The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 258

is to be stored in it. Possessions of land cannot be kept in a cash-box; works of. ar~ D:ust not be stowed away in a wine-cellar. If heaven is our treasury, only heavenly riches can be collected f here. It will not do for us to reckon our property by gold or any material things, for heaven has no room for such sordid wealth. The " unsearch- able riches of Christ" are there-faith and love, pardon and peace, life and gladness,, purity and powor. 3. Its security. This heavenly treasury is safe. No corruption can breathe in the pure atmosphere of heaven; no thief can break open its mighty gates; death is powerless to enter its realm of eternal life. Nothing can destroy or rob us of our spiritual possessions in Christ. _III. THE oao_crnos OF CHOICE, Enough reason for preferring the heavenly treasury might be found ID t~e great contrast between its security and the deceptive insecurity c;f all earthly treasuries. But Christ introduces a much hiaber consideration. "Wher& thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also." Thereforeb if the treasury is on earth, the heart will dwell in this lower region; but if the treasury is in heaven, the heart will soar to the heights of God. Our thoughts, our very selves, dwell with what w& prize most highly. Ilere is a greater danger than that of the disappointment of loss- viz. that of the permanent degradation of a low affection. The chief reason for choosing heavenly treasures is that we may not set our affections on things of the earth, that we may have our thoughts and desires drawn up to what is heavenly. Thus only shall we escape from the sordid mind that gloats over sordid treasures, and win the pure and heavenly mind that aims at highest good.-W. F. A. ~' Vers. 22, 23.-Simplicity of conscience. The illustration seems to be this-We see only through our eyes. All the light that the body enjoys comes through that pair of delicate organs. Thus, as the means of bringing light to us, our eyes are our lamps. Now, if the two eyes are confused so that they see double, they distort our vision. They must form a single image between them for us to be able to see clearly. If worse should happen, and our eyes should be blinded, all the blaze of noon can bring no light to us. This is the physical analogue; let us now look at its spiritual counterpart. L CONSCIENCE IS THE EYE OF THE SOUL. It is to our spiritual nature what the organ of vision is to the bodily structure. It is the avenue through which light enters. A man without a conscience could know no spiritual truth. He might understand 11, multitude of facts about religion. The history of Israel and the biography of Jesus Christ might be very familiar to him. Doctrines of theology might be studied by him 11B systems of philosophy or theories of science are studied. But the knowledge thus acquired would not be spiritual God would be hidden; the way of life would remain undiscovered. Righteousness and sin, faith and redemption, would be but names for abstract ideas; and the .conception of these ideas would not help practically. But God speaks in the conscience. There his Spirit touches our spirit. There he impresses ua with the force of moral distinctions, and draws us on to the better life. IL CONSCIENCE NEEDS TO BE BIHPLE IN OBDEB THAT IT MAY BE CLEAB. It is possible for the inward vision to see double. This will not happen so much when we seem to have a conflict of duties as when we confuse the very idea of duty with lower con- siderations. If we act conscientiously even when perplexed by a diversity of claims, we cannot make a very great mistake. But the terrible confusion arises when Con- science is not permitted to speak by her6elf; when she is interrupted by a babel of clamorous voices speaking out of self-interest, insisting on worldly maxims, and assuming wisdom and pleading policy. These interruptions are fatal to a sound decision, Conscience must be cleared of all accessories. We must look straight to one point. The one question for conscience is-What is right? It is absolutely necessary to keep this guestion simple by separating it from every other consideration. IIL THE PERVERSION OP' OONSCIENOE !8 THE GREATEST SPIRITUAL DARKNESS, He is in the dark who turns from the light; but far greater is the darkness of e. blind man who cannot see in the light; and darkest of all is the mistake of one so deluded and demented as to take night for day, darkness for light, so that he follows d~rkness as a guide. It is bad to disregard conscience. Still, conscience remains, a warnmg beacon Lhat cannot be utterly quenched, and we are aware that we are going without its guidance. Far worse is it to pervert the conscience. Better face a dark coast than the false lights of wr-eckera; better have no compass than one that will not point to I.he oa, v1. 1-34.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 251