In confirmation of this point we proceed to shew II. The encouragement which the call of Jesus afforded him

The command which Jesus gave was announced to Bartimeus with joyful congratulations

[Jesus had declined for some time to notice his cries, but at last commanded him to be brought unto him—What a gleam of hope must instantly have irradiated the mind of this poor suppliant!-A few minutes before, he had been rebuked by the multitude, and bidden to hold his peace; but, happily for him, their rebukes had operated to quicken rather than to damp his ardour-Now also the voices of those, who had checked him, were changed, and their rebukes were turned to encouraging exhortations-The very call was deemed an earnest of the mercy that had been solicited-]

And are not the calls of Jesus a ground of encouragement to all who feel their need of mercy?

[He does not, it is true, call any of us by namee-But the minute descriptions given of those whom he does invite, are far more satisfactory to the soul, than the most express mention of our names could be-We might doubt whether there were not others of our name; but who can doubt whether he be a sinner, a lost sinner?-Yet such are repeatedly declared to be the very persons whom he came to seek and save-Are we, like the blind man, longing for mercy, and striving to obtain it? It is impossible to doubt whether Jesus have mercy in store for us, since he particularly calls to him "every one that thirsteth"-Only let his invitations be treasured up in our minds, and we shall never despond, never shall entertain a doubt of obtaining our desire at last~]

Participating in the general joy which this call excited,

let us trace

III. The effect it produced upon him

He arose and went to Jesus without delay

[Intent upon one point of infinite importance he disregarded his garment, as the Samaritan woman on another occasion did her water-pot-Or perhaps, fearing that it would retard his motion, he cast it away, that he might the more speedily obey the summons-Valuable as it must have been to one so poor, he utterly despised it, when the prospect of a cure had cheered his soul-Nor would he retain any thing that should for one moment interfere with his expected blissInstantly he went, and made known to Jesus the particular mercy which he desired-He asked not any pecuniary aid,

but that, of which the value was above rubies-He had come to one who was able to grant whatever he should ask; and, as he was not straitened in his benefactor, he would not be straitened in his own petitions-]

Such should be the effect which the calls of Jesus should produce on us

[We should not hesitate one moment to comply with his gracious invitations-Nor should any worldly concerns occupy our thoughts when a prospect of mercy presents itself to our view-We should cast off every thing, however dear or even necessary it may be to us, rather than suffer it to retard our spiritual progress-"We should lay aside every weight, and the sin that most easily besets us, in order that we may run with patience and activity the race that is set before us"Going to Jesus we should spread all our wants before him--If he ask, What wouldst thou that I should do unto thee? we should be ready to reply, Lord, open my eyes, forgive my sins, renew my soul-If we thus improve his calls, we shall never be disappointed of our hope-]

We shall CONCLUDE with recommending to your imitation the conduct of this blind beggar-Imitate 1. His humility

[It is scarcely possible for words to express deeper humility than that manifested by Bartimeus-He sought nothing but mercy for mercy's sake-He had no plea but that of his own misery, together with that which was implied in the appellation given to Jesus-The son of David was to confirm his divine mission by the most benevolent and stupendous miracles-The import of the beggar's petition therefore was, Let me, the poorest, meanest, and most necessitous of mankind, be made a monument of thy power and grace-Such exactly is to be the spirit and temper with which we must approach the Lord-If we bring any self-righteous plea, or build our hope upon any thing besides the work and offices of Christ, we never can find acceptance with him-It is the broken and contrite spirit and that alone which God will not despise-] 2. His perseverance

[The circumstances under which he persevered in his requests were very discouraging-He was rebuked by the people, and, to appearance, disregarded by Christ; yet, instead of relaxing, he redoubled his efforts to obtain mercy--Thus should we pray and not faint-Discouragements we must expect both from without and from within-The world will cry out against us, and God himself may appear to have forsaken us--But we must argue like the lepers, and say, If I cease to call upon him I must perish; and I can but perish if I

continue my supplications-Thus must we continue in prayer with all perseverance; breaking through every difficulty, casting away every impediment, and determining, if we perish, to perish at the feet of Christ-Would to God that there were within us such a spirit!-Sooner should heaven and earth pass away than such a suppliant be finally rejected-]

