Whatever some may say about their inability to find out truth, you will rarely find one of them who does not know better than he practises. Then if he is sincere, let him begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowl- edge he has got, and God will soon give him more. — " If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." (Matt. vi. 22.)
We learn, secondly, in this passage, that a self-exalting spirit in ministers of religion is entirely opposed to the mind of Christ. Our Lord says, u He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory ; but he that seeketh His glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."
The wisdom and truth of this sentence will be evident at once to any reflecting mind. The minister truly called of God will be deeply sensible of his Master's majest}^ and his own infirmity, and will see in himself nothing but un- worthiness. He, on the other hand, who knows that he is not " inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost," will try to cover over his defects by magnifjdng himself and his office. The very desire to exalt ourselves is a had S3nnptom. It is a sure sign of something wrong within.
Does any one ask illustrations of the truth before us? He will find them, on the one side, in the Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord's times. If one thing more than another distinguished these unhappy men, it was their desire to get praise for themselves. — He will find them, on the other side, in the character of the Apostle St. Paul. The keynote that runs through all his Epistles is personal humility and zeal for Christ's glory : — " I am less than the least of all saints — I am not meet to be called an Apostle — I am chief of sinners — we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." ;Ephes. iii. 8 ; 1 Cor. xv. 9 ; 1 Tim. i. 15 ; 2 Cor. iv. 5.)