individual actions which so soon UAUrp the authority of habitual guides of our conduct. Perhaps, to aid our feeble conception of a subject little within our grasp, we might i-magine that our heart in its first form was just the scene and domain of feeling- feeling blessedly gentle like infantl breathing; blessedly innocent, that knew no evil; exquisitely sensiUve, and-grateful, it knew not why nor to whom. In the midst oi that calm scene the plant of thought grew up, inevitably coloured with colour's every tint by feeling. It was no clear thought of reason or of the intellect alone. It was warm with the warmth of human life, and with all its mystery of individual hope, wish, and inclinings. This peculiar domain of feeling and thought, the human soul, became the main place of the originating of action-the fruitful, too prolific seed-bed of all those deeds of the body for which, when we "all appear at the judgment-seat of Christ, we must receive . . . according to that done, whether good or bad." Now, that is a motive which determines feeling and thought to shape itself into action, and which decides its form. Whence those motives come (so multitudinous, so various, so mixed in their character), often enough the heart itself has lost the stern simplicity to know, and no earthly judge can safely pronounce. The complication has become what human skill cannot disentangle. Even the uncharitable and censorious world bas, to a proverb, professed at any rate to renounce the judging of men's motives. None the less realities, yet are they fearful ghostly realities to summon before ov,r bar, indeed I Grant all thi~, yet every one of us knows, if he will say it, whether those inducements of his actions within him are or are not honest, kind, useful, right, unpoisoned by absolute selfish- ness, fit to be brought to the light, good, holy-in a word, whether they are "pure," or prejudiced by every degree of the taintedness of impurity, from the least to the greatest. 'l'o set this house in order is indeed a task. 'l'o suffer, to harbour in it no ill motive, to encourage each better and higher motive, to keep a " clean conscience," the fairest flower and fruit of which is "charity" toward the motives of others, stern strictness toward our own, or humbly, earnestly to try and pray to do this, as far as it is not "impossible with man," is to have, or to approach toward having, the "pure heart," which begins even now to "see God." CoNcLusroN. Dwell upon the very encouraging light thrown on human nature, and on its future-that the vision of God is suggested as granted even here to a growing moral likeness to him, and a neariug moral sympathy with him; while every present o.nd necessarily partial vision of him here is an earnest of the vision of full fruition to come. Partial though the clearest, brightest, best vision here confessedly is, yet is it Dot the deepest and purest bliss to be had 'l To this said the reputed Chrysostom of old, " So far as any one has rescued himself from evil, and works things that are good, so far does he see God, either hardly, or fully, or sometimes, or always, according to the capabilities of human nature."-B.
Ver. 9.-The Beatitude of the peacemakers. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for tboy ehe.11 be called the children of God." 'l'his is the seventh in order of the Beatitudes. It is the first, however, which shows blessedness pronounced as alighting upon a person, not in the first instance for some personal quality, grace, or virtue, but for bis works' sake in the interest of others, whether of the family, the world, or the Church. 'l'be distinction is manifest, but the difference is not very ree.l. For any man to lay himself out to make peace between others, whether on larger or lesser scale; for any one to have the least likely success in doing so; for any one to have but the honest real desire to do so, postulates already his 01vn disposition. For certain work, the gift, and even the honest fervent desire, argues the foundation-grace. And certainly not least so in exactly an instance like the present. As there are some graces and virtues (like patience, for instance) that come little, indeed, naturally or of preference or predilection to any one, so also there are soma works, the first to be needed, very likely, but the last to be chosen of any one. And this is one of them. Thus are some men blessed for their works' sake in double sense. It may, then, be safoly assumed that the man who volunteers for the peacemaker's work (1) loves peace himself from the heart; (2) bas diligently sought to follow peace with all men ; and (3) bas, by God's gre.ce, eubducd the warring elements of his own heart, as far as might be, first. These a.re his best and true credentials for his work. The name of special honour and speci11l love put by Jesus himself on the peacemaker pronounces at the same time the high MATTHEW. 0 194 TIJE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S'1'. MATTHEW. [cu. v. 1-48.