had the light, but would not use it, — ^and a warning to our Lord's disciples, who believed in the light, that they ought not to con- ceal the light, but display it to the world. A candle is intended to be placed on a cancQestick and give light. So also Gk)d's truth is intended to be imparted to others, and exhibited to all around us.
It is hard to conceive a more striking example of putting the light "under a bushel" than the treatment of the Bible by the Church of Bome. The Church of Rome possesses that word which is given to be the light of man's soul, and yet discourages its reading and opposes its circulation.
84. — [When thine eye is single, Se.] The eye is to the body, what the heart is to the man. If the eye is dimmed— does not see objects clearly, the whole action of the body is more or less affected. If the heart is double-minded and compromising, the whole character of the man will be influenced by it. His course will be wavering and unstable. His life will be trimming and inconsistent.
Parkhurst says, that the Greek word rendered " single," when applied to the eye, means clear. Doddridge says, " it is opposed to an eye overgrown with film, which would obstruct the sight." Campbell says that it means *' sound and healthy," and that both Chrysostom and Theophylact interpret it in that sense.
85. — [Take heed, therefore, dc] The meaning of this verse appears to be " Take heed lest that faculty in thee, which ought to be the eye of the soul, become so dimmed and obscured by sin, sloth, or unbelief, that it be as useless as if it were in utter darkness. Take heed, lest by hardening thy heart against the light of my Gospel, thou become utterly callous, and be given over to a re- probate mind."
It must be remembered that the expression is parabolic and figurative. It must not be so strained and wrested as to convey the idea that man has naturally an "inward light" which can save his soul. Such an interpretation would contradict other plain texts of Scripture, and tend to Felagianism.
36. — [If thy whole body, Sc] The meaning of this verse is at first sight nothing more than the assertion of a simple truism. It seems nothing more than saying, " K thy body shall be light, it shall be light." This, however, is plainly not the fiill meaning of our Lord's words.
The meaning of the words appears to be as follows. " If the e^e of thy soul is thoroughly healthy, and thy heart thoroughly right in tiie sight of God, so that thy whole character is enlight- ened and infiuenced by it, then shall thy whole character shine after the manner of a candle which enlightens thee by its shin- ing. Thou shalt not only have light for thyself, but refiect light
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BXFOSnOBT THOUGHTS.
on others." The second expression, " fiill of light/' should be read in close connection with the likeness of the candle which immediately follows. — If thou art really full of light, thou shalt he like a lighted candle on a candlestick. Thou shalt he a light to the world.
The marginal reading gives a more literal translation of the conclusion of the verse than the authorized version. The literal rendering of the Greek is, " as when a candle, by its bright, flashing shining, enlightens thee."