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every thing which might by any chance have contributed to his immediate comfort, however slow they might have rendered his progress towards the prophet of Nazareth. But no-he had too keen a sense of his own condition. He felt that no sacrifice would be too great to make for the blessing of light, and therefore he" cast away his garment, and rose, and came to Jesus."-And so, my brethren, must we. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption '." But lo! the kingdom of God is within us. Already that which is natural has passed away, and that which is spiritual has commenced. The last Adam given unto us his quickening Spirit, and now, if we live any longer after the flesh, we shall die; but if through the Spirit, we mortify and cast away the deeds of the body, we shall live, now and for ever.

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Bartimæus, we are told in the narrative," rose and came to Jesus."

1 1 Cor. xv. 50.

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this phrase," coming to Jesus," or "coming to Christ," which is indeed a very common one has been employed repeatedly in the present discourse. But it may be well perhaps not to leave an expression of this kind without attaching some definite meaning to it.-How then may a Christian of the present day be said "to come to Jesus ?"-Not by any mere excitement of passionate feelingnot by loud and vehement protestations, -not by crying by the way-side, " Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" This, as we have seen, did not satisfy even the blind beggar of Jericho.-But, by coming to that book, in which Christ being dead, yet speaketh :-by taking up the Gospel, as the revealed word of God: -and reading it, and receiving it as if every word were addressed to us personally by Jesus Christ himself. While Jesus was yet in the flesh, running his course of mercy and love-going about doing good-all who were diseased and afflicted, flocked to him from every quarter, confiding in his power to heal

them. And their faith saved them; as many as did but even touch the hem of his garment, were made whole. At that time, what should we have said of any sufferer, who was so wilful and obstinate as to refuse to apply for relief?— And what shall we say of him now?—The same qualification alone is still requisite, viz. faith, faith, perhaps, of a higher order, more implicit and more refined. But what of that? The blessing which rewards it will be greater. "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed 1."

If then, my brethren, you would come to Christ-though not perhaps as literally, yet as essentially and as effectually as did blind Bartimæus, or any of those sufferers who were relieved by him when upon earth in the flesh-Apply to his Gospelnot in a spirit of cavil, not out of curiosity, not as a matter of duty merely, but with a full conviction, that there, and there

1 John xx. 29.

alone, are the words of eternal life-that there is the only light which will enable us to see what manner of men we arethe only teacher who can explain to us the meaning of this life, and the value of the next.-Do this, my brethren, in sincerity and truth, and you will virtually come to Jesus."-Do this in sincerity and truth, and you shall receive the same. gracious answer, that was vouchsafed to the son of Timæus-" Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight."

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May all those whose faith shall obtain for them a share of the blind man's blessing, have grace also to imitate his subsequent conduct. Behold, they are made whole, they are brought out of darkness into light-their eyes are opened, and they have seen the Lord :-May they never leave him nor forsake him :-may they be deaf to all other calls-cast away all the lets and hindrances of the flesh :--take up the cross deliberately and resolvedly, and "follow Jesus in the way."

SERMON X.

THE POWER OF FAITH.

MARK ix. 24.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe: help thou mine unbelief.

THIS is one of the many passages to be found in the New Testament, the perfect naturalness and reality of which render it impossible to suppose that the narrative which contains them can be a counterfeit. We have here a father, whose son-and that son his " only child," as we learn from St. Luke, is afflicted with a most grievous and distressing malady.-Having heard of the wonderful works of Jesus, he brings the sufferer to him, in the hope of obtaining relief. At the moment of his arrival however, our Lord had taken Peter, James, and John apart with him

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