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VISITS TO SABBATH SCHOOLS.

No. II. WHAT COMES BY HEARING, AND THE RIGHT USE OF WHAT WE HEAR.

As soon as the minister entered the room, and all those children gathered about the door had got in and were quietly seated, the business of the Sabbath school was begun with praise and prayer; and then followed the reading and expounding of

MARK X. 46-52.

46. 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.

10 47. 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.

48. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And

they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.

50. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

51. 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.

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52. 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.

1. The miracle of healing here described, said the minister, was wrought upon "blind Bartimeus."

Now the first girl in the first class, will look and tell me where this blind man was, and what he was doing?—He "sat by the highway-side begging." Had he anything wherewith to pay doctors, to try to cure his blindness ?-No; he was a poor beggar, who had nothing to give, and needed to ask for everything he got :-While even if he had been able to pay thousands of pounds for all the doctors in the world, think you they could have healed him ?—No, truly; the man was stone blind, and utterly incurable by any human skill. What then are two things, thus noticeable in the sad case of this man, which went to make his as helpless and hopeless a case as well could be ?- (1.) He had nothing wherewith to buy any relief to his blindness, and (2.) even though he had, no human help that money could buy would have been of any avail. There he sat, therefore, in a dreary, dreary darkness, shut out from all that is beautiful in God's fair creation, and utterly helpless in his hopeless misery!

2. But next the second girl, will notice in the case of this poor blind man, there was one thing he had special reason to be thankful for-and what was that? Stone blind he was, but how thankful he had reason to be that he had his HEARING. How great a blessing that was to him will soon appear, if now you look to notice how very much came to Bartimeus "by hearing," and by that right use he made of what " he heard."

Picture to yourselves the blind man sitting in broad day light, his sightless eyes rolling about in utter darkness. Suddenly his ear catches the sound made by the many feet on the road, of "a great number of people" moving past him. The sound makes him curious to know what it all means, this great bustle of so vast a multitude on the move out of Jericho. He listens to what is said by the people one to another as they pass, or perhaps he inquires, and soon he learns that Jesus of Nazareth is passing that way.

Knowledge of Jesus

was thus one thing that came to Bartimeus " BY HEARING," and the knowledge, too, that the Saviour was within his reach, and was not that a great thing for him to know? Could he feel as if so good news might be safely disregarded? No, indeed.

3. Notice next, therefore, what use blind Bartimeus made of that knowledge which came to him “by hearing.” The fortyseventh verse tells you: "when HE HEARD that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me." In other words, he believed that what he heard was true,-ay, and instantly set himself to act upon the truth of what "he heard," in strong crying," for the help he hoped for at the Saviour's hand.

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Faith in Jesus

was thus another thing that came to Bartimeus "BY HEARING ;" and it was a faith that reached out to lay hold on the Saviour in earnest prayer for his deliverance. The blind man could not see anything for himself:-how reasonable and right it surely was, therefore, that when "he heard" from those who had seen Jesus, that it was indeed He who was passing by that way, Bartimeus should believe the word of trustworthy witnesses. Like a wise man it surely was in him to believe those who could tell him what he could not see for himself, and to act upon the truth of what "he heard!" Above all, how right and wise it was in him not to lose a moment in seizing the opportunity (since for aught he knew it might be the only opportunity he might ever again have) of reaching Jesus with his cry for help! In spite, therefore, of every discouragement from "many who "charged him that he should hold his peace," (verse 48)" he cried the more a great deal."

4. And how well it was for him that he did so! For look at verse 49, and notice that the simple-hearted earnestness wherewith the blind man's faith cried out reached the ear of Jesus, and seemed instantly to arrest him, for he stood still, and "commanded Bartimeus to be called." "And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth THEE.' And Bartimeus was not faithless. As yet, indeed, the blind man could not see as others could the evident signs that Jesus had a purpose of mercy to him. But when he was told it he believed, and at once took the comfort of the assurance that in passing by that way Jesus did indeed design to give him a blessing. "By hearing"-there thus came to blind Bartimeus not only

knowledge of Christ and faith in Him, but also, thirdly,— A Comforting Assurance of Jesus' Purpose of Mercy to him.

