XCV. Bartimeus. [Mark] x. 47, 48. [8s.7s. meter]
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.”
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted,
Alms, which none but 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.
Publishing to all around;
“Friends is not my case amazing?
“What a Savior I have found!
“Oh! 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.”
By John Newton, in Olney Hymns, In Three Books, Hymn 95, pp. 117-118.
John Newton (1725-1807) is best known – is some cases almost exclusively – for his hymn “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.” It is certainly a good one! one that has been called a “spiritual national anthem” or “Christian national anthem.” Newton wrote many good hymns on texts of scripture. “Mercy, O thou Son of David” is one of these. In it he takes the historical incident and related miracle of “Blind Bartimaeus” and teaches us a lesson on spiritual blindness. It needs to find broader use in conservative Christian communities. Listen to three four-line stanzas (1a, 2a, 2b) of John Newton’s hymn, sung with the grand tune Villulia.
J. M. Day wrote this tune, but nothing is known of who he was.
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