light of th~ soul. All is then beheld in ,ita real force and its right proportions. Du, 1101 otherwise. And therefore the great Teacher emphasizes the need of II the aingle ,·ye," the miud purely intentioned to know God and hie will and truth and this i11tention undisturbed by appetite of sense, or by prejudice closin" against the evidence ,,f the light. Ah, the single eye I The tiniest mote may confuse and becloud, One cunning bosom sin, one aberration from the right, so email as scarcely to be though\ ,,f, may yet impair the organ. And once let the eye beoome evil "thy body also is ful_l of darkness." 2. Tbe~e is, as the second condition, a complete enlightenmenl c,f m~11d (ver. 36).. See t,o, 1t that eve~y part of the thinking, willing, activity is sulnllltted to the hght. lhe whole bemg must be yielded to it. "Search me, U God, and know my heart : try me, and know my thoughts : and see if there be any wicke~ way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." It is the partial illu.mi- 11:u10n which we have so often to deplore. The prophet describes Ephraim as "a c:1ke not turned "-one part of it under the influence of the fire, burned i the other part u11i11fluenced and doughy. So there is often to be noticed an imperfect &&nctifying u( character, an imperfect acquaintance with the way of the Lord, Men are always apt to measure what is due to God, what is to be kept for themselves. The apostle s:iys, "The God of peace sanctify you wholly." We 11-re often pained by a narrow- uoss of view in Christians, by their failure in learning the lesson suggested by the e,angelist, when he speaks of Christ" looking round about on all things." We are ufteu pained, again, by a so-called breadth of view-no height in it, no mountain, forget- ful that in the city which lieth foursquare, the length and the breadtll and the height of it are equal. Oh, how needful is the prayer to increase in the knowledge of his will in all wu;dom and spiritual 'IJITUi,erslanding I Offer all, conscience, intellect, emotions, aITcctions, will, all to the light; make an unreserved surrender. "If the whole be full of light, having no part dark, that whole is full of light." Not like a candle burning dimly, flickering and feeble, but as" when by its bright shining it giveth light." llL Here, then, is TIIE BESPONBililILITY WITH BEGABD TO THE TRUTH, Men discuss whether we are responsible for our faith. We are responsible for ourselves, and whnt we are iucli-l"idually will greatly determine what, individually, we believe. This seems lllost obvious. '' Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness" (1·er. 35). There is a light, a capacity of receiving and verifying the light, in every man-unless, in<leed, in ro.re cases, or in those who are described as II past feeling." In speaking to wen, in preaching the gospel to every creature, we assume this. And it is this which defines the responsibility resting on all. For the state of this receptive faculty, for its exercise, we must answer. "Take heed," says the Master. How solemn and expressive his sentence I Not merely II that the light shine," or " lest the light be extinguished," but more strongly et.ill, "that this inner light be not darkness itself"- that what should load to God does not take from God and become an angel, a power, of darkness. This was the catastrophe already fulfilling in the Pharisees, the catastrophe which he had declared (see parallel passage, Matt. xii.) to be the sin against the Holy Ghost. And the word of warning still confronts us. Take care of all that savours of sophisticating the conscience. Take care of all that cuts off from the light. Take care lest your 1irayers lose tone, your desires lose fervour, your soul loses interest in Divine things. Take care lest any way of thought, through companions, or literature, or otherwise, blight what is best and holiest in yourselves. The life of God in a soul is very sensitive. It needs to be guarded; it needs to be kept open to all Heavenward influence; it needs to be ever filled anew out of the fulness of God. A very little may destroy the organ, may separate from the vision. "The little rift within the lute by- and-by will make the music mute." Walk in the light. AB the Light of God is ever seeking you, so let the light in you be ever seeking him. "Feed daily on Christ in your heart by faith, with th..aI.iksgiving." Do God's will with all the strength. 'l'hcn th~ life is a beauteoWI order. Apart from the Light, the life is a chaos, a darkness lww great!
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-The influ..e1<u of devout example, etc. 'l'he fact which is stated in th6 first verst uf tl.ii.o cha1,ter ijugg~st.11- on u 1-fi4.. ) TITE OOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. Ll'f'.K