friends. Give your hearts right up to God your Heavenly Father, and he cannot refuse you salvation, he has promised it and his promise shall stand forever.

SERMON II.

I shall make a few plain remarks on the portion of Scripture contained in the Gospel according to Mark 10th chapter-from the 46th to 52d inclusive.

me.

'And they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimeus the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David have mercy on me! And many charged him that he should hold his peace, but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David have mercy on And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus, And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.'

The object of Christ's mission was to make it consistent for God to save souls, who were ex. posed to the curse of his violated law. He was

such a Saviour as we want-he was bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. He could sympathise with the sons of men, for he was tempted in all points like as we are, although without sin. He was born of a virgin-his cradle was a manger and poverty his lot. The Son of Man had not a place whereon to lay his head, He was sought unto by many and turned none empty away. Even humble females came to him for advíce and instruction. And, I dont know why it is so-but such is the fact that at the present day twice as many females as males attend the ordinances of God's house.

But to return: Bartimeus, the son of Timeus sat by the highway side begging. We may suppose, to paraphrase it in our own way, that he sat just as we see beggars now a days in the streets of our large cities, to obtain a penny from the passing traveller. By and by a noise comes to his ear. He hears the sound of coming feet, as the multitude comes nearer, like a great army; 'What's that noise there?' he cries. · Hark! What's that sound I hear?' The Son of David is coming! Now this poor blind Bartimeus was an intelligent sort of a man-he knew a Messiah was promised, and he believed in him. They had read the Scriptures to him. He had heard of the Son of David and of the miracles he had

wrought. Hark! he hears the people shout

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'The Son of David comes !' 'Now, says he to himself, I'll have my eye opened.-He cried out in the language of the text, 'Son of David, have mercy upon me!-Have mercy upon me! Stop your noise, said some one in the crowd,-you poor, degraded beggar !-What! do you suppose the Son of David will answer you? But he cried out the more. -Son of David-have mercy upon me!' Just then the Messiah was passing, surrounded by ten or fifteen thousand people for our Saviour used very often to preach to five, or tenor even twenty thousand. Now,' thought Bartimeus, 'this is my only chance.' He cried out again, at the top of his voice,-'Son of David, have mercy upon me.' He heard him this time. The Messiah stood still and commanded him to be called. Some of the multitude took him by the hand and led him to Jesus. What do you want, blind man?' says he. Lord, that

I might receive my sight!' No sooner said than done, the scales fall from his eyes, his sight is restored, and he goes on his way rejoicing.

Now sinner, this is just the course I want you to take. Go into your closets-pray for yourselves that God will give you light. Some say a man's heart is a closet. No, no, it only means privacy. How would this sound, I want to know?

Do you, Mister Benson, go into your heart, and when you have got in, shut the door of your

heart-(mind that), and then Mr. Benson, do you pray." Pshaw! Nonsense! In the original it means a warehouse, a shop, a parlor, or any place of privacy. If you dont get an answer the first time, go again and again—but keep praying till God hears your petition, and you obtain salvation.

Well, says one, I thought prayer was simply a desire of the heart. No, no! Bartimeus migh have sat by the way side all his life time, all the time sincerely desiring in his heart to have his sight restored. Dont you see the mere desire wont answer?

This poor blind man prayed-he called earnestly and sincerely upon Jesus :—and the more the multitude opposed him the more he prayed. So you ought to do my friends ;-I tell you-you go to meeting altogether too much :— Every sermon you hear only increases your load of guilt. It wont do for you to go on as you have done for years past, never praying at all. If you ever mean to be Christians you must expect opposition;—but pray although you are opposed by principalities and powers. Ah sinner! Could you realize your own situation, how you would pray? How you would agonize! Go-look at that burial ground! The lightnings flash, and the winds whistle over it!-all else is silent! You cant tell how many have gone to hell from BurJington! It ought to make you tremble to think