God. And these persons are in a most pitiable condition, much more so than the naturally deaf and dumb. The bodily disorder cuts off those who are afflicted with it from intercourse with their fellow-creatures. The spiritual disease cuts off from communion with God. The spiritually deaf and dumb have no intercourse with Him in the spirit of their minds. And further, it may be observed, bodily deafness denotes the absence of only one faculty, but spiritual deafness shows the total absence of spiritual sensation; or that the whole soul is dead to God, dead in trespasses and sins. And the end of this state is eternal death, or banishment for ever into the regions of darkness and despair. Spiritual dumbness is descriptive of the same state. They who are dumb to the praises of God, who have no grateful hearts to praise Him because His mercy endureth for ever; and whose tongues are not employed in imploring pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace; can never be admitted to join with the redeemed of the Lord in their blessed employment of celebrating His high praises in His heavenly kingdom.

Such being the deplorable issue of this spiritual disease, those who labour under it are most assuredly objects of pity and compassion. As the friends of the deaf and dumb man brought him to the Lord Jesus, and besought the exercise of His kindness and compassion towards

the afflicted sufferer, so it becomes those whose ears have been opened to hear the word of God, and whose tongues have been loosed to pray unto Him and to praise Him; it becomes them to pray earnestly on behalf of their unconverted friends and relatives, to endeavour to bring them to hear the word of God, and to use what other means they may have in their power to persuade them to attend to their spiritual and eternal concerns. Encouragement may be derived from the consideration, that our blessed Saviour immediately listened to the supplications of those who brought this poor man to Him; although He probably did not act exactly in the manner in which they might have supposed that He would have done; since He took him aside from the multitude, before He did what was required. His attention to this and many other cases which were brought before Him, ought to prove an encouragement to earnest and persevering prayer by the children of God on behalf of those in whom they are interested. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever;91 the same kind and compassionate Friend of sinners that He was on earth; and He still waiteth to be gracious to all who apply to Him for spiritual blessings. He will not reject the humble supplications of those who seek His face and favour.

91 Hebrews xiii. 8.

He never did reject any humble petitioner for the gifts of His bounty in the days of His flesh; although He sometimes delayed to answer, in order to exercise the faith and patience of the applicant. So likewise now His property is always to have mercy. As the Lord over all, He is rich unto all that call upon Him," and will supply all their need according to His riches in glory.99 Oh! that His people put that confidence in Him which He deserves; how happy might they be in the enjoyment of the lovingkindness of such a Friend, who is able and willing to do for them exceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think.9

93

When this poor man was brought to the Lord Jesus Christ, He was pleased to make use of some external means, preparatory to effecting the cure, which were evidently in themselves of no essential service in the business. In like manner, He has appointed the means of grace, the ordinances of His house, the preaching of His holy word, by the foolishness of preaching, in itself a weak and ineffective instrument, to save them that believe.95 How often do the means fail of effecting their object; how weak do they appear to be, and how much are they despised; but nevertheless, when the word of God is brought home to the heart of the sinner by Di

92 Rom. x. 12. 93 Philip. iv. 19. 94 Ephes. iii. 20. 951 Cor. i. 21.

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power and grace, it is mighty through God to the pulling down of the strong holds96 of sin and Satan, which had been erected therein.

In addition to the means which our Saviour

used, He looked up to heaven. Here we may learn, that the blessing of God is to be sought in the use of the means of grace. Without this they are used in vain; but with it, the weakest instrument is rendered most effectual. It is the happiness of man to look upwards. They who lift up their eyes and hearts to heaven, will ever find that blessings descend upon them from above. The God of heaven blesses those who seek to maintain intercourse with Him in the spirit of their minds. Let us imitate this example of our Saviour, that we may enjoy the happiness consequent upon it. It is not a vain thing to implore help from God in the time of need.

When our Saviour again turned His eyes to the earth, He sighed. A sight of the sad consequences of sin brought sighs, and groans, and tears from Him on various occasions. And surely the exhibition of the bitter fruits of sin, in the misery which it brings upon mankind, is enough to cause lamentation and mourning. Grief for the prevalence of sin, both within us and around us, should ever fill our minds. May

96 2 Corinthians x. 4.

we be humbled for the sin that dwelleth in us; and while we mourn over its ravages, let us make our application to the blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin, that we may partake of pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace, so that no sin may have the dominion over us.

He

What a mighty change was produced, when our Saviour said, Ephphatha, be opened. He spake and it was done. So when His all-powerful voice reaches the sinner's heart, a wonderful change also takes place there. He that was before deaf to all that concerned the interests of his immortal soul, then hears the voice of the Son of God and lives. He hears with astonishment the terrors of the law, and wonders that they never alarmed his conscience before. hears with delight the sweet and melodious sounds of the gospel, and is astonished that he should never before have listened to the joyful tidings. His mouth which had been dumb, with regard to prayer and praise, is then opened to utter fervent supplications at the throne of grace; and he is amazed that he should have so long neglected prayer to God; or that his prayers were such a dull round of lifeless formality; and that he should never before have found any pleasure in holding communion and fellowship with Him in whom he lives, and moves, and has his being. His mouth is also opened in praise to the Father of mercies and God of all grace, for the