Year: 1872

his text from st. Mark, tx, 24:-"Lord


I believe help thou my unbelief." He


commenced 10y saying that Mark in his


Gospel gave more striking pictures thar


any other evangelist. It was by the use


of single and strong words that his senses


started forth in their minutest details.


He was evidently an eye witness of the


facts which he records. The scene in


question was minute not merely in re.


gard to outwardness, but the passage has


the same sharp discrimination of Diet ills


in respect to the inward state of man.


The disciples had been over mastered in


the chaos of demoniac possession, The


victim was mere child, who had from


birth been subjected to this evil. The
father seemed to have been a man of
strong affection. When the Saviour
comes he appeals to Him, identifying
himself with the boy, for he says =" If
thou canst do anything, help US, being
moved of compassion towards US"


1t was not true that the Saviour was
accustomed to work miracles for the
purpose of exciting faith His motives
were those of benevolence and humanity
and, indeed, faith was demanded as a
condition precedent to the success of the
miracles. He did not intend to teach
men by the spirit of wonder, but he de-
manded that there should be belief


"All things are possible to him that
believes" In throes of pain the father
bursts out, just in the agony of suspense


"Lord, I believe help thou my unbe-
lief" There was no doubt that he did
belief in certain way; he knew that the
curing of the child depended upon GER
tain state of mind. He said, 81 be-
lieve," but he would have said so
whether it were true or not. There was
at the moment that invincible earnest
ness of purpose to press the Master on
ward in the miracle that whatever was
necessary he proposed to have or to fnl-
fill. At this time he hoped that his be-
lief was not insincere. He wanted to
believe; he half believed, while in doubt
whether he really did believe; and so,
prompted by this impulse, he added the
clause, Help thou my unbelief." The
lesson of this episode in the life of Christ
was that although there was high
standard for man to aim at, yet He did
not refuse help and encouragement nor
cast him off because he was not perfect
and had not reached that standard.


There was nothing throughout the New
Testament more grand or Imagination
satisfying than that limning Of character
toward which we are to strive with all
our might; there is no lowering at all of
the standard in the New Testament, al
though there is a lenience shown to-
wards those who fail to attain it, It is
the ideal Of manhood and character; but
Gods sympathy and pity for sinners was
great if they strove to obey His COM
mands and although they did not sue
ceed aud men, though imperfect, needed
not to hesitate to go to Him for help
They should not be deferred from pray
ing aud seeking Divine assistance. If
your physician had warned you to be-
ware of luxuries, and the temptation OF
the table were too strong, would you not
go to him again for fresh help and ad-
vice I? Jesus so administers His love as
to succor those who ask Him for help, to
cheer those who grieve for past sin and
to comfort those who are now only half
way right.


Mr.. Beecher closed with an exhorta-
ton to those different classes who needed
the Masters help for their unbelief-
those who believed they were once
Christians, but had fallen back into the
old way, discouraged with but half
formed purpose, and who looked wist-
fully at tie right path and who wished
that they were once more truly consis-
tent Christians. God would accept
their half faith, their half wish if they
would only go to Him.


There was another class who were
under great trial; whose lot was darkened
it might be, by suffering or excessive
sorrow, the effect of which had been to
throw them into IN unsettled state of
doubt and dispair. Jesus was ready to
help them, and the more so because they
were in this sad and unfortunate cou-
dition of mind. There was no such
thing as perfection men must 60
through life and the portals OF death
partly imperfect. If they walked in the
right spirit they would receive encour-
agement indeed. God listened to half
cries. heard half-faiths, succored half
beliefs, and took men, who were even
but as grain of mustard seed, the
smallest of all seeds, for His Mercy's
sake and for their own. The kingdom
of God began at the minimum, and
grew into all strength, all grandeur and
all glory for the life that was to come.


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