Bartimaeus, or Mercy, O thou Son of David

By John Newton, in Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779), Hymn 95.

8s.7s. Bartimaeus. Mark 10:47-48
1 "Mercy, O thou Son of David!"
Thus blind Bartimeus prayed;
Others by thy word are saved,
Now to me afford thine aid:
Many for his crying chide him,
But he called the louder still;
Till the gracious Saviour bid him,
"Come, and ask me what you will."

2 Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted,
Alms, which only he could give:
"Lord remove this grievous blindness,
Let my eyes behold the day."
Straight he saw, and won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.

3 O! methinks I hear him praising,
Publishing to all around;
"Friends is not my case amazing?
What a Savior I have found:
O! that all the blind but knew him,
And would be advised by me!
Surely would they hasten to him,
He would cause them all to see."

The Hartford Selection of Hymns (1799) presents the hymn in four line stanzas with this added as the seventh stanza:
7 "Now I freely leave my garment,
Follow Jesus in the way,
He will guide me by his counsel,
Bring me to eternal day."

Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1800) also adds the seventh stanza, with this as the eighth stanza:
8 There I shall behold my Saviour,
Spotless, innocent and pure;
There with him to reign forever
If I to the end endure.

The Camp-Meeting Chorister (1830) offers a slight variation in its Hymn 61:
4 "Now I freely leave my garments,
Follow Jesus in the way;
He will guide me by his counsel;
Lead me to eternal day:
There I shall behold my Saviour,
Spotless, innocent, and pure;
And with him shall reign forever,
If I to the end endure."

These two additional stanzas are not in John Newton's Olney Hymns, but can be found circa 1800. The last line -- If I to the end endure -- appears to present theology contrary to Newton's, which Benjamin Lloyd changes in his Hymn 147 (Primitive Hymns):
4 "Now I gladly leave my garments
Follow Jesus in the way;
He'll direct me by his counsel,
Bring me to eternal day:
There I shall behold my Saviour,
Spotless, innocent, and pure;
There with him to reign forever
For his promises are sure."