to stop your mouths, in the day of your distress for sin, regard them not. Do as the blind men did; cry the more

after Jesus; cry in spite of all the world, "Have mercy

him. He knows our case, and does not want compassion

for it; but he waits for our cry; he must hear it from our own mouths.

-And called them and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? -Jesus is always the same; and these gracious words are now spoken to every one of us, at this very time and place, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? Speak, if thou knowest.

-

Ver. 33. Lord, that our eyes may be opened. Lord! this day; the eyes of our understandings to receive the light of thy truth, and our hearts to receive thee; for they are both shut till thou openest them.

Ver. 34. And they followed him. As we shall, for his teaching, when we truly believe in him for our cure; and, if we have not this proof to give of our faith in him, no other will be sufficient.

LECTURE.

It is a blessed thing to follow Jesus; knowing what he is, and what we are, and coming to him in faith for all his benefits. If we wanted our bodily sight, or had any other grievous distemper, and believed that he could and would cure us, we should certainly put ourselves into his hands, with many thanksgivings to God for having laid our help on one that is mighty; we should cry after him, as the two blind men did, and be very earnest with him to restore us to health or sight. I beseech you, take notice from hence, and learn what a work of faith is. It is the soul's cry after Jesus, for what we want, and cannot give to ourselves; and, if we never were pinched with a sense

of our wants and utter helplessness, we deceive ourselves in thinking that we believe in him; whatever words we may use to this purpose, as put into our mouths by others, though we call him our Saviour, and repeat his name in our creeds and prayers, yet our own hearts were never with him. If then he was present at this time and place, and now speaking the words to you one by one-"What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?"- What would you say to him? What would you ask of him? What is the relief you would catch at in this blessed moment of your help? Would you say to him, Lord, I am a sinful man, and want forgiveness; I want strength against the power of sin, and would give all the world for a new will to please God in obedience, but find that I am as weak as I am corrupt, and must perish if thou dost not save me? Do you think he can, do you believe he will, and do you really desire it of him in truth and sincerity, so as willingly to submit to his method of cure, and follow all such directions for that purpose as he shall think fit to give you Will you confess your sins, and the sinfulness of them? Will you gladly lay them upon his head, and think it an unspeakable mercy that you may? Will you purpose to forsake them at his bidding, and be faithful to his teaching in a work of reformation? Tell me not what else you say or do; tell me not of your civility, or honest dealing in the world, or form of religion; come to Christ with a feeling of your distemper, and the wants of your souls, or else there is no faith, no grace, no cure wrought, no sight restored, salvation is not yet come to you; and to come to Jesus is to trust in him for relief to the conscience from the guilt of sin, and the fear of condemnation; accompanied with a desire and purpose to live by his rule, and to keep his commandments.

Sin may not be so heavy a burden, nor so distressing to you, as it is to some others; it may not be necessary

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that you should know the exact time or manner in which such a work begun, and happy are they who experience it, however or whensoever it begun; but, if you do not see yourselves undone by sin, make Christ your hope, and receive a law at his mouth, nothing is more certain than that you do not experience it. That this work may be begun, successfully carried on, and happily completed, Christ is read and preached to you every sabbath, and you have the Scripture in your hands to guide you to him, to beget faith in him, and keep you close to him for the life which he only can give. To him then you must go, as you would for ease to a Physician, if you were sick; only with this difference, that whereas all means and helps may fail you in the case of bodily or worldly distress, Christ will never suffer you to go without the relief you want for your souls. Come to him in faith and desire of his benefits, and you shall not be disappointed of your hope. Every miracle he wrought, as I am often telling you, and wish the repetition of it was unnecessary, is a bond put into your hands, with the seal of Heaven to it, that he will fulfil the desire of your hearts, and help you to the utmost of your wants. To what end do you think this miracle of healing wrought upon the two blind men, as well as all the rest, was written and recorded, and is now brought to your remembrance? Was it wrought merely for their sakes? Was it only that you might hear it, and wonder at it, and think no more of it, or make no use of it for yourselves? No; but it was to turn your eyes to him as your Saviour, to convince you of his power, and that you might believe in him as still present with all his grace and love, to do for you whatever you ask of him. Read the Gospels with this view, as proving Jesus to be the Christ of God, and presenting him to you in all his miracles as your Jesus, to heal and to save you; let him hear you saying, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us," and you may be

as sure that he will have compassion on you, as if you saw him with your eyes, and heard him speak the word for your recovery. What use you have made of the many miracles you have heard from this Gospel of St. Matthew, and how you have profited by them, is best known to God and yourselves. Sure I am, they are your call to Jesus; and I pray God you may hear it, and make it your daily prayer to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

PRAYER.

O blessed Jesus, have mercy on us and help us. To thee we come for healing, and by thee to the Father. Open our eyes by the Spirit to see the greatness of our sin, the greatness of our danger, and the glory of thy salvation. By the will of the Father, and moved by thy own bowels of compassion, thou camest from Heaven to seek and to save us, and art with us alway to the end of the world; give us repentance, give us faith, and renew us to the desire and love of holiness; that being washed from our sins in thy blood, we may purge ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, live in hope, die in peace, be pronounced thy faithful servants, and received to the glory which thou hast purchased for all who come unto God by thee, our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

SECTION XLV.

ST. MATTHEW, xxi. 1.

The First Day of the Holy Week, or Sunday*. AND when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, &c. - We are now to read of Jesus going to Jerusalem to put himself

*

Mark, xi. 1-11; Luke, xix. 29-44; John, xii. 12-19.