Trusting the testimony upon which "he heard" that Jesus desired him to come to Him, Bartimeus believed and made himself sure that he was called. He at once, therefore, obeyed; though in his blindness he might be said to go "not knowing whither he went." Simply taking Jesus at His word, who, he heard, had "commanded him to be called," Bartimeus, (don't you think you see him?) with eager haste casting away his garments lest they might hamper and hinder him in going, instantly arose and came to Jesus! And what was the issue? Was ever an obedient faith more richly rewarded? He got his whole heart's desire. Put to it by Christ to tell out whatever he wanted, the blind man asked, and IMMEDIATELY he received his sight! Light poured into his dark eye-balls! And, oh! with how unspeakable a joy must his heart have overflowed, as he gazed upon the face and form of his divine Saviour, and "followed Jesus in the way!

The examination, thus far carried on in conversation with the girls, was, at the end of the hour before the school dismissed, again taken up and revised with the boys, who assisted by their answers in farther bringing out two lessons in which the exposition was thus applied:

I. As to our state by nature, in regard to the spiritual and unseen things of the eternal world, what better are we all than blind beggars? As "miserable" sinners we are both " POOR and BLIND.' (Rev. iii. 17.) (1.) We are absolutely without anything to offer as the price of our deliverance; and (2.) though we had worlds of wealth to give, no help it could purchase could ever save us. It may be, that many in this sad state "know not that they are miserable, and poor, and blind," and care not to be healed; yet it is not the less true that every one of you is born into the world in a state in which your hearts are blinded! You see not that there is a God, and a heaven, and a hell. You live as if these were not! You see no beauty in Christ that you should desire Him as your Saviour! And so we have daily to mourn over the dreary state of boys and girls among you, and of grown up men and women in the world, who, with hearts utterly blinded, are sitting in spiritual darkness, and in the dreadful shadow of eternal death!

II. But, though it may be that as yet you do not see as you ought the reality there is in those things which are eternal-one thing at least let us be thankful for-that you are in the way of HEARING about the Saviour. By every public meeting together of Christians, as in the trooping after Jesus of" His disciples and a great number of people," you catch a sound which surely must make you curious to know what all this gathering of people into congregations means! Listening, therefore, to what you hear in these congregations, and inquiring what it means, you have learned, have you not?-that the Saviour, Jesus the Son of God, has come into the world, and that He is even now WITHIN YOUR REACH! Oh! is not that a great thing for you to know? Can you feel as if so good news may be safely disregarded? I beseech you not to trifle away the present opportunity, which, for ought you know, may be the only one you will ever again have of reaching Jesus with the cry for help! Hearing what is testified of Jesus-that He is within your reach, a Saviour able and willing to save all who call upon Him, yea, that He commands such to be specially encouraged to come and ask what they will-hearing all this, like blind Bartimeus, be not faithless but believing, and instantly act upon the call to come to Jesus! Casting aside every weight that could hinder your coming, hasten you Now to beseech Him to save you! And as there is truth in this word of God, the eyes of your understanding shall be enlightened, and, following Jesus in the way to heaven, you shall no more walk in darkness, but have the light of life for evermore!

CHILDREN BELIEVING WITH THE HEART, AND

BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS OF FAITH.

IN a recent letter from Stockholm we are told, that among the little girls in an industrial school at Herrestad, a remarkable awakening has taken place. The schoolmaster had for some years felt much discouragement. He saw no signs of the Word of God entering the hearts of his pupils. It seemed to go no farther than the understanding. This year, however, several little girls began to be seriously troubled about their sins. Their sorrow was soon turned into joy, when they began to understand what the Saviour really had done for them. All this, which before they had