The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 64

h, his w,ice, he exchims," Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace .. , for mine e)"<'s l1Rve ~ccr. thy Salvation." Lile has now no ungranted good fo~ him to B"·ait. _The la~t and dearest wish of his he~rt has been fulfilled; willingly would ho now c]ogc hrn ~yes tn lho sleep of death; gladly would he now lie down to rest in the quiet of the gra vc. l. 'l'HOSE wrro MUST BB UNSATISFIED IN SPIRIT. 'l'here is a VII.St multitude of men ~ho aee_k for satisf~tion _in t~e things W?ich ~r~ seen and temporal-in taking pleasure, m makmg money, m w1eldmg power, m gammg honour, etc. But they do not find what the_y seek. It is as true in London as it was in Jerusalem, eighteen centuries after Clmst M ten centuries before, that "the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing." All the rivers of earthly good ruay run into the great s:ie. of an immortal spirit, but that sea is not filled. Earthly good is the salt water that only makes more athirst the soul that drinks it. It is not the very wealthy, nor the very mighty, nor the very honoured man who is ready to say," I am satisfied; let me depart in peace." ll. THOSE WHO MAY BE SATISFIED IN SPIRIT. Simeon knew by special communi- cation lrom God-" it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost "-that he should reach a certain point in the coming of the kingdom of God, that his heart's deep desire for " the Consolation of Israel" should be granted him. Aud waiting for this, and attaining it, his soul was filled with joy and holy satisfaction. It is right for those who are taking a very earnest interest in the cause of Christ to long to be allowed to accomplish a certain work for him. Again and again has the parent thus striven and prayed and longed to see the conversion of all his (her) children, or the teacher of his (her) class; the minister of Christ to see the attainment of some pastoral design; the missionary to win some tribe from barbarism and idolatry; the translator to render the Word of God into the native tongue; the national reformer to pass his measure for emancipation, or temperance, or virtue, or education, or the protection of the lives and morals of women or children. And this deep desire of the heart has been a con- straining power, which has nerved the hand and energized the life, which has brought forth the fruit of sacred zeal and unwearied toil. God has given to these souls the desire of their hearts, and they have gone to their grave filled with a holy, satisfying peace. So may it be with us. And yet it may not be so. We may be called upon to quit the field of active labour before the harvest is gathered in. Others may enter into our labours. But if it should be so, there is a way in which we may belong to- ll!. THOSE WHO CANNOT FAIL TO BE SATISFIED IN SPIRIT. For we may be of those who realize that it is in God's hand to fix the bounds of our present labour, and to determine the measure of the work we shall do on earth. We may work on diligently and devotedly as those who have much to do for God and man, yet clearly recognizing that God has for us a sphere in the spirit-world, and that he may at any hour remove us there, though we would fain finish what we have in hand below. If we have the spirit of Christ in our service, if we go whither we believe he sends us, and work on in the way which we believe to be according to his will, we may rest in the calm assurance that the hour of our cessation from holy labour is the hour of God's appoint- ment, and a peace as ea.Im as that of Simeon may fill our soul as we leave e. not- 11,nfinished work on earth to enter a nobler sphere in heaven.---C. Vers. 34, 35.-The t()fJ,Wstone of truth. We do not suppose that Simeon saw the future course of the Saviour and of his gospel in clear outline; but, taught of God, he foresaw that that little Child he had been holding in hie arms would be One who would prove a most powerful factor in his country's history; and he saw that relationship to him would be a source r,f the greatest blessing, or of weightiest trouble, or of most serious condemnation. ThWI guided by this venerable saint, we will regard the gospel of ChriBt as- I. A TOUO.HSTOJIE. Our Lord himself was a tonchstone by which the men of h_ie day were tried. He came not to judge the world,_ but to eave the W?rld, as he ea1~ (Jubu xii. 47); and yet it was also true that" for Judgment he came 1Uto the w_orld, ll<l Le also said (John ix. 39). His mission was not to try, but to redeem; yet it wati a necessary iIJ.cideutal consequence of bis coming that the character o~ the men who eame in colltact with him would be sev"r11ly tested. When the 'l'ruth itself appeared on. n, 1-62.] TlIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 56