3. His gratitude

[When healed by Jesus, we find the same contempt for secular interests as he had manifested under his distress-From henceforth his concern was to honour his Benefactor-He instantly became a stated follower of Jesus, a living witness of his mercy and power-How differently did he act from those who seek the Lord in their affliction, but, as soon as ever they are relieved, forget all the vows that are upon them!-Let not us be of this base and odious character-Let us rather yield up ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord, and devote ourselves wholly to his service-Let the remembrance of his kindness be ever engraven on our hearts, and a grateful sense of it be ever legible in our lives-Thus shall we answer the end for which his mercy is imparted, and be numbered among his followers in a better world-]

CCCXIII. THE FIG-TREE CURSED.

Matt. xxi. 18-22. Now in the morning, as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever: And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

THE miracles wrought by our Lord were, for the most part, very different from those which had been performed by the great legislator of the Jews-Those by which Moses confirmed his divine mission were mostly awful and calamitous; but those wrought in vindication. of our Lord's authority, were all mild and benevolent, suited to the dispensation which he was sent to introVOL. III. Z z

duce-This, which we have now before us, may seem an exception-Yet the injury done (if we may so speak) was small, since the tree was already barren; and the miracle, if it had been duly attended to, might have saved thousands from both temporal and everlasting destruction-We shall

I. Explain the miracle

There is some difficulty with respect to the literal meaning of a part of this narration

[The miracle, as related by St. Matthew, is easy to be understood-But St. Mark mentions, That," the time of figs was not yet"-This has given occasion to infidels to represent our Lord as looking for figs at a season when, according to the Evangelist's own confession, there was no probability of finding any-But "the time of figs" refers to the time of gathering them; and as that time was not yet fully come, there was every reason to expect that the whole crop was yet upon the tree-The fruit of a fig-tree grows at least as early as the leaves; and therefore, as the foliage was luxuriant, there was ground to hope that the fruit also was abundantThis accounts in an easy manner for the disappointment experienced by our Lord; and shews how weak and frivolous are the objections urged by infidels against the truth of our holy religion-]

Respecting the prophetical meaning of the miracle all are agreed

[The Jews had enjoyed every advantage of care and culture Yet they constantly disappointed the expectations of their God-They professed themselves indeed to be his peculiar people; but they brought forth no fruit that was suited to that relation-Now therefore God had determined to abandon them to judicial impenitence, and utter desolation—The speedy effect, which followed from our Lord's denunciation against the fig-tree, intimated the near approach both of the spiritual and temporal judgments which were coming on the JewsAnd the event answered the prediction-It was but four days.

a That of sending the devils into the herd of swine was rather a permission to them to fulfil their own desire, than an actual miracle wrought by our Lord himself. b Mark xi. 13.

If the words, "And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves," Mark xi. 13. be included in a parenthesis, the sense of the whole will appear at once. The very same writer has expressed himself on another occasion precisely in a similar manner, ch. xvi. ver 3, 4. Inclose the former part of ver. 4. in a parenthesis, and the true meaning of the passage becomes obvious.

before they filled up the measure of their iniquities by crucifying the Lord of glory; and but forty years before the temple and city were finally destroyed-Thus was the fig-tree made a warning to the Jewish nation; and a salutary emblem would it have been, if they had regarded it as they ought-]

Having explained all which is necessary to a just understanding of the miracle, we shall

II. Consider the declarations founded upon it

The former of these relates to his own more immediate disciples

[Being now soon to leave the world, our Lord was studious to support and comfort his disciples-And the surprise, which they expressed at the speedy destruction of the fig-tree too clearly manifested their low thoughts of his power, and consequently their need of having their faith in him increased.

-On this account, as it should seem, he made a less obvious improvement of the miracle than he might otherwise have done; and turned that into a ground of comfort, which would more naturally have afforded an occasion of solemn admonition-The disciples, like himself, were to work miracles in confirmation of their word; and greater works than this were to be performed by them-He tells them therefore to exercise faith in God, and to proceed to the performing of the greatest miracles with the most assured confidence, that the effects predicted by them should instantly and infallibly be producedThus he prepared them for their future ministrations, and encouraged them to rely on the invisible agency of an Almighty God-]

The latter may be understood in reference to the church at large

[This indeed, like the former, may be taken in a limited sense-But it may also be applied to the great body of believers -It accords with many other passages that confessedly relate to all And what encouragement does it, in this view, afford us! We need never despond on account of any difficultiesNot even mountains of guilt and corruption should cause us to say, There is no hope-The prayer of faith shall bring Omnipotence to our aid-Nor is there any thing promised in the sacred oracles which shall not be given to the believing suppliant-The same almighty power that blasted the fig-tree, shall blast our enemies, and cause, if need be, the very mountains to start from their bases and be buried in the sea-] From hence we may LEARN

d John xiv. 13, 14.