“Rich in mercy, Thou didst stoop;
Thence is all Thy people’s hope.
Thou wast poor, that we might be
Rich in glory, Lord, with Thee.”
WHEN God revealed His name to Moses, the first attribute He proclaimed was “Mercy” — “The Lord God, merciful” (Ex. 34:66And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (Exodus 34:6)); and it is beautiful to notice how the Lord Jesus, when as Son of man He trod this earth, delighted to exhibit the same character to the poor sinners who thronged His path.
In Luke 17 we read of two special cries for mercy which fell upon our Lord’s ears as He wended His way up to Jerusalem. His path ever led Him through scenes of suffering and sorrow. Samaria and Galilee, the outcast places, He “must needs” go through. And here, as He passed along, He came upon a pitiable sight. Ten men — lepers — herding together in their fellowship of misery, met Him; but standing afar off, with one consent they cry, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Alas! no uncommon sight this — lepers crying, “Unclean! Unclean!” Will the Lord pass on and leave them in their misery? Nay; no human heart so tender as His. None in this wide world so pitiful as He. That cry for “mercy” must be answered, and at once. He said unto them, “Go, show yourselves unto the priests... and as they went they were cleansed.”
Physical cleansing this; but sweetly it speaks to us of the Lord’s readiness to cleanse and heal the soul-disease of all who cry to Him now. When He was on earth, multitudes thronged Him to get relief. All who came were healed, none turned away. Today He is in heaven, the Great Healer of soul-sickness. And so the apostle can write to those who had received Him, reminding them how the healing had been obtained — “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree... by whose stripes ye were healed.” Let me ask, Have you felt your need, and come to Him for cleansing and cure?
But another appeal fell upon our Lord’s ear. It came from a blind beggar. Could aught be more sad! The joys of life, common to most, he had never known; the depths of poverty, he had. And daily he sat by the highway-side begging for alms from the passers-by.
But one day the hopeless monotony of life was broken. Far away — with hearing keenly accentuated by loss of sight — he could detect the tramp of feet, the murmur of voices. Nearer and nearer they come. No ordinary crowd this which passes. Oh for a minute’s sight to learn the cause! But, alas! in darkness he must wait, till one more kindly disposed than the rest tells him, “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.” What a moment for Bartimæus — the chance of a lifetime! We can picture him with outstretched arms and sightless eyes turned towards the still approaching footsteps, while above the murmur of the crowd his voice of passionate entreaty rings out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me!”
Careless of his wretched state, and heedless of the pent-up agony of years, the people would bid him hold his peace. But faith braves all rebukes, and he who hitherto begged for alms from man, now turns for mercy from God. And again the deep longing of his soul goes forth in the cry, “Have mercy on me!” There is a pause, a hush, and then willing hands lead him to the One who had commanded, “Being him to Me!” Marvelous sight — the footsteps of the Lord of life and glory arrested by the cry of a blind beggar! “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” “And Jesus said, Receive thy sight!” “He spake, and it was done.” And the first object those long-darkened eyes beheld was the compassionate face of the Saviour who had shown him mercy. Is it any wonder that we read, “He followed Him, glorifying God”? Has it been so with you, reader? Can you say:
“I have heard the voice of Jesus; tell me not of aught beside.
I have seen the face of Jesus; all my soul is satisfied”?
But, alas! we hear of another cry for “mercy,” not uttered in time, but when the lost soul has been launched into eternity. For a moment the vail is drawn aside, and we get a glimpse of the eternal state of one, who having lived without Christ, died without Christ, and was forever in hell (Luke 16:2323And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23)).
A prosperous man of the world, with all that heart could wish. But when the short span of life snapped, while the beggar at his gate was “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom,” we only read “he died,” “was buried,” and “in hell... he cried.” And what was his appeal? Did he say, “Father Abraham, pray me out of this place? or pay to have my time here shortened?” Ah, such delusions, if he ever held them, are all swept away! He knows but too well now that hope is over — the gulf fixed — the separation eternal. Then for what does he ask? Oh the anguish of that cry — “mercy,” and “one drop of water.” Alas! too late this appeal is made. His guilt has landed him in a place where mercy cannot come, where no mitigation of hell’s eternal misery can reach those who deliberately turned their back upon heaven — who rejected God’s salvation, and scorned God’s Christ.
We hear at times of the supposed efficacy of “prayers to the saints.” The only prayer to a saint recorded in Scripture is what we get here, and we learn it availed naught. The rich man’s day of grace was over. He had had his “good things” in time, his opportunities in time; but now he had entered eternity, and all hope of mercy was forever past. Four solemn words seem aptly to describe his state:
He died without mercy.
Far, far away in the beautiful cemetery of Melbourne, a marble tombstone bears the short inscription:
“I obtained mercy.”
It marks the resting-place of a young man who, having spent the most of his short life “without Christ,” before his end came was brightly converted; and the words engraved tell their own blessed story of God’s seeking and saving grace.
When you come to die, let me ask which of these epitaphs would be descriptive of you? We read, “Those who despised Moses’ law died without mercy” (Heb. 10). Will it not be equally true of those who despise God’s salvation?
A certain king “made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them, Behold, I have prepared my dinner... all things are ready, come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and slew them. When the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city” (Matt. 22).
Thank God, this day of wrath has not yet dawned. But we know not how soon it will. God, who is rich in mercy, lingers over a doomed world. Have you fled to Christ for refuge from the coming storm? Face the question, we entreat you. And if you have not yet “obtained it,” cry for “mercy” now. Be in earnest, as those poor lepers were. Be in earnest, as the blind man was; and we tell you on the authority of God’s Word, the result will be the same. Universal as the effect of sin has been, so universal is the offer of God’s mercy to sinners. “He hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.” The “same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:1212For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (Romans 10:12)).
A. S. M.